Amitriptyline Hcl Coupons & Prices

Looking for an amitriptyline HCl coupon? Amitriptyline hydrochloride is an older tricyclic antidepressant that is available as a low-cost generic, and the brand it came from (Elavil) is no longer marketed in the U.S. Even so, the cash price for the very same tablets can vary a lot from one pharmacy to the next, which is why comparing before you fill matters. Rx.com compares cash prices at more than 60,000 pharmacies and gives you a free discount coupon you can show at the counter. Enter your ZIP code above to see today's price for your strength and quantity near you.

What is amitriptyline and how does it work?

Amitriptyline hydrochloride is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). It is a tertiary amine that blocks the reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine, and it also has strong anticholinergic, antihistaminic, and alpha-1 blocking activity. Those extra effects explain a lot of what people notice on it, including dry mouth, drowsiness, and lightheadedness when standing up. The FDA-approved indication for the oral tablets is relief of the symptoms of depression, and endogenous depression is more likely to respond than other depressive states. It is not approved for use in children.

Amitriptyline is also still sold as part of combination products such as perphenazine-amitriptyline and chlordiazepoxide-amitriptyline. In real-world practice, prescribers frequently use amitriptyline off-label at much lower doses than antidepressant doses for conditions such as nerve pain (including diabetic peripheral neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia), migraine and tension-headache prevention, fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis. Whether any of that is right for you is a decision for you and your prescriber, not something to start on your own.

Amitriptyline cost and coupons without insurance

Amitriptyline is one of the least expensive prescription drugs in wide use. It has been generic for decades, there is no brand version left to pay for in the U.S., and there is no manufacturer savings card for it. That does not mean every pharmacy charges the same thing. Cash prices for identical generic tablets are set pharmacy by pharmacy, and the spread between the cheapest and most expensive pharmacy in one town can be surprisingly wide, especially at higher quantities like a 90-day supply.

If you are paying cash, or if your plan has a deductible you have not met yet, a discount coupon is often the simpler route. To use one on Rx.com:

• Enter your ZIP code above and select your strength (amitriptyline comes in several tablet strengths) and the quantity your prescriber wrote.
• Compare what nearby pharmacies are charging today, then pick one.
• Show the free coupon at the pharmacy counter when you pick up. There is no membership or sign-up fee.

Coupon prices are cash prices and cannot be combined with insurance, so it is worth checking both and using whichever is lower. Ask the pharmacist to run the coupon if you are not sure.

Amitriptyline vs. other options

Amitriptyline is not the only medicine in its neighborhood, and cost and side effects differ. Your prescriber chooses based on your condition, your other medications, and your age. Common comparisons include:

• Nortriptyline and imipramine are also tricyclic antidepressants. Nortriptyline is often chosen when a TCA is wanted but amitriptyline's sedating and anticholinergic effects are a problem.
• Doxepin is another tricyclic, also very sedating at typical antidepressant doses.
• Trazodone is a different class of antidepressant, widely used and inexpensive.
• Duloxetine is an SNRI with FDA-approved uses that include diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain.
• Gabapentin works by a completely different mechanism and is frequently used for post-herpetic neuralgia.

All of these are available as generics, and all of them show real price variation between pharmacies. If your prescriber switches you, run the new drug through Rx.com before you fill it rather than assuming the price carries over.

Safety information you should know

Amitriptyline carries a boxed warning for suicidal thoughts and behaviors: in short-term studies, antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children, adolescents, and young adults under 25. Amitriptyline is not approved for pediatric use. Anyone starting it should be watched closely for worsening mood, suicidal thoughts, or unusual changes in behavior, especially in the first months and after any dose change. Amitriptyline must not be taken with an MAO inhibitor or within 14 days of one (this can cause hyperpyretic crisis, seizures, and death), must not be taken with cisapride, and should be avoided during the acute recovery phase after a heart attack.

Other important risks include cardiac effects (arrhythmias, fast heart rate, conduction delay, QT prolongation), high toxicity and possible death in overdose, strong anticholinergic effects (dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention, blurred vision, and possible angle-closure glaucoma), marked sedation and impaired driving, orthostatic hypotension and falls, serotonin syndrome when combined with other serotonergic drugs, low sodium (hyponatremia/SIADH), activation of mania in bipolar disorder, and seizures. It is listed as potentially inappropriate in older adults under the Beers criteria, so lower starting doses are used. Do not stop it abruptly; it should be tapered to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol adds to its sedating effect. This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation, and read the medication guide that comes with your prescription.