Any GP's / psychiatrists re side effects of Amitriptyline?

[Tinkobell]

FIL aged 77 started taking Amitriptyline in April by GP. Suffers from moderation depression and sleep issues. In last 4 weeks, after being a very sharp person, his speech and ability to recall short term has gone right down the pan. We are v worried and getting rush referral for a mental health assessment.
Any experiences on this drug and real life side effects most valued please......thank you!

I struggle to function on amitriptyline. The dose for pain relief (the reason I was prescribed it) is extremely low, but I couldn't remember words, felt very depressed and suicidal, struggled to hold a conversation because I couldn't hold my focus long enough to put the sentences together, and felt like my mind was a complete fog. The doctor said that it can't have been because of it and they have tried to put me back on it three times now. Once I agreed and had exactly the same symptoms, and the other two times declined to restart it.

Similar to Ragamuffin I have taken it for pain reasons and even on a very low dose, if I took it after 6.00pm I was a write off the following morning! Has your FIL changed the way he has been taking it in the last 4 weeks at all? It's good to get a second opinion though so I think you are doing the right thing.

I think there is a fair chance of it. This is a snap shot of side effects from this link.
I would ask his go about it directly.

Should say GP

It's not a side effect I've ever had from it but one I've heard of. Perhaps it isn't the best choice of antidepressant for him. Sometimes I have a bit of brain fog when I go up a dose, mixing up words or can't remember the word for things but nothing like that.

I was prescribed this after my dh died to help with sleep and take 10 mg. Sometimes 20 g if i need more. I haven't experienced any negative side effects at all. I take it last thing at night and sleep well but don't feel groggy the next day or have trouble getting up.

Amitriptylline has a high "anticholinergic load" especially in older patients. These type of meds can really effect memory/concentration. He may be on other meds too that can add to this effect. It wouldn't be my first choice as an antidepressant (I'm a GP) but presume it's been chosen because of the sleep issues. Just advise him to stop and ask his GP for a safer antidepressant (and maybe review any other medicines).

I was prescribed a miniscule dose for my stomach problems and it made me exhausted and “dull”. I had to give up on it because I was trying to do a degree and I just wasn’t going to be able to manage the high level intellectual thought required - I could function, sure, but I wasn’t sharp.

I was prescribed it for pain and it really didn't agree with me. Horrible nightmares and I felt like I was underwater all the time. Same with gabapentin but pregabalin suits me well

Even on 10mg taken at night for nerve pain management I struggled to shake off the fog of the drug before midday each day. It has a strong sedative effect on a lot of people, and I was one of them. I could never take it in the antidepressant dose, I'd be a complete zombie.

Maybe speak to the GP by phone in the first instance - this may not be the right tablet for him for this reason. Hope he's OK soon. The good news is that it should wear off pretty quickly when he stops taking it, but I wouldn't withdraw it immediately without clinical support.

Many thanks all for your comments and experiences. Other than taking an ibuprofen each day he's not on anything else. It's the suddenness of the onset of this memory loss that's taken everyone by surprise and this is why we want to just take a closer look at the meds he's on. He was prescribed the Amitriptyline to help with sleeplessness. It's not proving effective for that at all.
@Artura .....we are going to get an psychiatrist opinion before suggesting he stops taking this med as we are worried it might be a drug that has a build up / wind down period - also worried depression might deepen with an abrupt stop?
NHS Referral for mental health assessment is midlands is 8-12 weeks so we are looking at some private options