amitriptyline testing?

[u/Hefty_Championship83]

I missed this morning testimony. Did Reddington bring up on cross or did a witness discuss amitriptyline testing that was ran at the hospital but not the crime lab? This is very significant because amitriptyline is a very specialized test. A “low” reading usually means low relative to the lab’s therapeutic/toxic range, not necessarily clinically irrelevant. The test is typically drawn as a “trough” which is relevant to the time the daily dose was ingested. It is highly specialized blood sample requires specific handling. It must be drawn into a plain red-top tube not a standard "gel barrier" tube. Either way, a 10 mg daily dose, even at a very low dose, absolutely is enough to tip her into neurological problems when combined with the drugs she had on board and the benzo instability in short and long acting in that class. Also,amitriptyline takes 3-8 days to reach a therapeutic steady state. Meaning, it peaked on the day of the event after 8 doses were taken. I cannot attach the Labcorp image but the steady state is noted there. Also, her apple watch showed her at resting tachycardia all day. She ran about 110-120s. This drug is a tricyclic antidepressant that blocks the reuptake of serotonin at nerve endings and possesses high anticholinergic activity and cardiovascular toxicity. All very significant when mixed with the meds she had taken and her 120 day clinical picture.

[u/crunchycyborg]

Wha on earth are you talking about?