Amitriptyline and Tiredness: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Saz...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 11, 2017

For Interstitial Cystitis "Amazing! I was in agony for 1-2 years with interstitial cystitis, saw various doctors, I was at the end of my tether with the pain. Finally, the doctor prescribed these tablets, stopped the pain straight away. I couldn't live without them! The only side effects are dry mouth and tiredness."

• mar...
• March 3, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "It wasn't until last year, my sophomore year, I finally just couldn't take the headaches. They got so bad I had to go to the doctor, and they prescribed me amitriptyline. Let me say they started off as a miracle worker, and I definitely recommend it to prevent it. But it does have its side effects. I am suffering from depression, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, and it makes me feel so tired and sleepy it's not funny. I'm a junior now in high school, my hardest and most important year, and I kinda hate that I took and am taking amitriptyline. I can't take this med anymore. My grades are so bad right now because I can never stay focused at school and feel so damn tired I don't want to do anything. Can't concentrate, I act different now, and I don't feel myself."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2016

For Insomnia "Had insomnia ever since I can remember. When I went to the doctor, he prescribed me amitriptyline 25 mg. It does not help at all. It makes me feel like a zombie, and it makes me feel 'dull.' I talk slow and feel like I can't stand, but when I do sleep, I sleep way too well. It's hard to wake up, and when I do, I feel tired all day."

• Spa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 21, 2017

For Insomnia "Started taking this to help me get off Lunesta. Taking 10 mg. For me, it does NOT put me to sleep like a sleeping pill. It makes me very tired but doesn't knock me out. But, it's supposed to help with early morning awakening when you can't get back to sleep. I believe it does help with that. I find you want to take it early, like at 8:00 p.m. if you want to feel sleepy at 10:00 p.m. Also, you WILL be drowsy the next morning - another reason to take it early. I actually started taking it at 7:00 p.m. to help with the morning drowsiness. Again, the downside of this medication is that you will be very drowsy in the evening if you take it early and/or you will be drowsy in the morning!!!"

• Ben...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 25, 2018

For Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome "After years of testing and misdiagnosis, it was finally discovered that I have cyclic vomiting syndrome. My doctor was not well-versed in the condition and was reluctant to try any treatment and just said, 'There's nothing you can do about it.' I did my own research, and after I again conveyed how traumatic a CVS episode was, he agreed to try prescribing me amitriptyline in a low dose. I've been symptom-free ever since! I had lost all hope, and words can't express what a relief it was to not be nauseated constantly. Only bad side effect was it makes me extremely tired, especially in the mornings (I take it at bedtime). It also sometimes made me feel 'blah' personality-wise, like I was kind of sedated. Minor problem was it gave me dry mouth in the beginning."

• Sen...
• October 18, 2018

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "I started getting really sick after starting college. It got so bad that I would be sick for a day to a month. I saw a specialist who had me do blood tests, stool tests, allergy tests, colonoscopy, endoscopy, CAT scan, ultrasound, and a HIDA scan. She came to the conclusion that I have IBS-D. We tried several medications and came to amitriptyline. It seemed to help, but then I started getting sick 1-3 times a month. Wasn’t sure if it was working, so I stopped. The day after I ate something that really messed up my stomach, and I ended up sick for a month. My doctor had me start taking it again, but double the dose, so I went from 25 mg to 50 mg. So far, I’ve gotten sick once while taking the 50 mg. The only side effects I’ve had are dry mouth, and it makes me really tired. I think it helps my IBS, but I still need to be careful with food and stress."

• osc...
• January 4, 2013

For Insomnia "I had an operation 8 weeks ago, which has upset my sleeping. I was given zopiclone for 2 weeks, which did make me sleep but no more than 4 hrs per night. Since last Friday, I am on 50 mg of amitriptyline, and the first night I slept but felt like a zombie the next morning - couldn't feel my shins or feet and very spaced out. This morning, 6 days since I started amitriptyline, I haven't slept, and when I say that, I mean that - not a wink of sleep in the last 3 nights. I was passing out yesterday with exhaustion. They have reduced my dose to 35, and I will persist, but at this present time it hasn't helped me at all, just made me worse. I am hoping it will come good because the reviews are inspiring."

• Bun...
• September 2, 2017

For Migraine Prevention "I started having head pains on the right side of my head/neck/eye after the loss of a loved one. Sharp pains and a long-lasting dull ache on the right side wouldn't go away, sometimes numbness, etc. And for about a year, I went through EVERY type of doctor & test possible. Long story short, and two MRIs later (all came back normal), I was no closer to ridding myself of these pains. I found a new doctor who put me on Elavil (25 mg), and I can say after 3 months my head pains are reduced 85%. I have pain-free days now! It took about 2 months to work in my case. Tiredness is a side effect, but mine went away after a few weeks. This med has given me hope. I hope if you're having these problems, you will give it a chance to work..."

• Gol...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 20, 2018

For Pain "As a pensioner golfer, I had to reduce my rounds (from 5/wk to 2/wk) because of early morning sciatica. Dosing with 10 mg amitriptyline has coincided with easing and sometimes elimination of pain, particularly if vigorous leg exercises are completed prior to rising from bed. Adverse effects noticed are tiredness and slightly dry mouth. These are tolerable penalties to be pain-free!!"

• Anonymous
• January 6, 2010

Amitriptyline for Migraine Prevention "This made me so tired that I had to stop taking it. I felt drugged 20 minutes after taking it (I took it at night), and then I was groggy the entire next day. Plus, the first night that I took it, I woke up with a migraine that wouldn't go away after my Imitrex Statdose injection. So now my doctor put me on a beta blocker. It makes me a little dizzy, but I can actually function!! Guess it works for some people, but I couldn't drive, and there's no way I could go to work on this..."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 28, 2019

Amitriptyline "I had a terrible experience with these pills. I've never experienced side effects on a medication before, and I trusted my doctor who told me that I was taking such a low dose I shouldn’t have side effects. This medication made me feel like a zombie all day, no matter how much I slept. It caused me to feel spaced out and exhausted and also caused me to experience visual hallucinations before bed one night. Awful pills I would never try again. There are a million people online desperately trying to taper down their dose and get off the pills but having withdrawal symptoms. To each their own, but I wish I never even tried it at all. By the way, I was put on this for functional dyspepsia."

• use...
• May 8, 2021

For Depression "Been suffering from depression and anxiety for over 10 years. This medication did nothing to alleviate my symptoms. I've been taking it for almost 3 weeks now, yet I'm exhausted, lethargic, I feel spaced out most of the time. I force myself to do things that I absolutely must do, but I don't do a good job because I really don't want to do them. I'm going back to my Dr's office to see if my dose could be increased or I could go on a different antidepressant. I've tried SSRIs in the past, and while they had their own problems, they seemed to work instantly for my mood. Giving it 3/10 because it does help me sleep at night, and it didn't have any side effects unlike the SSRIs I was on before."

• use...
• May 8, 2021

For Depression "Been suffering from depression and anxiety for over 10 years. This medication did nothing to alleviate my symptoms. I've been taking it for almost 3 weeks now, yet I'm exhausted, lethargic, I feel spaced out most of the time. I force myself to do things that I absolutely must do, but I don't do a good job because I really don't want to do them. I'm going back to my Dr's office to see if my dose could be increased or I could go on a different antidepressant. I've tried SSRIs in the past, and while they had their own problems, they seemed to work instantly for my mood. Giving it 3/10 because it does help me sleep at night, and it didn't have any side effects unlike the SSRIs I was on before."

• JJa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 30, 2021

Amitriptyline for Fibromyalgia "Two days after taking Endep 10 mg, 50% of my pain was gone. Lasted three days, then the pain came back. Up the dose to 20 mg and pain reduced again, but legs feel twitchy and restless in the day. A weird feeling, usually happens at night. Will keep trying and see if it goes away. Next step up to 30 mg. So far, it’s better than being in constant fibromyalgia pain 24/7. It did take 4-5 days to get used to the sleep side effect. Within an hour of taking, go straight to bed and try to sleep. Able to sleep with only waking once. Does make you tired in the morning, but again it’s better than the pain. Worth a try. Good luck."

• Kel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 23, 2012

For Migraine Prevention "I take amitriptyline for the prevention of migraine with aura. The aura was so bad I couldn't function: dizziness/vertigo, facial numbness, vomiting, light sensitivity, and forgetfulness/memory fog. Although I'm not back to 'normal,' I am able to function. I still experience dizziness from time to time, and my memory isn't what it used to be, but overall about 85% improvement. I have experienced some weight gain from craving sweets and other junk. Also, the first month I was very tired, but that stopped. I'm afraid to try something else because I fear the symptoms returning."

• Mil...
• July 20, 2016

For Insomnia "This medicine makes me feel tired, but won't let me sleep due to a jittery feeling. This is not a good medicine for sleep. Have to turn over about every five minutes to get rid of the jittery feeling. This medicine should not be taken for sleep at all."

• Thu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 1, 2013

For Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome "Since taking this medication, I am not reaching for the narcotic pain meds as much as I used to, but am more constipated and tired. It's worth the trade-off of some of the higher pain medicines for my condition."

• Hel...
• February 21, 2012

For Interstitial Cystitis "I don't know if this is the only thing that works, because in addition, I take Valium for spasms. Now, I have a problem, I cannot wake up, am groggy all day, feel tired all the time, worried while driving (80 miles each day), but I should also say that I have been tired prior to starting this. I take 1/2 of a 25 mg for over a month now, feel 300%, but then again for interstitial cystitis, I'm also on Valium."

• Anonymous
• November 6, 2012

For Migraine Prevention "This is great at helping with my headaches! There wasn't any cause for my migraines/frequent headaches, and I wanted to solve the problem. It either makes them go away completely or decreases the pain dramatically, so you're able to function beautifully. However, I do get dry mouth, and I feel like I have to go and pee a lot, which are two side effects. You do get tired, but mostly when it's at night when you take them, so it doesn't matter too much."

• Xal...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 19, 2022

For Depression "Spent 4 years on it, it was prescribed first as a sleeping pill at 10 mg, and it should have stayed like that. But instead, my psychiatrist refused to put me back on Paroxetine, and we increased the dose to 150 mg (over multiple months). I gained a lot of weight, was extremely tired, driving was dangerous, and heart rate was really high. Even if it relieved my anxiety, the drug was not efficient enough and had too many side effects. It was not the drug for me."

• Tak...
• June 23, 2017

For Fibromyalgia "I haven't noticed any help in pain with this medication thus far. I am taking 25 mg. The only thing I've noticed is that my sleep is actually worse. I am sleeping less and staying more tired during the day, even though I'm taking it at night. I'm really starting to think nothing is going to help my pain."

• Dox...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "I have had episodic migraines for about 30 years that became chronic just after menopause. I very rarely had a day without pain and was averaging about 15 severe headache days a month. I did not respond well to CGRP inhibitors as they caused severe constipation. I tried Topamax, gabapentin, and many supplements. Nortriptyline made me feel very dizzy, which is part of migraine, so something I really wanted to avoid. I about lost hope when my doctor had me try, as a last resort, amitriptyline. I have been taking 20 mg for about 2 months now and have gone from 15 headache days a month to about 6, and they are not severe. In fact, I often feel a migraine coming on, and it does not evolve, so I don't even need to take my rescue meds. Side effects are dry mouth in the morning, and I'm a little more tired than I used to be, but it is a fair price to pay to have so many pain-free days. This medication has given me hope, and I pray it continues to work at this low dose."

• reg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "Been suffering from severe right eye and top of the head pains, which normally develop into excruciating migraines and last for hours, so I'm forced to take Migraleve, which helps sometimes, and go to bed with lights off and just rest. My doc prescribed me amitriptyline, and I took it five times in a month so far. I get a few side effects (insomnia, depression) and can only take them a few hours before bed, as they still affect me the day after (sleepiness, tiredness, inability to focus). It does work almost immediately, and the effect lasts for a week even, which is great. I feel very relaxed, but I noticed that I started feeling without reason rather depressed, to the point that one day I actually felt a bit suicidal, so I stopped taking them for a week."

• Anonymous
• February 19, 2012

For Fibromyalgia "This medicine made me so exhausted I would sleep at least 12 hours every night, and I'd feel so tired all day I couldn't get anything done. And the two nights I couldn't take it when I was on it, I stayed up for over 24 hours with insomnia. It freaked me out that it would prevent me from sleeping if I didn't take it, so I got off of it quickly. It DID help some of the pain, but it wasn't worth it."

• Jua...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 23, 2022

For Migraine Prevention "After having Covid, I was left with a chronic migraine all day, every day, which was very debilitating. My doctor said that these headaches might last anywhere from 3 to 6 months! Beta blockers didn't help. The only thing that helped for the pain was Eletriptan, but you couldn't take it every day according to my doctor, so he ended up prescribing amitriptyline. This drug, at 12.5 mg, has worked great for me in the last two days, and I'm finally migraine-free. It does make me tired, so I'm taking it at night. I will update this post in a few weeks, but so far, so good."