Question about amitryptiline
 

Hi everyone,

I've started on 10mg of amitryptiline each night to try to help with sleep and headaches. I know that it takes some time to feel the effects, but I'm wondering if anyone experiences worsening headaches from just starting amitryptiline? I'm on day 2 and it seems that my headaches have gotten worse.

I'm afraid I may have complicated the situation my first night of taking it, when I woke to go to the bathroom and was sort of dizzy after opening the door and kind of fell into it. I didn't hit my head at all, but it was jarring (and if you've seen other threads I've started you know I have a non-helpful fear of minor head bumps) and caused me to not get great sleep the rest of the night. So, maybe my worse headaches are from this jolt, but even I'm doubtful, as it wasn't that forceful and I think I was so startled just because I was sleepy.

Thanks

For one thing, it takes time, and for another thing, 10 mg is a very low dose. So I wouldn't write it off yet, especially if you've had complicating factors like a night or so of poor sleep.

Give it some time to see the full results!

10 mg is a low dose. I would give it some time and then revisit it with your doctor if things aren't getting better. I was started out on 25 mg and was still having monster headaches. Now that I'm on 50mg I feel I'm getting better quality sleep at night and my headaches are a little more manageable. I don't think you should be getting a worse headache from the meds.

10 mgs is a common dose for head aches and insomnia. Larger doses are intended to provide some anti-depressant value.

With your anxiety struggles, you may need to consider an SSRI or such. Amitriptyline is a tri-cyclic anti-depressant without as much anti-anxiety value as most SSRI's.

Hmm, I'm wary of SSRIs - can't they inhibit healing of the brain?

I've never read that SSRI's inhibit healing of the brain and I have read lots about SSRI's. They are definitely not benign. Anxiety will inhibit healing.

Hi,

It takes time for amitriptyline to take effect. I also started on 10mg and that took at least 8 days to take effect. Like you when I started I felt worst but that soon passed and did assist with the headaches and overall a well feeling. Stick with it and you will see a difference.

Regards
Rosa

Your headaches specifically got worse? Have you had to increase dosage, and is that generally common? Ideally I'd like to not be on this for too long.

Also, how can I determine if you're pushing too hard too soon if I'm interrupting the signal of headaches with medicine? Should I just do nothing while I'm on this stuff?

Laupala,

Why don't you list all of the activities you want to do. I'll try to give you some feedback about whether they are pushing too much. You need to keep in mind that many symptoms will have a delay after the triggering activity. Trying to micro analyze is a losing game.

Thanks for the response and your time. OK, here are some of the activities I've been doing while trying to quietly rest.

Play solitaire, backgammon, etc. (sometimes exacerbates headache)

Shuffle cards

Sit quietly outside

Meditation

Reading (A month and a half ago I was able to read a full New Yorker magazine without exacerbating symptoms, I've since cut back dramatically as shorter reading bouts seem to exacerbate symptoms more easily now)

Listening to audiobooks (Just started this today actually, hard to know what effect it's having)

I'm thinking of trying painting - never done it, but might be relaxing

Computer work (Trying to not let emails and contact with the outside world completely go, I should be more diligent about limiting this)

Listening to music (usually classical, generally seems OK, although sometimes exacerbates headache)

Conversing with friends and family (rarely exacerbates headache)

Cooking

Walking (1.5 months ago was doing 30-40 minute bike rides, back to doing short walks, they don't seem to make the headaches much worse, but sometimes they flare up)

I've been trying to generally do a 2 hours of "activity", 30 minutes of rest (i.e. laying down, icing neck, etc.)

They all sound fine except conversing can be tough if there are too many people talking, especially if they end up try to talk over each other. A two way conversation should be fine.

You could get a book on card tricks and try to learn slight of hand card tricks.

I would limit the computer to ten minutes at a time.

Does the 2 hours of activity 30 minutes of rest formula sound like a good one? Or should I be more conservative at first?

I've felt worse the past few days than I have since the concussion, certainly worse in terms of variety of headaches, and I feel I'm less able to concentrate, and the ringing in the ears is a totally new symptom. Is it possible to have setbacks worse than the initial injury? Or could this be a cumulative effect of head bumps, my last one being the straw that broke the camels back? Or side effects of the amitriptyline? Or just the stress from travel and an emotional week last week?

I've been keeping my anxiety somewhat reined in (I think because I'm just exhausted from worrying). I'm sure it's an interplay of all of these, and I'm starting to be OK with not knowing, but part of me still really wants to know why!

Your increase in symptoms are NOT from an accumulation of head bumps. That question has been asked and answered over and over.

You need to learn to gauge your activity. There is no formula of 2 hours activity, 30 minutes rest. Each activity has its own stress level. If you notice a spacy feeling, stop and take a break. If you are reading and need to reread a line, stop and take a break.

I believe your struggles are from how you deal with stress and possibly increase stress by trying to understand every little symptom. You need to get your anxiety under control.

There are NO worthwhile answers to your why questions. Over time, you might start to notice trends. 2 hours of reading could set you back. Or, participating in a multi-person conversation may cause a crash. Only you can connect the dots. Find something simple to occupy your mind with.

You need to find some somewhat sedentary activities. What would you be doing if you broke you leg badly and needed to be sedentary for a month ?

Learn to play a musical instrument like the guitar or something. Learning to play guitar chords and pick at the strings could occupy lots of time. Or. learn to tie fishing flies. There are lots of activities that are just manual based with no need to be out and about.

Thanks for the response, I'd likely be reading for a month if I broke my leg. I've been trying to pick up simple activities, although sometimes learning them exacerbates headaches (today for example I got a watercolor kit in the mail and exacerbated a headache trying to figure it all out!).

I've seen you recommend l-tryptophan and l-theanine for anxiety and depression - do you know if these are safe to take while taking amitryptiline?

They should not be a problem. I take them and an SSRI with my doctor's support. L-Tryptophan is in many foods.

I tried amitryptaline briefly after being prescribed it for sleep, I was taking 10mg but it did nothing to make me sleep, although I wasn't on it very long because it made me feel rough the next day - gave me a real thick head. I learnt it's an old drug from the 60's designed for depression but appears to be prescribed for all sorts of things.

l-theanine is in green tea so you don't need to buy special pills or anything, just make a brew!