Experiences of Amitriptyline?

[NatashaSW]

Hi there,

I'm new to this forum. I am an Endo sufferer. I recently went to a pain management consultant who recommended I start taking Amitriptyline for the pain. Does anyone here have a first hand account of using Amitriptyline and how it has affected you? I have never been on a sustained medication before so am concerned about the side effects. If you have had a personal experience on Amitriptyline whether good or bad, I would love to hear about it.

Thanks so much!

Natasha x

[Rachel_1666]

Hi Natasha,

I have been taking Amitriptyline for about a year now after being a car accident back in 2012.. I take 10mg in the evening as it makes me so dozy!!

Definitely a sleeping aid!

It is something you can get hooked on to I have heard from others - and isn’t too good over time.

I think after my next operation I will try and stop taking it so that I am not continuously taking it for the rest of my life.

Hope that has answered your question a bit.

Rachel xx

[NatashaSW in reply to Rachel_1666]

Hi Rachel,

Thanks for replying so quickly. Sorry to hear about your car accident.

Did the doctors prescribe you the Amitriptyline for your pain? I don't have problems sleeping so don't need to take it for that reason; it's for my endo pain which can become dehabilitating. Please let me know if it has helped with your pain at all.

Thank you!

Natasha xx

[Rachel_1666 in reply to NatashaSW]

Hi Natasha ..

No worries

Yes it was my GP - after so many other painkillers had been eliminated they said about amitriptyline.

Have you tried multiple different painkillers in the past?

I wouldn’t say the amitriptyline solved my pain definitely not but I couldn’t up the dose to 20mg as I just couldn’t wake myself in the morning .. (but it effects everyone differently)

Then last July I had steroid injections in my neck and back which have really helped the pain. So thankful for them!

Xx

[Kangalou]

I take a low dose every evening and it definitely helps me to sleep. Pain relief? Not so sure...

I’ve forgotten to take it when I’ve been away overnight and not experienced anything that would make me think I’m dependent on it to sleep - but sleep is definitely better with it! Not sure if that’s helpful - everyone is different I guess, but I certainly have found some benefit.

Good luck.

[NatashaSW in reply to Kangalou]

Thanks for replying so fast! I don't have a problem sleeping at all, it's the endo pain that causes me the problems. Do you find that it gives you any pain relief at all? At the moment I just take ibuprofen and paracetamol for my pain but it doesn't give me enough relief. Were you prescribed it for your pain or for sleeping?

Thank you!

Natasha xx

[Kangalou in reply to NatashaSW]

It was prescribed for pain - and I’m not sure if it helps but it certainly means that I sleep! So it is probably a combination of both of them?

[Tillyfloss]

hi. Hope your having a good day.

I used it for a year, I was introducing a few new things at once and found the first two weeks I was exhausted but once I got over that it helped with the pain I was experiencing especially with the hip and pelvis pain. I stopped taking it three months after my last operation and didn't have any issues coming off it.

hope it helps manage your pain. Xx

[NatashaSW]

That's really helpful to know, thanks Tilly! Did you find that you experienced any side effects from the Amitriptyline (besides the initial two week exhaustion)?

Thank you!

Natasha xx

[Catness]

Hello,

I haven’t taken it purely because my best friend was taking it and started hallucinating very badly and it completely put me off. Like anything though it is down to the person and I think where it does work, it works very well! Xx

[Chidders]

I was prescribed it along with vesicare as i was having pain ( low dosage), but also needing to pee frequently and urgently. This was impacting on sleep. It really helped and i have stopped taking it at the moment. But my Specialist said i can start taking again if needed. Hope this helps!

[lol2806]

I’ve taken it since Christmas - at first, I just took 10mg and noticed a mild improvement to my pain. I also found, like others, that my sleep was improving which was a blessing because the pain was so bad that I would wake for several hours of the night. I increased to 20mg a few weeks later as the pain was becoming worse and then roughly six weeks after being on it, I increased again to 30mg as I was having an extremely bad flare up and it was suggested as well as having stronger painkillers, that this would help. I’m still taking 30mg - the main side effect I find is that I have a dry mouth in the morning. When i initially started taking it, I didn’t think I could take it again - the next day I was all over the place but once I had taken it a few times, I didn’t experience this side effect.

[regina79]

Hi Natasha,

I was prescribed Amitriptalyne for my severe migraines years ago. They are pretty great in terms of relaxing the muscles of your whole body pretty much straightaway and I find them very good. However, I don't know about other people but I personally can only handle half dose... so half of a blue pill, as I get extremely dizzy and it's just too strong for me. That half dose for me works just fine. The other thing is that unfortunately I can't really take it when I'm out and about or at work. I can only take it before bed as it literally knocks me out! So I have to be near a bed... I think that docs do suggest to take it before bed anyway so I guess that's why. But it does work very well for me. I should really try it for my endo too! The other thing is that I do get the side-effects also for a couple of hours in the morning, so I have to take it about 8 pm maybe, if then I have to be at work at 9:30 am. As the side-effects takes a long time to clear up for me. But again, that is just me! Other people might have no side-effects at all.

The side-effects are feeling quite drowsy and spaced out, dizzy and generally confused and tired.

Overall it relaxes the muscles in a way that nothing else does! I hope it helps you xx

[regina79]

I would suggest to take it but not every night. I think it can be addictive. So just take it when you have a bad day with Endo. I think that's best... But then it depends on your pain frequency. If you are in pain every day then you might need to take it every day or every other day. But tbh I do find that the effects last a long time for me. 2 days ish. So I don't need to take it all the time.