Amitriptyline

[wheezygirl]

Is amitriptyline safe for asthma just been prescribed also to help with sleep I also take vitamin d and magnesium supplements

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

It really depends why you’re waking up. Typically doctors don’t like giving asthmatics things to help them sleep if their asthma is uncontrolled due to the risk of them ‘sleeping through’ severe attacks.

There will be people who take it for other reasons on here who probably don’t have much issue, but I’d be cautious of it if it is just cause your asthma keeps waking you up - as you’re waking up for a reason!

Hope this helps

[elanaoali in reply to EmmaF91]

I agree what is the amitriptyline for? My amitriptyline dose 50 mg is for painful bladder syndrome. I been taking for years. It helps me sleep never affected my asthma.

[TuckBox2]

I was on 20mg Amitriptyline for 20+ years to help control diarrhoea problems without having any effect on my asthma. I stopped taking it about 3 years ago after a drugs review with my AN without any withdrawal symptoms

[Missveronica]

I’ve been on it for over 15 year it’s never affected my asthma xx

[Some12U]

Hi Wheezygirl, I took Amitriptyline for six months last year for polyneuropathy in my legs which was disturbing my sleep. Actually it didn’t help that condition, but did make made me a little sleepy. I did not notice any ill effects with asthma. I found it unpleasant to feel “out of it” in the morning and also had some short term memory loss that some people report. However memory did come back !

It clearly can work well for many years, but not unnecessary for sleep. It”s actually an old fashioned anti depressant with slight anxiolytic ability, which is used for nerve problems often now. Hope this helps. x

[Superzob]

You mentioned on the IBS network that you were getting soft stool - magnesium supplements are a known cause of this, so I would reduce them if you can and see if that helps.