Anybody else take Amitriptyline for FM?

[BangorSmile]

Hi all, New to the site and I must say, What a great bunch of people. I was recently diagnosed with FM, my doctor is wonderful and really listens. He has just started me on 10mg Amitriptyline before bed. Anybody else taking this and how has it worked for you? x

[Hidden]

Hiya and welcome to the group,

We like to think we're a great bunch of people LOL. We are very friendly and very helpful.

How great you have a doctor who is wonderful and really listens. So many people don't have that.

I don't take Amitriptyline but quite a few people here do.

If you click on tags in the blue line at the top of the page and then click on the A-Z, have a look down there and you will see amitriptyline and you can read what's been said about it.

Someone will come along soon who takes it soon, I'm sure and answer your question.

Sue x

[squidley]

Hi Bangorsmile I have been taking Amitriptyling 100mg a night for the past 16 years without any serious side effects except for putting on weight. Regards squidley

[jazher]

HI bangorsmile,

Its lovely to meet you,

I take amitriplyn and i started on 25mg and it worked well but i soon had to increase it to 50mg and again to 75mg.

It works wonders for me as i cant sleep without it and it helps with my stiffness in the morning.

It does make you groggy at first but stick with it as it takes a hwile to get worknig properly.

Good luck with it.

hugs, kel xxxx

[kraftyk8]

Hi BangorSmile and welcome!

I am prescribed 25mg nocte, but don't take it regularly. I only take when my day has worked it's way out of whack by about 10 hours, so I find myself wide awake all night and completely exhausted during the day.

Then I take one about 9pm and go to bed, it knocks me out in about 20 minutes. My lovely husband doesn't wake me up until 11am the following morning and it's after effects make me tired enough that night, to get to sleep at a reasonable hour.

It takes about 3 weeks until I need to do it all over again.

However, as Sue says, you'll find loads that has been said in the 'Tags' section. In fact you'll find loads about everything in there.

You can also find loads of information about all sorts in the main Fibro Action site

fibroaction.org

hugs, kate

[Trish1999]

Hi i'm new here too, I started on amytriptoline at 10mg worked fine for 3 weeks then needed it increased to 25mg and I am now on 50 mg at night. The specialist fybro nurse told me to take about an hour befrore bed as that's when it's affects are best. I find I'm still in pain but at least i do get a reasonable nights sleep

[Annie52]

hi,

Welcome. This IS a great site to be part of & you will find all kinds of info & help here plus good friends.

I take it at night for muscle spasms & of course to help sleep.

The odd times I have forgotten it I certainly know about it. It definitely helps.

Take care & soft hugs

XX

[calcait]

Hi there, I am quite new to this site too. I take 60mg at night. I need to take at around 9pm for me to get some sleep. I also take Pregabalin 150mg twice a day but to be upped to 300mg over the next couple of weeks. I also know if I have forgotten to take it as my restless legs go haywire and I cannot sleep.

[Ermintrude75]

Hi Bangorsmile. Ive not long joined here too.

Im on 10mg of amytriptoline each night. It works wonders for me. I actually sleep and if I do wake up its easier to get back to sleep.

The only problem I have is if I take it late I cant get up the next morning. For me I have to take it 12hrs before I have to get up.

Good luck with it x

[welshsuz]

i use to be on it but had to stop taking it as i felt like a zombie and couldnt wake up on them iam now on a pain patch which is brilliant iam still in a lot of pain but its not to strong i can cope with most days on it i change it every 3rd day and if i forget i soon know that it needs changing ,

[bruiser]

Hi i take it at night sometimes its a 10mg dose and the doc says i can take upto 3 per night but still takes me ages to fall asleep if i do and always feel like a zombie the next day, but give it a good try cos we are all different. xx

[bean]

i've been on them from the last 18 years....my dosage varies to how i feel....the only side effect i get on them is feeling more tired in the morning....but after a few cups of tea am ready to go....

[BangorSmile]

Thanks so much for all your replies. Taking my 1st dose tonight, so fingers crossed I will have a good nights sleep.

[lolly1970]

Hi there. I only take it when I've had a few consecutive nights of bad sleep or no sleep. I get up very early in the morning and find that taking regularly makes me unfit for work! I'm also scared of getting used to the doses specially after reading that some people here are on 75-100g! I take between 1 and 2 10g tablets depending on how desperate for sleep I am. x

[MrsOtter]

Yeah I have had no sleep all weekend, going back to my doctor tomorrow, So far all he will give me is Co-codamol for the pain because im only 17 but it isnt working so Im hoping he will try me with Amitriptyline or something similar which will aid my sleep *finger crossed* x

[hippichick]

Hi everyone, im new here too. i was on Amitriptyline 150mg a night for 7 years, it made me put 4 stone in weight on over the years, but as i was only 6 stone at the time it was a bit of a bonus. on the plus side it increase my cup size from AA to D so the was a silver lining. iv only just been diagnosed with FM and they have changed my medication to Pre-gabalin. not sure its helping but il give it a chance. does anyone else find it helps ??? x

[Ermintrude75 in reply to hippichick]

lol hippychick there is always a silver lining

[Hidden]

I take 75mgs Amitriptyline at night and it's certainly help me rest more. The problems I was having was that I felt sparked out throughout the day only really feeling awake late at night. I am trying a new tack now, taking my dose of Amitriptyline late afternoon hoping it makes me relaxed and sleepy at around midnight and that I awake feeling like I've had some rest and hopefully I can get up in the morning instead of mid-afternoon. My body clock is all out of whack and I need to get it more normal so my waking and sleeping hours are in the right place. Hopefully once I've managed this, I can go to my GP with a view to reducing my Amitriptyline dose to 50mgs, then after a while 25mg. I hate the weight issue as I've put on 2 stone, I feel lethargic and want to get my weight back on track too.

[Fificat]

Yes...for me it needed to be at 25 mg for quite a while before pain was affected. Sleepiness did wear off eventually. I also have regular acupuncture and massage which helps and a stepped exercise programme.

[willowgirl]

hi, doc prescribed amitriptyline 10mg for me not sleeping, didnt work so upped it to 20mg, have to say its a lot better now, getting some sleep, but i also take 150mg tramadol twice a day and 150mg sertraline , think i will stick to the 20mg now sleeping a bit better, am worried about the weight side of taking it for longer periods and bigger dose., xxxxx

[Wendylulu in reply to willowgirl]

Hi.. I've just read your post. My doc said he couldn't give me Tramadol because I take Sertraline(50 mg).. I was on 10 mg Nortriptyline( 25 mg proved too much due to side effects).. Even that low dose spaced me out and I was very tired all the next day ( not to mention the chronic constipation).. Oh joy!! X

[shopaholic]

ive been on it 4 5 years but recently hav been takin 20mg at 7ish instead of 9ish and find im sleepin a lot better...gud luck with it......i coundnt b without them(i am on 8 tramadol a day also)xxx

[dureg]

i am on amitrip, i have 2x25mg , 2hrs before bedtime, then 1x7.5mg of zopiclone. my doctor is trying to get me off zopiclone, and replace them with amitrip. i have been on zopiclone for 20yrs, and they are the only tabs that work for me for sleep. the amitrip causes rapid weight gain in myself, so i would like to come off those altogether.they dont help with pain, they just stop me having disturbed sleep.i find that if i dont sleep. my fm flares and stays with me untill i get proper resturive sleep. i hope this helps to answer any questions conected with amitrip and fm.

[retiredpharm]

Hi Bangorsmile,

You have got a good collection of replies so I won't add to the comments about amitriptyline exept to say there is not really any set dose and it is trial and error to sort out the best dose for your symptoms.

This site and the patients that write on it are brilliant . It is like having a new collection of (understanding) friends

[cincin]

Hi Bangorsmile, I've recently started on Amitripyline, the same dosage as yourself, and they didn't help me at 1st, I was quite disappointed, as i was only getting about 2/3 hrs sleep a night, then had to get up for work, but now, I think its fab, don't know where I'd be without it! I sleep like a baby now, still in agony when I wake up, but it helps me sleep through the pain at night, so be patient and see how you go. Good luck!! xx

[vals]

hi bangorsmile,i am new to the site but have had FMS for 10 yrs plus,

i also take Amitripyline at night. i take mine about 8.30pm.iam on 80mgs,. at last i sleep between 4-6 hrs restfull sleep,hope they work for you,might take a while to get stength right ,each person different.it will help but you need other medication for the pain,For years i have suffered untill i went to pain managerment after a year now i can say life is now a little better.

[Hidden]

Hi it didn't agree with me and I became a very angry and unreasonable person but with in 48 hrs of coming off it I was fine. I now have citalopram for depression and Gabapentin to help with the pain and also prescription strength cocodomol. We are still at the tweaking phase with me. It sounds like lots of people are great on it so I am sure you will be fine xxx

[Claire2461]

Hi!

I was prescribed 10 mg before bed a week ago and so far no results. It has been doubled to 20 mg today so fingers crossed Good luck with it - I hope it works for you xx

[Purplebluebell]

I've been on it since age 36yrs and now 60yrs. It's been great for the pain and weird leg sensations. Its to help you sleep more deeply therefore getting muscle repair in the deeper levels of sleep. Take 2 hrs before bed. Good luck! Also try to gently exercise when you can but in the early days do pace yourself.