Does anyone here take 75mg or more of Amitryptiline every night? If so can you answer this question for me?

[miSaltireandwine]

Please?
The Rhuematology clinic have increased my Amitryptiline from 20mg at night to 75mg, as the consultant said that my sleep paterns were bad and taking such a high dose would make me sleep bettter etc etc.

Anyway, I wasn't keen as it's an AD and I didn't want to be left groggy etc. However, since being on it and I'm still not sleeping well, due to the fact that I am having horrendous dreams, really graphic and scary ones, and I am waking up during them, then dropping off again only for them to start again. I don't usually remember my dreams but these have ben bad. Also keep thinking i can hear things like a phone ringing nad people talking
I must be soundind mad, when you read this, but just wondered if anyone else on such a dose experiences this

Bump

You could try posting this thread on the mental health board aswell. I think there are a few people on there that take amitryptiline.

Hope things improve for you soon.

There was another thread about this a few weeks ago here seems like you are not alone

orange I didn't think to post in mental health as I take it for pain, not for depression, might give it a go though, thanks

minimuu I'll have a look thanks

My husband used to take this for a bad back and yes, hecomplained it gave him weird dreams/nightmares.

I recently upped my dose from 10mg to 40 and my dreams have got a lot worse. It works on the nervous system mainly and is used as an anti depresant when at a higher level. I have had to reduce it again as have gone completly loony again and been advised to revert on all my meds.

Icolana - do you take yours for pain/nerve pain? I take mine for both nerve pain and to help regulate my sleep. I am going to docs tomorrow I cannot have much more of this. 2 nights ago it was huge blue spiders which were guarding the front door of my house, last night it was a skeleton (gory horrible thing) which was actually the skeleton of a passed away family member which was chasing me.
I've had monsters, dragons, all sorts

I've been prescribed it for fibromyalgia, and am only supposed to be on a 20mg dose after an initial week at 10mg. The increase from 10 to 20 gave me horrific dreams as well as odd noises 8n my ears, that I've gone back to the 10mg dose. I feel fine on that dose though.
Would it not be better to slowly increase the dose from 20 until you find one that works for you? 75 is almost at therapeutic level for depression is it not?

I took it years ago and (maybe 15) for nerve pain and helping some serious mycolonic seizures and the related pain....I still have vivid memories of the nightmares I used to have on them. To the point where I've recently refused to have them again :(

Your dreams sound similar to the type of thing I used to have.

Sorry not to be able to tell you something more positive (like how to avoid them!)

Lackadaisy Mine is for Fibromyalgia too. And I think 75 mg is a dose for anti depressant effects. II usually take 20mg and 9 nights out of 10 would sleep fine (or as fine as pain allows) and no nightmares dreams etc.

Lizatarbucksauntie - I don't really mind if I don't get advice on how to avoid the nightmares, just wanted assurances that I'm not going mad, and it is common. I am going to docs tomorrow so will try and talk her into lowering the dose.
The registrar rheumatologist wanted to start me on pregablin (is that right) and it was the consultant who said no. he said and I quote "We'l get your sleep sorted and you'll find that 99% of your Fibromyalgia problems will go away". So started me on icnreased amitryptiline

I cant remember what dose I was on but when I took this I had the most random and real dreams - incredibly vivid. I was taking it to help me sleep, but found I was more knackered and disorientated the next day as there was just so much going on in my head through the night!

Wrote a whole post and it went!!!

I have M.E. and was prescribed amitriptyline to help with the back pain I was getting and also to help my sleep pattern and get me off the sleeping tablets im on. It helped with the pain a little but not as much as I think it should have as I dont think its nerve pain. I also have an anxiety dissorder and they decided to lover my anxiety meds and up my amitriptyline. I crashed and burnt and now I am back on full aniexty meds and slowly lowering the amitriptyline. The dreams I had with it were very vivid and kind of like movies, I even wrote some of them down. It helped with my sleep and I have reduced my sleeping pills. I think it takes a couple of weeks to settle with these things but you should go and get it checked out. I felt very foggy on it.

I take a very low dose (10mg) for neuropathic pain causing poor sleep and was told to up it very very slowly. When i first went fron 5mg (half tablet!) i had unpleasant vivid dreams but that seems to have settled now. I was also told ( by the chronic pain consultant) that side effects are immediate whilst benefits take several weeks to be felt, and for me that has been true although it only helps a little with each sympton. I was just wondering if its worth discussing with your doctor if building up more slowly is appropriate.

I tried it for Fibromyalgia and had the same symptoms. I am now on Drosulepin which is the same sort of thing but milder than Amytrip. I also tried Gabapentin but that had nasty side affects too. The Drosulepin seems to work well at 50mg. I recently weaned myself off of it thinking I was 'cured' but the muscle pains instantly got bad so I am back on it again. I guess that proves that it works. It doesn't help me to sleep so I take Nytol every now an again.
Hope that helps

My DS 13 yrs CP deafblind started on Amitryptiline 25mgs last night for neuropathic pain, has had the best night and day for 8 months very relaxed but sleepy I presume this is normal and the side effects will subside. He is small for his age 25-26 Kilos.Just picking your brains on this.

Did you see the doc today miSaltire?
We spoke on another fibro thread a couple of weeks ago.
What was their objection to the pregabalin? That was an alternative proposed by my rheumy if the ami didn't suit (I take an SSRI for depression and there can be an interaction at higher doses.

2old2beamum, have only taken it for a few weeks and at a really low dose so I can't help, sorry. Have you posted in special needs? There might be someone with a shared experience :)

magso I might ask next week if I can reduce then slowly increase the dose.

Daisy - I did see the doc today but it wasn't my usual doc. So I agreed to lower it to 50mg over the weekend and will go back on Tuesday. I've had a couple of glasses of wine tonight - (I've been on the meds that long now, I know my limits when it comes to alcohol, it doesn't affect me) I am wondering if that will make a difference to the nightmares.
I don't know why the Rheumy objected to Pregablin. I ma prescribed Tramadol but I hardly eve take it as it makes me feel like I've ahd 10 cans of red Bull. My usual painkillers are co-codamol 30/500, which are as much good as tits on fish .

Cocodamol doesn't do a thing for my DH, but they make me feel all warm and fuzzy and above the pain. I can still feel it, I just don't care. My rheumy clinic are doing a study on it as apparently more people find codeine useless than find it helpful.

I hope the nightmares settle down though and that you can find the right balance.

Can you drink whilst on ami? The patient info leaflet says avoid alcohol, but maybe that's from a depressive illness pov, than a nerve pain one. I had somw wine last night so just didn't take my meds. And guess what, no odd dreams!

I don't know if the ami is helping or it's that my other meds have finally kicked in (plaquenil for lupus/mixed connective tissue disease)
Don't want to stop though! I fell on the Ice on Tuesday and am thinking that my pain would have been much worse if not for thd amitriptyline.

Keep us updated :)