Nortriptyline formation after single oral and intramuscular doses of amitriptyline

Oral (50 mg) and intramuscular (25 mg) amitriptyline (AT) was given to six normal subjects and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) for nortriptyline (NT) formed was calculated. There was no difference between the AUCs (corrected for dose) after the two routes of administration. The ratio between the AUCs (corrected for dose) after the two routes of administration. The ratio between AUCoral and AUCim averaged 0.95 (range 0.69 to 1.13). After intramuscular AT maximum NT plasma concentration was reached after 24 to 48 hr, whereas it was 8 to 24 after oral dosing.