Amitriptyline for Depression User Reviews (Page 2)

• Cat...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 8, 2013

Amitriptyline "I have been on Elavil for depression for 20 years. I did have some problems with not remembering that I had told someone something already. This has gotten better as I made a conscious effort to remember things. I still have some problems with memory in forgetting where I put things. The best thing that happened is I have not had a headache in 20 years. I used to have bad headaches 2-3 times a week so this has been well worth putting up with side effects."

• Dea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 10, 2014

"My husband has bipolar disorder and suffers from chronic back/sciatic work-related pain. He'd only been restlessly sleeping 2-3 hours a night for the past 10 years. This had increased his mood swings and cyclothymia to unmanageable proportions!! UK doctor prescribed 10mg amitriptyline, to be taken at night 2 hours before bed. After two weeks, this was increased to 20mg per night. The effect has been nothing short of miraculous. He sleeps really well for 7-8 hours a night, wakes refreshed & cheerful. It's helped him cope differently with depression - staying calm & getting CBT therapy. (Something he'd never have volunteered for in his 'normal' bipolar anger/depression cycling). Has also noticed lessening of pain. It's saved our marriage."

• Bra...
• July 17, 2013

Amitriptyline "I suffer an array of chronic pain/low back and leg issues. My doctor, after many failed attempts of finding the right medication for me, used this in conjunction with the muscle relaxant Robaxin. In the first three days, there was notable significant relief of virtually all pain. I continue to take 75mg twice a day, and I feel like I have my life back again. This medicine has been a blessing."

• Mee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 20, 2024

"I started taking these after my last breakup. I normally would have been in extreme depression, but I feel good. Relaxed and less social anxiety when I need to speak to a stranger. SSRIs and SNRIs used to help sometimes, but the sexual side effects were too much to bear when I couldn't achieve orgasm. Amitriptyline lifts my mood, lowers my anger and mood swings. Helps me focus on tasks, sleep well, hop right out of bed in the morning, and yes, a strong sex drive. I don't even use Viagra anymore. When my sex drive hits, it hits very strong. And I'm more passionate and last longer while still enjoying the sensation and I still have the ease of achieving orgasm. No side effects. I can't think of any. I feel great. I get along with people better now, I'm a better father, husband, and all-around man in general. My social skills have improved too. Less crippling irritability. I have struggled with my anger all my life and lost every job and every relationship because I was such a hothead."

• CJa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 23, 2020

"I've tried pretty much every antidepressant. Amitriptyline has been the best. I was on 10 mg anyway for tension headaches, and it worked a treat. After jumping through hoops and trying the first line of defense meds for depression, like SSRIs and Mirtazapine, my doctor let me try Amitriptyline. I started on 25 mg, then 50 mg, 75 mg, and 100 mg on the fourth week. I now feel like my normal self. Mirtazapine just sedated me too much and gave me a ridiculously high appetite. I have none of that with Amitriptyline. I think most of the older meds work the best, it's just doctors don't like using them as much anymore with increased risks of side effects like MAOIs."

• Jos...
• August 31, 2021

"I gave myself a promise that if this medication works, I'll share my experience and hopefully help others. My depression is characterized by the inability to feel pleasure or fun, low mood, low energy, and crippling social phobia. Even with friends and family. Small talk seems impossible, where you feel this unimaginable anxiety and 'what do I say next' is in the back of your head. I tried so much medication: Paxil, Lexapro, Mirtazapine, Wellbutrin, Brintellix. None seem to work. As clichéd as it sounds, I decided to try amitriptyline as a last hope. In two weeks, I started feeling a change. Calmness, self-confidence, the ability to enjoy social situations without dread. Give it a go, people, I wish all of us to be healthy and happy."

• Mat...
• August 15, 2016

"When I was about 15, I started getting these feelings of what I can only explain as 'An Impending Doom.' I wasn't sad, but whenever I tried to do something that I thought was fun, my whole brain started to freak out, and all I wanted to do was shut down. There was nothing I could do about it. Apparently, this sort of thing happened to most of the people in my family and on my mother's side. So, I talked to my doctor, and he said it sounded like a chemical imbalance, seeing as I wasn't sad about anything and I was healthy, so he asked me to try Amitriptyline. Once I started it, all of my symptoms basically vanished, and after 2 years, I've fully adjusted to its effects on my body."

• Jor...
• May 30, 2018

"I have taken amitriptyline in 2012 for 6 months and now again in 2018. For depression, it really is the best medication for me. I had moderate success with Effexor and fluoxetine, but the side effects, like night sweats, were a pain, and I always felt a bit numb emotionally. Amitriptyline makes me feel human again, and apart from a dry mouth and morning grogginess, it doesn’t have any side effects. I think it’s a shame that doctors are reluctant to prescribe this medication for depression, as it really is very effective."

• BBe...
• October 8, 2013

"My previous doctor put me on 10 mg to try and help me sleep but it stopped working. My new doctor increased it to 35 mg (25 mg and 10 mg). I don't fall asleep right away but I do sleep and have a good night's sleep. I feel better in general, not moody like I used to be. Along with anxiety, I must have had mild depression. I had side effects of a dry mouth but that has gone away."

• Iry...
• July 10, 2019

"Would start after chatting about amitriptyline with my friend. After chatting, we decided to do activism: 'Amitriptyline should be prescribed much more often!'. Once I started on amitriptyline (for depression), I even started working part-time. From the very beginning, I felt that it worked much better for my major recurrent depressive disorder. First of all, much more energy compared to escitalopram (esc.) that I had taken before. My friend also tried amitriptyline after being on esc. and found out that even in a small dosage like 50 mg daily is more efficient than esc. Important! It decreased my sexual energy - I needed it so desperately because I had nobody to have sex with! I received amitriptyline 5 years later than I started needing it! Particularly because of side effects that make doctors prescribe it only in cases when newer antidepressants don't work enough. So anyway, if you have long and strong depression, I highly recommend trying it. Side effects: dry mouth (later disappears), all the way - higher appetite. But it may be worth it! Cheap!"

• Per...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 30, 2015

Amitriptyline "I've tried about every medication out there for my anxiety and depression: Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Paxil, Cymbalta, Emsam, Xanax, etc. At 75mg, Elavil helped me sleep. I had more energy, I didn't feel restless, and I rarely got upset. I thought I had found the perfect cure until I started to gain weight. I decreased my calorie intake, increased my exercise, and the weight just kept coming. In 4 months, I had gained 26 pounds. I also started to have severe dry mouth; my throat was dry, and my voice was hoarse. I also started to have blurred vision. I really like this medicine but know I can handle the side effects."

• Sad...
• January 23, 2013

"I was having bad headaches, and recently stopped taking Zoloft, it didn't work. This helped a lot with the headaches and helped me to sleep better. I started having more vivid dreams while sleeping. This is the best antidepressant I've taken. I didn't even know it was an antidepressant until I looked it up. As I swore never to take antidepressants again, but it helped with the headaches, so I guess I will just keep taking this magic pill. I wish I was prescribed this years sooner!"

• Dar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 1, 2019

"Well, I'm male, 30. I have severe hemophilia A, severe arthritis, pain, and depression. Also, I'm underweight. I started using amitriptyline from 5 to 25 mg. Anyone using it should know it takes a month for it to work. At first, you will have dry mouth, fast to sleep at nights, and weight gain. All of these side effects were my solutions. Actually, I was very thin, now I'm at a good weight scale. I gained weight, I became more sedated, had fewer mood swings, less pain, and was more active. So far, after a month of 25 mg amitriptyline, I became really better, both on depression and pain (also better at anxiety). For me, it’s great. Negative things are dry mouth and a bit of constipation, but these wane off after a while."

• Mir...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 27, 2022

"Am on amitriptyline for 10 years and now am on 100 mg. I am 30 years old, have weight gain, tiredness, some nightmares, vivid dreams, but apart from all side effects, amitriptyline is a very effective antidepressant and good for other mental illnesses. I have tried other meds for depression, but they don't work for me. Give this drug a chance, be patient, and it will amaze you. God bless you all, viewers."

• won...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 20, 2015

"I have been suffering from depression almost all my life. I've been on several different medications throughout the last 10 years. I ended up with peripheral neuropathy last year and was sent to a neurologist. He put me on amitriptyline for the burning, and he also said it will help with insomnia and my depression. I absolutely am happy with this drug!!! Better than Prozac, I still have feelings (lol). Anyhow, if you're debating on this medication, I recommend it 100 percent. I take 100mg a couple of hours before bed, unless I get upset during the day (then I'll take 25mg just to take the edge off). Then I'll just take 75mg before bed."

• Asi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 6, 2019

"I have been taking 100 mg of amitriptyline every day for about 6 months now. At first, I did experience some concerning side effects, such as a really bad stutter and blurred vision. The medicine was helping me so much with sleep and depression that I disregarded all the symptoms that I was having. As I continued with the medication, the side effects and symptoms disappeared, and my depression still continued to improve, as well as my sleep. I never knew how horrible I was sleeping until I started getting a good night's sleep with the help of this medicine. I now take this along with 40 mg of Latuda every day for mood stabilization, and they work wonderful together. The combination of these two drugs has totally changed my life."

• Lor...
• December 8, 2007

Amitriptyline "I have only just started using Endep after the sudden onset of a severe depression. I found that it has helped me a great deal. The only side effects that I've had up to this point are a gain in weight (as I wasn't eating properly when depressed) and at night, I'll wake from sleep covered in perspiration - though only from the chest up. I'm hoping with counselling I'll be able to stop taking this medication asap, but it has been a great help. Thanks :)"

• Abd...
• August 5, 2016

Amitriptyline "I have been using Endep for 14 years for my depression. It has been very effective for me. I take 100 mg every night. I feel very good and sleep very well. My mind is clear, I am not sad, just relaxed. Thank you."

• Pat...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 1, 2019

"I have suffered from depression for over 20 years. I have been taking amitriptyline for about 15 years. I did try other meds that made me feel very drowsy the next day. I have managed, over the last six months, to cut my dose down from 150 mg a day to 50 mg (after talking to my doctor) and feel just fine. I will stick to this dose as I don't want to risk a backward slide into depression."

• Anonymous
• April 26, 2008

"I have been on this drug for two years. It has changed my life. I had depression with severe insomnia and mood swings. I now sleep well and feel I have a new lease of life. I didn't realize how bad I had been before going on this drug."

• Eel...
• December 28, 2010

"I have been depressed and not getting sleep at all. After I had my first baby, I took Xanax, but it didn't help. Finally, I told my doctor I need some medicine at least for sleep, and he prescribed Elavil, and it works for all of my symptoms: depression, anxiety, and I sleep like a baby. 50mg at bedtime, try it - it is old medicine but it helps."

• Jen...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 20, 2023

Amitriptyline "It worked great for my depression and helped me sleep, but the effect is now not as strong as it was. While it lasted 15 years, it was amazing, a miracle! Now I'm on Prozac and my panic attacks are crazy. I think I will go back to Elavil!"

• Ver...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 28, 2020

"I was started on amitriptyline 10 mg, up to 3 a day, one for fibro pain and 1 or 2 for sleep. I have been on mirtazapine 45 mg for depression for a few years but weaned myself down to 15 mg as I felt it was not working anymore. After a telephone appointment with my doctor, he confirmed what I had read, that 15 mg mirtazapine helps with sleep, and after swapping the times around that I took the 3 x 10 mg re amitriptyline, I found sleep better. After a visit to my doc, we decided that 2 x 25 mg amitriptyline, one for day and 1 for night with my 15 mg mirtazapine, plus I added 2 herbal sleeping tablets... works a treat for me regarding depression and sleep. It has been about 6 months of this combination now, and my condition is much improved. I couldn't praise amitriptyline more, it has changed my life, although I do understand it's not for everyone."

• Baz...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 4, 2019

"Was suffering with chronic anxiety and depression. Pregabalin helped a lot with the anxiety, but I was still having low mood and poor sleep. I started on amitriptyline 25 mg to help with sleep, which it certainly did. However, over a few weeks, I noticed my mood was improving too! Just over 12 months, and I am now off the pregabalin, but I am still taking the amitriptyline just in case. Would definitely recommend. No side effects noticed apart from occasional dry mouth and drowsiness after taking, both of which have now stopped."

• Mah...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 23, 2023

Amitriptyline "I was diagnosed with major depression in the early 1990s, and my MD put me on Elavil (amitriptyline). It worked great, although I put on quite a bit of weight. Over the years, I've been on virtually every other class of depression medication, as well as ECT, and none of them worked as well as Elavil. I take it for depression and anxiety, and it's amazing. It is an old, old drug, with lots of side effects, but it has pulled me back from the precipice every time. I currently take 150 mg at night, which is the max dose for outpatient treatment. I have an Rx for clonazepam for breakthrough anxiety and feel pretty good."