amitriptyline 10mg

[tintin49]

hello you lovely people on lupus uk I am taking 20mg of these pills before bed. at first I was out like a light within minutes now its taking me longer to get to sleep and sometimes I now wake up. I have fibrio and have not slept hardly due to the pain 24/7 for nearly two years. these help but as its decreasing to work my gp said I could take up to three pills but I take two at night I was worried about takin three in one go.

thanks in advance x

[trueman]

Hi there tintin49. I have taken amitriptyline 10mg, then 25mg for over a year. I stopped in Dec because I was getting palpitations but have recently started them again on advice of a neurologist (although might try an alternative if the palpitations come back).

You should be fine with 30mg. I think some people take a much higher dose. Check the leaflet that comes with it. They do make you sleepy and do give me a good nights sleep. I don't think 30mg will be a really high dose. I have cut them in half before (coming off them in Dec - you have to reduce the mg and not stop completely because you will get some withdrawal) perhaps you could try that if you are concerned. I am not a doctor though - this is just my experience...

Also maybe there is something else happening that is making it harder for you to get to sleep? Are you doing anything different at bedtime, eating/drinking anything different etc?

I hope this helps. If you are quite concerned just chat to your GP again.

[tintin49]

thanks trueman for your advice they help me but I am quite drowset during the day. but I feel the lack of sleep without them made me feel much worse and these pills help with the fibro. the less sleep the more pain.

thanks again

[Donnygirl]

I take 20mg 3 hours before bed and find that they help me to sleep for a few hours only. I was told by my rummi that she had given them to help me relax on a night and has a pain relief. I dont get a full nights sleep and i still take my painkillers with them. Like you wondering if it is worth taking them.

[janiceray in reply to Donnygirl]

Why are you taking these 3 hrs. before bed unless of course you have been told to do so.i take mine 1/2 hour before bed and i have been on these for 8yrs and use if i want to in the morning and night but i only now use at night unless i feel the need to

Love & Sunshine

Jan x

[Donnygirl in reply to janiceray]

Hi Jan i was told to take 3 hours before bed. I have tried taking it later but with same effect. I was told because they relax the body it helps with the pain. I am aware that it is an antidepressant and i suppose it might be helping with this also.

[janiceray in reply to Donnygirl]

what mg are you taking? perhaps you need to go back to Doctor but i think most of us take it hour or 1/2 before going to bed,it is wonderful what started out to be a antidepressant cane be so helpful.

Hope you find the right dose for you and have some good quality sleep.

Love & Sunshine

Jan

[janiceray]

1st they are not pain killers although they help to relax the mussels,they are a anti depressant is what they were intended to do be used for, but have now being used widely

for the relaxing properties that it has I take 25mg and increase my dose to up to 4 or 5 during the day,having said that i use at night,to help me drift off and give me some quality of sleep and i take pain killers with them.

if you have been told you can increase to 3 well please try it.

all the best

Jan x

[tintin49]

thanks for all the input you have given. I am glad that I can up the dose a bit to keep up the benefits which are positive so far

[Hidden]

Hi there. I've been on this for twenty plus years and now take 50mg about an hour before going to bed. Over time you do need to up the dose to have the same effect. Amitrip is addictive so be aware of that.

[lizzidrippin]

Hi tintin,

I started on 10mg a couple of years ago , but then dose increased to 30mg, and sleeping tablets, now I'm on 50mg without sleeping tablets but still with painkillers, half an hour before bed. They have helped relax me enough to get at least 3-4 hours sleep...although like others I do surface every now and then, due to pain and muscle spasms when turning.

Good luck

x

[chrisj]

My dad used to take amitriptylene, he was on them all his life for depression and I'm 66 so they've been around for a long time. I never thought they did him much good. I started taking them last year to help me to sleep and they've worked Like Janiceray said they relax your muscles...I have asthma and at night when I first took them I could feel the muscles in my chest relax and ease my breathing....wonderful!!

I dont take them every night. The consultant gave them to "reset my body clock" and I stayed on them for about 10 nights but was always dozy from the side effects the next day..so once the sleeping improved, it didnt take long, I stopped..now only take them if I have problems. I found I was awake all night and sleeping all day, my daughter was worried about me so I mentioned it on a check up app and the doc precribed them straight away. She said start with a small dose and build up, you can build up the dose quite a lot and my gp recommended them for pain....she said they were a good all round pill and one of the safer ones..

My sister was told to take them 12 hours before she went to bed..ie take at 7pm if you're wanting to get up at 7 in the morning and it worked for her...I tend to take mine about 9 at night and that works for me. I suppose it depends how you react to side effects....I hope you get the benefit from them I did xxx