Can't sleep without amitriptyline

[Runaround50]

I'm in a real fix with sleep.
I'm totally dependent on amitriptyline to sleep now.

I've tried to not take it a few days this week and I look and feel like death! No amount of HRT or type, helps. I'm at my wits end. If I didn't take amitriptyline, i wouldn't be able to work.

Really hating life at that moment, it's so unfair. I only take HRT for bladder, otherwise it's useless for me. I've got a mirena in and don't know if that's causing my sleep problems ??

I take sertraline for sleep and have done for years. (Also took amytriptaline for a year.)It stops my mind racing at night and seems to stop that flight or fight response that I’d get to not sleeping. I only take 50mg and it also seems to work at 25mg which is a teeny amount. I’ve kind of accepted that, that’s what I have to do to sleep, function, hold down a job.

I have started HRT and I have noticed that now my oestrogen levels are optimal my worry about sleep has drifted away even more. So I presume it’s always been a biological. I also eat well, exercise loads, don’t have caffeine after about 2pm, don’t drink so all the lifestyle stuff is in place and no matter how perfect I got that I don’t think it would help.

Remember amytriptaline is great for pain and sleep so really the best thing you can take. It might be long term, but it might not be forever. Just for now.

So stop beating yourself up about it (I used to do this too). Modern life is stressful. I see my medication as something I have to take to deal and thrive in a modern stressful life.

I have friends who don’t/can’t take medication and they don’t work at all. I also have friends who do take antidepressants and they are thriving (promotions, doing degrees) I hope when my kids have left home I might be able to taper off, but until then it’s a small price to pay to pay the bills, lead a busy active life with my teens and look after myself.

How much ami do you take @Runaround50 ?

Correct me if this is wrong but I understand that 10-20mgs is for sleep and pain relief, but any higher dose and certainly over 70mg is the anti depressant dose (and weaning off that is harder.)

People I know who have wanted to come off it, find they want to do that as they feel drugged and sleepy during the day and also get side effects like constipation.

I am the same and managed to turn it around ( I'm bipolar and a life long insomniac). For me it has to be lifestyle changes. Exercise, diet and less screens. So boring but true. Much better than a quick fix that won't work forever.

@JinglingSpringbells I take 50ng each night. It doesn't make me feel groggy or constipated ( high fibre diet ) but it seem I do need it to help assist with sleep. My specialist did say a while back, that sometimes we need a little more than hrt to help us manage the stresses and strains of modern life and for me personally, she is probably right.

@PotatoCatkin you are so right, sleep is the most important thing we we can have to enable us to function. I've never been a great sleeper, but this is a whole new level and kicked off with menopause in 2019.

I take my amit around 8pm but might experiment a bit and take earlier and go to bed earlier.

What hrt are you on?

@Ohchristmastreeohchristmastree yes I chose amit over mirtazapine ( didn't fancy that at all!) and as you say, if that's what I need, then so be it. I bet more people take a dose of something to help keep them going than we care to imagine!

@Andrelaxzz I'm definitely looking at my diet and lifestyle. Currently little exercise and a few too many sweets! But that's changing. If I can sleep, I will be more inclined and motivated to do some exercise. M

Thanks all.
Just got to address my hrt now. It's either increase the patch or change product.

@Runaround50 I'm on Evorel Sequi 50 patch.