Amitryptaline?

[Docb]

I took amitriptyline for a while to try and alleviate the symptoms of my facial neuropathy. Cannot remember the dose but it had no effect on the face ache or my standard level of doziness. In fact it could have been a placebo until I stopped taking it whereupon I had several nights of the most amazing psychedelic dreams.

I'm guessing your Dr said something like.... try amitriptyline and see if that helps..... and not..... amitriptyline will sort that out.... because they will have known that the effect of taking it is somewhat unpredictable. In reality all you can do is to take the positive view and try it and see. Hope it works for you.

 

[Lucyr]

Well I don’t know if I slept well or not last night. I had to go to bed early as I was so tired (not sure if that’s from 1st day back at work or the amitryptaline). I did wake up for a bit around 3am which i usually do, but this time I was really really thirsty, through bg was fine at 7.3.

Felt like there was a lot of tossing and turning after that as there always is but did get back to sleep. Do feel a bit tired this morning. Not exhausted can’t drag myself up tired, just I really need a good coffee this morning tired.

Fitbit gave me a sleep score of “good” again though when I only ever get “fair” normally so still more sleep than usual.

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

I took 5mg (I think) of Amitriptyline per day for a couple of months once when my neighbour kept playing the piano when I was trying to sleep. It certainly helped me sleep at night, but I'm afraid I got the full zombie effect with it during the day as well, so I had to stop taking it and switch to herbal sleeping tablets. I'm ridiculously sensitive to meds though, and I don't think 10mg is a very big dose normally (I think the normal starting dose is 75mg) so hope it is enough to stop the migraines without zombie-fying you, and that the dry mouth is the only adverse effect (I believe it's the most common one, I had that too).

I’ve also learnt that painkillers like paracetamol are more effective when taken with caffeine so have had my pills with a good freshly ground coffee this morning to get them started.

I take Anadin Extra for my migraines for that reason - the caffeine and aspirin with paracetamol combination seem to work better for me than paracetamol on its own, which has minimal effect on me (unlike almost everything else). If I just have a headache I take paracetamol plus, which also has caffeine but not aspirin.

Tension headache with intermittent migraines is quite a common symptom of ME, and that's usually triggered by a virus. (Not that I'm suggesting you might have ME - you'd have a lot of other symptoms as well if you had that - just saying that when a body is already worn down by a virus other medical problems are more likely to occur).

 

[Lucyr]

I’ve never tried anadin extra, I find paracetamol doesn’t do anything noticeable but am still taking it every day anyway. The naproxen works though, and ibuprofen when it’s not too bad.

Still getting the dry mouth side effect but mainly first thing in the morning. I’m drinking more so it’s not that bad a thing. It’s also still affecting my sleep but here’s my Fitbit average attached. An extra hour a night doesn’t feel bad either. I do feel a bit tired in the daytime, but it started before amitryptaline with the illness and it is improving.

 

[helli]

I was prescribed them for shingles last year.
I confess I read the leaflet that came with them and was petrified so only took one tablet of the lowest dose then decided I would rather experience the shingles pain than risk the side effects. I guess I was lucky the shingles was not too bad (apart from at night) and didn’t last too long.
The tablet had no noticeable affect on my blood sugars … or the shingles pain or my zombie impression.

I hope your headaches ease soon, @Lucyr.

 

[Mesnil]

Well, sounds like you should keep taking it. Well known for very long time as migraine preventative. I’ve had appalling migraines for many years (I’m 69 now). Most recent ones after effects caused emergency hospital admissions during Covid. One caused hyponatremia and fell and hit head.

Only drug which works usually is a triptan. But you have to judge timing right.

Had amitriptilene over 30 years ago. Not drowsy inducing. But don’t like taking long term meds.

Now have many many health issues and live in France. Recently started it again last thing at night to help me sleep as well. Sleeping not really better although do fall asleep more quickly but wake after couple of hours. No affect on diabetes numbers.
However just stopped taking it as started another new drug for another urgent problem. Don’t know if I should go back to it or not.
taking huge cocktail of meds. currently so don’t like take many more.
Very worried as moving house soon and need find new doctor, hospitals etc. The ones I have now are brilliant. I find French health sevice fantastic.

Unfortunately can’t tell you dosage I have. It’s a liquid 40mg/ml. Was told to gradually increase to around 25 drops.

Good luck!

 

[Lucyr]

I’ve got sumatriptan too but as you reference, it’s hard to judge when to take it. I’ve not yet learnt the first warning signs of a bad migraine developing vs a standard headache.

 

[DaveB]

My wife took it when she had frozen shoulders. It really worked as a painkiller and for her it had no side effects.

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

My partner also has Sumatriptan for migraines and it's been wonderful for him - before he used to wake up in the night with a migraine and be awake for the rest of the night, sometimes spending it in the loo throwing up, sometimes completely losing his sight with it - now he wakes up in the night with a migraine, takes a Sumatriptan, goes back to sleep, and wakes up in the morning without a migraine.

Those are the really obvious migraines though, he does sometimes wake up in the morning with a headache and bring the Sumatriptan downstairs with him just in case, and then not take one because he's decided it's not a migraine. It can be hard to judge, I think the classic sign is if your vision's effected it's a migraine, but my ME-induced migrainey-headaches are often borderline.