Amitriptyline thread

[norfolkandchance]

That's great advice, thanks

Will speak to GP when I get home.

Thank you!

[ridgie]

Hi

I'm currently on the usual pain and anti-inflammatory medication for HMS. I was curious that many peolpe on here mention Amitriptyline. Could anyone explain to me how this drug works, is it any good and are there any side effects or drug interactions with my current painkillers? I take celebrex, tramadol or cocodamol depending on the severity of pain I'm in. Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[son]

*Please feel free to move this post to relevant topic, if there's already a post

My GP has recently given me low dose amitriptyline {mod edit - dosage information removed, please read the site rules} for pain relief, as I find the side effects of co-codamol/tramadol last a whole lot longer than the actual pain relief given. I only take co-codamol or tramadol when I'm in absolute agony as I find with them that I feel completely out of it, like I've had way too much to drink and a bit nauseous for hours/whole day after one dose, but the actual relief of symptoms is very short, maybe an hours worth at the most. I haven't tried the new amitriptyline yet as they can make you feel drowsy and I need no help to feel fatigued.

Was wondering if anyone out there had any experience of this medication and how have you found it?

Many thanks

son x

[nemonie]

Hiya,

Lots of us take this to help improve our sleep quality/help us sleep and hopefully help with neuropathic pain. It's best taken at night, due to the drowsiness it causes, though you'll have to work out when is the best time for you to take it. I need to take mine about 6pm, if I'm planning to go to bed around midnight.
The pain relief (if it works) often takes several weeks to kick in, so you need to take it regularly to find out if it works for you.

[lollipop]

I've been given this to help with my sleeping. Although I sleep, I don't seem to manage a restful sleep.

Hoping it helps.

[Rosie]

Hi all

Ami is well known for helping to promote stage 3 sleep, ie the restfull stage of sleep. It can take some time to work, so don't expect it to work immediately, and also it may take a while to find the dose for you to work best.

Rosie

[Fiona-Jane]

i found that it took around a fortnight for me to notice any obvious effect on my pains and insomnia, and as i have a neurological sleep disorder (i get blocked from entering REM so get bounced back to being wide awake when i try and sleep, and when i do get into REM i sleep walk, talk and have terrors that all wake me up) the ami wasnt a miracle fix but it does mean that when i do get into REM sleep i tend to have a large improvement in my sleep quality and feel less like death the next morning.

i take mine between 7 and 9 pm at night now, although i used to take it earlier when i started it as it seemed to take longer to kick in- i assume the levels needed time to build up in my system.

i also find that my fibro pains are far less once my dose kicks in, although i'm not sure if the slight drowsyness caused by the ami is simply distracting me. but this also means i sleep easier cos it doesnt hurt so much to lay in bed .

i like my ami! its one of my meds that i really cant be without and if i forget to take it i proper notice it by around midnight!!


fi

[lollipop]

I took the first one last night at 9pm, but was still wide awake at 11pm. Finally settled down and the alarm went off at 6.15am, problem was I was shattered and felt very fuzzy.

Didn't start feeling right again until lunch time.

Not going to take anymore until the weekend, when I can be lazy!

[nemonie]

Hiya,

You may need to try taking the ami earlier in the evening. I take mine around 6pm, although it took me a few weeks of trial and error to find the right timing for me

[lollipop]

I think I'll try 6pm on Friday and see how it works and what time I wake the next morning,
.
Do you find it effect for you?

[nemonie]

I find that it dosn't so much help me 'get to' sleep but it improves the quality of sleep I get and I wake up less during the night, so I am more rested in the morning. I have stayed on the original low dose, I did try going up a dose once but that just knocked me out completely and I felt like a zombie the whole time.

[leashy11]

I'm on a fairly high dose these days and I seem to have a weird tolerance for it, not usual for me who's very sensitive to most meds. It helps me sleep if I'm tired but if I'm not it makes no difference and I've had alot of stress recently and been waking up a couple of hours after I go to sleep then I can't sleep anymore so the effects of Ami seem to have dwindled on me. It doesn't help me one bit for pain though.

[Smol]

I've great success so far with Ami. Especially when it comes to the nerve pain in my arms. They have all but gone. It has affected my sleep too, but not how I expected it to. I usually sleep like I'm unconscious, the house could fall down and I wouldn't wake up. Now I struggle to get off to sleep sometimes, I generally sleep more lightly and wake up earlier. I feel a lot more refreshed when I wake too! It's all so weird. It's not every night , but is definitely the majority of the time.I remember it knocking me out in the 1st week, So far it's been a good experience. It's a nice feeling to find something that works.

[lollipop]

I've taken it a few times and so far so good. I've found taking it at 6pm works, but any later it leaves me feeling fussy the next morning. Although I've been in bed and fast asleep by 9pm.

[juliepops]

I find that it takes a long to time to get off to sleep but my quality of sleep is better with ami. If I forget to take it early enough ( for me by about 8pm) I have difficulty coming round in the morning and this is when I get the weird dreams !! It feels like I'm awake but then the dreams are so strange that i soon realise I haven't quite joined the "real world"yet !!!
The fuzzy head feeling definately got better with time for me but I guess all meds can affect individuals differently
Since being put on a higher dose it does help with my pain levels. I'm quite restricted with pain killers as my asthma is so bad. Only other option for me is co-codamol but only take these on really bad day as my IBS doesn't like them !