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Amitriptyline & Zinc

Oct 3, 2011 | By Shelley Moore

The prescription tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline is primarily used to relieve symptoms of depression, and some doctors prescribe it to treat certain eating disorders. While zinc supplements also may be helpful for treating certain eating disorders, this doesn't necessarily mean the two are beneficial in combination. Consult your doctor before taking zinc supplements if you currently use amitriptyline for any health problem.

Amitriptyline and Bulimia

Amitriptyline has been shown to have some usefulness in treating the eating disorder bulimia nervosa, in which patients binge eat and then purge themselves by inducing vomiting or taking laxatives. An article published in the June 1998 issue of "American Family Physician" reviewed studies on the effects of tricyclic antidepressants for bulimia and found that these drugs reduce binge eating by up to 91 percent and vomiting by up to 78 percent. A study focusing specifically on taking 150 milligrams of amitriptyline per day found that the drug reduced binge eating by 72 percent and vomiting by 78 percent. While that was more significant than placebo effects, taking a placebo also had noteworthy results, reducing binge eating by 52 percent and vomiting by 53 percent.

Zinc and Anorexia

Zinc may be effective for promoting weight gain and relieving depression in patients with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, according to MedlinePlus. Anorexia is characterized by the individual drastically reducing her caloric intake in order to lose excessive amounts of weight to the point where it can become life-threatening. A study published in the December 2006 issue of "Eating and Weight Disorders" found that anorexic patients receiving zinc supplements significantly boosted their rate of increase in body mass index. The authors report that low zinc intake is very common in anorexic patients and that this negatively affects brain neurotransmitters. They recommend that all patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa take 14 milligrams of elemental zinc daily for two months.

Amitriptyline and Anorexia

Amitriptyline has generally not shown benefits for anorexic patients, however. A study published in the February 1985 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology" did not find any statistically significant differences among patients taking amitriptyline, those taking a placebo and those not participating in the study.

Considerations

Although amitriptyline and zinc may each be helpful for treating eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia are very different problems. MedlinePlus and Drugs.com do not list any interaction between amitriptyline and zinc, but MedlinePlus tells readers that routine zinc supplementation is inadvisable without recommendation by a health care professional. Long-term use of zinc supplements can have several negative effects.

References

Article reviewed by Eric Broder Last updated on: Oct 3, 2011

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