The Use of Amitriptyline in the Treatment of TMD

Sometimes, drugs outside of simple anti-inflammatories and analgesics need to be used in the treatment of temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD. One of these such drugs is Amitriptyline.

What is Amitriptyline?

Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant, or TCA.

How Does  Amitriptyline Work in The Treatment of TMD?

Amitriptyline is an antidepressant. TMD is not a mental disorder; however, when there is a neurologic component to a patient’s disorder, several studies, over many years, have shown Amitriptyline to be effective in the reduction in TMD symptoms.

Although the exact mechanism of action of Amitriptyline is unknown, it is known that in TMD cases that are deemed to be largely neurologic in nature, this drug works well to alleviate symptoms.

How To Know if a Patient Needs Amitriptyline Therapy

Using Amitriptyline in the treatment of TMD, is one that should be done in conjunction with a trained medical professional. Your dentist, or dental specialist, will be able to tell you if Amitriptyline is indicated in your cases. Most often, these will be in cases where less invasive therapies, such as mouth guards and Ibuprofen, do not work.

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