I took amitriptyline for a couple years. I was on 50 mgs for burning and shock like nerve pain.

The only side effects I noticed were constipation (never had trouble with that before) and it knocked me right out.

I have always had insomnia, so when that started up again I did not link it to that med - or any of the others I was on at the time. But still, I weaned off all but the topamax to see if I could sleep.

I found that the symptoms I'd been taking amitriptyline for had subsided enough I could get by without it, so I have not gone back on. That's been a couple years now.

I'd bet your instincts on this are good, and if it feels like the med is causing your problems, try going without and see if you do better.

I was glad my doc explained up front that it was an AD, but that those do help with pain and other odd things, so I knew he didn't think I was just depressed. This one though is not like most, which are SSRIs, this one is a tricyclic. It was the only one I could use.

Because some of those kind of meds give me bad reactions, I did not want to try ambien. I'd rather not sleep than risk it.

I avoid meds that might make me depressed and try to use ones that'll make me drowsy at night, ones that won't during the day. It's no cure for insomnia but it helps.

Good luck with all this.