Amitriptyline and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Fog...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2013

Amitriptyline for Pain "10mg used to provide a pain-free night's sleep. I have a pinched sciatic nerve. After cortisone injection under general anesthetic, I experienced cramps that disturbed my sleep. This medicine is now giving me a good night's sleep, and I wake refreshed in the morning."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 4, 2014

Amitriptyline for Depression "I'm 16 years old and I started taking Zoloft for depression about a year ago. I started off at 25mg, then 50mg, and things still didn't seem to be 'right.' I was constantly sick and throwing up, and I just felt like it wasn't working. So they bumped me up to 75mg of Zoloft, and then to 100mg. For my body and age, 100mg was a lot for me to take, but it finally made me feel better. I wasn't as down, but I had awful side effects. I couldn't sleep, eat, or do anything, but lay in bed, and I had awful migraines. I was so sick of changing meds, but I couldn't deal with being this sick, so on top of the Zoloft, I was prescribed Elavil. It was like night and day. Helped me sleep and took all my side effects away!"

• Lil...
• May 30, 2019

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "I had stomach problems for years and had gone through several gastroscopy tests and was diagnosed with acid reflux. Doctors prescribed me different antacids for a year that never helped. Luckily, I met an amazing GI Dr. He questioned me a bit about my life and figured out that I had a deep depression due to my mother's loss 2 years ago. We were fighting for her cancer for 2 years, and she passed away in the end. So the doctor said it's nothing but a depressed mind and depressed stomach. He prescribed me Elavil 10mg for one year. It's been 10 days since I started taking it before going to bed, and I can say it has changed my life. No more pain, no more symptoms, and I can eat pretty much everything, even coffee and sweets. The only side effect is that I have a great appetite, gained 1 kg, and have difficulty waking up in the morning, but once I'm up, I'm full of energy again. I totally recommend it."

• Sha...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 2, 2015

For Pain "I've suffered with chronic back and neck pain, fibromyalgia, debilitating chronic migraines, and insomnia for 20 years. For ten of the last 13, I took 150mg amitriptyline with an opiate painkiller and had my pain and migraines under control and quality of life. Three years ago, my doctor had to retire due to heart problems. I have a new pain management specialist, but they only have me on 25mg amitriptyline and have me taking Neurontin instead. I've had horrifying insomnia ever since. Now I also have terrible neuropathy and paresthesia, and also interstitial cystitis, IBS, and have no quality of life anymore. But now because of all your comments, I have the courage to tell my doctor I want my dosage raised because I know what works for me. Thank you all!"

• Gui...
• February 16, 2018

For Migraine Prevention "Suffered headaches that transformed into hemiplegic / complex/ horrific migraines, that didn't allow me to function AT ALL. Lost my career, my social life, this went on for 10 years. Finally was prescribed Elavil, 25 mg and it has all but eliminated migraines. It helps insomnia and arthritis pain. I've been on it for over a year now. Yesterday I felt a migraine breaking through, it did. This is about the 3rd in a year that has me not functioning, needing to lie down and rest, but, given how I was, my life is 98% improved."

• sdg...
• May 9, 2020

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "When I suddenly developed severe nausea/loss of appetite accompanied by severe acid reflux and abdominal cramps about a year ago, I thought I was sick with an acute illness. I could hardly eat for months. However, all the doctors I saw couldn't find anything particularly wrong with me, save some inflammation in my esophagus. I was at my wit's end after a particularly severe flare-up a few weeks ago, and my GI thought it might be a good idea to try a low-dose antidepressant since most food intolerances had been ruled out. Within days on 10 mg, the cramps were mostly gone, and now, a few weeks later, the nausea is also gone and my appetite is back (with a vengeance). It's truly a miracle! The only downsides for me have been some mouth dryness and urine retention, both mild, and trouble falling asleep despite the drowsiness, which has been slightly more difficult to deal with."

• tri...
• December 14, 2016

For Fibromyalgia "I was very recently prescribed amitriptyline at 10 mg for fibromyalgia, which was also just recently diagnosed after complaints since the age of at least 18 (now 38). It doesn't help me sleep, even with my low dose of Xanax that was prescribed a year ago for sleep. Combining the two has given me a more restless sleep, BUT... It has helped with my pain tremendously! Within days, I noticed I could work longer hours (self-employed, thank god), and when I do get sore, it's not as extreme as pre-amitriptyline. I've lost weight in these two weeks, as before I only ate once a day, and I think my body was holding on to any fat it could, now I graze throughout the day and think my metabolism has been kick-started again."

• Anonymous
• April 26, 2008

For Depression "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."

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 25, 2020

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "I was in a car accident a year ago, mild traumatic brain injury, back injury, I have fibromyalgia, and I was having panic/anxiety, pain, was not sleeping, waking up 3-4 a night! Started taking amitriptyline 25 mg for 2 months now! It has changed my life!"

• Fal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2016

Amitriptyline for Pain "I was prescribed Elavil mainly for chronic headaches. I also suffer from depression, anxiety, and insomnia, so my neurologist had me start Elavil to try and kill many birds with one stone, so to speak. Elavil worked great to reduce the intensity of my headaches. Although they were still ongoing, it was much more tolerable. I had been on Elavil for only one month and a week before I stopped. The first week my insomnia and anxiety seemed to be simmering down (this stopped soon after week 2). As for my depression, Elavil put it under a magnifying glass. I was suicidal and crying on a daily basis, it was not the medication for me. It helped with the main objective but at a horrible cost."

• CP3...
• March 9, 2013

Amitriptyline for Insomnia "I was put on Elavil to treat sleep deprivation and for pain relief. Took it for four days. It did not help with the pain, and it kept me up instead of putting me to sleep. For the first two days, I slept for maybe 3 hours total (slept for one hour, woke up for about an hour, fell asleep for an hour, up again, etc.), then the last two days, I went for two days straight with no sleep. Very frustrating."

• CP3...
• March 9, 2013

Amitriptyline for Insomnia "I was put on Elavil to treat sleep deprivation and for pain relief. Took it for four days. It did not help with the pain, and it kept me up instead of putting me to sleep. For the first two days, I slept for maybe 3 hours total (slept for one hour, woke up for about an hour, fell asleep for an hour, up again, etc.), then the last two days, I went for two days straight with no sleep. Very frustrating."

• Cra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 26, 2016

For Pain "I have had chronic pain for over 13 years, as a result of a head-on MVA (the other driver was impaired) 33 years ago. The impact caused several injuries, but my broken knee and fibula were the worst. I had several surgeries that kept me pain-free and active until a TKR was required. Due to my age, it was put off, and though the surgery went well, it was put off too long and triggered chronic pain. I take morphine 60 mg x 3 daily, which helps me function. Recently, the doctor put me on amitriptyline 25 mg x 3 nightly. I have cut back to one, as it is very difficult for me to wake up in the morning, no matter how early I take it the night before. It does help with the pain though, and I do sleep much better!"

• nsp...
• November 17, 2013

For Migraine Prevention "I've been a chronic migraine sufferer my entire life. Literally, I even had migraines as a young child, which my neurologist informed me was very rare. I was diagnosed with chronic complicated migraine, averaging 20 plus headache days a month. I'd get migraine attacks where I'd repeatedly get slammed with migraines lasting up to 15 days where I couldn't function in a row. She put me on verapamil twice a day, which helped slightly for a few months then did nothing, so she put me on the amitriptyline a few days ago. I started at 25 mg at night and in a few days up to 50 mg. It does help me sleep, and my migraines today are substantially less. Hoping it keeps getting better!"

• MDc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2019

For Insomnia "Have battled insomnia for at least 10 years on my own. I can usually fall asleep but can't stay asleep. Wake up at least 3 times a night. I caved and went to the doctor for a sleep aid. Since I also deal with fibromyalgia and am currently under a lot of stress, she prescribed 25 mg of amitriptyline. Should have known it was a bad idea. I've failed with 5 antidepressants. Had super restless sleep until 3 a.m., waking every hour and hungry. Then slept so hard, I was late to a 9 a.m. appointment. By noon, still so groggy that I shouldn't have been driving. I was also in a bad mood and depressed. Based on all of the positive reviews for this drug, I tried cutting a pill in half the next night (12.5 mg). Today, really pissy and depressed, can't get anything done. There's a warning in the literature: If amitriptyline makes you depressed or angry, stop it. I'm definitely stopping! I'll take insomnia and fibro pain any day of the week."

• Jul...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 2, 2017

For Pain "I started taking 10 mg of amitriptyline in December of 2015 when I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis. It takes away the constant sharp burning pain I was having along with the constant urge to urinate. Once in a while, I will have a flare-up of symptoms, but even then, my pain is very minimal. The only side effects I've noticed are that it makes me drowsy in the first few hours of taking my dose. The first month or two of taking it, I would experience extremely vivid nightmares, but those have subsided to simply being vivid dreams some of the time. I've also noticed that if I forget to take it one night, I have difficulty falling asleep and some anxiety similar to the feeling of drinking a little too much coffee, which is tolerable."

• Jel...
• March 12, 2017

For Migraine Prevention "I have been dealing with anxiety/panic attacks and migraines for 10 months and have tried about everything out there (Prozac/Buspirone/Sertraline/Ativan), and NOTHING seemed to work but Ativan. Everything else gave me really bad reactions, from burning skin to heartburn, palpitations, shortness of breath, insomnia, just to name a few, and even worsened my anxiety and led to more panic attacks. The only problem with Ativan was that, because it is a benzo and it is highly addictive, my doctor did not want to prescribe that anymore. My migraines got so severe that I was seen by a neurologist last week, and he prescribed amitriptyline, so far, it's working wonders. I am able to sleep through the whole night, and my panic attacks are gone!!!!!"

• Phi...
• October 27, 2016

For Insomnia "I started the medication after suffering from insomnia and general anxiety. I tried citalopram and basically didn't sleep for a month, along with numerous other side effects. I was skeptical the first couple of times I took 10 mg to help with sleep, and it had no effect. Maybe I needed to wait longer for the citalopram to clear out of my system. I left it a couple of days and tried 25 mg, let's just say I slept the best I had in a long time. I haven't really noticed any other side effects, maybe this is because citalopram made me feel so strange this doesn't even scratch the surface. Anyway, I'm now looking forward to bed, and I hope this continues as it is really helping me focus better at work, having more sleep."

• Mil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2016

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "Was prescribed 25 mg for post-traumatic stress from a motorcycle vs. drunk driver wreck I survived. I also have insomnia and panic/anxiety attacks as a result. I had negative experiences with Xanax. So I started amitriptyline 25 mg, it did nothing for me, kept me awake, even. 50 mg helped a little (5-6 hours of sleep). I went back to the doc, and he said, 'A guy your size, try taking 2 50 mg before bed' (I weigh 215). I took 2 while making dinner and could barely keep my head up while eating. I slept 10 hours straight! This is fantastic as I have 'interrupted sleep cycles' where my body comes out of REM sleep from the PTSD. Doc says I need 10-12 hours of sleep on a good night. I like that it's not addictive as well."

• Pri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2018

Amitriptyline for Insomnia "Elavil 10 mg was prescribed mainly for my 24/7 migraine-type symptoms and increasing nerve pain. But also for these symptoms now keeping me up at night. I was always a decent sleeper. But 2 years ago, as the “head bounce” increased, so did my upset over it, and it caused chronic insomnia. Elavil works well for nerve pain. I found even handling jigsaw pieces felt like knives cutting into my fingers. Pleasant, right? Elavil allowed me to NOT feel that pain! Insomnia - works! However, a month ago, after the third night, it increased my head pain. Like sharp stabs. Soooooo, I take 10 mg once every few weeks. I realize that isn’t protocol, but don’t care. I mix my bedtime routine with an occasional Benadryl and nothing at all. Then another Elavil. Took the Elavil after not taking it for a month last night. Was able to catch up after 2 bad nights. Ahhhhhhhh... slept very well. Bottle goes back into the drawer for another few weeks."

• Mig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2017

Amitriptyline for Depression "I was prescribed Elavil for depression and migraine prevention. After taking only two 10 mg doses of Elavil, I had a severe manic episode. (Note: I am not bipolar.) I was shaking, pacing, unable to sleep, talking a mile a minute but making no sense, full of anxiety and rage, unable to eat or keep anything down and in a total panic. My husband took me to the ER when my heart rate went through the roof and I became short of breath. The hospital kept me overnight on a heart monitor and gave me sedatives to calm me down. My doctor wants me to try another medication, but I am terrified at the prospect. Honestly, I'd rather be depressed and have migraines than try another antidepressant. One bad experience was ENOUGH."

• Mee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 14, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "I was prescribed amitriptyline 10 mg/day for anxiety. Previous SSRIs had left me with constant shakes and sleep deprivation. Amitriptyline did help with my neck pain, and my sleep pattern returned to normal, which was great. Unfortunately, even at the lowest dose of 10 mg, I was unable to function. I felt like a zombie, and my coordination was shot to pieces, and I was breathless doing the smallest of physical activities. I cut to 5 mg because the pain relief for my neck was such a boon, but the negative side effects were still too great to continue a normal life. Shaking, woolly-headed, forgetful, and still an underlying anxiety that erupted over the smallest of issues. Useless for my anxiety because of my sensitivity to the drug, but great for pain relief. I tried it for 4 weeks before being switched to a beta blocker."

• Mig...
• October 2, 2013

For Migraine Prevention "As far as helping me with my migraines, it helped out a lot. I had absolutely none after 3 weeks of taking the medication, however, it made me feel like a zombie throughout the day. For some reason, when I didn't take it exactly on time, I wouldn't be able to fall asleep at night. I also gained a great amount of weight."

• Ann...
• September 4, 2015

For Migraine Prevention "I've suffered from migraines since I was a teen, but as an adult, they became unbearable. After the death of my mother going on five years this December, and a year to the date then my grandmother, my depression was at a high. I don't think it's describable. My nerves and patience were all over the place, my migraines had gotten to the point I had to take shots for the pain! I was rushed to the hospital one day for a headache that I felt was going to take my life, the same as a headache did my mom. I had swelling on the brain, I was put on three different combinations of meds. Out of the three, I figured out the amitriptyline was the one that managed all my symptoms, especially my headaches, and later discovered my insomnia! To this day, I still take it."

• iom...
• November 29, 2014

For Migraine Prevention "Currently being 15, I've had migraines about every day since I was 11, and I was prescribed this medication a few months ago. It worked okay for a few weeks, most days of the week, I'd be migraine-free. Now though, I get my daily migraines regardless of taking it, and I believe I've been heavily hallucinating for the past month or two, and I had a night terror. And because of these hallucinations, I haven't been able to sleep well. I get maybe 4-5 hours of sleep every day. The only positive aspect I can think of is that it's helped me socialize better, I'm not so nervous about speaking anymore."