Hi all. I have read a huge amount of posts that mention Amitriptyline.
When i was diagnosed nearly 30years ago with ME by National Hospital of Neurology and Neuroscience in Queens Square London one of the top hospitals, after having a near fatal strep tonsilitis where i was put into isolation.
I saw one of the top Neurologists i was prescribed with Amitriptyline, NOT for depression but for all the many symptoms of ME, wide spread muscle pain, insomnia, photophobia (sensitivity to bright lights) night fevers, constant fatigue, stiff spine, constant neck pain, brain fog and many other symptoms that i cannot remember at the moment.
Amitriptyline helped me so much. I have never really suffered with depression and mentioned this to him. He explained that this medication also helps so much with neurological pain which is what causes a lot of muscle pain and spine pain.
I am still taking amitriptyline for this reason.
I understand that many people think it is for depression as its an anti-depressant but i just wanted to let people know that i had the medication described to me in full with my mother sitting next to me and i haven't looked back since.
It really is worth trying this medication if it has been offered.
Just wanted to put this out there and hope i have not caused any issues with doing so.
Yes i do also have fibro.
Keep well and keep as happy as you can be with this horrible debilitating illness.
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MALC19
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At last a detailed explanation with regard to Amitriptyline I take 60mg at night only and it’s not just for depression it’s for the things you have listed in your post so thank you for such an informative explanation🤗
You are very welcome. After suffering for so many years i just want to help others as i have seen so many doctors etc that are really not interested unlike the consultant i saw all those years ago at The National.
Some of my symptoms may be different to others but we all have a lot of similar symptoms and just as i said above want to help.
I take 150mg of amitriptyline every night.
Thank you Panda for your reply good to know somebody read what i shared.
Hi, been unwell since July with fibro and chronic fatigue. Got widespread burning nerve pain. Worst parts my Thighs legs feet. Im on pregablin 75mg twice aday and codomol, not getting much pain relief. Can only manage 5 to 10 mins walk and I'm left with burning pain and muscle twitching spasms. I've seen many here have been on Amitriptyline. Overall didn't want to be on too many heavy drugs as I've got 2 kids. But if it can give me that extra wee bit of pain relief then worth a try as I'm useless to my family at the moment anyway😔thanks for the helpful post.Because of the pandemic didn't want to bother GP too much. But me and my family suffering. Think I ought to.
Hope it all works out for you as i totally understand your pain but always best to start low with drugs and elevate until it is better controlled. Panda has 60mg whereas i am on 150mg at night only though, as you cannot drive after taking them but ok to drive next morning.
Do feel for you and hope you get some respite with your pain soon.
I am really pleased that amitriptyline has worked for you. Unfortunately my experience was a bad one and I found that amitriptyline left me feeling spaced out and high, as if I was smoking something illegal. My GP switched me to duloxetine, after talking to my hospital consultant, and I have found that duloxetine offers me all the benefits that you have described for amitriptyline. It always surprises me how some drugs are suitable for some people and yet other people suffer badly when taking them, and find a different drug suits them. There is quite a bit of trial and error to get the right treatment for yourself.
Hi You are absolutely right that drugs suit some but not others.
Was just trying to explain the antidepressant side of it is all.
When you are at the end of your tether with the pain i myself think i would try anything if it helps.
You are right though with drugs that suit some but not others as i used to take tramadol until gp stopped them, which is a whole other story, but a friend had an op on his leg and was given tramadol for pain and he went Loopy on them, so yes always trial and error to get better treatment.
I do wish I could take it. My neurologist put me on it. Unfortunately I had a bad reaction to it. When ever I had sedative in hospital I was left with a very bad pain in the top of my head. Some professor said a valve in my brain was reacting to the anasthetic, so I cannot have that type anymore and this happens with amertriptalin.Has I cannot have anti inflammatory drugs, codine or morphine or gabapentin I have been told there is nothing they can give me for my pain. Sent away with exercises and told to lose weight. I was diagnosed over 4 years since.
Hi, I also take Amitriptyline - 75mg at night and I don't know what I would do without it. I had an appointment with a rheumatologist a few weeks and he told me that it doesn't get used much these days to treat depression as a lot of newer meds are on the market now but it is widely used to treat neuropathic pain. Take care all
You're right it doesn't get used much anymore as far as i know unless you have neurology issues.
A great post MALC19 I have been taking Amitriptyline for nerve pain with Fibro for a few years bow. I take 40mg presently and it works for me. Your explanation was really good and hopefully it will help others to decide if they are prescribed it for nerve pain etc. x
I totally agree with you I took it for a while and then stopped but since restarting it a few years ago and having the dose titrated up a couple of times I feel the benefits and I sleep so much better. For me its better than the modern ones, I tried Sertraline and it made my anxiety go through the roof and stopped it after feeling really bad on it. I would not entertain Duloxentine after seeing a neighbour after forgetting to take his, he was neurotic. xx
So true what you say. I suffer with insomnia when i go out for the evening ( though not at all at mo due to covid) i don't take my amitriptyline until we get home, so i am awake until dawn chorus.
It does make me rough for next few days but sometimes when you have special occasions, weddings, birthdays etc, it is worth those few days otherwise i would miss out on so many good occasions.
I know people that have tried different medications that did not agree with them but its always a risk in the beginning with new medication, you just got to wait and see how it affects you.
I was given diazepam for sciatica by GP and i thought the walls were moving so never taken it since. 😊
Hello ! Thank you for your post and all the interesting replies its gotten too.
I am so in need of a painkiller. Dr suggested duloxetine.
I was thinking to try something else i could get off of easily first, like Amitriptiline.
However , im afraid of the side effect of weight gain, as i have already gained 15 lbs in about 1 1-2 years. They say it also causes dementia, but i see everyone who is taking it seems to know what they are talking about and are so happy with it.
Have you gained weight from this ? Its good to know someone has been on it a long time and is still.happy with it.
Hi i understand your reluctance to try it but no i did not put weight on with it as was always skinny and i am sure i would have noticed it.
You must do what you think is right for you.
Check all the pros and cons by research first.
The only thing i noticed way back when i first took it was that i got a dry mouth but unsure that is a side effect as i was given Ketoprofen too so cannot say it was one or the other.
I wish you good luck and hope you come to the right decision for yourself.
Yes you are right. I do generally take mine with other medication at approx 6.30 to 7pm and it takes me a little while to wake up, not due to meds though my body just doesn't want to respond as its very stiff and painful which I'm sure everybody feels like in the morning.
Different here, apparently!: In Germany, Amitriptyline is pretty standard for fibromyalgia, research shows that it helps against pain in about 35% of fibromites. It is not given in high doses, not much above 50mg because it's not about the anti-depressant-attributes any more (like when it first came out), because other meds work better for that - duloxetine for instance.
I took 10mg first which gave me splitting headaches, should have started with 5mg I realized, then was giving drops 2mg each, which I continually increased from 2mg to 26mg and down again, then I was told to go back to 10mg pills, then 25mg. It helped me sleep a bit better, but did nothing for my pains or Ache.
After 4 months I realized that it was not only keeping my tired & groggy at daytime, making my mouth so dry I had to dry cough at night, put 6kg on me, made my eyesight fuzzier, but may also have increased my pulse, which had gotten higher, and especially increased my focal seizures. That was when I decided enough is enough.
After stopping I realized I'd found enough remedies to be able to sleep as well without, and have worked on that since.
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