Hi! i have been on 25mg of amitriptyline for about 4 weeks for sleep. it gives me dreamless night but it have severe drowsiness during day time and this will affect my work. i try to decrease the dosage by cutting it into pieces and taking it early before the bed. i am also afraid of the withdrawal effect and decided to use it once in two days. does this have any side effect(could it make the side effect to last long?)? does taking the drug by dissolving in water have an effect on its effectiveness? please tell me whatever you know! i don't know what to do! even i couldn't read with concentration!( does taking coffee has an effect on the drug?)!
thanks!
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Ermiyas
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Sorry you are having these problems....I always take my Amitriptyline 50mg around 6.30-7.00 in the evening so I don't end up with a soggy brain next day....I cannot help with the cutting in half or the coffee/water as I am not medically trained....I do hope you get sorted soon as I have found it an absolute blessing....Hug x
I think Amitryteline is one of those drugs that differs quite a lot from person to person. Personally I couldn't get on with it at all. It left me feeling like my head was about four feet above my shoulders at least until lunchtime, often all day.
I stopped taking it after a month because on top of the permanently spaced out feeling it did nothing whatsoever for either my sleep or pain problems so it wasn't worth persevering with for me.
On the other hand many people say it works wonders for them.
I took it as a liquid as I have swallowing issues so can't advise re the tablets either.
Hi Ermiyas welcome to our wonderful forum ☺ I'm sure you will come to find the forum invaluable in chatting to others who are going through the same experience as you, talking to others at different stages of their lives with Fibro and learning from their experiences.
In answer to your question, Amitriptyline is a drug often prescribed to help with the symptoms of fibromyalgia, although they are an antidepressant but like most of the drugs taken to help Fibro symptoms were originally designed to treat other conditions.
When first taking it, you will be given a low dose which can be slowly increased until you are on a dose that helps your symptoms, you must always take as prescribed by your gp & not take more or less ammount than what has been prescribed unless first discussing with your gp.
They take about 4 wks, sometimes a bit longer before they really start to work. There are lots of potential side effects as with most drugs and they really are not suited to everyone, so it's trial & error really but you have to try it properly to know if is going to help you or not. As others has mentioned, the best time to take them is early evening, then by morning the effects have worn off & you won't feel so groggy, this feeling does wear off and you do get used to them.
I have taken them for many years & they are very good, for me, they help the severe cramps I have & help relax me & helps me sleep, it also helps your mood because I think anyone with chronic pain & unable to do the things you would normally do, leads us to being very fed up & it's very easy to get depressed with it all, so they really do help, so if you can take them, it's worth it. You should read the information leaflet thourally because it has important warning & advise.
Please do go look at the mother site where you will find all the information you need and lots of useful links on Fibro and I look forward to chatting to you on the forum.
Hi! thanks for the reply and are you taking the drug till now or do you have stopped using it? if it had worked, when should i stop using it? i am afraid of the addictive effects. today i decided to go to my gp and will ask to give me a small dose or if there is another choice.
Your welcome ☺ I take them now & have taken them for years. I have come off them before though & not any problems but you have to do it with GP instructions. They are not addictive but you can get side effects when you stop taking them, that's the reason you have to taper them off slowly.
You are normally started on 20mg & then this is increased until it relieves your symptoms, I have taken 100mg when I've been really unwell, now I take 50g & sometimes I take 10mg in the morning if I can't move very well, it helps with muscle spasms.
The optimum time to take Amitryptyline is at 6pm. That way you shouldn't feel drowsy the next day.
I really wouldn't advise you to try changing your dose around without speaking to your GP first.
As has been said it can take a good 4 weeks to kick in and start working properly.
If you have any concerns I would speak to your local Pharmacist. They will definitely be able to answer all of your questions.
Good luck.
Lu xx
I agree with many members- take your amitrip a few hours before bed, when you go to bed they will have kicked in well and you will sleep and should wake up with the effects worn off, it might take time and if it doesn't, talk to g.p about halving the dose, don't do this yourself as you may get some withdrawal, when I was on amitrip I had a child dose of syrup from off a spoon!!
Hello and welcome to our friendly fibro forum where you can get advice, support, help and understanding, along with a giggle or two to lighten the day.
Amitriptyline is a recognised medication for fibro and can be very useful to help sleep and reduce pain.
I wouldn't mess about with the dosage as you will not know when it is most effective.
Have a look at the leaflet that comes with the tablets. I don't think caffeine drinks make much of a difference but this is probably what you need to sort out yourself. It can be a bit of trial and error.
If you take it in the early evening you should have no problem feeling groggy next day.
I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you possibly can be today? Welcome to the forum and it is wonderful to make your acquaintance. I do not take Amitriptyline myself and have Nortriptyline instead. I do agree with your other respondents and try takign them a few hours prior to going to bed.
I want to sincerely wish you all the best of luck and please take care of yourself my friend.
All my hopes and dreams for you
Ken
Take the tabs early evenings around 6-7pm if you can and you shouldn't have the drowsiness you are experiencing at the moment in the morning - I take 30mg
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