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Original poster

Amitriptyline

65 replies

TheVolturi · 15/01/2022 10:25

I have been given Amitriptyline for nerve pain (sciatica and back pain) should have started it years ago but always been hesitant.
Tried 10mg for the first time last night and I slept so well! Still woke up when ds was wandering but I got back to sleep easily which is amazing, so I'm sold on it for that reason alone. Feel fine this morning too, not groggy like I feared.
The thing I want to ask if, how long does it take to work for pain? The Dr told me yesterday that it should help pretty much right away but the leaflet says 2 weeks to see any difference. I don't know why she'd say that. Unless it can work faster 🤔
Has anyone taken Amitriptyline for pain?

OP posts:
cherrypiepie · 15/01/2022 10:34

I take amytriplyline for sciatica. It works really well for me and have taken it for 2 years now (maybe 3). I take 20mg per night.

I seem to think that as I had lots of sleep issues caused by my back and that as it improves sleep so much I felt better immediately.

I stopped taking it for a whole and when I restarted it maybe took a few days before day time pain settles down. I think it takes a week to leave your system so maybe a week to build up too.

Hope it works for you as well as it did for me.

Dizzywizz · 15/01/2022 10:37

I take 30mg in the eve for nerve pain and depression. I would say it took a couple of weeks to work

Original poster
TheVolturi · 15/01/2022 10:40

Thank you for the replies, it's interesting because the Dr told me to just take it as and when and maybe cope with painkillers on the not so bad days, which doesn't seem right at all so I'm doubting what she's said. So I need to take it daily for a while really to see an improvement, and it only really helps with sleep straight away?

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Zodlebud · 15/01/2022 10:52

It definitely takes time to build up and be effective. It didn’t help my sleep at all but just after two weeks by symptoms were significantly reduced.

cherrypiepie · 15/01/2022 11:04

As I understand it (pain clinic and dr Google) it takes two weeks to create a baseline of pain relief then I can adjust the dose as needed. If I forget one day it doesn't really affect my pain but I don't sleep as well.

The pain clinician (prescriber) said I can take a lower dose or take it every other night or both. This was after taking 20mg for years!! NB I needed to manage coming off the drug due to pregnancy related issues as you can't take it during pregnancy or it's not advised and I was told not to take it).

My pack says take 10mg for first to weeks then increase to 20mg if no better. So I would try taking regularly for two weeks at the lower dose. And then either increase or alternate as you can't decrease 10mg.

Gilead · 15/01/2022 12:13

I take it for nerve damage, it’s made a significant difference, agree with others, it took a couple of weeks to build up.

Luckingfovely · 15/01/2022 12:31

Wow - I started taking this about six weeks ago for horrendous sciatica (waiting for surgery).

Over the space of time my sciatica has significantly improved - still bad moments but not 24/7 any more - could this actually be the drug working?

I didn't realise it was cumulative and worked longer-term, I was just taking it at night to try and get some sleep!

LunaAndHerMoonDragons · 15/01/2022 19:42

@TheVolturi

Thank you for the replies, it's interesting because the Dr told me to just take it as and when and maybe cope with painkillers on the not so bad days, which doesn't seem right at all so I'm doubting what she's said. So I need to take it daily for a while really to see an improvement, and it only really helps with sleep straight away?
Is this your GP or a pain specialist? I've never heard of amitriptyline being given this way. It's normally the other way round, using amitriptyline daily and other painkillers for breakthrough pain.

Generally you need to take it for a couple of weeks to know if it will help and you may need a slightly higher dose, like 20-30mg. Amitriptyline only works for nerve pain at the low end of its dosing scale, anxiety and depression doses can be much much higher. If this doesn't help there are a couple of other antidepressants used for nerve pain and two epileptic drugs, Pregabalin and Gabapentin.

Original poster
TheVolturi · 15/01/2022 19:57

It was just my gp, I didn't even actually see her it was a phone appointment. She did say that I could increase it every third day, but how would I know if I needed to? If it doesn't work that soon for pain anyway. A lot of what she said didn't make sense really.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheVolturi · 15/01/2022 19:57

@LunaAndHerMoonDragons

OP posts:
Original poster
TheVolturi · 17/01/2022 09:48

I have taken it for three nights now and have slept so well. But absolutely no change in the pain. I wonder why it takes so long to work, does it need to build up or something or should I be increasing the dose? I don't want to be taking high doses of it really because I've read it can make you feel very tired which I really don't need!

OP posts:
endofthelinefinally · 17/01/2022 10:19

It worked well for me. I was prescribed 25mg every night for 3 nights, then 20mg for a week, then gradually reduce down by 5mg a week. This was confirmed by a friend who is an anaesthetist and runs a chronic pain clinic. I am fine on 5mg at night now.

AwaitingSueGraysInvestigation · 17/01/2022 10:21

I can't help with the pain side but I bloody love amitrip. GP prescribed it to me after I found I was struggling to sleep on an SSRI antidepressant. It's like magic, I sleep better now than I have done my whole life.

CurryLover55 · 17/01/2022 10:26

I’m on 10mg but think I’ll increase the dose to 20 - the doctor said to take it approximately 12 hours before I usually wake up. It’s for pain & anxiety around my health. He did give me 25mg tablets but because I hadn’t increased to 20 I was afraid to take them. The only downside is very vivid dreams. Does anyone else find that?

CurryLover55 · 17/01/2022 10:29

I take gabapentin as well but wonder if I should be as I get very sleepy in the evenings & miss tv programmes or films cos I nod off!

ribbetyraaa · 17/01/2022 10:31

I have been on this for a couple of months for nerve pain and it’s worked well. Has anyone any info about coming off it? I’d like to stop it if I can but don’t want the pain to badly reflare and then take weeks to get under control again. My dr just said to stop when I wanted. I’ve started to skip a night to see how it goes

LovelaceBiggWither · 17/01/2022 10:39

I take 75 mg daily. It's not a PRN drug, it needs to be taken daily so there is a constant level.

I have nerve pain which was unbearable, it settled very quickly on 10 mg. I've gone up to 150mg. I use it for pain and for anxiety and depression. I'm going to wean back as low as possible so that I have room to move. It is a drug that can wear off and you have to wean and then restart so I try to keep my usage low as possilbe while being effective.
It's never done a damned thing for my sleep though.

DefyingSanity · 17/01/2022 10:56

I was prescribed amitryptline for a chronic illness (not for pain though). Whilst I know you haven't asked this question I have some feedback about the drug.

It turned me into a zombie and whilst it says there's no links to weight gain I went up 3 dress sizes! I just wanted to let you know some of the side effects.

CurryLover55 · 17/01/2022 11:03

*LovelaceBiggWither blimey that’s a high dose! I would be permanently asleep I reckon!

Original poster
TheVolturi · 17/01/2022 11:10

@endofthelinefinally

It worked well for me. I was prescribed 25mg every night for 3 nights, then 20mg for a week, then gradually reduce down by 5mg a week. This was confirmed by a friend who is an anaesthetist and runs a chronic pain clinic. I am fine on 5mg at night now.
I Thanks for this I may ring and ask Dr if this might be a plan for me.
OP posts:
Original poster
TheVolturi · 17/01/2022 11:11

@CurryLover55

I’m on 10mg but think I’ll increase the dose to 20 - the doctor said to take it approximately 12 hours before I usually wake up. It’s for pain & anxiety around my health. He did give me 25mg tablets but because I hadn’t increased to 20 I was afraid to take them. The only downside is very vivid dreams. Does anyone else find that?
Yes to the dreams! I had a dream last night so vivid I really thought it had happened!
OP posts:
Original poster
TheVolturi · 17/01/2022 11:12

@DefyingSanity

I was prescribed amitryptline for a chronic illness (not for pain though). Whilst I know you haven't asked this question I have some feedback about the drug.

It turned me into a zombie and whilst it says there's no links to weight gain I went up 3 dress sizes! I just wanted to let you know some of the side effects.

Thanks for the feedback. I found the day after I had taken it the first time I was very hungry. But been back to normal since that, so I will see how it goes.
OP posts:
endofthelinefinally · 17/01/2022 12:23

I personally found that reducing the dose but taking it regularly worked best for me, but I guess it depends on the particular condition. My nerve pain was as a result of chronic inflammation rather than something like sciatica.
My friend has post herpetic neuralgia and got nowhere with amitriptyline but has good results with pregabalin.
I think something like severe sciatic pain needs a referral to a chronic pain/back pain clinic with input from specialist anaesthetists and physios.

abigailsnan · 17/01/2022 12:39

I have been taking 10mg for the past 2 months and have had the best nights sleep in 3 yrs I suffer with 4 x slipped disc's which press on the sciatic nerve causing terrible back pain,the pain is still there during the day but not as bad as it was and as long as I am sleeping the night I can cope.My Dr. suggested I take 10mg of a morning as well as but I am too worried about this as I drive quite a bit.

WildRosie · 17/01/2022 12:39

I never knew Amitriptyline was a painkiller as well as an antidepressant. I take it as a sedative once a week as my work shifts start at 5 a.m. It's very effective!