What are the side effects of Amoxapine?
Last updated September 7, 2026.
The most common amoxapine side effects are drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, dizziness when you stand up, and weight gain, and a smaller number of people develop movement problems such as tremor, stiffness, or restlessness. Amoxapine is a tricyclic-type antidepressant that also blocks dopamine, which is why it can cause movement effects that most other antidepressants do not. Many of the routine effects fade over the first two to four weeks as your body adjusts, and they are often stronger right after a dose increase. Older adults are more sensitive to the confusion, constipation, urinary retention, and blood pressure drops that lead to falls. Taking the dose at bedtime, standing up slowly, drinking water, and adding fiber handle most of the day-to-day problems. Tell your prescriber about any new twitching, muscle stiffness, or repetitive mouth movements, since those need prompt review rather than waiting.
What to do
- Time the dose for sleep: If drowsiness is the main problem, ask your prescriber about taking the full dose at bedtime.
- Stand up slowly: Sit on the edge of the bed for a moment before rising to blunt the drop in blood pressure that causes lightheadedness.
- Report movement changes fast: New tremor, stiffness, pacing you cannot control, or lip and tongue movements need same-week medical review.
- Do not stop abruptly: Stopping suddenly can bring nausea, headache, and trouble sleeping, so taper only with your prescriber's plan.
- Check what you combine it with: Alcohol, sedatives, MAO inhibitors, and other serotonin drugs raise the risk of sedation or serious reactions.
- Watch mood in the first weeks: Ask someone close to you to flag agitation or dark thoughts after starting or changing the dose, and call your clinician if they appear.
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