Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række
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Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. · Oct 1997
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial[Treatment chronic pain with amitriptyline. A double-blind dosage study with determination of serum levels].
The aim of this study was to find an optimal analgesic dose of amitriptyline, and at the same time examine whether a therapeutic window existed for this analgesic effect. 85 patients with chronic, non-malignant pain were included in a double-blind treatment regime with four doses of amitriptyline (10, 25, 50 or 100 mg). A blood sample was taken at steady state. ⋯ No therapeutic window was found, but one cannot exclude that it exists. Low-dose amitriptyline, as a non-addictive drug, is a good alternative in the treatment of chronic pain, independent of co-morbid depression.