Amitriptyline for Depression User Reviews (Page 2)

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

"My husband has bi-polar disorder and suffers from chronic back / sciatic work-related pain. He'd only been (restlessly) sleeping 2-3 hours a night for 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' bi-polar anger / depression cycling). Has also noticed lessening of pain. It's saved our marriage."

• Brando
• July 17, 2013

Elavil (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 and 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."

• Magic...
• July 6, 2022

"I do not usually leave reviews but felt I had to share my experience. Firstly I was on Amitriptyline 25mg once a day before bed for depression and anxiety. After 3 weeks my life came back. I was laughing and most importantly living again. No side effects. I have just successfully come off this medication by tapering 2 weeks on 10mg and 1 week on 5mg, no withdrawal problems just a very pleasant surprise that I am feeling wonderful, sleep great, have bundles of energy and I am so positive. I was really bad with depression, could not talk, could not eat, wanted to end my life. Amitriptyline is a very old medication, very therapeutic and most importantly very few side effects. I wanted to share this with others, I am proudly standing tall, so anyone out there please try this medication if your doctor will prescribe it. It will help you and it will help you to be you again. I hope this review will help and I wish to send all my love and strength to all sufferers of depression and anxiety,"

• CJano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 23, 2020

"I've tried pretty much every antidepressant. Amitriptyline has been the best. I was on 10mg anyway for tension headaches and it worked a treat. After jumping through hoops and trying the first line of defence meds for depression, like SSRI's and Mirtazapine my doctor let me try Amitriptyline. I started on 25mg, then 50mg, 75mg and 100mg on the fourth week. I now feel like my normal self. Mirtazapine just sedated me too much and gives you 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 affects like MAOI's."

• Matt...
• 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 mothers 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 it's affects on my body."

• Jorda...
• 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 myself. I had moderate success with Effexor and fluoxetine but the side effects like night sweats where 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."

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

Elavil (amitriptyline) "I've tried about every medication out there for my anxiety and depression; welbutrin 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 such 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 if I can handle the side effects."

• BBeee...
• 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 35mg( 25mg and 10mg). I don't fall asleep right away but I do sleep and have a good nights 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."

• Iryna
• 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 works much better for my major recurrent depressive disorder. First of all - much more energy comparing to escitalopram (esc.) that I had taken before. My friend also tried amitriptyline after being on esc. , and found out that even in small dosage like 50 mg daily is more efficient than esc. Important! It decreased my sexual energy - I needed it so desperately because 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!"

• 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 starting having more vivid dreams while sleeping. This is the best antidepressant I've taken. I didn't even know it was an antidepressant till 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!"

• Meech
• 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."

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

"I have been taking 100mg 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 nights sleep with the help of this medicine. I now take this along with 40mg of Latuda everyday for mood stabilization and they work WONDERFUL together. The combination of these two drugs have totally changed my life."

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

"I have suffered from depression for over 20 years. I have been taking amitryptiline 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 150mg a day to 50mg, (after talking to my doctor) & feel just fine. I will stick to this dose as I don't want to risk a backward slide into depression."

• Darkpot
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 1, 2019

"Well, I'm male, 30, I have severe hemophilia A, I have severe arthritis, pain, and depression also I'm under weight. 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 good weight scale. I gained weight, I became more sedated, less mood swings, less pain, more active. So far, after a month of 25 mg amitrip I became really better, both on depression and pain (also better at anxiety). For me its great. Negative things are dry mouth and a bit of constipation, but these wane off after a while."

• Loretta
• December 8, 2007

Endep (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 couselling I'll be able to stop taking this medication asap, but it has been a great help. Thanks:)"

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

"I have been suffering from depression almost all my life. Ive been on several different medications though out 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 then Prozac, I still have feelings.(lol). Anyhow if you r debating on this medication, I recommend it 100 percent. I take 100mg a couple hours before bed, unless I get upset during the day,(then ill take 25mg just to take the edge off.) Then I'll just take 75 mgs before bed,"

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

"I was started on Amitriptyline 10mg up to 3 a day ,one for Fibro pain and 1 or 2 for sleep . I have been on Mirtazapine 45mg 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 told confirmed what I had read that 15 mg Mirtazapine helps with sleep and after swapping the times around that I took the 3 x10mg re Amitriptyline I found sleep better .After a visit to my doc we decided that 2 x25 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 25mg 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."

• 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 realise how bad i had been before going on this drug"

• poey
• May 23, 2016

Endep (amitriptyline) "I have only been on this drug for two weeks and as yet not noticed any difference with my depression. My anxiety levels are up, I have swooshing, buzzing noises in my ears, I even feel dizzy while seated and even just turning my head from side to side. I have noticed tingling in my fingers. My balance is affected, feeling like a drunk person. My head throbs."

• Joseph
• August 31, 2021

"I gave myself a promise that if this medication will work, il share my experience and hopefully help others. My depression is characterized with the inability to feel pleasure or fun, low mood, low energy, 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, laxepro, mirtazapine, wellbutrin, brintellix. None seem to work. As cliche as it sound, I decided to try amitriptyline as 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 being healthy and happy."

• Eelam
• December 28, 2010

"I have been depressed and not getting sleep at all. After I had my first baby I took Xanax 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."

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

Elavil (amitriptyline) "I was diagnosed with major depression in the early 1990's 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 150mg at night, which is the max dose for outpatient treatment. I have an rx for clonazepam for breakthrough anxiety, and feel pretty good."

• Seeho...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2018

Endep (amitriptyline) "Hello I've been on probably every SSRI except prozac which all had a short lived outcomes. Finally after 20 years I've been put on an SNRI and its working, started on 10mg endep for appetite which didn't work and given valium for the shakes and tears. Valium stopped working in less than 2 weeks, so I stopped taking it and psych increased the dosage of endep to 25mg, and I'm actually feeling good, after 6 months of awfulness, this might be my answer. Sleeping well, lots of energy, memory and concentration is better and no more teeth grinding. No real side effects except for the first day I started on the 10mg I copped a bad headache but that was it."

• ginger
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 4, 2018

"I took Elavil for a year and a half. It worked wonderfully well for me, I thought I was cured of my depression and weaned myself off. A few months later I could feel it creeping back so I'm in the process of getting back on it. I did gain some weight, went from 130lb to 176lb, but I don't care I'm so desperate to feel good again. I'll be fat, but I'll be happy."