Side Effects of Amoxapine 

Amoxapine

All medicines  may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side  effects. Check with  your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist  or become bothersome when using Amoxapine: 

Anxiety; changes in appetite; changes in blood pressure; clumsiness; confusion; constipation; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; excitement; headache; increased sweating; nausea; nervousness; nightmares; pounding in the chest; restlessness; sleeplessness; swelling; tiredness; tremors; weakness. 

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Amoxapine: 

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); fever with increased sweating; impotence; lip smacking or puckering; seizures; severe muscle stiffness; uncontrolled chewing movements; uncontrolled movements of hands, arms, or legs; yellowing of the skin  or eyes.

Side Effects by Body System 

• Nervous system:  Nervous system side effects have included drowsiness (14%), anxiety, dizziness, headache, fatigue, weakness, insomnia, sleep abnormalities, restlessness, nervousness, tremors, confusion, excitement, nightmares, and alterations in the EEG patterns. 
• Nearly all selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, mixed serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants cause sleep abnormalities  to some extent. These antidepressants have marked dose-dependent effects on rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, causing reductions  in the overall amount of REM sleep over the night and delays the first entry into REM sleep (increased REM sleep onset latency (ROL)), both in healthy subjects and depressed patients. The antidepressants that increase serotonin function appear to have the greatest effect on REM sleep. The reduction in REM sleep is greatest early in treatment, but gradually returns towards baseline during long-term therapy; however, ROL remains long. Following discontinuation of therapy the amount of REM sleep tends to rebound. Some of these drugs (i.e., bupropion, mirtazapine, nefazodone, trazodone, trimipramine) appear to have a modest  or minimal effect on REM sleep. 
• Gastrointestinal: Gastrointestinal side effects have included dry mouth (14%), constipation (12%), nausea, and excessive appetite. 
• Ocular: Ocular side effects have included blurred vision (7%). 
• Cardiovascular: Cardiovascular side effects have included palpitations. 
• Musculoskeletal:  Musculoskeletal side effects have included ataxia. 
• Hypersensitivity: Hypersensitivity side effects have included edema. 
• Dermatologic: Dermatologic side effects have included  excessive perspiration and skin rash. 
• Endocrine: Endocrine  side effects have included elevation  of prolactin levels and hyponatremia (in association with  the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone). 

A retrospective register study  of the World Health Organization (WHO) database for spontaneous reporting  of adverse drug reactions (n=668) suggests that  the risk of hyponatremia during treatment with antidepressants seems  to be highest in women, in  the elderly, during the summer season,  and during the first weeks of therapy.