Amitriptyline was developed as an antidepressant, but these days it is far more often prescribed at much lower doses for nerve pain, migraine prevention and sleep. If you have been given a low dose, it is almost certainly not being used as an antidepressant — and it is worth knowing that, because the leaflet talks mostly about depression.
Nerve pain including diabetic neuropathy, sciatica and post-shingles pain; migraine prevention; and sometimes for sleep problems associated with chronic pain. At higher doses it is still occasionally used for depression.
For pain, the dose is usually a fraction of the antidepressant dose — often starting at 10mg.
Once daily in the evening, two to three hours before bed rather than at bedtime, because next-morning grogginess is common if taken too late.
The dose is increased slowly if needed. Expect to allow several weeks at an effective dose before judging whether it helps — it is not an as-needed painkiller.
Do not stop it suddenly after regular use — withdrawal effects including nausea, headache and difficulty sleeping are common. Reduce gradually with your GP.
Drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, dizziness, weight gain and difficulty passing urine are the common ones. Many ease over the first couple of weeks.
Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you — driving while impaired is an offence.
Contact your doctor for a fast or irregular heartbeat, fainting, difficulty passing urine, confusion (particularly in older people), or thoughts of harming yourself. Samaritans are on 116 123, free, at any hour, if you need to talk to someone now.
Alcohol adds considerably to drowsiness. It is used with caution in glaucoma, prostate problems, heart conditions and epilepsy — tell your prescriber.
1 Lyng Lane, West Bromwich B70 7RW · Mon–Fri 8:30am–6pm, Sat 9am–1pm · 0121 500 5756
Ask our pharmacist →We use essential cookies to make the site work — things like your basket, sign-in and secure checkout. With your permission we’d also like to use analytics cookies to understand how the site is used and improve it. See our cookie policy.
