Anyone on amitriptyline

Not much help to you Floradora I'm afraid. I was prescribed amitriptyline for pain relief a little while ago and it was fine if I didn't have to be up for work the next day but I couldn't cope with it otherwise. I felt muzzy and befuddled all day, so I had to stop taking it. Could you ask your GP or pharmacist for advice about taking it for a long time?

I've been taking it for several years at 10 mg to help with preventing migraine. It works well but I am also concerned about the side effects.
I have tried to stop it a few times but my sleep is disrupted and after a short time the migraines come back with vengeance. I wonder does anyone else taking it suffer with hair loss and thinning hair?

I sometimes take 10 mg to assist sleep. Junior Dr said not to as'Its old fashioned"'. DOH, so is penicillin, and it still works.

When I go to bed I put on the radio, off when I get up. Oh not best pleased but he snores, so we have separate rooms.

Fascinating progs on WS and not the usual BBC drivel!

Like Chewbacca I was prescribed Amitriptyline for pain relief (bladder) and it worked very well but left me feeling very muddle headed. It took several attempts before I was able to stop, and at first the pain came back worse than before. I still get some pain, but have decided to try natural methods (exercises and relaxation) rather than be permanently in a dazed state. I found reducing the dose very gradually worked best, rather than going "cold turkey".

dh was prescribed it to help him sleep and also depression

I was prescribed it for back pain - it gave me terrible nightmares and I gave up after a week - glad I did.

It helps me as I get fewer tension headaches and 10mg is a very small dose. I'll take a chance! It does make some people muzzy headed, but really works for me.

I'm very concerned to hear that Floradora. I also take 10mg to help with back and head pain and would be very worried about sleeping if I stopped it. But my main issues are dry mouth with chapped lips, nightmares and sleep walking.

I've taken it for several years with one period of about 8 months when I stopped due to side effects. But in the end felt they were worth it.

But I'm really concerned about the increased risk of dementia . Both my parents have it so I see first hand how awful this disease is. I will have to check this out, thank you for alerting us to this.

I don't know that this is of any use to OP but for others who find amitryptyline makes them fuzzy in the mornings, I too found the same so spoke to my consultant and am now on Nortriptylene which is very similar. I take it for pain and it seems to work very well. I take it an hour before bedtime and have no trouble dropping off and there is no fuzziness in the morning.

I’m on 25mg Amitriptyline for cervical spondylosis. I take it at bedtime and don’t feel groggy in the mornings. I had awful neck pain before being prescribed it and wouldn’t like to think of being without it. However, it is rather worrying to learn about the increased risk of dementia, though.

I take Amitriptyline for fibromyalgia. I sleep soundly. Experience weird and wonderful dreams (which I can hardly recall on waking).

I was prescribed it for fibromyalgia too. 65mg a day, split between a morning dose and an evening one, makes a big difference though I still need other painkillers as well. I was taking those already and had been for over thirty years.

I might die before I get dementia. I need to be able to live properly now.

Oh yes, I sleep better than I was doing too though I still wake needing the loo, usually twice.

Baggs If I had to wee just twice a night, I would be delirious with happiness. Five trips is about par for the course with me. The frontal prolapse is partly to blame.

Blimmin' 'eck, soop! You know you have my sympathy ?

soop I can relate to that. I had surgery a year ago for rectal prolapse, which has improved the night weeing at bit but hasn't stopped it altogether. I used to wake needing a wee anything up to 8 times a night. Now it's 2 or 3 times, maybe 4 if I've risked a late evening cuppa!
I was prescribed amitriptyline as a muscle relaxant to help me sleep and avoid being disturbed by arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. I didn't honestly find it made a lot of difference, possibly because the need to wee overrode the sleep inducing effects of the drug. So I stopped taking it. Glad now that I did - I hadn't known about the increased dementia risk.

*a bit.

I found it impossible to take these and get up and drive to work . I felt very fuzzy and floaty . Probably okay if you don’t have to get up and out early . Otherwise too dangerous .

My gp suggested I take these for insomnia, think I will speak to him again about alternatives. I too don’t need more of a dementia risk, both parents had it. That’s a big enough risk as far as I am concerned. V
.

Do not want to alarm anyone but read this link www.medscape.com/viewarticle/838788
I kept thinking it was worth the risk but have changed my mind . I might well change it again if things get too bad. I never had fuzzy head in the mornings just a good night's sleep and not waking before 6 am as I do now.

I was originally prescribed these about 20 years ago for depression and have continued to take it for nerve pain and other things. However I have become increasingly concerned that it is actually making my IBS worse (one of its side effects is constipation) so I am very slowly coming off it. I am also concerned about the link that these type of drugs have to increased risk of demention. I am currently suffering from a lot of back pain which is often treated with amitriptyline but I think the risks are too great to continue with it.

I wake before six but that's because I'm a natural lark and I go to bed early. The amitriptylline doesn't alter that.

I did used to wake with a headache but that has stopped since I changed to taking the higher dose in the morning and the lower dose at night, opposite to what my GP first suggested. Last time I spoke to him on the phone about repeat prescriptions I just told him of the change I'd made and he altered his records.

'Course it could be my head is always fuzzy so I wouldn't notice ?

I take large doses of amitriptyline For secondary progressive Multiple sclerosis. I take it for neurogenic pain. Its like red hot pokers and electric shocks. The amitriptyline stops this. I did not know about its links with dementia so thank you all who have said this. I have three doctors in my family and none of them have said a word about this drug. I am going to get in touch with my MS nurse on Monday morning. I can live with pain, but not with dementia.

LadyJane -
Commiserations to you.
For me, who has plain old insomnia 4 or 5 nights a week, I should be grateful it's not worse.