Amitriptyline for chronic pain

[mononokeswolf]

I've recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and the consultant has recommended low dose Amitriptyline for 6 months to help reset my sleep patterns and for pain relief. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share their experiences of taking Amitriptyline?

I seem to struggle with different types of pain, one is related to bad sleep, one is related to muscle use pain (though on reflection I think these are quite related and definitely contributes to fatigue and big flare ups). The other type is from getting cold which seems to affect my hand and wrist joints badly. This pain is in a different league and easy to forget this time of year. From the sounds of it the Amitriptyline would likely help the former most effectively.

I find it more manageable now to take it and not worry too much about getting up now I am able to take it at a regular time, I take it about 8pm and get up feeling fine by 7am. I used to do night shifts on it and I would really struggle when I had to have a 30 hour gap taking it (I would switch from taking it in the evening to taking it when I got home in the morning).iMy shifts included long days too which meant I couldn't give myself a clear 12 hours between taking it and having to be up and out of the door by 6.30am the next morning (I often didn't get home until gone 9pm). My pain is a nerve pain and it definitely eases that.

I've been taking it for 15 years for chronic nerve pain. It's literally a lifesaver for me.

First week or so I had drowsiness and a bit of nausea. I'm on 50mg per day. I take it at bedtime.

Hi,
I use Amitriptyline for migraine and am currently taking 40mgs. I take them at 6.30 as I'm an 'early to bed,early to rise' kinda woman these days and find this works fine.

I did try upping the dosage to 45mgs (40mgs keeps enough of the pain away to enable me to cope) but this led me to feel groggy the next day.

I'm not recognising any side effects, so good luck OP, you've nothing to loose by trying.

I've taken it for about a year for migraine/headache. I started on 20mg and am now up to 40mg. It has helped a bit with the severity of the migraines but not really the frequency. I tend to take it at about 7pm and definitely feel quite drowsy a couple of hours later so great for getting to sleep. One other side effect was a huge reduction in hot flushes so I'll carry on taking it just for that!

I couldnt get on with it, it made me feel so strange and I couldn't sleep at all- just laid there. It didn't do any more for my pain than a couple of ibuprofen would then in the evening I would just cry.

A friend of mine takes it for fibromyalgia and thinks it's brilliant.

I take it for unstable hip pain and if I don't take it I can only sleep for 4 or 5 hours but with it 6 to 10 hours.

I started on it over a month ago. It's changed my life for the better, from chronic pain all the time to hardly any. I did have a dry mouth for a whole but that's gone away.

OP do you find that if you wake in the night you have trouble getting back to sleep? This was a huge problem for me as my brain just seemed to be so busy and wouldn't switch off. Since taking the amitriptyline, if I happen to wake in the night for the toilet, I go straight back to sleep. No more lying awake thinking what colour decorations to get for the Christmas tree insert any random topic. I didn't have the sort of problems you describe with my joints but amitriptyline may help. If not there will be something that will. Getting the diagnosis is a huge help - not least because you finally feel like it's not all in your head! It will be trial and error but I really believe you will find something that will help you manage your condition.

I've been taking it for 6 months or so
And get on great.

No dry mouth but it has made my anxiety much work - I don't take it regularly but as and when. Probs 3 x a week.

It absolutely knocks me out through. Last night I took it at 19:30. Couldn't keep my eyes open past 10pm and slept through till 9am without even rolling over

I was prescribed it for migraines. It made me incredibly drowsy. From taking it I literally was drowsy/asleep for 12 hours. When I was asleep I was totally out of it. Totally impractical with work and children.

Interesting to read the responses here. It didn't do anything for me at all - it didn't make my (arthritis) pain less bad, and it didn't make me sleepy either. It made sod all difference all round. Unfortunately!

I have been offered this in the past for a bad hip and sciatica, I'm wishing I'd taken it now! Does it do anything for anxiety?

I stopped taking it after a month or so ,couldn't deal with the drowsy feelings the next day.

I'm interested in this thread because I was prescribed it as an anti depressant - admittedly 40+ years ago! Seems to be quite the miracle drug!

Fourcandles yup! My night wakings are exactly like that. I'm convinced I need to give it a try so thank you for all your input.

User1471 do you remember what mg you were taking?

Same question to you mittler - what dose were you on?

Sorry I meant to direct that question to blueberry.

Mittler this is what I think is most likely to happen to me but I'll give it a go just in case, it sounds like it won't make anything worse at leastX

HI OP - very sorry you have to struggle with fybro.

My DD (16) has EDS, PoTS and chronic fatigue syndrome. She's been on amitriptyline for about 8 months now.. it's definitely helped bring her chronic pain down a couple of notches.

She started on 10mg per night and has now stabilised at 50mg. She takes it before bed.

She also takes approx 15mg melatonin to get to sleep.

Both things combined have helped her - it's not a miracle cure but it's an improvement.

I’ve been taking 50mg a night for the last 5 years. It really helps with pain and helps me to sleep. I found the first couple of weeks I felt like I was in a bit of a trance in the mornings but that feeling soon wore off and now if I take it around 10pm I’m fine getting up at 5.30/6am.

I find only 10mg at first was enough but built up the dose.

I found it helpful for sleeping through the pain of endometriosis. But have to take it early in the evening otherwise I want to sleep all morning the next day.

Fascinating homemadecommunistrussia, that sounds rubbish! How annoying it worked so well for your friend