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Mental health

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Original poster

Anyone taking or tried Amitriptyline?

15 replies

Stealthymcstealth · 14/02/2019 10:22

I have just been prescribed Amitriptyline for anxiety as other AD's (sertraline, citalopram and fluxotine) have made my anxiety much worse, I am on my second day and I feel like a zombie! It is by far preferable to the horrific anxiety other AD's have caused but I was so spaced out taking my son to nursery this morning and I just stood there until one of the staff asked if I was OK! I'm only on 10mg and it's early days but could I ask for any experiences? If you felt like a zombie, did that pass and how long did it take?

OP posts:

sashh · 14/02/2019 10:25

Yes.

I was given this advice. Take it for 4 weeks. The first two you will feel like a zombie then it starts to get better.

That worked for me, so I hope it does for you too.

JaneR0chester · 14/02/2019 10:29

I've taken this occasionally, also for anxiety. The "zombie" effect seems to be less overwhelming after say 2 or 3 days for me. I find it really helps me sleep.

ZigZagZombie · 14/02/2019 10:30

I was given it for pain... but it sent me absolutely off my rocker (MH issues).

queenrollo · 14/02/2019 10:37

It passes.

What time are you taking it?

bigplanslittlemoney · 14/02/2019 10:37

It makes me fall straight asleep!

thesnapandfartisinfallible · 14/02/2019 10:44

The zombification lasts about a fortnight. It's just the sedative effect. Are you taking it at night or in the day? I couldn't take it during the day as it makes me too sleepy. Take it before you go to bed and you'll sleep like the dead. Give yourself a month for every increase. So 10 for a month then 25 then 50 and so on. Eat plenty of fruit once you get over 50mg because it makes you constipated and the dry mouth is murder but does eventually stop. The dizzy spells when you increase doses stop after about 2 weeks.

I won't lie, it has a lot of side effects in the higher dosages but most are mild and temporary. The constipation and dry mouth is probably the only ones that persist. The sedative effect will knock you for 6 when you first start taking it but it's worth it. If you're like me and just have no luck with SSRIs then it's worth the effort but it's a bitch to begin with and not widely tolerated. There is a reason they don't often prescribe it anymore. It is also extremely dangerous in overdose so keep it well away from your kids if you have them.

Original poster

Stealthymcstealth · 14/02/2019 11:02

Thank you for all the comments, I am taking it a few hours before bed and it is kept in a locked drawer away from my DS. I can see why it isn't well tolerated but as inconvenient as the zombie phase is it is still preferable to the constant anxiety and I had normal mundane dreams last night instead of the usual nightmares, I will definitely carry on with it, I had given up on Ad's before finding out about amitriptyline so very much hoping it works!

OP posts:

Itwontrainallthetime · 14/02/2019 11:14

I'm on 50mg. I took 10mg for a few weeks and then built up from there.
It did make me drowsy at first but as I take it at night by the time I get up the drowsy effect has worn off.
It just takes a few weeks to get used to it.
But I deffinatly wouldn't take it during the day/morning.

queenrollo · 14/02/2019 11:32

I usually take mine at about 5pm, with my dinner. I find I can then get up at 7am for shcool run without too much trouble. The first two weeks were like wading through treacle though.
(I take mine for chronic pain, but have used it for anxiety in the past with good results)

thesnapandfartisinfallible · 14/02/2019 14:58

Oh it works. I'm on 100mg, but 75 seems about right for me usually. It's just been a tough month. So don't be afraid to increase it, once you're used to it, the increased dose doesn't make you all zombiefied again.

maria111111 · 14/09/2019 11:35

Has it helped the anxiety, please? X

Hazza000 · 14/09/2019 11:44

Zombifies you and stimulates appetite like a bastard

HPFA · 14/09/2019 14:57

I took one - my doctor prescribed them for insomnia. I hated it - made me feel like my head was stuffed with cotton wool. Felt worse than the effects of the insomnia.

However as people here seem to be saying this gets better after a while then it might be worth persevering and see how it goes?

maria111111 · 14/09/2019 18:03

@thesnapandfartisinfallible Has it helped your anxiety? I’m switching from Clomipramine (which hasn’t helped) to Amitriptyline. I have a friend who’s anxiety free on 150 mg so I’m hoping it’ll help x

BertieBotts · 14/09/2019 18:06

I'm on nortriptyline which is another tricyclic. The zombie feeling lasted ages for me and I was about to give up entirely and then it went away and I felt totally normal again.

Try (I know not always easy) to keep on top of regular, healthy eating and sleeping habits as I found if theae got out of whack it felt ten times worse.

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