Protriptyline

The Basics

What is Protriptyline?

Used to treat depression.

Brand names for Protriptyline

Vivactil

How Protriptyline is classified

Antidepressive Agents, Antidepressive Agents (Tricyclic)

Protriptyline During Pregnancy

Protriptyline pregnancy category

Category Not AssignedNote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.

What we know about taking Protriptyline while pregnant

Safe use in pregnancy and lactation has not been established; therefore, use in pregnant women, nursing mothers or women who may become pregnant requires that possible benefits be weighed against possible hazards to mother and child. In mice, rats, and rabbits, doses about ten times greater than the recommended human doses had no apparent adverse effects on reproduction.

Taking Protriptyline While Breastfeeding

What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Protriptyline?

Because there is no published experience with protriptyline during breastfeeding, other agents may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.

Maternal / infant drug levels

Because there is no published experience with protriptyline during breastfeeding, other agents may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.

Possible effects of Protriptyline on milk supply

An observational study looked at outcomes of 2859 women who took an antidepressant during the 2 years prior to pregnancy. Compared to women who did not take an antidepressant during pregnancy, mothers who took an antidepressant during all 3 trimesters of pregnancy were 37% less likely to be breastfeeding upon hospital discharge. Mothers who took an antidepressant only during the third trimester were 75% less likely to be breastfeeding at discharge. Those who took an antidepressant only during the first and second trimesters did not have a reduced likelihood of breastfeeding at discharge.[5] The antidepressants used by the mothers were not specified.

A retrospective cohort study of hospital electronic medical records from 2001 to 2008 compared women who had been dispensed an antidepressant during late gestation (n = 575) to those who had a psychiatric illness but did not receive an antidepressant (n = 1552) and mothers who did not have a psychiatric diagnosis (n = 30,535). Women who received an antidepressant were 37% less likely to be breastfeeding at discharge than women without a psychiatric diagnosis, but no less likely to be breastfeeding than untreated mothers with a psychiatric diagnosis.[6] None of the mothers were taking protriptyline.

Possible alternatives to Protriptyline

Nortriptyline, Paroxetine, Sertraline.