Prolactin, amitriptyline, and recovery from depression.

Spontaneous prolactin patterns were determined at 15-min intervals over 5 h in 13 patients, who were suffering from melancholia, during illness and after treatment with amitriptyline. Plasma prolactin levels were significantly greater at most sampling points after patients had recovered than during their illnesses. One patient, who did not recover, showed the opposite trend.