Amitriptyline and Tiredness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• avi...
• April 10, 2017

For Anxiety and Stress "I have always suffered tiredness and depression whenever I didn't get a good night's sleep. I was sent to a specialist regarding an unrelated matter with chronic sinusitis. He said he diagnosed myofascial disorder and prescribed Endep 10 mg, and I couldn't believe the difference. No more waking up in a haze and feeling anxious. I have since had a difficult marriage breakup to deal with and increased the dose to 25 mg. I don't know how I would have coped without this drug. I hope to get back to the 10 mg once I have my life back once settlement is done and I move on."

• Shi...
• April 16, 2017

For Insomnia "I was prescribed these for insomnia and anxiety. I've been on every antidepressant you can think of, all with awful side effects. I do get a dry mouth, tiredness, headaches, and mild anxiety with amitriptyline, but it's much more manageable - I was suffering from daily, pretty constant anxiety before starting amitriptyline. I'm on 30 mg. My sleep is 90% better (which after 12 years of chronic insomnia is amazing)."

• Eva...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 15, 2017

For Insomnia "I took Trazodone for depression and insomnia. Stopped taking it because my weight would not go down, and I was always depressed and 'out of it.' Started taking amitriptyline, I feel full of energy and not depressed. I also sleep better. I have lost 10 pounds since I started taking it 2 weeks ago. Everyone is different, so please consult your doctor or pharmacist. I take 25 mg at night."

• niv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2024

For Depression "Generally pretty good! I have 3 antidepressant meds, and this is the third I've been put on. It's rather recent. Fluoxetine made no noticeable effect, risperidone more keeps me less irritable, but this genuinely helps stop my suicidal ideation. Of course, I get very tired. Common side effect. But when I take it, I generally don't feel depressed. I also have manic-like states (possible bipolar instead of depression, bipolar runs in the family too), and if it gets overwhelming, I'll take this and it'll help calm me down. I generally feel pretty blank and out of it, but it's better than crying and cutting myself."

• T B...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 23, 2015

For Anxiety and Stress "I was prescribed this to help with my concussion that wasn't going away. It helped me sleep good throughout the night. The first few days I was extremely tired and had a hard time staying awake in school, but once your body gets used to it, it works really well, it got rid of my headaches and made me less stressed."

• sma...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 6, 2019

Amitriptyline for Pain "I started this drug as a migraine prevention treatment, beginning with 10 mg and moving up to 50. I also have fibromyalgia. This medication did not help me whatsoever with the migraines or the fibro. Thankfully, it does help with insomnia, but I was really super disappointed that I didn't get any headache relief. It also makes me feel stupid because I'm constantly hungover and tired during the day."

• IC ...
• January 12, 2014

For Interstitial Cystitis "I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis about 2 years ago. I tried bladder instillations, read books about natural healing, and pretty much refused any medication. After a year and a half of suffering and trying gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and yeast-free for over 8 weeks, I finally gave up the natural route and agreed to 25 mg of amitriptyline once a day. Bottom line-it works. It really does. I still have the frequency, but the pain is almost completely gone. There have been some days when I feel the pain, but I take an extra dose, and it helps so much. I do have to say though, it makes me tired, I've gained about 30 pounds, and waking up in the morning is harder than ever. Still, it's worth it."

• san...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 22, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "I got my first migraine when I was in fourth grade, and every year it became more frequent. By tenth grade, I was having severe migraines with aura at least twice a week. I was started on 10 mg amitriptyline, and I've gone up by 10 mg every 6 months. I now get a migraine with aura maybe once a year. However, now I'm constantly tired, still worth it, though."

• Ric...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 29, 2024

For Neuropathic Pain "I had 5 months of pelvic pain: acute pain at the urethra tip, perineum ache, rectal nerve twinges, short bouts of penile numbness, and general pain up and down the penis. My urologist thinks I had chronic prostatitis that in turn aggravated my pelvic floor and/or my pudendal nerve. 1/4 pill of amitriptyline worked after the first night, which shocked me. I've been on the medication for 13 days now, and it has reduced both the level and duration of my pain by 98%. It does make me more lethargic each morning, but the pain relief is worth it. I also take magnesium glycinate at night to help with muscle relaxation."

• Anonymous
• July 14, 2008

Amitriptyline for Migraine Prevention "No more migraines since I've been taking Elavil. I use only 12.5 mg per day, taken at night. I have tried millions of other medicines. This is the best. The first few weeks you will be very tired, it goes away, then all will finally be normal with no more head throbbing. I cocktail with 10 mg Lexapro. It's been 1 and 1/2 years of no migraines."

• Dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2019

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "I was skeptical after suffering from fibromyalgia and IBS when my doctor said we should try amitriptyline. I was pleasantly surprised. I felt better even after the first week of 10 mg. As per his instructions, I upped it to 20 mg for the second week and will up the dose to 30 for week 3. I'm almost done with week 2. I will see him after week 3, and I really believe 10 mg will do it for me. It's a good thing I'm retired because the last couple of years, it would have been difficult to have a full-time job. I feel for the users that didn't get any relief since nothing else I've done helped at all. Except for being a little tired and a little woozy sometimes, I would have rated it a 10."

• Pet...
• February 21, 2013

For Migraine Prevention "I had 3 to 4 migraines a week and was sleeping very badly. 2 weeks into taking amitriptyline and the migraine is gone. I'm sleeping at least 7 hours a night too. I don't know if this will last, but it's working brilliantly at the moment. The initial tiredness side effect stopped 1 week in."

• Jna...
• April 26, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "Before starting this, most mornings I always felt sick to my stomach, and whenever I went out, I always had to make sure a bathroom was nearby. My doctor prescribed this to me at 5 MG a day to start, slowly, I got up to 10 MG a day, and that is what I take now. The only downside I've had with this pill is it makes me very tired, for this reason, I take it at night. We experimented with taking 10 MG one night, then 5 MG the next. It helped the tiredness, but I was willing to deal with the tiredness in exchange for less pain. I still have to stay away from foods that make me sick, and it doesn't take away all pain but has helped tremendously, and I'm very grateful for it."

• Ano...
• September 12, 2013

For Interstitial Cystitis "I've had interstitial cystitis for a little over 6 years. In the beginning, I tried all sorts of things - hydraulic distention of the bladder, Elmiron, all different kinds of prescriptions - nothing helped. Eventually, I read about Elavil online and asked my doctor about it. He put me on it 4 years ago, and I've been on it ever since. It is the ONLY medicine that has helped. I take 20 mg a night. I also take Desert Harvest Aloe pills - 2 every morning - more when I flare up. I have occasional flares (like right now I am in one), but for the most part, my interstitial cystitis has been under control for the past 2.5 years. Side effects - in the beginning, it made me very tired. Also caused me to gain about 30-35 lbs, but I'll take it over IC pain."

• sun...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 8, 2023

For Insomnia "Is it effective for insomnia? Absofreakinlutely. Is it good to be on long term? NO. Please, for the love of God, do not be on this medication for a long time. Firstly, yes, it helped me sleep. It also made me soooo tired all day long, but not just tired, exhausted. It screwed up my digestive system and made me gain like 25 lbs (which I have only been able to lose 15 lbs of in the last two years). I started getting so tired I couldn't function anymore, so the doctor and I decided to go off it. I titrated down long and slow. The withdrawal was awful, and I never want to suffer that again. So much worse than any flu I have ever had. I was only on 25 mg for 2 years. Don't do what I did. Frankly, I wish my doctor had never put me on it in the first place."

• sun...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 8, 2023

For Insomnia "Is it effective for insomnia? Absofreakinlutely. Is it good to be on long term? NO. Please, for the love of God, do not be on this medication for a long time. Firstly, yes, it helped me sleep. It also made me soooo tired all day long, but not just tired, exhausted. It screwed up my digestive system and made me gain like 25 lbs (which I have only been able to lose 15 lbs of in the last two years). I started getting so tired I couldn't function anymore, so the doctor and I decided to go off it. I titrated down long and slow. The withdrawal was awful, and I never want to suffer that again. So much worse than any flu I have ever had. I was only on 25 mg for 2 years. Don't do what I did. Frankly, I wish my doctor had never put me on it in the first place."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "Switched to 25 mg amitriptyline from 60 mg of Cymbalta. Was told to overlap for one week and have now taken the amitrip for exactly one week. Initially thought the deep sleep from it was amazing. Couldn't remember the last time I had slept that deeply and had such vivid dreams that I could (too clearly) remember. I kind of liked the 'emotional numbness' I got from it. However, the next day I would be so exhausted and out of it. At times, I had to remind myself where I was and often struggled to find the words to form a complete sentence. I ate like I had the munchies (like I had just smoked weed). I also became quite paranoid that most people were out to get me. I definitely am stopping this drug as of tonight after becoming more teary-emotional, angry, and overwhelmed than I could tolerate. The Cymbalta is now looking very appealing."

• Anonymous
• November 15, 2008

Amitriptyline for Migraine Prevention "I'm a 16-year-old girl. I have been on tons of medicines for migraine prevention, and nothing seemed to help. One day, I ended up in the E.R. and missed much school. When I started on Elavil at 10 mg, it seemed to not do much, but when my dose was increased to 30 mg, I tend to have less frequent (2-3) migraines a week. My migraines are less intense, and I'm able to do my studies. The dry mouth is much less when I chew gum, but I tend to be tired all the time. This medication has worked the best for me, although not perfect."

• aaa...
• January 6, 2017

Amitriptyline for Insomnia "Works okay. I have bulging discs, a tear, depression, and anxiety. On this, I sleep well. Loss of sex drive, anxiety, and stress still high. Doesn't help the pain so much in my back. I sleep really well at night after 100 mg, but I wake up tired and need to nap for 2-3 hours and be in bed by 9:30 pm. Just always wanting to sleep and lazy."

• Xal...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 19, 2020

For Depression "I come to share my experience of amitriptyline to treat anxiety and depression. I've spent 3 years of my life under this medication. It was 3 painful years during which I was constantly tired because of the amitriptyline. Last year, I started withdrawal, and I've spent 1 year and a half reducing the drug, but as I was getting closer to the end, some abdominal aches appeared, and now even if it's been months since I've stopped the medication, I still have those pains (which are not diagnosed, but I think it's the irritable bowel syndrome). I've poor sleep because of the pain, and I despair to stop them. The only thing that used to stop them was taking amitriptyline again."

• mrh...
• July 1, 2009

For Anxiety and Stress "Have previously been on this medication 6 years ago. In between, have been on SSRIs and venlafaxine (the latter being a nightmare to withdraw from). Now, after a year of medication-free, I'm back on amitriptyline at my request due to mega anxiety and stress issues (not my doctor's first choice), also currently taking Ramipril and diltiazem for high blood pressure - so far early days and am suffering the main side effect of tiredness but managed a 2.5-mile jog last night. It's early days, and I am hoping this will work as well as it did in the past."

• Plu...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 15, 2018

For Pain "Wow! I’d been taking 25 mg for sleep for 10 years. I stopped taking it because it suddenly made me feel so weak and tired I could barely move. I have been experiencing debilitating overall pain, burning, and stiffness upon awakening. Unable to do anything. My doctor prescribed hydrocortisone, and while it helped my mood and I was able to tolerate the pain better, it didn’t do much for it. Researching online for causes based upon symptoms, none fit well enough to be convincing. I had it, not fibromyalgia, arthritis, or muscle spasms. I have carpal tunnel in both hands and take gabapentin for it, which helps. Then I looked up amitriptyline and pain. No wonder upon complaining my doctor and nurse both said, so you stopped taking it? But why didn’t either of them ever tell me this antidepressant is also good for pain? Although it was 11:00 am, I took one. I may not be able to do much all day, but at least not because of debilitating pain! They must have assumed I knew."

• lel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 16, 2013

For Burning Mouth Syndrome "Miracle for me! I have burning pain in my mouth and vulvodynia. I have been on this for 3 days and almost no pain. I had heavy side effects of dizziness and was lethargic the first 2 days but am coming out of it now. Taking 25 mg twice daily."

• Daa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 21, 2019

For Fibromyalgia "I was prescribed amitriptyline for my fibromyalgia, and within a very short time, my symptoms worsened considerably. I was severely fogged, and in more pain than before - restless legs, overheating, headaches, and exhausted 90% of the time - none of which I had before. A different doctor told me to stop taking it as it was poisoning my system. The symptoms haven't eased even though I don't take them anymore. I can't enjoy my young grandchildren, which is heartbreaking."

• dav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 21, 2023

Amitriptyline for Insomnia "In my younger years, I was plagued with depression and anxiety, and none of the tricyclic antidepressants seemed to work on me other than make me tired. I am now on Zoloft, and though it seems to work well, it has put my libido in the garbage. My doctor does not want to put me on Elavil because she thinks I have dementia and that will make it worse. If I have dementia now, then I was born with it! It is a great med for getting to sleep."