Amitriptyline 10–30mg – experiences, side effects & weight gain?

[Friedseasalt]

I’ve just been prescribed amitriptyline for cluster headaches, starting at 10mg and increasing by 10mg each week up to 30mg.

I’ve been told to take it before bed, but when do people actually take it? Literally when you go to bed or a couple of hours before?

Also would love to hear people’s experiences with side effects, particularly the tiredness, and whether these settled down.

And the big one… weight gain! 😩 I’ve recently lost a few stone since having my little girl and I’m really anxious about putting it back on. I keep seeing people saying they gained loads of weight on amitriptyline, but also some saying they had no change at all.

Did you gain weight on 10–30mg? Did it increase your appetite/cravings?

Would love to hear your experiences! x

I have been on 10mg per day for about 18 months for vestibular migraines. It has definitely reduced my symptoms. I take it at about 7pm in the evenings but dont find it makes me especially sleepy, I can still function fine if I am out for the evening for example. I do get quite vivid dreams on it, but don't find it a problem. I have gained some weight, maybe 5kg, whilst on it, although cant say for certain it is the cause as have also changed other medication during that time.

Does anyone that takes it each night have young children? I’m now a bit anxious that it will completely knock me out whilst I’m asleep and I won’t hear them.

i was on 10mg for about a year due to nerve pain and also anxiety. Didn’t have any side effects. It helped me sleep and pain. Was put up to 25mg and I was a zombie! I could not get up in the mornings and was struggling to function to get to the school run and work. Have been put back on 10mg again and feeling alot better. No weight gain.

Thank you. It seems like others have had a similar experience when increasing dosage. They had asked me to increase every week but if the 10mg helps I may just stay on that for as long as possible.

Whether I take my 20mg dose as early as my evening meal or as late as midnight, its desired effect of dulling hip pain so I can sleep tends to kick in any time between 10am and 2pm the next day. I darent take one if I have to drive, or look after a grandchild the next day.

About six months in total. My consultant said if it’s not helping after three months at 30mg then to come off it.

I think the only way you’ll know if you’re one of the unlucky ones with drowsiness is to try it. Maybe take it a couple of hours before bed and see.

The first week I was very sleepy until about 9.30/10am each day but after that week I was fine and they do help me sleep.
I have gained a little weight on them (2-4pounds) but that’s more since I upped to 30 to 40; I’d say my appetite increased briefly then it settled so just watch for being more hungry. I find they tend to work for a few weeks then I have to up my dosage

Been on 30mg for some years for migraine. It helps with that, but doesn't help with sleep anymore.
Never really noticed any weight gain, or side effects after increasing the dose.
I take mine quite early in the evening, about 7pm. My sleep isnt great, awake lots, struggle to get back to sleep - I'm 57, and i think a lot of my sleep problems are menopause related.
The amitriptyline certainly helps with migraines though

I take 20mg for bladder pain issues and I literally couldn’t function without it. It helps me sleep and controls my pain. Before I started taking it I had been on daily long term antibiotics for 25 years, since my teens and these have left me with all sorts of serious issues. I’ve been able to stop them by taking amitriptyline. I take it around 10.30 and go to sleep around 12. I have a child with complex needs to care for. The only side effects I had were feeling a little hung over the next day initially for a week or so, now nothing at all. It is an amazing drug and yes there are risks but there are risks with everything we do / take. It’s changed my life. (I have lots of chronic and rare autoimmune issues including Addisons, lupus and Sjogrens).

I’ve been on 20 mg at night for years for lupus and fibromyalgia related pain. It helps me sleep and I wouldn’t be without it. I take it about 10.30 pm.

I was on it for years for chronic headaches and neck pain; it worked great. I had to come off it to go onto a different antidepressant when I actually developed a bit of depression, so that was a bummer, and I did indeed notice pain come back.
I was on 25mg for most of that time. I did get up to 75mg at one stage.

The only side effect I ever had was awful dry mouth at the beginning, then it went away. It would come back a bit when I increased dose, then go away again.

I was actually okay after taking the tablet last night however I am so tired today although I have been in hospital all week on various different medications so maybe it’s just a mix of everything. Headache still there but they did say it can take a few days to start working! Thanks everyone for your experiences, chilled the anxiety.

In my experience the pain relief side of things took a week or so to really start doing anything so something to keep in mind.

I was on 50mg for vulval pain. No weight gain. Helped me sleep but was ok the next day. Didn't help with pain so I stopped it. My husband is taking 25mg for bladder pain. He thrashes about in bed at night so badly that I have to sleep in spare room - not sure if he has sleep apnoea (he snores a lot) but the moving around has only started happening since he started taking the Amitriptyline.

I took this for migraines, took it 1-2 hours before bedtime and slept wonderfully. I had 2 very young children at the time and would still wake if they needed me but maybe not as quickly as without them.

They were great at preventing migraines but I was really sleepy until about midday so I switched to Nortriptyline which is the same family of drug but a newer version, same effectiveness with migraine prevention but without the drowsiness so if you do struggle with Amitriptyline ask about that one. I went from almost daily migraines to 1-2 per month now.

i gained a little weight but it did stabilise and now I’ve been on it a while I’ve been able to lose it. I feel it has helped my mood and anxiety too.

Good luck, migraines suck!

I used to take this for my back 10mg.
I used to take it at 7 or struggled to get up.
I lost weight and appetite.
How ever stopped it as made me very snappy the next day