Amitriptyline

Liberally13

Hello I am posting on behalf of my husband regarding the above drug as I now it is one that can be used for Fibromyalgia. My husband does not have fibromyalgia but was yesterday prescribed 10 mg of Amititriptyline at night before bed. It is for hip pain. as Co Codamol was not working that well. I know I cannot take this drug as it can raise the eye pressure in glaucoma patients of which I am one and know from experience of other drugs that it does raise mine. Is there anyone who can tell me of your experience of this drug. I note it has a long long list of side effects and warnings. He took one before bed last night first one slept until around 8am and has spent the whole day dosing or with his eyes closed just waking for meals he is away now but I wonder if this is normal at the start. True he is a person who can fall asleep in a chair but he also drives so need to be alert. Is this likely to get better as the body get used to the drug or should he contact his GP. He is 77 and also has type 2 diabetes arthritis and asthma/copd. Thank you.

Jewels

Hi I am prescribed amitriptyline for a neurological disorder and when I first started taking them they made me very sleepy and drowsy but within a month it eased off i now take 45mg at night but it no longer helps me go to sleep. I suppose everyone is different but I would give it a few weeks hope this helps xx

Liberally13

Thank you Jewels. We did wonder that, however he drives and I don't so we need to go out shopping etc and also he collects our granddaughter from school twice a week. Today he was sleepy from after breakfast to around 4pm this afternoon. Fortunately he was supposed to do the school run this afternoon but my daughter was able to collect her. Just as well as he not have been able to drive.

Lilymary

These drugs can affect different people in very different ways. My mother takes 5mg at night to help her sleep, but she was aghast when I told her that I’ve been known to function perfectly well on 40mg, with no noticeable side effects. Yes, sometimes I’m tired during the day, but often it’s just because i’m tired, rather than the drugs. Tbh I can't work out how I functioned at all on the drugs I was taking before my new hip, the side effects of all being fatigue, but I was still doing a stressful active job despite all that. But I know from other posts on this site that some people’s experiences with amitryptilene (I’ll learn to spell it one day!) can be very different, and some haven’t been able to tolerate it at all.

Liberally13

Thank you Lilymary for your reply. I too was offered Amitriptyline (yes took me ages to work out spelling) but I cannot take it because I have glaucoma and it can raise eye pressures and I won't take chances with eyesight. With regards to my husband he has decided he won't take it. I appreciate it takes a few weeks for the body to get used to it. but my husband is 77 soon and also has type 2 diabetes (another side affect it can raise blood sugar) and asthma/copd also osteoarthrtis He picks up our granddaughter from school twice a week but just until July so he cannot be suffering the affects of the drug when driving never mind being able to go out shopping etc for weeks on end. He had decided to just stick with his regular pain killer . Hopefully with the spring coming he will get more in the way of exercise gardening walking etc. which should help