Amitriptyline for Migraine Prevention User Reviews

• Candace
• June 3, 2020

"Easter Sunday 2020 I woke up with a headache that lasted a month. I finally had an over the phone appointment with my doctor who said they were tension headaches. She prescribed these amitript to prevent them. I had no idea that they were also used for anxiety or depression. I have had both for years but refused to treat them as all of the SSRI’s I’ve tried made me feel terrible. I was nervous to try this for that exact reason but I was desperate for headache relief. The first couple days I felt a little out of it but that went away. Until one day I was outside throwing a ball around with my daughter and realized that I was actually enjoying my life for once in a long time. I sleep so well on these (even though that’s never really been an issue for me) and I just feel like I can enjoy things again instead of just waiting for activities to be over with. I’m really happy I ended up on this medication! I should mention my headaches have disappeared as well! Give it a try!"

• TM40
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 11, 2020

"I have been having severe migraines and tension headaches all my life (18 - 20 per month). I then switched family doctors to a new doctor who sent me for a CAT Scan and prescribed 10MG Amitriptyline after he saw the scan's results. The migraines and headaches disappeared instantly and it has been a year now. I only have the dry mouth side effect."

• PedroSG
• May 22, 2017

"I am sharing my opinion with maximum respect to all readers and based only on my own experience. I've had migraine almost all my life. I am 44. My migraine was 50% pain and 50% mood change (which was terrible or even worse than the pain). This has been deeply affecting my quality of life, my relations (mood changes) and also at work. The last neurologist I visited put me on Amitriptyline 25mg. The medicine helped a bit reducing the frequency of the migraines. However migraines came back and the last attack lasted for 3 weeks. He changed the dose to 50 mg. I am now 71 days without migraine and still counting. I am a new person and I wish my comment may help others."

• CKB
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2019

"I am 24 years old, and I started seeing immediate improvement in my migraine symptoms on a dose of 10mg of amitriptyline. Just on 10mg my daily pain was reduced, and I found myself reaching for OTC pain killers only every 3rd day or so instead of daily. It gave me clarity if mind, and I was able to process where I was feeling my pain more precisely, which was very valuable information for my doctor. Before taking this drug, my head pain was so bad I was unable to clarify where I was feeling it. I could not process it at all. I have since been bumped up to 20mg daily, and I things have improved even further. I am able to spend afternoons and evenings with friends and family without reaching for pain killers. I am not as afraid of committing to plans in fear of an inevitable migraine. Being pain free in this regard is something I haven't felt in over a decade. I feel hope for the future knowing I don't have to spend my days in fear of pain. Truly incredible and life changing."

• Bobby...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 19, 2014

"I have suffered from migraine on and off since my teens always visual patterns then wham! the headache. A few years ago I just had the patterns and no pain then it changed to tension neck pain which which then turned into headache as soon as I woke up more or less daily. Imigran helped but was popping them like smarties. I tried giving up all the known triggers but nothing helped then a couple of months ago Dr prescribed Amitriptyline 25mgs every night I have had maybe 2 or 3 slight headaches since. First week I was a little woozy but that passed. Now I wake up with a dry mouth and food tastes different but no headache. It used to be unusual to wake up with no headache now its unusual to wake up with one. I recommend anyone to give it a try."

• Michele
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 18, 2020

"I have been diagnosed with chronic migraine disease. I began taking amitriptyline as a preventative 1 and a half years ago, while having more than 19 migraines per month. The preventative reduces my migraine down to about one or two migraines per month!!"

• Bende...
• October 13, 2013

"I don't like taking medication, but my headaches were now in a state of chronic tension/migraine being triggered by anything excessive like exercising, too much cleaning, too much activity, too much light or stress. I was prescribed Elavil for headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep trouble, back, neck, and arm pain. I've taken it for a week, and after one dose, the first thing I noticed was an awesome night's sleep, and no neck or jaw pain, pain on rising. I feel completely relaxed in the morning, a little drowsy but am able to function and get my three kids to school. I have been taking it at 10pm and feel tired until noon, so I think I'm going to take it earlier in the evening. I haven't noticed any side effects at all. I am taking 10 mg."

• BAano
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 8, 2018

"Amitriptyline is my miracle medicine. After trying so many migraine prevention medicines and other miscellaneous things (ear piercings, stretches, pressure point therapy, etc.) with little to no effect, I was beyond frustrated. With this medication 90% of all my tension headaches and migraines are gone. When I had to stop taking it for 3 months, they came back. Once I started amitriptyline again, within day they were basically gone. It has changed my life in a tremendously positive way!"

• Charlie...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 25, 2015

"Amitriptyline is nothing short of a miracle for me. I used to be plagued by terrible migraines. I've been taking amitriptyline for about 25 years, and I have not had a single migraine in all that time."

• Nate
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 29, 2019

"I was waking up with totally immobilizing headaches at least three times a week. I started at 5mg amitript and there was little improvement. I took 10mg on my own and that totally stopped all migraines. I spoke w/ my doctor and she increased the Rx to 10mg and I have been headache free for more than four months!! The only side effect I have had is dry-mouth, which can get unpleasant in speaking situations. Now I simply ensure that I have a bottle of water around."

• MJano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 23, 2019

"This medication has really helped stop my migraines. The only side effect I would mention is NIGHTMARES. holy cow, I'm talking "children of the corn" nightmares. Super scary, vivid and nuts. However, its worth the migraine relief honestly."

• Sunsh...
• August 27, 2008

Elavil (amitriptyline) "I have had migraines my entire adult life. When I got the most recent pain, the doctors were quick to call it a migraine. I felt like my head would explode, and I had none of the other side effects attributed to migraines. My doctor instead now calls it "severe head pain". I had it every other day for about a month. I actually called "911" at one point because I thought I was dying the pain was so horrible. When I was first given elavil I was skeptical since it was touted as an "anit-depressant". I took it, and the first three days I actually had to take naps because it made me so sleepy. On the fourth day I realized that although I still felt a little sleepy, I was now officially four days head pain free. It has been a Godsend."

• Kano
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 24, 2019

"I've been taking Amitriptyline (50 mg daily at bed time) for about 5 years now for migraine and tension- type headache prevention. I've tried to reduce the dosage but found the headaches returning. I haven't had a severe migraine with aura in months and I only get around 2 tension headaches a week (extreme improvement). The only side effects that I've experienced are occasional constipation and heart palpitations. Despite this, the benefits of the medication far outweigh side effects which is why I continue taking it."

• Finally...
• December 9, 2013

"I have been suffering from chronic migraines for 18 yrs. Smells, sounds, foods trigger them and sometimes last for 2 weeks. My Dr started me on 25mg of Amitriptyline at bedtime. Instant relief. First 2 weeks it would knock me out & when I woke I would be drowsy and float through work. Not even a headache for 28 days! 29th day, migraines were back, not as bad. Dr. upped my dosage to 50mg. So far so good. Side effects I have experienced: Dizziness, drowsiness, & dry mouth."

• Jay
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 3, 2021

"I have had migraine with visual aura for years. Then about 5 years ago the dizziness set in too. Diagnosed with migraine associated vertigo. Always felt dizzy, off balance, like walking on a boat. My vision was always off like living in a dream state. Then I started amitriptylne 10mg. It has helped me tremendously. I was so nervous about starting it from reading all the side effects, but I had no side effects only benefits. My vision became clearer. The dizziness improved so much. Of course I will still have occasional dizziness like before my period sometimes, but nothing like what it was. I also increased to 15mg because I started having night time panic attacks, and at 15mg those have significantly improved as well. It knocks me out within half hour of taking it, and even if I wake up in panic, I'm too sleepy to worry about it and just fall back asleep. I have been on it for about 1 year and a half. Not planning to stop it for now."

• Amiha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 26, 2016

"For years I suffered with headaches that could not be cured by everyday painkillers and as a result would progress into a migrane which as we all know are torturous at times. I changed doctors after years of suffering and she introduced me to amitriptyline ( an anti depressant) but in small doses she explained had been proven to help sufferers of migranes. I decided, what the hell, they can't get any worse. Shockingly after about three weeks of taking this drug I no longer got the everyday headache and the migranes were non existent. I've been taking amitriptyline for 4 years now and I couldn't recommend it more. I very rarely get a headache never mind a migrane on a small 10mg one everyday dose. It also helps me sleep so added bonus!"

• Tessa
• August 12, 2014

"Had migraines since I was 6. The past 1.5 year's I've had migraine every single day. I'm now 33 years old and have this medicine since February this year. The first 3 months I had 25 mg, now 10mg. Headaches were completely gone. Since I have the lower dosage, it's coming back a bit so I will go back to 20 -25mg. This is the first medicine that's actually working so I am very happy with it !"

• lucky...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 3, 2013

"I have been on this medicine for over ten years, plus a beta blocker for my migraines and blood pressure. I thought I could wean off of Amitripyline as my migraines were fairly under control. About a month off of it, my head was killing me several times a week. Now I take Amitripyline without question, and without pain."

• Charl...
• August 16, 2016

"I suffered from Chronic Tension Headaches that occurred at least once a day, usually more, and lasted over an hour each, as a result of extremely tight neck /shoulder muscles. No amount of physio or chiropractor visits had helped and I was at a loss as it was genuinely ruining my personal and working life. I was prescribed amitriptyline by my GP due to its muscle relaxant capabilities and ever since then the headaches have been cut by nearly 90%, to the point where I now notice if I have one compared to before where I noticed if I didn't (!). If you suffer from the same, I would suggest talking to your doctor about their use for treating chronic headaches."

• Guita...
• February 16, 2018

"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 thru...it did ..this is about the 3rd in a year that has me not functioning, needing to lie and rest, but, given how I was...my life is 98% improved."

• Scram...
• January 5, 2016

"I've had migraines for 30 years and was increasingly relying on Zomig - taking about 12 per month. Propranolol doesn't agree with me and was very sceptical about trying amitriptyline but it has been miraculous. I used to wake every morning with a headache at about 4am often developing into full blown migraines. Now I sleep like a baby and have been virtually headache free. I hope that it continues to work as bad migraines are so debilitating and were ruining my life. I've had no real side effects apart from felling a bit sleepy in the morning but that soon wears off."

• Thank...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 15, 2013

"I started having headaches about 2 and a half years ago. I had at least 3 per week. Then it got to the point where I had a headache literally EVERY SINGLE DAY. After 2 MRIs, countless blood tests, an eye exam, and seeing a neurologist, no one could tell me why I had a headache every day. It got to the point I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, and couldn't get anything done. My head hurt so bad I couldn't move some days. FINALLY a doctor prescribed me 25mg of amitriptyline once a day. I've been on it for 3 weeks now and have only had 2 light headaches since taking it. This medicine seriously saved my life. I got so depressed from constant pain. The first week I started taking amitriptyline I was drowsy but I'm fine now. I take it every night before bed."

• SMBill
• May 16, 2014

"I have been on Amitriptyline for 2 months and I have only one side effect - dry cough occasionally. I suffered from migraines from childhood and first my doctor tried a blood pressure medicine that also treats migraines. While somewhat effective, I still had headaches and migraines after 1-2 months, up to 3-5 per week. Once he put me on Amitriptyline, all headaches are gone and I have had no recurrences of either regular headache or migraine. I no longer need pain medication and I feel like I have my life back. This medicine has been wonderful!"

• Gisel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 10, 2013

"I was intially prescribed for migraine prevention (after taking nortriptyline years ago), but have since found and leaned on this medication to aid with several other conditions. It has significantly cut down my number of migraines making them manageable, helps mentally as I have fought mild anxiety and depression drug-free for years, and makes falling asleep and staying asleep much easier. All that said, the first couple weeks of taking it were quite rough- slept like a dead person and was on another planet for a good 12 hours after taking it, had a horrendously dry mouth, and constantly fatigued but nearly all side effects subsided after a few weeks. Highly reccommend it to anyone fighting migraines, insomnia, or depression. Wonder drug."

• Lost...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 17, 2019

"I've had pressure headaches almost every day of my life. In high school I started having awful sinus headaches that evolved into blocked sinuses. I was perpetually dizzy for 6 months with horrible facial pain. I continued to work because I loved the taking care of my class of toddlers. I nearly cried with joy when they told me I needed surgery. No more spinning. No more sunglasses. No more hiding from light in my closet. 4 polyps removed and balloons. 6 months of horrible pain. I developed an extreme chronic gastritis. Migraines all day every day. Then amitripyline wiped the pain away. My anxiety was bad enough I'd have panic attacks weekly. With amitryptiline 30mg and Duloxitine my anxiety is completely managed. But... my personality is completely flipped. I don't care about the kids. I don't know what's right or wrong. I don't care about the quality of my work. I get mad easily. My faith is failing. I don't care about how others feel. Less pain but at what cost?"