Amitriptyline (Elavil) update

Therapeutic Efforts
#1

I decided to try the TCA anti depressant Amitriptyline to see how I get on .

The past few months mood wasnt great , sleep was dreadful and my pain was getting worse (it’s chronic tension type neck pain and headaches - I actually had pre PFS but they have just been really bad lately ).
I read somewhere that TCA’s were good to reset HPA axis too etc so I thought I would try it out and spoke to my doctor.

I’m on a really baby dose of 10mg at night (standard dose is about 75mg)
I’m now 3 weeks in and it really has made things just…’easier’ . Seems to have perked the mood up a bit. (Doctor said dose was so low that it prob would affect depresssion). but it has made me feel more like a ‘normal’ human being when I wake up , less anxiety and more focus .
The pain it has knocked out mostly 80% so far but it’s dealt with it enough where I haven’t had to touch a paracetamol (Tylenol) or an ibuprofens for the last 3 weeks ( I normally have to have several ibuprofen a week just to get through pain episodes ) which is great !
Sleep so far it seems to have helped me fall asleep quicker than usual, some nights are better than others but one thing it has done is help the sleep maintenance. Some nights I have slept all the way through and that hasn’t happened for a long time.

Not saying it’s the magic cure so far and I’m sure many people have tried it here over the years but 3 weeks in it has definitely made a difference that’s positive so far . Will give an update again soon for anyone else who is interested

3 Likes
#2

Happy for your progress! Keep us updated.

1 Like
#3

Well done, any libido /sensitivity impact?

1 Like
#4

Thank you - will do!!

#5

No differences noticed as of yet , in fact the little boost of serotonin has made me feel better and more open to pursuing a relationship with a girl type feeling ,I’ve been feeling more romantic in general which naturally improves the libido a little .

Aside from that none of the ‘numbness’ that I remember from SSRIs but I will keep an eye on that and see how it is at the six week mark . Hopefully it stays level

1 Like
#6

Hey, do you maybe have any updates on Amitriptyline?

#7

I took Amitriptyline from April to August this year (2023). My notes were as follows:

Positive:

  • Mental health very improved (i.e. little to no depressive thoughts, no suicidal ideation)
  • Ability to fall asleep very improved, though sleep quality was average (i.e. still woke up not feeling refreshed)
  • Anxiety improved (lessened)
  • Body tightness/strain/pain very improved

Negative:

  • Constant dry mouth
  • Excessive sweating
  • Weight gain
  • Bloating and bowel issues
  • Increased tinnitus
  • Increased recklessness
  • Increased disconnectedness

It did not cure me of PFS or improve my other main concerns of NO libido and issues downstairs.

Overall if it was my only option I would have continued taking it, as being off it between August to October the depression was not good at all. However, my doctor has since prescribed me Agomelatine (Domion), and I have been on it the past two weeks and it has been good so far.

2 Likes
#8

For me, about 5 months after this, I think the amitriptyline suddenly made a few things worse… so I quit and went over to Mirtazapine in the end.
I suddenly had a relapse of everything in December 2020 , severe insomnia, the full schabang etc things pointed to the use of Amitriptyline , so I stopped it.

I then struggled on for several months like this just using nothing except the occasional Zopiclone but by about April I couldn’t take the suffering any longer, (that’s what it was - pure suffering) January and February 2021 were the most difficult months of my PFS journey.
So after much careful thought I tried 15mg Mirtazapine, which I have used ever since .
Aside from the weight gain , it’s effectively enabled me to live a somewhat normal life again …
I’m about ready to drop it down though and planning out my tapering off soon …

1 Like