Anyone taken amitriptyline?

[getupgonow]

I've been given this (10mg) to help me sleep, but I don't like the sound of the side effects (especially weight gain). Anyone else taken it? How have you found it?

Only one side effect...hallucinations of spiders including waking up thinking they were in my bed. I drove my family mad with it! No other side effects and actually lost weight ( unintentional) but that could have been the hours time spent stripping beds in the middle of the night!

I don't like the sound of that!

I had it years ago. Made me a fat zombie. Hated it.

I had hallucinations of mice

I was prescribed it for sciatic pain on a night time.

No issues for me, gave me the ever so slightest numb mouth for about 20 minutes after taking it, then a good nights sleep.

I take 10mg every night. It took a couple of weeks to get used to, as it really knocked me out, but now I just sleep really well on it! No nasty side effects whatsoever, just work out what time is best for you to take it. If you leave it too late it can leave you feeling a bit groggy in the morning. I take mine around 8pm and have no issues

Hallucinations of dead people, stopped taking it after two weeks.

I took it for migraine prevention and felt terrible. Then tried Nortriptaline, slightly better but felt groggy the whole time.

I'm prescribed 50mg to help me sleep. No hallucinations or weight gain (I'm a size 6 and losing.) It also works as a muscle relaxant so helps with my pain.

I had it when I had shingles. I couldn't actually function properly on it I felt so spaced out.

I've been taking it, 10mg to 20mg a night, for about 4 years. No big side effects. I've put on weight, but tbh I eat shit now. And I do sleep better on it. No hallucinations or over vivid dreams. Notice if I've forgotten to take it for a couple of nights.

I’ve been given this for migraine prevention. Really not keen on taking it but GP said it was basically my only choice as NHS won’t do me physio or Botox. I’m putting it off at the moment.

I’m with Sex! I had it for nerve pain and to help me sleep. It honestly saved my sanity.

How do you get it for sleep issues? Don't doctors only give very short prescriptions of meds like this?

I took it for a few months and hated it. Gained weight, and felt constantly hot and sweaty. Never again.

For nerve pain at night, 20mg.
No adverse reactions from memory although I was on quite a cocktail of medication at the time (2 slipped discs), I did have some funny sleep and wake talking, some weird hallucinations etc but I don’t remember them being at night!

Been taking it for years. Weird dreams for the first month or so, but it really is lovely stuff.

I was already fat when I started taking it, but with less pain and better sleep, I've been able to be more active and comfort eat less, so weigh less now.

And it can't be given on a shirt prescription because it takes a few weeks to even build up to a steady therapeutic level. 10mg is a very low dose, compared with the antidepressant dose so, for most people, it can be taken indefinitely.

I get prescribed enough to take 20mg, but end up clumsy on it, with too much rebound pain because I'll sleep in an awkward position without correcting myself - I take it for the pain associated with hypermobility syndrome.

Had it for nerve pain. Made me feel odd. I stopped it after 2 days. Sorry.

dH took it for nerve pain and sleep when he had a slipped disk. He " lent" me a couple of leftovers when I was sleeping badly, lovely nights sleep, though a bit slow to get going the next morning.

Horrible drug, it caused more problems than it fixed.

On 20mg for sciatic pain, couldn’t sleep without it. No weird side effects, I take it at 8.30pm and I’m ready to sleep by 10.30, if I take it later I’m stuck to the bed in the morning.

I was prescribed these to suppress migraine. I put on weight and realised I was taking triptans for the onset of migraine just as much as before (so they weren't working). I stopped taking them and when discussing it with a different GP, they said they didn't usually prescribe them because people put on weight.

Just my experience, and there are worse things than putting on a bit of weight, but I guess my feeling is that they would have to be effective for the potential side effects to be worthwhile.

I take either 5 or 10mg a night and have done for 10 years, lifesaver for me, no side effects at all. Why not try biting a 10mg tablet in half as that may be enough, my doctor suggests this

Yes I take 10mg. Put on some weight as appetite increased but no other side effects unless I take it too late then I feel sleepy in the morning.