Side effects of Amitriptyline

[AML80]

I have tried taking 10mg of Amitriptyline I am OK for about 10 days then I stop sleeping and it effects my brain. As a matter of interest has anybody else had this problem.

[Madlegs1]

I'm from the Restless legs site, and we get a lot of complaints about Amitriptyline causing severe side effects. Even to the point of suicide .It does affect different people in various ways.

Good luck.

[AML80]

I'm not taking it any more. this is the second time I have tried it.

[cyberbarn]

There is something called Number to Treat which tells how many people have to take the drug for one person to benefit. For amitriptyline it is about 4, so for every four people that take it, only one will gain a benefit from it.

Everyone metabolises drugs differently, so for some a drug will be brilliant, for others it doesn't work, and for some it makes things worse. But for the most part you have to try it to find out.

So it could be that amitriptyline isn't for you, so best to go back to the person that prescribed it and discuss it because there are others that do work for people that don't get a benefit from amitriptyline.

My Son is fine on it, he has been taking it for several years now. He did try two other drugs that either didn't do anything or made things worse, so he has stuck with Amitriptyline.

Good luck in finding what works for you.

[Susan1942 in reply to cyberbarn]

I have been taking between 50-100 mgm's a night for about 28 years. I take it for neuropathic pain. I take a minimum dose of 50 mgm's but when I have episodes of more severe pain I increase it to 100 mgm's. It was a neurosurgeon who put me on this and the pain clinic that I attend agreed that for me it is worthwhile. My pain goes back 50 years following a difficult Kielands forceps delivery. I had extensive tearing and repair.of posterior vaginal wall the cervix and the perineum.I take Meptid around 6-8 daily. I ice a lot in time of acute pain that the medication does not touch.

My only side effect is a dry mouth in the morning. For me this drug has been very helpful.

[mbooks]

I was on 10 mg for a month last April and it too caused sleepless nights as well as terrible tinnitus and a whole range of other horrible symptoms. It took 3 months to come off it!! All of the symptoms have since gone except the terrible tinnitus. Yes, it affects every one differently - but that is the nature of medication!

[psytrancer]

I’ve been taking Amitriptyline for many years, initially I had some issues with it but I’ve found that ,unless side effects are really serious, you have to take a new drug for up to six months before being able to determine whether the benefits outweigh the side effects. I’m on 150mg at night in winter, 100mg in summer. I take it for pain relief & to help with sleep. When I first started taking it, at a much lower dose, I did have problems with feeling very foggy in the mornings but now I wouldn’t be without it. Combined with low dose of Clonazepam I now get six hours of unbroken sleep most nights whereas before being on that combination I was only getting two hours sleep a night. I no longer have any side effects from it, even if I did I’d still take it, you can’t do anything with two hours sleep a night.

[Susan1942 in reply to psytrancer]

Like you I find the drug helpful and I have been on 150 mgm's occasionally when my pain is not well controlled. I also have a neuro stimulator in situ for the past 30 years. The battery needs replacing around 5 years This combination works reasonable well for me. I will never be pain free but it is about being pain tolerable

[psytrancer in reply to Susan1942]

Interesting, haven’t heard of a neuro stimulator before. Is it an implant, if so where & how does it work?

[Susan1942 in reply to psytrancer]

Yes it is an implant. Made by Medtronic. If you wanted to read up about it. My pain is in my perineal area so the implant is in my spine at the level of the band of my bra across my back. It creates electrical current from my bottom and right down both legs and feet. When I had the trial it was initially put in but did not quite hit the spot it needed to be in. The Neurosurgeon moved it by 1 mm after about 4 days. It is not a particularly pleasant feeling but it does help to reduce my pain and I am so used to it now. I have it on 24 hours. Initially I found it difficult to sleep with it as of course when you turn or lie on your back the stimulation becomes more intense. I would say it has reduced my pain by about 50% I can't have MRI or diathermy anything like that but side effects I don't have any.

[Queenielot]

Hi and good morning I take 75mg amitripyline and have no problem at all so it go to show that we are all different gentle hugs x