Overview

Vivactil was a prescription drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat depression in people who were under close medical supervision. Vivactil was also known by its drug name, protriptyline. 

Vivactil was a tricyclic antidepressant. Vivactil was believed to work by changing the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain.

How was it taken?

Vivactil was generally taken three or four times a day. Vivactil came in tablet form.

Side effects

The FDA-approved label for Vivactil listed common side effects including headache, fatigue, ringing in the ears, weakness, drowsiness, dizziness, restlessness, insomnia, nightmares, nausea, vomiting, constipation, stomach pain, breast swelling in women, and sexual difficulties. 

Rare but serious side effects listed for Vivactil included worsening depression, increased suicide risk, glaucoma, and tachycardia (increased heart rate).

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Protriptyline (Rx) — Medscape