amitriptyline for depression?

[elm26]

I've been on various antidepressants since I was 15.

Last year I had a mental breakdown and spent 2 months in a psychiatric hospital where they put me on anti psychotics and mood stabilisers.

I saw my dr today who was shocked I was put on such strong drugs due to never having had a psychotic episode or diagnosis of a personality disorder or schizophrenia.

I've been feeling numb and like I can't focus on anything for weeks now, which was my reason for seeing dr today.

I also suffer with sciatica.

She has stripped me right back to basics as she put it and I'm being weaned off of the antipsychotics and the codeine I take for sciatica and she's putting me on 25mg amitriptyline hoping that this will help both my depression and sciatica.

Is anyone able to tell me their experience with amitriptyline?

I’ve been on it for years with good results.

It gives me a dry mouth and makes me drowsy (which is great for getting a good night’s sleep!), but no side effects other than those.

I've been on between 50mg and 150mg over the years.

That’s a ridiculous dose for depression. Needs to be much higher.

It might help your pain, but I’d try and get them to let you have the codeine when you need it. It doesn’t work miracles.

Is this a GP? I’d be very reluctant to accept this advice given your history.

Not sure if this will be any help but I was prescribed amitryptyline when I had a prolapsed disc in my back and it was causing unbearable pain in my shoulder and arm.

I only took it at night (as advised by the GP because it is an antidepressant) but it definitely sorted the pain out so I could sleep and I can recommend it for that at least.

Sorry I didn’t answer the question. I like it, it works ok for me for both pain and depression, but I’m on 150mg. I sleep much better with it too. Although I’m still crap at sleep.