amitriptyline vs liothyronine

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Side-by-side comparison of amitriptyline and liothyronine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

7.5 Antidepressant Therapy Concurrent use of tricyclic (e.g., amitriptyline) or tetracyclic (e.g., maprotiline) antidepressants and liothyronine sodium tablets may increase the therapeutic and toxic effects of both drugs, possibly due to increased receptor sensitivity to catecholamines.

Drug Class
amitriptyline Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA)
liothyronine Thyroid Hormone (T3)
Type
amitriptyline Prescription
liothyronine Prescription
Summary
amitriptyline

Amitriptyline is a medicine used to treat depression. It may take up to 30 days to feel the full effect.

liothyronine

Liothyronine (Cytomel) is a medicine that replaces a thyroid hormone called T3. It helps your body work properly if you don't make enough thyroid hormone on your own.

What It Treats
amitriptyline

Amitriptyline is used to relieve the symptoms of depression. It works best for a type of depression called endogenous depression. This is depression that comes from within, rather than being caused by outside events.

liothyronine

This medicine treats hypothyroidism, a condition where your thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone. It can also be used with surgery and radiation to manage thyroid cancer. Liothyronine can also be used for thyroid suppression tests to check for mild hyperthyroidism.

How It Works
amitriptyline

Amitriptyline belongs to a class of drugs called tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). It works by increasing the levels of certain chemicals in your brain. These chemicals help improve your mood.

liothyronine

Liothyronine is a synthetic form of the T3 thyroid hormone. It works by increasing thyroid hormone levels in your body. This helps to regulate your body's metabolism and energy levels.

Common Side Effects
amitriptyline
  • Drowsiness
  • Dizziness
  • Weakness
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
liothyronine
  • Fatigue
  • Increased appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Feeling hot
  • Fever
FAERS Reports
amitriptyline
  • Pain 1,565
  • Nausea 1,434
  • Headache 1,381
  • Fatigue 1,371
  • Dyspnoea 1,340
liothyronine
  • Headache 859
  • Fatigue 816
  • Nausea 569
  • Dyspnoea 549
  • Pain 469
Serious Warnings
amitriptyline

Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions in children, teens, and young adults. Your doctor should closely monitor you for worsening depression or unusual changes in behavior. Amitriptyline is not approved for use in children.

liothyronine

This medicine should not be used for weight loss or to treat obesity. Taking high doses of thyroid hormone for weight loss can cause serious and life-threatening side effects, especially when taken with stimulant medicines.

Pregnancy
amitriptyline

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. It is not known if amitriptyline will harm your unborn baby. Amitriptyline can pass into breast milk.

liothyronine

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Your dose of liothyronine may need to be adjusted during pregnancy. This medicine passes into breast milk, but it is not expected to harm your baby.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This amitriptyline vs liothyronine Comparison

amitriptyline is classified in the Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA) drug class, while liothyronine sits within the Thyroid Hormone (T3) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, amitriptyline has 7,091 submissions while liothyronine has 3,262. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to using these two drugs together can make both of them more powerful and increase the risk of side effects.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for amitriptyline or liothyronine.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.