Amitriptyline 25mg

[Amanda-Kay]

Hi everyone I am fairly new here & this is my first time posting. I am hoping for some advice please. I suffer with IBS-D and have done for as long as I can remember I was officially diagnosed in 2012 but the last 3 years I am really struggling & getting worse as I now don’t leave the house. I was diagnosed with anxiety & depression in 2015. I currently take loperamide, codeine phosphate & now buscopan which means that my anxiety medication has now been changed to amitriptyline 25mg to start taking of an evening which my GP told me will make me sleepy so I would really like any opinions on this as I have a 6 year old son that I need to be able to wake for in the night if he needs me for any reason does anyone have experience with this? Will I be able to wake up if I’m needed? Thanks.

[RobWilde]

Hi Amanda, it should only make you sleepy while your body gets use to it. 25mg is still a reasonably small dose, a lot of people who take it for depression normally have at leased 50mg so im guessing this is a starting dose to see how you get on with it.

[Amanda-Kay in reply to RobWilde]

Thank you for Replying Rob that makes me feel a little better about starting it and yes you are correct it is a starting dose to see how I am on it as I struggle to tolerate a lot of medications. Thanks again for the advice.

[Liz1234ty]

Hi Amanda - I agree with Rob. I have been on this for about 3 months. For the first 2-3 weeks it made me very sleepy but I take at night so generally its great as I sleep through the night whereas my IBS used to keep me awake. I started on 10mg but am now on 60mg daily. My GP told me that he would not prescribe above 70mg as that is close to the starting dose for use as an antidepressant. I find that my mood is unaffected by the drug but it gives me a good nights sleep and helps calm gut spasms/rumbles. Takes a few weeks to work though so keep with it for at least a month if you can. Based upon my experience if your son cries out or there is other noise at night you will wake up but it does help sleep and caused a kind of morning brain fog for me for a little while. Morning coffee helps if your stomach can tolerate that. Good luck with it.

[IBSnomore]

Hi Amanda

I feel your pain.

I have also suffered with your diagnosis but am now completely healthy. Firstly the doctor and hospital is the wrong place for your diagnosis as the tablets just put a band aid and as you say cannot get up the next day and feel groggy. The doctors just want to prescribe and medicate when it is not the answer. I suffered with depression but that was through being in pain and being on the toilet day and night. I dropped to 7 stone.

The first positive step to take is to take a private stool test. In most cases our condition it is bacteria that causes is it.

Have you heard of VSL probiotic? You need this and it helped me greatly...

I can forward you the nutritionist informatation who helped me greatly with the right advice..

1. Stool test

2. Take out foods that are causing issues

3. Add the right foods

4. Juice mainly apple ginger and carrot

5. Sleep, rest and exercise

6. Get of the drugs medication as soon as possible

All of the above with the support of a nutritionist. It took me 6 months to get better after 15 years of being in pain and doctors telling me it's in my head! Seriously they do not care for us..

[Kelpygirl]

Hi Amanda,

I have been on low doses of amitriptyline 20-30mg for nerve damage and also very high 100-200mg for depression and the first thing to remember is that no matter what level of medication you are on, it is going to take a couple of weeks to get into your system. If you think that after just one or two days that you are sleeping better then unfortunately at that early a point it’s more a placebo effect mixed with shear exhaustion. Plus with such a low dose you a highly unlikely to sleep through an emergency situation, as mums sadly we are hardwired to always be on alert for any danger. Also I’m sure you will have spoken to your doctor and they wouldn’t have prescribed it for you if they didn’t think it would help you. But if you are still concerned then just give your doctor a call after all it your health we are talking about and stress won’t help matters.

I hope you are feeling better soon. X

Almost forgot to say that if you feel really tired the next morning then try taking your amitriptyline an hour earlier than your previous time. I was advised to take it an hour before bed but 2 hrs is better for me.

[rozwalts in reply to Kelpygirl]

It didn't seem to matter what time of the day I took it, I was spaced out for the entire 24 hours. It was the smallest dose possible, and only a quarter of a tablet. My doctor told me it was better than the pain. I beg to differ, especially as the Co-codamol wasn't doing a bad job.

[rozwalts]

Yuk, I was given it as part of my pain killing remedy. Even on a quarter of a tablet I was spaced out and sleepy, though it did in fact stop me sleeping. I politely told my doctor exactly where she could shove it.

[Amanda-Kay]

Thank you to you all for replying to me I really appreciate the time it has taken you to respond to me I will see how I go and let you all know how I get on.