Metabolism of amitriptyline in patients with chronic renal failure.

The metabolism of amitriptyline (AMT) has been studied in two groups of depressed in-patients on long term AMT therapy: 11 patients with no other major disease and 8 patients with chronic renal failure, who were being dialysed. The patients with renal insufficiency had decreased concentrations of AMT, nortriptyline (NT) and their unconjugated hydroxymetabolites compared to patients with normal kidney function. The plasma levels of conjugated products were extremely high in the uraemics. The latter metabolites are probably inert. The reduced concentration of unconjugated hydroxymetabolites , which are active compounds, may decrease the clinical effectiveness of the drug.