Amitriptyline side effects

[Westie2012]

My gp started me on amitriptyline last Friday as I have costochondritis and was struggling to get a good nights sleep with the pain , it’s also getting worse through the day . The last two mornings I’ve woken up at 8 feeling ok but an hour or so later I’ve had to go back to bed and gone back to sleep for another two hours. That’s not like me at all. Today I haven’t felt well at all , I have this virus that’s going round . I don’t know whether how tired I I have felt is anything to do with the amitriptyline . I couldn’t speak to a gp today .

[Hidden]

Hi westie2012 I was the exact same with that, i was a walking zombie, my pain specialist swapped mines for nortriptyline its the sister of amitriptylin, worth discussing it with you're gp if it keeps happening.Best of luck

Leanne

[Westie2012 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Leanne , did you stop taking the amitriptyline without speaking to your gp ? I have an 8 year old daughter to look after and I can’t be needing to go back to bed every morning , I don’t want to risk taking anymore of it if that’s how I’m going to be .

[Hidden in reply to Westie2012]

Hey no my gp done an automatic switch to nortripyline. They say not to stop them straight away. What dose are you on if you don't mind me asking? I was the same I have a child and a partner with ms so it wasn't ideal sleeping the day away it was horrendous. I don't get anything like that with the nortripyline. Leanne

[Westie2012 in reply to Hidden]

I’m on 10mg for a week then meant to increase it to 20mg, I dread how I’d be on double the dose .

[Hidden in reply to Westie2012]

I go up and down my dose from 50mg to 75mg and was the same with amitriptylin so I think dropping the 10mg wouldn't give you side effects as you have only been on these for a short amount of time. Definitely phone you're gp 1st thing and explain you have had to stop them due to fatigue. Ask if there is anything else you can try. I hope you get sorted. Best of luck.

Leanne

[rabbits65]

It sounds to me as if the Virus you have and are trying to get over will be the main reason your feeling so tired . I’ve had Amitryptline too and it’s a good medicine for anxiety and helping with some pain , but I wouldn’t take it long term at all . It’s a bit like a sedative . Almost scared me , so I stopped taking it .

[Trenholm]

Also try taking it earlier in the evening, I take it at 8.

[Hollywood-Mam]

Try taking it at tea time and after a couple of weeks you should lose the feeling that you’re getting. It’s quite normal and taking it a bit earlier can help. 🙂

[DENZ01]

Hello I was prescribed Amitriptyline a few years ago by the pain clinic that I go to.

As you are probably aware, some prescribed drugs can take a little while to get used to (a week or so), however in my personal opinion, this is like a "chemical cosh" I was walking around in a "haze", I would sit down with a cup of tea & as I was reaching for the cup unbelievably, I would fall asleep!!!

I tried it for a week & decided for myself that this was not suitable for me.

The pain clinic and a couple of other doctors kept trying to convince me otherwise, but I knew that it wasn't for me.

On the other hand, I know a couple of people who are capable of functioning quite "normally" on this drug.

Fortunately for me, one of my consultants agreed with me (I won't put on here how he described the drug to me, as I know it works for a lot of people). He changed the Amitriptylene to another drug that works exactly the same, but doesn't have the same nasty side-effects for me. They give me the sleep and pain relief that I need at night & I wake up in the morning feeling "normal".

I don't know if I am allowed to name the drug that I now take, I think that I will have to ask one of the moderator's.

I hope that you get this problem sorted, but you're not alone in feeling like this!

Good luck & if the moderator's allow it, I will let you know what drug I now take.

[Hellytheelephant]

I have found amitriptyline really helpful for pain, but it doesn't suit everyone. Feeling a bit sleepy and out of it happened for the first week of so, but my body has adjusted. I take 40mg at night, which enables me to get to sleep even if the pain is really bad.

[Hidenseek]

Hi I've started amyltryptaline and it says you must take before 8pm otherwise you can feel quite groggy in the morning. Usually the doctor starts on a low dose and then ups it by 10 mg each week. I've been on it 3 weeks and am on 30mg my now at first it used to leave me quite tired. I suspect ontop of your nasty cold it's making you feel worse. Sleep when you need to and get well soon

[Westie2012 in reply to Hidenseek]

Thank you so much , my gp has changed my meds to nortriptyline so hopefully that will work x