amitriptyline vs risperidone
Side-by-side comparison of amitriptyline and risperidone. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
major Known Drug Interaction
Dose adjustment is not recommended for risperidone tablets when co-administered with ranitidine, cimetidine, amitriptyline, or erythromycin [see Table 18 ] . Do not exceed twice the patient’s usual dose Enzyme (CYP3A) inhibitors Ranitidine 150 mg twice daily 1 mg single dose 1.2 1.4 Dose adjustment not needed Cimetidine 400 mg twice daily 1 mg single dose 1.1 1.3 Dose adjustment not needed Erythromycin 500 mg four times daily 1 mg single dose 1.1 0.94 Dose adjustment not needed Other Drugs Amitriptyline 50 mg twice daily 3 mg twice daily 1.2 1.1 Dose adjustment not Needed *Change relative...
Recommendation: No dose adjustment is needed when these two medications are taken together.
Elavil
Risperdal
Amitriptyline is a medicine used to treat depression. It may take up to 30 days to feel the full effect.
Risperidone is a medicine used to treat certain mental disorders. It can help reduce symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and aggression.
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.
Risperidone is used to treat schizophrenia in adults and teens. It also treats manic or mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder, either alone or with lithium or valproate. Additionally, it can help with irritability, including aggression and self-injury, in children and teens with autism.
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.
Risperidone works by changing the levels of certain natural substances in the brain. These substances are called neurotransmitters. By balancing these chemicals, risperidone can reduce symptoms of mental disorders.
- • Drowsiness
- • Dizziness
- • Weakness
- • Fatigue
- • Headache
- • Parkinsonism (slowed movement, stiffness)
- • Restlessness
- • Muscle stiffness or spasms
- • Tremors
- • Sleepiness
- Pain 1,564
- Feeling sick to your stomach 1,434
- Head pain 1,380
- Tiredness 1,369
- Shortness of breath 1,340
- Breast enlargement in males 24,608
- Unusual weight gain 9,446
- Weight gain 9,089
- Mental or emotional problem 5,947
- Harm or damage to the body 4,624
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.
Risperidone may increase the risk of death in elderly patients who have dementia-related psychosis. Risperidone is not approved for treating dementia-related psychosis.
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.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Babies born to mothers who take risperidone in the last 3 months of pregnancy may have withdrawal symptoms or other problems after birth. There is a pregnancy registry to monitor outcomes in women exposed to risperidone during pregnancy. You can contact the registry at 1-866-961-2388.
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How to Read This amitriptyline vs risperidone Comparison
amitriptyline is classified in the Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA) drug class, while risperidone sits within the Atypical Antipsychotic 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 7,087 submissions while risperidone has 53,714. 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 major interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to amitriptyline causes a very small increase in risperidone levels in the body, but the change is not large enough to be significant.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between amitriptyline and risperidone - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.