Why amitriptyline at night

Research has not made clear for certain whether amitriptyline is safe to use during pregnancy or if you are breastfeeding. When you first start taking amitriptyline, you might experience some side effects. They usually go away after a few days. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if they are bothersome and continue. Although it is rare, amitriptyline can cause some severe side effects.

Call right away if you experience a life-threatening medical emergency. Call right away if you experience any of these symptoms while taking amitriptyline, as they may indicate a life-threatening medical emergency:. You may experience other symptoms not listed here.

Always talk to your doctor about what you may be experiencing to learn if your medicine is responsible. Amitriptyline can interact with several medications.

It is essential to let your doctor and pharmacist know all the prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and dietary supplements you are taking to avoid a potentially serious reaction. This is not a complete list.

There are several other drugs that may interact with amitriptyline. Check with your doctor if you have specific concerns.

Until your body gets used to the medicine, be careful with any activities that require you to be alert like driving or operating machinery. You should not drink alcohol or take other medicines that can make you drowsy with amitriptyline because it can increase the effect of the drug.

You should not suddenly stop taking amitriptyline. Talk to your doctor about the best way to gradually stop this medicine. Amitriptyline can be helpful if insomnia is results from another condition you may have, such as pain, depression or anxiety.

You should discuss all your symptoms with your doctor to find the best treatment option for you. Amitriptyline has been around for many years and is an inexpensive option as a sleep aid. Amitriptyline and antidepressants like it are commonly used off-label to treat insomnia, especially in people who also have symptoms of depression.

Amitriptyline can cause significant side effects and can interact with other medications. Infrequent insomnia can often be alleviated through home remedies. Learn how mindfulness, lavender oil, and other home remedies can help. Learn about the connection between sleep apnea and depression.

Learn about risks and side-effects. Speak to your doctor before starting amitriptyline if you use a recreational drug that may interact with it. However, some people have been known to experience sex-related problems early in their treatment, such as:.

These are quite uncommon and should settle down after the first few weeks of treatment. Post-menopausal women should contact their doctor as soon as possible if they experience any vaginal bleeding.

Some babies exposed to the drug during the last three months of pregnancy have also shown withdrawal symptoms. Do speak to your doctor if you become pregnant, or want to try for a baby, while on amitriptyline. Breastfeeding while taking amitriptyline is unlikely to be harmful to your baby, as the amount of the drug that passes into breastmilk is very small.

Download versus Arthritis - Amitriptyline information booklet. Print this page. What is amitriptyline? These include: arthritis arth-rye-tus back pain fibromyalgia fie-bruh-my-al-juh tension headaches and migraines damage to nerve endings in limbs, which may be described to you as peripheral neuropathy pe-rif-er-ul new-ro-pa-thee. Related information. How is it taken? What if I forget to take it? Never take two doses at the same time, or take an extra dose, to make up for a missed one.

What if I take too much? Taking more than your prescribed dose can cause potentially serious symptoms and side effects, such as: vomiting shaking drowsiness changes to your heartbeat seizures.

Side-effects and risks. Common side effects include: constipation dizziness dry mouth feeling sleepy difficulty weeing headache.

Get medical help straight away if you experience: weakness on one side of your body blurred eyesight trouble speaking, thinking or balancing. The maximum dose of amitriptyline for treating pain is 75mg a day. Your doctor may give you a higher dose if you're taking it to prevent migraine. If you forget to take your amitriptyline, take it as soon as you remember, unless it's nearly time for your next dose. In this case, just leave out the missed dose and take your next one as normal. If amitriptyline usually makes you sleepy and you need to drive, cycle or use tools or machinery, skip the missed dose and then take the next dose as normal.

Never take 2 doses at the same time. Never take an extra dose to make up for a forgotten one. If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you.

You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine. Go to Taking too much amitriptyline can cause serious side effects such as a change in your heartbeat, seizures or fits. Like all medicines, amitriptyline can cause side effects in some people, but many people have no side effects or only minor ones.

Some of the common side effects of amitriptyline gradually improve as your body gets used to the medicine. Doses of amitriptyline for pain are lower than the doses for depression. This means the common side effects tend to be milder and go away within a few days. Keep taking the medicine but talk to your doctor or pharmacist if these side effects bother you or do not go away:. It happens rarely, but some people have a serious side effect after taking amitriptyline.

In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to amitriptyline. These are not all the side effects of amitriptyline. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicine packet.

Amitriptyline is generally not recommended in pregnancy. This is because it has been linked to a small risk of problems for your baby if you take it in early or late pregnancy. Talk to your doctor as there may be other painkillers you can take instead of amitriptyline. Paracetamol is usually the first choice of painkiller if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. Your doctor will only prescribe amitriptyline for your pain while you're pregnant if the benefits of taking the medicine outweigh the risks.

Amitriptyline gets into breast milk. It's been linked with side effects like sleepiness in breastfed babies. Talk to your doctor if you want to breastfeed. There may be other medicines that you can take instead of amitriptyline. For more information about how this medicine can affect you and your baby during pregnancy, read this leaflet about amitriptyline on the Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy BUMPs website.

You can also read more about paracetamol in pregnancy on the NHS website. Many medicines and amitriptyline can affect each other and increase the chances of side effects.

Always check with your doctor or a pharmacist before starting any new medicine while you are taking amitriptyline. Taking opioid-based medicines, like codeine , morphine or oxycodone , together with amitriptyline can increase your risk of becoming very drowsy and having breathing problems. Tell your doctor if you have ever taken any medicines for depression. Some antidepressants can affect the way amitriptyline works to cause very high blood pressure.

This can happen even after you have stopped taking them. Do not take St John's wort, a herbal remedy often taken for depression , while you are being treated with amitriptyline. It will increase your risk of side effects.

They are not tested in the same way as medicines. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. Amitriptyline is from a group of medicines called tricyclic antidepressants. They are thought to work by increasing a chemical called serotonin in your brain. This can improve your mood.

This can also change the way that your nerves receive pain signals so pain goes away. This helps your symptoms if you are taking amitriptyline for pain relief or migraine. You may find you are sleeping better straight away. But it usually takes 1 or 2 weeks for pain to begin to wear off. It can take between 4 and 6 weeks before you feel the full benefits of amitriptyline as a painkiller. Do not stop taking amitriptyline after 1 to 2 weeks just because you feel it's not helping your symptoms.

Give it at least 6 weeks to work. Although amitriptyline is an antidepressant, the doses are lower to help pain. Taking amitriptyline as a painkiller will not change your personality or make you feel any different. Once you're feeling better you'll probably continue to take amitriptyline for as long as it's working for you as a painkiller or to help prevent migraines.

Amitriptyline is safe to take for a long time. There do not seem to be any lasting harmful effects from taking it for many months or years. Amitriptyline is not addictive but you can get extra side effects if you stop taking it suddenly. You may have flu-like symptoms like feeling sick, muscle pain and feeling tired or restless.