Amitriptyline?

[Chava]

For anyone who has found amitriptyline to be helpful for sleep, what dose worked well for you?

I'm not a typical poor sleeper, but a really really poor sleeper all the way through. I started on 10mg and my doctor let me increase to 20. I can say I feel more relaxed, but I still lay half awake a lot and don't sleep for very long. It seems to help with morning pain. I know the lower doses are more common for sleep and chronic pain and don't want to find myself on very large doses of anything, but has anyone taken more than 20mg for sleep? I want to stick with that dose this week and see if my body can adjust, but I'm tired...and back in paint this morning anyway because I didn't rest very well.

 

[Deleted member 28740]

Was given this for spinal nerve pain. Tri cylic (?) Years ago. Instead of worry about running my own biz solo, I didn't give a damn about paperwork - off in lala land, on a very small dosage. Sleep was not much better, but I just floated through being irresponsible to basics. Floaty. No panic, but no drive. Nothing was present - bills, oh well get to that sometime. First time I have ever felt drugged into a stupor. Fog, easy going. And sleep was not much better just all a fog. Might have well been a frog.

 

[Chava]

off in lala land, on a very small dosage. Sleep was not much better, but I just floated through being irresponsible to basics. Floaty. No panic, but no drive. Nothing was present - bills, oh well get to that sometime.

Wow. I've noticed extra dullness and dissociation on SSRIs (lesser, but still on SNRIs and I think the tricyclics are close to those). But I notice almost nothing on amitriptyline. My AA sponsor reminded me that if the effects aren't obvious, that's probably better for me (so true!). I do like a good knock out!! But I'm not sure it's doing anything at all...so would rather ask my doctor about a little higher dose to try for sleeping/pain and if that doesn't work find something else. But so far I like that I don't notice negative side effects on this, which is usually how it goes for me.

 

[DharmaGirl]

Sleep - it's not an anxiety med. Regular dosing is to manage high blood pressure; low dose at bedtime only helps sleep.

I was on Prazosin, and I found that it also helped with my startle reflex during the day. It allowed me to sleep through my nightmares without screaming and waking up.

 

[joeylittle]

But sorry to sound like sort of an asshole....

Oh, you don't sound like an asshole. I know that substance addiction is significantly more potent than food addiction. I think all I was trying to point out is that there is a kind of thinking that says 'I just made one mistake, might as well make 100 more' - it's the all or nothing thing.

Now, for substance addiction, there needs to be an all or nothing in the 'keep it at nothing, don't dabble' sense - I totally get that, and I think that's just true. Only that, when it's the other way around - there's been a slip - you probably do have at least a 1% capacity to get yourself to stop, by accepting that it was a slip and not using it as permission to fall. That's all. When I was drinking I would do things like buy the alcohol, have a bit of it, realize I wanted to make a different choice and dump it all down the toilet, then start trying to figure out what liquor stores were still open about 20 minutes later. BUT: sometimes I could choose to not go out the door. Not every time. I think, though, those few times were helpful in some way to my overall recovery.

(sorry for the threadjack!)

 

[Chava]

That makes sense @joeylittle . Once I start drinking, like I've just had a few, then there's not much chance of stopping unless maybe I claw off my skin. But what I can watch out for is that idea of "Well, I f*cked up my sobriety, so might as well drink again tonight"....stopping at the thought of drinking, before I start. That sort of thing is what I'm working on (and the sleep issue and my dependence on knock-out sleep aids which can feel like that first 1-2 drinks where all my judgment and care goes to shit).

So I only have a few days sober, but that doesn't mean it's okay to drink tonight. That's how I'm viewing the all-or-nothing of chemical addiction. Once you actually ingest the substance, you're too late if you're a real addict/alcoholic. The frontal brain has left the building and been hijacked by the addict brain. When sober (like at the moment) I have to over-ride the subtle addict voices that might suggest I go pick up some booze.

Anyway, I'm adding Benadryl to my amitriptyline tonight because I had to take a whole tramadol (vs half) for pain today. It won't knock me out but I'll sleep some. Mostly hoping my body can figure out how to do this better on its own without the knock-out effect. So far amitriptyline just relaxes me some, but also helps with pain (didn't do enough last night because I simply did too much yesterday and pushed myself too far...will be fine tomorrow if I don't get f*cked up).

 

[Neverthesame]

Anyway, I'm adding Benadryl to my amitriptyline tonight

This gave me terrible heartburn, for days. Hope it works better for you.

 

[Chava]

@Neverthesame ...amitriptyline gave you heartburn or the combination of it + Benadryl?

I did sleep better last night. Part of my problem is that if something doesn't help with sleep in one day, I quit (and go back to ambien). I have not done well just sticking with this med since starting it because it feels like a weak alternative to ambien, or at least the dose is weak for me. But I'm keeping a more hopeful mind towards it all this week. I think meds like this don't just work 100% on day one. It was also helped by one extra gabapentin pill (which my prescription allows). So, I'll see. No negative effects so far. Just not sure I slept more than six hours (I really need 7-8), or that I was sleeping very well. I feel a little bit beat up this morning. But I'll manage.

 

[Neverthesame]

I would get minor heartburn for the first couple weeks starting amitriptyline, then it would pass. Unless I added Benadryl, then it would be wicked heartburn any time I mixed them.

Not the worst thing ever, I would just wait about an hour after taking the amitriptyline & Benadryl to make sure it was digested, then a glass of water and a couple of antacids. Took care of it pretty nicely.

And your right it doesn't feel the same as ambien, it's more of a creeping fatigue. Are you finding it easier not to drink on amitriptyline?

 

[Chava]

And your right it doesn't feel the same as ambien, it's more of a creeping fatigue. Are you finding it easier not to drink on amitriptyline?

Yes, no desire to drink on this med. But it's not helping my sleep. I have been so exhausted today, it was really hard to function through work this afternoon. Hung over and awake might almost be easier. So I'm not having a good time with this. No negative effects and it seems relaxing. Also made me drowsy last night. But I woke up 6 hours later and felt like I hadn't really slept. I don't remember being partly awake, but I don't get the feeling I'm really sleeping. I'm so tired I feel a little drunk!! Damn it.

 

[Neverthesame]

Hmm. Sounds like your having a similar problem with it as I am.

It just doesn't do it for me either, frustratingly close but just not enough.

Wish I had some advice for you, but I'm in the same boat. I have been (f*cking wasp! Piss off!) oh shit, I actually wrote that Lmao!
Sorry, sitting outside with a cigarette and an irritating little yellow jacket, that seems to think I want it between my face and my phone.

Anyways... I have been trying to find something that will knock me on my ass, I don't even mind having a sleeping pill hangover, I just want to shut enough of the brain off to let me rest for a few hours. But enough about me.

Did you try the Prazosin? Or does your doctor not want to give it to you for some reason?

 

[Chava]

Amitriptyline will not knock you off your ass @Neverthesame .....that's what I'd like but wise for my sponsor to suggest something more subtle might be better for me. :eek::confused:

I'm lost on all of this info. Is Prazosin just for nightmares? Is it an anti-psychotic? What class? I'm not opposed to trying something else, just trying to give amitriptyline a fair shot because it relaxes me with no bad effects, but I suspect preventing full deep sleep. I might first ask for a higher dose and if that doesn't help, I'll know this is the wrong med. But boooo....first med in a long time that seemed OKAY, just not super useful lately. I maybe need a higher dose. ???