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Nortriptyline Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of nortriptyline include off label use, fatigue, and nausea, based on 25,010 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 10.1% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Nortriptyline side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for nortriptyline.

1
Drug Ineffective10.1%2,521
2
Off Label Use8.0%2,003
3
Fatigue7.7%1,921
4
Nausea7.3%1,822
5
Headache7.2%1,797
6
Pain6.9%1,721
7
Toxicity To Various Agents4.6%1,154
8
Hyperhidrosis4.4%1,110
9
Dizziness4.2%1,051
10
Drug Hypersensitivity4.1%1,019
11
Diarrhoea4.0%998
12
Constipation3.8%954
13
Back Pain3.7%928
14
Hypersensitivity3.5%865
15
Rash3.3%828

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that nortriptyline caused these reactions.

Report severity

70.9%Serious17,723 reports
27.1%Hospitalizations6,780 reports
13.4%Fatal3,352 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Nortriptyline drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside nortriptyline. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Gabapentin9.2%2,296
2
Acetaminophen7.9%1,967
3
Pregabalin6.4%1,599
4
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride6.1%1,530
5
Amitriptyline-hydrochloride5.8%1,441
6
Venlafaxine5.7%1,435
7
Oxycodone5.4%1,361
8
Adalimumab5.4%1,346
9
Duloxetine-hydrochloride5.3%1,337
10
Bupropion4.5%1,118
11
Citalopram-hydrobromide4.5%1,117
12
Diclofenac4.4%1,095
13
Ranitidine4.3%1,068
14
Quetiapine-fumarate4.2%1,060
15
Eszopiclone4.2%1,042

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen18.3%4,574
2
Gabapentin15.5%3,866
3
Ergocalciferol13.3%3,319
4
Omeprazole12.4%3,111
5
Aspirin11.8%2,960
6
Levothyroxine-sodium10.7%2,668
7
Albuterol9.4%2,362
8
Atorvastatin-calcium8.9%2,232
9
Oxycodone8.6%2,159
10
Furosemide7.8%1,939
11
Prednisone7.7%1,938
12
Pregabalin7.6%1,910
13
Metoprolol7.4%1,855
14
Fluticasone7.4%1,844
15
Pantoprazole-sodium7.3%1,830

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports nortriptyline side effects

65.5% of nortriptyline adverse event reports involve female patients and 26.0% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 72%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female65.5%
Male26.0%
Unknown8.4%

Age group

< 20.3%
2–110.3%
12–170.9%
18–6472.0%
65+26.5%

What is nortriptyline used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking nortriptyline when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal MigraineAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAccidental PoisoningAcneAcute Febrile Neutrophilic DermatosisAdjustment DisorderAffective DisorderAgitationAlopeciaAnalgesiaAnalgesic TherapyAnaphylactic ShockAnkylosing Spondylitis

Showing 15 of 530 indications

Nortriptyline brand names and reporting trend

Nortriptyline is sold under the brand name Aventyl.

Brand names

Aventyl757

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking nortriptyline with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.