Jaundice Associated with Amitriptyline

Abstract

Reports of serious complications arising from the administration of amitriptyline have been very few, particularly when account is taken of the widespread prescription of this drug in recent years for depressive illness. This is a report of three cases of jaundice, one mild, one fatal, and the third severe, but leading to a good recovery, occurring following the administration of amitriptyline, though in two cases other drugs were being given concurrendy. The makers of amitriptyline do include in their literature a caution about the very occasional link with jaundice, but only two cases have so far been reported (Cunningham, 1965; Biagi and Bapat, 1967). In a recent article (Sherlock, 1968), no specific mention was made of amitriptyline in particular, or of tricyclic antidepressant drugs in general, as liable to produce hepatic disorder.