Sleep issues, any experience with amitriptyline

[Growingupintheeighties]

I have an ongoing pain issue, I have been taking zopiclone for about 8 months due to waking in the night with pain.

My GP changed my prescription to 10mg amitriptyline on the basis zopiclone can’t be prescribed long term and the amitriptyline will also help with pain.

I took my last zopiclone 5 nights ago, I then had 3 nights where I took nothing before going to sleep to ensure the zopiclone was out of my system, during these nights I managed to get to sleep ok but woke many times during the night, I eventually managed to get back to sleep each time but overall they were disturbed nights with out good quality sleep. ( I did expect this after taking Zopiclone )

Last night I took the amitriptyline for the first time at about 8pm, I had an awful night. I didn’t feel sleepy at all, it was around 1.30am before I managed to get to sleep and I woke many times during the night, struggling to get back to sleep each time, I was awake for over 30 minutes at a time. I felt that any sleep I managed to get was just light sleep.

Is this usual for amitriptyline? Does it take a while to start working?

Dh takes amitriptyline, although a much higher dose than you. He has never had a night like you describe but he does find that sometimes they just don't work. It also took a while to get the dose right.

I take amitriptyline and it helps me sleep, I'm on 10mg so quite a low dose and haven't ever had any issues remaining awake with it. Maybe try again tonight and see what happens.

I thought zopiclone was prescribed for a maximum of 4 weeks? If you’ve had it longer you would be highly likely to be addicted to some level. Its effectiveness would have also drastically decreased.
I was given amitriptyline and was told the dose could be varied widely from the initial dose I was started on (20mg I think). Didn’t work for me but the one time I was prescribed zopiclone that didn’t work either. Took max dose for fortnight. It did help calm my mind and stave off a hypomanic episode but it didn’t actually help me sleep.
I have heard many people say amitriptyline worked well for them so it would be worth persisting.