Any experiences of taking Amitryptyline?

[Suse1980]

I was first prescribed this a year ago for low mood just after my mum died from cancer. I was told it may also help my migraines, which I have suffered from all my adult life, as well as my sleep. Am now on 25mg, which I understand is fairly low. The doctor was originally going to prescribe me sertraline, which is supposed to be better for mood, but said there could be a risk due to the migraine medication I take, so I said I would try amitryptyline instead.

They have not done a huge amount for my low mood. Although I did manage to get back to work after several months, this was more through necessity than feeling better about things. I am also not crying constantly like I was, but again i think this is largely because I know I can’t do this every day for the rest of my life, as people won’t put up with it forever. I had some short term bereavement counselling, but it didn’t help a huge amount. I think time and learning to live with it, as people say, is the only thing that will help.

I think they do help my sleep and they do help my migraine a bit in that when I do get them they aren’t as long lasting or painful as they used to be, but I still get them quite often. They also make me very hungry and I have put on a stone in the last year.

The main problem, however, is that I seem to have developed urge incontinence, which seems to be getting worse. I have always had quite a weak bladder, but could always hold it until I got to a toilet, but am now unable to do so and it is getting worse. I used to think it was stress related, as it first happened when my mum started to go downhill a few months before she died, but am now wondering if it could be the tablets or possibly perimenopause in combination (I’m early 40s and have never had kids) and whether I should stop taking them. The only reason I would have for continuing is that they do help the migraines a little, but it may be that they are improving anyway as I get older and I can’t carry on as I am and wetting myself every time I go out and hoping no one notices!

Does anyone else have any experiences of taking these tablets?

Hi @Suse1980 I've been on anatriptyline for migraines for years though on a much higher dose (75mg) and have found it very useful for preventing the majority of them (still get the hormonal ones nothing seems to stop them).

A 25mg dose will not really help your depression as a therapeutic dose (for depression) is 50-150mg. So you might want to increase it.
As for the incontinence issues it's not a side effect that generally comes with anatriptyline infact urine retention is far more comes which is why it is given to some older children with bed wetting issues, so you may want to talk to a dr about that.
If you have any more questions I'll try and answer unless someone with more knowledge comes along

As far as I know amitriptyline is actually prescribed for bladder issues such as interstitial cystitis, so it's strange that it would cause those symptoms in you, especially if they started before you started taking it.

@Hoardasurass - thank you, perhaps a higher dose would be better for my migraines and low mood. It is just the incontinence issue I am not sure about, but maybe it is not related to the tablets at all and it is something else that is causing that. I read on the leaflet that came with them that one of the possible side effects is urination disorders, but maybe that refers to urine retention as you have said.