Nortriptyline treatment of depressed cardiac transplant recipients.

The safety of tricyclic antidepressants in cardiac transplant recipients has not been established. The author used nortriptyline to treat major depressive episodes in eight cardiac transplant recipients. Nortriptyline therapy was associated with increased QRS interval and heart rate but did not significantly affect other hemodynamic or ECG variables or cyclosporine dose requirements. It appears that nortriptyline may be used safely in depressed cardiac transplant patients.