Talk:Amitriptyline/Archive 1

Licorice
hello, i deleted the unsupported claim that elavil tastes like licorice, because it doesn't. it tastes bitter, and if you wait long enough, like burning. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.163.232.140 (talk) 09:40, 20 December 2008 (UTC)

Tinnitus
Additionally, there is anecdotal and some research evidence that it reduces the subjective experience of tinnitus
 * —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 194.201.24.215 (talk • contribs). 19:31, 11 April 2005

I was prescribed this drug for the treatment of shingles. I dont know whether it contributed to my recovery or not.
 * —Preceding unsigned comment added by 210.55.251.5 (talk • contribs) 23:37, 15 December 2005


 * No, it is good for postherpetic neuralgia, the pain that often persists after shingles. JFW | T@lk  22:53, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

This drug was prescribed to me to prevent migraine headaches. This is not mentioned. It has done nothing to diminish my tinnitus, however.
 * —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.165.187.238 (talk • contribs) 18:08, 6 May 2005

This drug was prescribed for headaches that I have been having for a year and a half. The drug helped and served its purpose, however, the side effects were severe depression and panic attacks. Increased anxiety was also a side effect and the results were less desired than the solution. Good luck with anyone who is on this.
 * —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.232.186.50 (talk • contribs) 17:38, 21 July 2006


 * Given that at higher dosages the drug is used to treat depression and anxiety you were unlucky in having to make sensible decission that you did. But I think as the dosage is increased, most patients would eventually report greater side effects that benefit (usually of dry mouth or drowsiness). The trick in such cases is often to take a dose just below that for maximum headache/migraine/chronic pain control to minimise the side effects and so gain the optimal overall effect (after all 100% stopping of migraines yet side effects rated as 100% unbearable is of no help, vs 90% less migrains and 10% of side effects may be seen by patient as a good compromnise). Still not the ideal drug for everyone and there are other alternatives tried in a similar manner (either less muscarinic acting tricyclics - eg nortriptyline or lofepramine and some of the antiepleptic medicines, eg. valproate, carbamazepine and Gabapentin) David Ruben Talk 00:13, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

Neuropathic pain
How does this drug treat nerve pain/damage?

There is evidence that amitriptyline and other tricyclics affect opioid receptors. Can somebody more experienced edit this into the main article? Davidmedin (talk) 02:09, 26 August 2009 (UTC)

So much missing information
Information on mechanism of action, contraindications, kinetics, and interactions sorely needed. 72.64.203.15 20:33, 29 June 2007 (UTC)JH


 * Brand names, or "sold under" names, for various countries would also be useful, if only as search targets. dafydd (talk) 14:29, 3 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Another glaring omission is the date of when this drug was invented and/or when it was first approved for use. –BMRR (talk) 16:20, 5 January 2010 (UTC)


 * I'm adding Lentizol (SR formulation) as I was surprised not to find it on WP. --Kay Dekker (talk) 08:39, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction
I was prescribed this drug at 10mg doasge to prevent my jaw locking. I don't know how common a practice this is. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.46.170.107 (talk • contribs) 15:41, 9 January 2008
 * Amitriptyline, or from UK Maxillo-facial surgeons more often Nortriptyline, is seen as a normal 1st stage approach to the problem. They act as pain modifiers in what is often a neuralgic type pain (see Temporomandibular joint disorder, although that need citations to verify for this encyclopaedia, this is quite typical and effective UK-at-least practice) David Ruben Talk 15:11, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

Interestingly, I have TMJ and was prescribed 25mg for other reasons, but have found my TMJ and headaches, and neck pain, to be less frequent. I am a 27 year old with fibromyalgia, IBS, chronic pain and fatigue, and am in the blood line of nervous system disorders. Ironically, I was put on this for an alternate solution to my previous anti-depressant, Wellbutrin, which was absolutely not the right medication for me! Since I have been on the Amitriptyline 25 mg/daily I have actually felt like ME again. The first time in years! (The main thing I find is that I require 9-12 hours of sleep per night to function well the next day. Otherwise, I am just exhausted and even a good espresso won't fix that). I suppose it's an oldie but a goodie... and keep in mind that I am normally an advocate for anti-medication treatment. It's a good medication for calming down anxiety sufferers, and slowing down the mind so you can actually get some rest!) - Socally (talk) 08:02, 22 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Amitriptyline is in deed one of the most reliable antidepressants, sort of a "gold standard", its main drawback being strong anticholinergic and cardiologic side effects; it is, however, one of the most effective drugs for agitated/anxious major depression, for otherwise somaticaly healthy patients, if carefully titrated. By the way, am I the only one who noticed the distinctive odor of amitriptyline? I first thought that it comes from an excipient in the tablet formulation, but after having smell to several brands, I smelled pure amitriptyline hydrochloride and it definitely has a slight, distinctive, styrene-like odor....--84.163.81.116 (talk) 13:57, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

Explosive Diarrhoea?
hey all, I think 'explosive diarrhoea' listed as the side effects is vandalism, originally written with typo errors that someone eventually corrected. Not 100% sure though. Clinical evidence anyone? Squiggle (talk) 18:46, 22 April 2008 (UTC)

...sorry, i'm probably not adding this comment correctly, but according to the doc & the pharmacist handout, the only related likely side effect is constipation (due to dehydration, which is documented/discussed), not diarrhea. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.163.232.140 (talk) 09:42, 20 December 2008 (UTC)

Migraines
I was just put on this medicine with CDR added for Migraines. I get up to 6 a month and am on a trial and error basis with Dr right now. I really want to know if I still need to take my Xanax with this. I know I could call the pharmacy but just thought I'd throw this out there to who ever is reading to see if you know? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Joyr13 (talk • contribs) 19:54, 20 January 2009 (UTC)

I was just put on this medicine with CDR added for Migraines. I get up to 6 a month and am on a trial and error basis with Dr right now. I really want to know if I still need to take my Xanax with this. I know I could call the pharmacy but just thought I'd throw this out there to who ever is reading to see if you know?Joyr13 (talk) 19:56, 20 January 2009 (UTC)

yeah, you need to quit taking Amitriptyline as well as Xanex... just say no... to people who tell you you need this crap, DUUH! (According to the 'science' these drugs are 'therapeutic' and meant to help you deal with the 'cause' of the problem, not be a crutch for life.) &#59;&#62;jamvaru (talk) 09:38, 19 January 2012 (UTC)

You don't need to stop taking xanax without you your doctors specific instructions. It's a benzodiazipine and suddenly stopping can cause a variety of health problems including siezures. Amitriptyline shouldn't have any major drug interactions with your xanax though if the xanax makes you sleepy I wouldn't take them at the same time until you know how the amitriptyline effects you. 2/08/2012 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.83.67.197 (talk) 23:35, 8 February 2012 (UTC)

true, but you can cut your dose down yourself &#59;&#62;jamvaru (talk) 03:19, 16 March 2012 (UTC)

good for sleep
so many uses for this med. i live in central america where this is a sold as an over the counter med under the name tryptanol. i have complex partial seizures and use this med to get good sleep that is required to help keep my seizures under control. works good leaving me a little drowzy for the first few hours of the day. i do not use it everynight.

I take it for severe night terrors that i should not be having in my mid twenties. it works wonderful and i dont have any side effects!! I sleep well again :) Mds16 (talk) 03:55, 11 January 2010 (UTC)

Interstitial Cystitis
I was just prescribed this medication for treatment of chronic pain due to interstitial cystitis (aka: painful bladder syndrome). Can anyone vouch for the effectiveness of this medication for this purpose and let me know if the side effects are as bad as reported? Thank you... —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nancyereid2003 (talk • contribs) 15:24, 16 March 2009 (UTC)

Under the Section Titled "Approved"
Hi,

This sentence here, "Children between the ages of 7 to 10 years having a dose of 10 to 20 mg, older children 25 to 50 mg at night." makes no sense to me. Is there a better way to word this so it makes sense?

Mirabellayellow (talk) 07:10, 4 August 2009 (UTC)

Serotonin Syndrome
Hello again,

I've been on Amitryptiline for several years. I'm on it as a migraine preventative and for insomnia. My dose is 150 milligrams. I was put on 200 milligrams in the spring of 2008 and one day I had to take two Zomig pills (Zomig is a triptan and affects Serotonin levels) for an intractable migraine, and I ended up in the ICU for four days with Serotonin Syndrome.

I think there should be more here on the dangers of Serotonin Syndrome; what the symptoms are, how to respond to an overdose, etc. Since this drug can be very dangerous, and because when a person overdoses that person can look like they are simply sleeping, it's easy to not recognize the symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome in an overdose victim.

Therefore, I propose that a new section be added that specifically details Serotonin Syndrome. Amitryptiline can be deadly and there should be more on the subject of overdose on this page than just providing a link to another page.

I hope this makes sense, it's after 1:00 AM and I am half asleep. Dang Amitryptiline is great for insomnia, it knocks me right out!

Mirabellayellow (talk) 07:43, 4 August 2009 (UTC)

Sweating, prickly heat, overheating - side effects?
Does Amitriptyline cause these problems? I'm sure one of the side effects is sweating? —Preceding unsigned comment added by TurboForce (talk • contribs) 14:08, 7 January 2010 (UTC)

LD-50
Just thought that since this apparently can be taken easily in toxic amounts it would be good to get a LD50 statistic on here. Mushed5 (talk) 08:42, 8 January 2010 (UTC)

Treatments for Pain Autism
I didn't add anything but hope someone will take the time to provide the research for these two items I'm touching on...

As the parent of a child on the spectrum, I know that many people (children and adults) are prescribed Elavil and other SSRI's "Off-label" to treat anxious behaviors associated with ASDs. I read an article (Medscape) on how alarming it is that so many off-label drugs are prescribed for autistic youths (I'm not surprised... enough aren't tried IMO. Elavil, Sertraline, Paxil and Prozac are all used to treat ASD's. TMK only sertraline is approved for autistic youths over the age of 6 to treat anxiety. Further, the association of using SSRIs to treat pain-involved symptoms and syndromes do not alleviate the pain, they alleviate the stress/anxiety of/from both pain and the idea of the pain. For example, I've a friend I call a "pain wuss". she has no tolerance for pain whatsoever and what's worse is she FEARS pain to the point that if she knows something will cause pain, the anxiety will cause her to feel pain that is not there.  She had a major surgery. I was there pre-operatively to discuss pain management with the surgeon. He blah-blah'd me when I reminded him of the issue of my friend not only needing pain meds but something to handle the anxiety from the pain. He said it was handled. It was not. Post-operatively, even with a pain block, no pain killer alleviated the pain. My friend suffered horribly until I hollered at a nurse (who was in disbelief that there could still be so much pain with the morphine drip and additionally administered pain meds) that it wasn't the pain, it was the anxiety FROM the pain that was keeping her awake even after receiving enough morphine to knok out an elephant. She was finally given something for anxiety, and she passed out, relieved. Dealing with chronic pain is a stressor that can cause more or cause perceived pain. I know I've read things about this and experienced it but I'm no encyclopedia. I bet one of you more clever Wiki people know right where to go though, and the information may be helpful to a few folks.

Hhardwick3 (talk) 00:57, 14 August 2010 (UTC)Mom


 * Some points regarding this. 1. Amitriptyline is not an SSRI, it is a more "broad spectrum", sedative and anxiolytic antidepressant drug of the tricyclic type. 2. Amitriptyline is one of the few antidepressant with a large, robust body of evidence and clinical experience (well over 45 years in probably millions of young patients) in the treatment of severe psychiatric disorders such as major depression, severe anxiety, refractory insomnia, as well as non-psychiatric conditions such as irritable bowel syndrom, otherwise intractable enuresis/encopresis or chronic/neuropathic/oncologic pain in children and adolescents. 3. It works well, not only as an anxiolytic/antidepressant in people with chronic pain, it actually alleviates the intensity of pain, especially in the mentioned neuropathic pain syndroms, hence being sort of an pain modullating analgesic or antalgic. Main drawbacks are the rather strong vegetative side effects as well as potentialy high toxicity in overdose situations. Nonetheless, it is and remains one of the 1st line medications in several disorders of the child/adolescent patient, for good reasons. Arguably, some physicians tend to prescribe medications rather "easily" to children, but there definitely are conditions, where non-pharmacological approaches alone are simply not sufficient. In some of these, amitriptyline is a good choice, if prescribed and titrated carefully by a physician/psychiatrist with the much needed experience and expertise in the treatment of children. Cheers,--93.192.187.190 (talk) 21:03, 26 September 2010 (UTC)

Too many templates!
This page is appearing at Category:Pages where template include size is exceeded - which means it cannot display all the templates included. Near the end of the source code you will see

The only way to improve the page rendering is to remove unnecessary templates (or subst them)  Ron h jones (Talk) 00:46, 29 December 2010 (UTC)

Missing Info and Antihistimainic Action
This article lacks contraindications and an organized list of noted side effects in descending order of commonness. In addition, it has been noted that Elavil is a mild antihistmaine but googling has only produced notes that all tricyclines are antihistamines. References should be added. John Holly (talk) 11:13, 21 February 2011 (UTC)

Hypnagogia/hypnopompia as side-effects
This just doesn't make sense to me. My understanding, per the hypnagogia article, is that hypnagogia is the transitional state between being awake and being asleep-- i.e. it is part of a normal sleep patern-- and hypnopompia is simply the reverse. Perhaps the author meant that hypnagogic abnormalities occur when taking amitriptyline. For now I have added a tag to each.

Attys (talk) 17:29, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

Spelling
There are two prevalent spellings: 'amitriptyline' and 'amitryptyline'. This is not accounted for in the article. It's also not obvious which one is 'correct' (or whether both are). The article presently uses an 'i' (although there is one instance of the alternative spelling).

It seems that most, if not all, of the medical papers referenced in the article use an 'i', as do other reasonably reliable websites. The British Medical Association's New Guide to Medicine and Drugs (8th Edition) uses 'i'. However, there are also medical papers and reasonably reliable websites that use 'y'. So does The Chambers Dictionary (1988 edition). According to the entry, the word derives from amino, tryptamine (a hallucogenic substance) and methyl with ending -ine. The on-line Collins English Dictionary also uses this spelling. Pololei (talk) 08:40, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

The box before me, manufactured by Almus is spelled "Amitriptyline". Uatec (talk) 11:42, 09 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia articles on pharmaceutical drugs are titled using the International Nonproprietary Name. In this case, it is "amitriptyline" (link). -- Ed (Edgar181) 14:00, 9 January 2013 (UTC)

Ankylosing Spondylitis
I am deleting the claim that "Amitriptyline is used in ankylosing spondylitis for pain relief." I don't doubt that it can be used, but I don't think the claim is generally true for A.S. To be more specific, Amitriptylene is not mentioned as a standard of care for A.S. in standard rheumatology texts, or in the standards of care recommendations laid out by the A.S.A.S.

This is not a discussion forum
This talk page is full to overflow with people asking medical questions and sharing their experiences. There are plenty of other places to share your experiences on the internet, the talk page on wikipedia is not one of them.

Remember, this is not a discussion forum, and reliable sources must be cited if you are going to suggest changes based on your own experiences

Ollie8557 (talk) 20:24, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

Grapefruit and Amitriptyline
There's a strong contra-indication for taking grapefruit while on Amitriptyline. I understand that grapefruit blocks an enzyme that breaks down the drug and this easily leads to amitriptyline toxicity, and/or the Amitriptyline won't work properly. A qualified chemist or pharmacist could look at this issue for Wikipedia, as trying to find the right wording on the internet is pretty much impossible, owing to the number of spam sites that come up in internet search results.

Rainlightly (talk) 14:29, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

Pain in Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
Some people with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome find that Amitriptyline helps to relieve night pain and increase ability to sleep, at doses lower than those for the treatment of depression. Refs: https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/index.php/ehlers-danlos-syndrome-mainmenu-17/8-site-pages/pages/24-pain-control http://www.ednf.org/images/stories/pdfs_medical/2010/2010_Voermans_JPainSympMgmt.pdf (Table 2)

I think this should be under "Widely accepted medical uses", since internet search results bring up many forum posts (ie forums about and for people with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome) and the like discussing doses and how well Amitriptyline has worked.

I haven't typed this up onto the main page as I'm not experienced at typing up refs and Wikipedia links; perhaps someone else could do this.

Rainlightly (talk) 15:11, 12 February 2014 (UTC)

Brand name policy?
The brand names section only includes brand names in English speaking countries. Is this Wiki policy? If not I'd like to add Triptyl (the brand name in Finland http://www.laakeinfo.fi/Medicine.aspx?m=785&). Perhaps especially for pharmacology, English speaking people need information not simply in their country of origin. LookingGlass (talk) 17:56, 19 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Go ahead, I don't think it's a policy. I've noticed quite a few brand names of drugs used in Russia that are mentioned in articles. eg. Reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A mentions brand names Befol and Pirazidol. Also the brand names of Pipofezine, a Russian tricyclic, are also mentioned in that article.  Woodywoodpeckerthe3rd (talk) 19:13, 19 February 2014 (UTC)

animal use
This medication may be prescribed for cats for anxiety. A cat in the rescue center where I work has been prescribed 10 mg a day for two months for excessive grooming due to anxiety. I don't know if this is standard dosage for cats or not, but only saw a mention of it used for humans, so I would thought that I would add this information. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.207.222.136 (talk) 18:55, 14 March 2014 (UTC)

Adverse effects discrepancy
The side effect Sinus tachycardia is listed under both the common and uncommon groupings. I am not sure exactly how to verify which frequency is correct. Shatteredshards (talk) 20:29, 13 October 2014 (UTC)