I take 75mg amitriptyline before bed for Depression. Could this medicine react cannabis if i smoke it heavily?

I'm 18 years of age, very healthy lots of sports and acitivites.

I have smoked Cannabis quite heavily for 3 years usually at least half an ounce a week between me and my close friend.

My Shrink has determined that I have probably been depressed for since i was 13/14...before I started smoking weed and the condition has not deteriorated since i started smoking.

I have only been on the medication for 3 months now with no noticeable effects when used in conjunction with cannabis but it has occured to me that there may be effects which are symptomless.

Yesterday a group of 6 of us smoked a large amount of cannabis and at one point I could not roll another spliff as my hand were shaking too much but this only lasted about 30 seconds and I have no idea if this could be related.

I will value all answers greatly but I would appreciate people not using this as an oppotunity to put forward political views on marijuana.

thanks

I have no political views on cannabis, only medical ones. It is a disaster of a drug with no upside and it's ill effects are often grossly underestimated. It's detrimental effects on mental health are potentially very serious. It increases the risk of psychotic mental illness by 40%, causes brain atrophy, shrinkage, in all chronic users, which causes and accellerates dementia. It is 6 tmes more likely to cause lung cancer than conventional tobacco and has recently been shown to cause impotence when used in males from a young age.

I am surprised however to hear that you have been given the very old antidepressant amitriptyline, it really has been all but abandoned for some years. I have a suspicion that this is because it is being initiated by your GP, rather than a psychiatrist, and he is worried about the link between SSRI antidepressants and suicide, in adolescents.

I wonder also if you have told him about your cannabis consumption. There is quite a strong link between it and chronic mental illness in general. There is a lot of uncertainty whether it is a chicken and egg situation. Do youngsters will psychological problems tend to gravitate towards regular cannabis use, or does regular cannabis use in the young lead to an increase in psychological problems.

Either way, I suspect you would do better if you were managed by a psychiatrist, rather than your GP. I also think that it would be essential that you started that relationship on an honest footing and told him about your chronic cannabis dependance.

Amitryptriptyline is a sedative. It helps controls the sleep cycle. I cannot see it reacting harmfully with canabis.

Cannabis on the other hand interferes with a number of neuro-transmitters and can contain a number of toxins.

Since this is a new reaction, a suspect that the canabisis may have been contaminated. Pesticides or fungal growth could easily trigger a reaction.

Beware and listen. It's the cannabis that's making you depressed. Trust me, get off it and you won't need anti depressants.

i smoked weed when i was a teenager too , but it wasn't strong, nor did i smoke as much as you! (the occasional joint at a party/ bbq etc)
- and like my peers, suffer from depression, not the only reason, but another contributiong factor - it really does mess up with the chemicals in your head, so please stop
depression is an illness (like diabetes) and should be treated as such. would you smoke fags if it meant you had a chest infection every week

the marijuana should not have any negative effects with your 75mg of amitriptyline. If anything, it should help. Marijuana is a drug used to increase levels of dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in the brain, which would only make you less depressed. Smile. :)

Amitriptyline is Elavil, which is a tricyclic anti-depressant. This is to help improve your mood. Cannabis is a depressant. Smoking heavily is negating the effects of your med.

I've smoked white widow on amitriptyline b4, ended up having a asthma attack and almost died not a good idea trust me, if you want a good drug experience take one of your tablets and force yourself to stay awake, its better than acid lol