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New search Medicine profile Maprotiline

Clinical medicine profile

Maprotiline

Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class)

POM
Evidence state General guidance Reviewed 14 Aug 2026
Route
See product SmPC
Schedule
POM
ATC
Not assigned
PPB status
registered
Patient advice Check interactions
Verification required

This profile needs source confirmation

Some sections contain general class guidance rather than medicine-specific evidence. Confirm prescribing decisions against the current SmPC and Kenya STG/EML.

01 Risk first

Safety essentials

The information most likely to change a prescribing or dispensing decision.

Contraindications

  • Hypersensitivity to the active substance or excipients.
  • Additional absolute contraindications are indication- and product-specific — consult SmPC.

Precautions

  • Blood monitoring
  • history of epilepsy
  • pregnancy and lactation
  • history of mania
  • close angle glaucoma
  • concurrent electroconvulsive therapy
  • anaesthesia
  • hepatic impairment
  • psychosis
  • withdraw gradually.
02 Point of care

Dosing matrix

Population and organ-function guidance, shown together for faster comparison.

Adult

Initially 25-75mg daily in three divided doses or a single dose nocte. [max.150mg].

Paediatric

See label paediatric section if present; otherwise use paediatric formulary — do not extrapolate adult doses.

Renal

Review renal impairment dosing; many agents need CrCl/eGFR adjustment.

  • CrCl 0–120: Confirm renal dosing in product SmPC / primary label.
Hepatic

Review hepatic impairment dosing; monitor LFTs if agent is hepatically cleared or hepatotoxic.

03 Clinical use

Use, effects & interactions

Indications

  • Therapeutic use is agent- and indication-specific within the class (Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class)).
  • Use according to culture results, national guidelines (Kenya STG/EML where applicable) and the current product SmPC.
  • Depressive illness

Adverse effects

  • Antimuscarinic actions namely: drowsiness
  • urinary retention
  • dry mouth
  • constipation
  • blurred vision
  • sweating
  • hypotensive effect, which may lead to dizziness and syncope.
  • Arrhythmias and heart block
  • convulsions
  • haematological and hepatic reactions
  • A tetracyclic sedating antidepressant.
  • Similar to amitripylline.
  • Exceptions are that it has less anti-muscarinic effects, more likely to cause rashes and convulsions [at higher doses hence contraindication in patients with history of epilepsy].
04 Pharmacology

Mechanism & disposition

The mechanism of action of is not fully known but may be due to its increasing the synaptic concentration of norepinephrine and/or serotonin in the central nervous system [CNS].

The mechanism of action of is not fully kn…These neurotransmitters are thought to be…
Read complete mechanism

The mechanism of action of is not fully known but may be due to its increasing the synaptic concentration of norepinephrine and/or serotonin in the central nervous system [CNS]. These neurotransmitters are thought to be increased through inhibition of their reuptake by the presynaptic neuronal membrane.

Onset

Product-specific

Duration

Product-specific

Route

See product SmPC

Elimination

are product-specific. Consider food effects, protein binding, hepatic CYP/UGT

Half-life

when adjusting for organ impairment, age and drug interactions. Verify parameters in the current SmPC.

05 Special populations

Pregnancy, lactation & diet

Pregnancy

Use only if potential benefit justifies potential risk; prefer agents with better reproductive data when alternatives exist.

Lactation

Assess infant risk vs benefit of maternal therapy; prefer agents with lactation data.

06 Kenya market

Brands & loaded prices

From
Median
Listings0
BrandManufacturerPackObserved price
No reviewed brand listings are linked yet.
07 Provenance

Sources & review state

Primary sourceLocal active-ingredient clinical extract; Professional class pharmacology (Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class))
Last reviewed14 Aug 2026
EvidenceGeneral guidance

Decision support only. Confirm patient-specific decisions against the current product SmPC, Kenya STG/EML, and professional judgement.