Amitriptyline

[Guest guest]

Hi Mickey and others,

I take amitriptyline at night also. It is a pain reliever as well as

an anti-depressant. I find I sleep a lot better using it at night

rather than just taking Tramadol which is for pain relief only.

Usually find I only have to take the slow release pain killer once a

day instead of two so avoiding some of its side effects.

In Australia amitriptyline is prescribed as Endep for any other

aussie's out there.

Cheers Suzie.

[Guest guest]

Yes, I take 25 mg at night. I've been taking this since 1992. My use isn't for

pain and I wasn't aware of it's use for that until I joined this group a few

yrs ago. How long has your husband been taking it? If it's new to his system he

will get that high feeling.

I think that's the reason my doctor started me on it before bedtime too b/c it

can make you sleepy. I can take 50 mg and feel no different than taking the 25.

My body has been used to this drug for such a longtime.

Barb

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/15/2006 5:31:24 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,

klhavlik@... writes:

My mother couldn't take it because it made her " high " and she couldn't fall

asleep. She just laid in bed with her heart racing, staring at the ceiling.

My sister sure loves the stuff. She is a recovering drug addict and if it

makes her feel high that would be why she goes into the ER for shots of it.

Maybe she is not recovered as much as she thought.

[Guest guest]

I have taken Amitriptyline for about 15 years. It never made me high at

all. It does have a 'mild' sleepiness effect - which is why I take it

at night - before I am going to go to sleep. But what the heck, I can

still stay awake and vaccum at 10 pm if I need to, lol. If it makes

your husband " high " the dose might need to be altered (lowered).

~ Gretchen

[Guest guest]

My mother couldn't take it because it made her " high " and she couldn't fall

asleep. She just laid in bed with her heart racing, staring at the ceiling.

I tried it and it did make me sleepy, probably helped with the nerve pain, but

made me very, very cranky the next day...mood alteration kind of stuff. It

would wear off by mid-day or so but I didn't like feeling like that. It also

kept me feeling groggy all day and I couldn't go to work like that.

[Guest guest]

>

>> it all sounds so plausible coming from his mouth that i thought i

would

> ask what you all thought. I am not a person who agrees with

drugs...in

> fact I am VERY against treating the symptom and not the cause, but

this

> sounds like cause. My hesitation is of course the use of drugs to

fix

> my bowels...also this drug was orginally used as an

antidepressant,

> though in a MUCH higher dose then I would have should I take it.

>

Lelita, I say no way. Amitriptyline still IS an antidepressant

with all the wretched side effects you wouldn't want to deal with.

Your new doc may be right about intestines or bowels not settling

down but let him find another safer way to solve that problem. I've

known many Vietnam vets who were given the old antidepressants as

sleep aids because drowsiness was a side effect. Ruins the brain. I

know you want a cure, but don't swap one problem for another. Best,

Susie