Amitriptyline and Drowsiness: What Users Say (Page 5)

• ACa...
• June 23, 2019

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "I have had stomach pain for about 10 years now. I always thought it was because I was lactose intolerant, but I finally went to a gastroenterologist, and he ran some tests and put me on Bentyl, Gaviscon, etc. None of it helped. The nausea and bile reflux came and went for about 3 years until it spiked when I started college. I went back to the GI doc, and he put me on a low dose of Elavil. At first, I had to be careful when I took it because my body isn’t used to medications that make me sleepy, so it would really put me out. But after a while, it made me feel so much better, and after all of my months on it, I think I only woke up in the middle of the night from pain once. Now, with that is also a problem because it is really hard for me to wake up in the morning. So the pros are that it definitely helps me sleep through the night and it stops the anxiety of throwing up/being nauseous. But the cons are that it makes you so sleepy and occasionally gave me the worst mood swings ever."

• Anonymous
• April 21, 2023

For Insomnia "I've had brutal insomnia for 35 years. At 55, this medicine has finally brought me relief. I tried absolutely everything - and I do mean everything. I had given up when I had to switch from Parnate to amitriptyline due to a supply problem. I sincerely can't express how thankful I am to have good sleep again. At 150 mg taken at night, I started to sleep. I was groggy the next morning for 3-4 weeks, but stuck with it, and the grogginess went away. I hope this might help."

• Gab...
• March 9, 2016

For Insomnia "I was prescribed 50 mg, and the first time I took it, this was WAY too high of a dosage. I felt drowsy for the entire day the next day, like I was on drugs. I was prescribed this a few months ago, and I still have many pills left because I only take it when I feel like I won't be able to sleep, and I cut the pill in half so that it's only 25 mg. I usually sleep like a baby, but it is really hard to wake up. If I take it on the weekend, I end up sleeping about 10 hours. I still feel pretty drowsy with 25 mg, but it wears off by the middle of the day."

• Jul...
• July 18, 2015

For Migraine Prevention "I've suffered from migraines/daily headaches that painkillers don't touch; symptoms include visual and auditory disturbances and sometimes even partial loss of vision. Sumatriptan's the only thing that works, but I need to take it daily, often twice daily. My GP was alarmed at sumatriptan use, so prescribed me 10 mg amitriptyline a night, and after a couple of weeks, the migraines and headaches were gone. Worked so well I went months without using sumatriptan and eventually forgot about the headaches and stopped the amitriptyline because of the sides (huge appetite, weight gain, next-day drowsiness), and I've had a migraine from hell for a week, and I'm back to taking sumatriptan daily. Restarted amitriptyline, and I won't be stopping again!"

• hap...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 13, 2014

For Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome "I've had cyclical vomiting syndrome for about a year and a half and was diagnosed about two months ago. As soon as I was diagnosed, I was put on amitriptyline. The only side effect I have noticed is a bit of sleepiness, but not enough to really affect my life. Amitriptyline has given me back my quality of life, and I've started uni and am looking for part-time work. This would never have been possible before being on amitriptyline."

• igw...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 11, 2016

For Insomnia "I'm 19 and have been taking this medicine for insomnia since I was 8 or 9 years old. It's been so long that I can't recall exactly when I started. It is the only thing that can put me to sleep as my insomnia is so bad that if I don't take amitriptyline, I will be up for days. The only issue is that it does make me very groggy in the morning, but that could just be due to the fact that I am a teenager."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2014

For Migraine Prevention "I'm 27 years old, I was diagnosed with acute migraines, and my family doctor prescribed me amitriptyline HCL 25 mg right before bed. I have had no headaches since then, never told I would feel better. But my sensitivity to light has become very bad, and I spend the morning hours very sleepy."

• Lk1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 19, 2020

For Depression "Is amitriptyline finally the one? I'm on day 6. Have only had one minor day of feeling like a robot. Starting to notice some change in mood, but nothing significant yet. Drowsy all day, but hear this wears off after time. I'm on only 10 mgs before bed. I just want to have a normal life of being happy and wanting to do fun things in life. I am also on clonazepam, which I'm sure doesn't help with the grogginess. I have taken citalopram and Wellbutrin before. Both gave me extreme panic attacks and bad thoughts of harming myself and others. Was afraid that would happen with this med. But so far, so good. Excited to see how the next few weeks go and hope this will be a life changer."

• Lk1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 19, 2020

For Depression "Is amitriptyline finally the one? I'm on day 6. Have only had one minor day of feeling like a robot. Starting to notice some change in mood, but nothing significant yet. Drowsy all day, but hear this wears off after time. I'm on only 10 mgs before bed. I just want to have a normal life of being happy and wanting to do fun things in life. I am also on clonazepam, which I'm sure doesn't help with the grogginess. I have taken citalopram and Wellbutrin before. Both gave me extreme panic attacks and bad thoughts of harming myself and others. Was afraid that would happen with this med. But so far, so good. Excited to see how the next few weeks go and hope this will be a life changer."

• har...
• October 26, 2008

For Migraine Prevention "After trying every sort of medication for migraines, my doctor prescribed amitriptyline. My headaches were gone the very next morning, and they have been gone ever since. Yes, I was groggy for about two mornings upon waking up, but that went away quickly. I take amitriptyline at night and do not experience any fatigue at all the next day. Thank you for this medication."

• lar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 2, 2017

For Insomnia "I am a senior and was given amitriptyline for sleep. I found that 10 mg was too strong and made me very groggy in the AM. Cutting the 10 mg in half has worked very well for me. I only take it if I have had poor sleep 2 nights in a row. It knocks me out for 7-8 hours."

• Hul...
• July 30, 2018

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "I've had IBS my entire life, with predominantly moderate to severe stomach pain and diarrhea. Amitriptyline has helped with the IBS symptoms a lot, especially during a major flare-up that I could not control with a restricted diet or Imodium. However, I do get side effects taking this. I took it just before bed, as instructed by the doctor, and was an absolute zombie the next day. I fell asleep on a bus! I've never done that in my entire life, and it was pretty scary feeling so out of control. So I started taking it much earlier-around 6pm - and have had no drowsiness since. There are other more subtle side effects; I feel sort of 'spaced out' most of the time, a bit out of body. I think this is the anti-depressant side (I don't have depression) kicking in, and I don't like the feeling at all. All in all, if you have severe IBS that's controlling your life, I would recommend giving this a go. If it had no side effects, I'd say it was a wonder drug!"

• TS0...
• July 22, 2015

For Vulvodynia "This was the first medication I was prescribed once I was finally diagnosed with vulvodynia. I have experienced a tremendous improvement after two weeks of taking this medication. I was originally started on 10 mg with no relief after 2 months of use. My doctor increased it to 50 mg last month, which has really worked. My personal regimen includes 50 mg amitriptyline at bedtime, Estrace topical, B complex vitamin, and alpha-lipoic acid. My pain went from a 7 to 2 in a matter of two weeks. It makes me constipated, so I use fiber supplements daily. I was very drowsy initially, but you will adjust in a few days. Exercise and a healthy diet have greatly decreased the side effects (sleepiness, weight gain, constipation) associated with this drug."

• TS0...
• July 22, 2015

For Vulvodynia "This was the first medication I was prescribed once I was finally diagnosed with vulvodynia. I have experienced a tremendous improvement after two weeks of taking this medication. I was originally started on 10 mg with no relief after 2 months of use. My doctor increased it to 50 mg last month, which has really worked. My personal regimen includes 50 mg amitriptyline at bedtime, Estrace topical, B complex vitamin, and alpha-lipoic acid. My pain went from a 7 to 2 in a matter of two weeks. It makes me constipated, so I use fiber supplements daily. I was very drowsy initially, but you will adjust in a few days. Exercise and a healthy diet have greatly decreased the side effects (sleepiness, weight gain, constipation) associated with this drug."

• She...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 27, 2021

For Neuropathic Pain "Using amitriptyline responsibly and keeping a low dosage, this drug has helped massively combined with pregabalin, same with the dosage. I use this for Chiari malformations, degenerative disc disease, spondylitis, and crushed discs. Because of the chronic pain, I was left debilitated, in agony, and as a result, depressed. The two above-mentioned drugs give me some normality back, and they seem to stay in your system for 24 hours. I can't thank my old doctor enough for trying various medications until these two worked. No side effects other than drowsiness, so taken before bed."

• tas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 22, 2019

For Insomnia "Rating amitriptyline a 2 because the first night it made me drowsy and sent me to sleep. Every night after that, I felt like I was alert and awake the whole night and did not get a restful sleep whatsoever. Every time I woke up, it felt like I had never even gone to sleep."

• Che...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 25, 2015

For Migraine Prevention "This medication literally is a lifesaver. I've had chronic migraines for 10 years. I was on 10 mg for 6 months, then my migraines came back. My doctor upped my dosage to 20, and now it's back to normal. But one side effect I can't seem to shake off is sleepiness. I'm sleeping close to 16 hours a day."

• Lau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 12, 2023

For Anxiety and Stress "This whole year my body was stressed. I was sick for months, and no one could figure out why. Then, after months of my period being worse, they found my iron was extremely low and a uterine fibroid, which had to be removed because it was causing huge clots. So, three months after surgery, I felt a little better, but not 100%. Then my pulmonary doctors believed my vagus nerve was damaged. I had severe insomnia and body shakes and jolts at night. He prescribed me amitriptyline 10 to start. He warned me to give it a full month to work. The first few doses felt groggy and out of it, but I finally got sleep that I haven’t had all year. A week or two later, a huge change in my anxiety and depression, especially my IBS-C. It made me feel human again. So, he bumped me to 25 mg, but I ended up going back to 10 mg because at 25 mg, after a week, I still felt groggy. But I am forever grateful for this drug. Everyone can’t believe the 180 I did. I can go out and actually be normal again."

• Bos...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 9, 2021

For Anxiety and Stress "This medication works quickly and sufficiently for me. I take one 50 mg tablet at bedtime, and it allows for better sleep, less waking up. Amitriptyline also helps calm my nerves during the day, it's long-acting relief with very little drowsy aspect. Taken at night, by morning I have slept better and wake more mellow and good to go during the day."

• Ala...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 23, 2018

For Pain "I took amitriptyline for tension headaches that plagued me daily. Every day the headaches would come on, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. The headaches would come on in the late afternoon; usually, the worst pain was between 5-8 pm. Started with 10 mg, worked my way up to 50 mg, and then after 2 years, withdrew by 10 mg until off after five to six weeks. Withdrawal made me anxious, but the worst was over after only 2 weeks - make sure you plan a good exercise, hydrate, and healthy eating plan during this 2-week period. Overall, the drug helped and got rid of the headaches, but the daily grogginess made me want to quit. Slight weight gain of 5-10 lbs, but nothing too crazy. This medication worked, withdrawal sucked for 20 days, and now I am successfully tension headache-free and successfully off because of amitriptyline."

• Bru...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 23, 2021

For Insomnia "I get 7-8 hours of decent sleep most nights with 10-25 mg. On the rare days I forget it, I know right away as I’m slow to drop off and wake after a few hours with restless sleep. The next night I will take it and be fine again. I’ve been on it for 20 years, sometimes at 10 mg and sometimes 25 mg, it’s been a lifesaver. Insomnia is soul-destroying. I do get a bit of a dry mouth in the morning and can be a bit groggy when I first wake, but it’s minor and worth it for me."

• Aim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 10, 2019

For Insomnia "I have been taking amitriptyline for 3 weeks now, and it really helps with sleep. However, I am gaining weight, plus sometimes I am very groggy the next day and don't want to do anything. I also have had restless leg syndrome, and I read that someone else got that, too. I will keep taking it but will try to reduce the amount from 40 mg downwards and hope that it still helps with sleep."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 13, 2022

For Insomnia "Very effective in treating my 2-year experience with insomnia. Slow load time for causing drowsiness. I was instructed to take it an hour before bed but found 3 hours prior worked best for me. No medication hangover and greatly improved mood were noted."

• Kah...
• September 14, 2016

For Pain "I have 2 grandkids I watch. All that I want to do is sleep. Can't stay awake, feel groggy all the time, and still have pain. Maybe it's not for me, so I see the doctor on the 19th to see what else is out there, and I am not going to put my grandkids in danger of me sleeping all the time."

• Tex...
• October 11, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "I've been suffering for 15+ years with migraines. I prefer not to take prescription medication but had tried homeopathic remedies, adjusted my diet, and lived a very regimented lifestyle but would still have 8+ migraines a month. Was prescribed 10 mg in the evening. I started taking 5 mg to slowly start my body on it and minimize side effects-been on 5 mg for the last 6 weeks and have had tremendous success. Side effects: sleepiness in the AM-so I take the pill about 6:30 in the evening and have minimal sleepiness in the morning. I was worried about weight gain but haven't seen it (I'm 110, so it would be noticeable). Dry mouth-I just drink more water. Other than that, minimal side effects."