Some antidepressants can affect the way amitriptyline works and 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 for depression, while you're taking amitriptyline as this will increase your risk of side effects. There's very little information about taking amitriptyline with other herbal remedies and supplements. 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 levels of a chemical called serotonin in your brain.
This can improve your mood. You may find you are feeling better after a couple of weeks, although it usually takes between 4 and 6 weeks before you feel the full benefit of the medicine. Do not stop taking amitriptyline after 1 or 2 weeks just because you feel it is not helping your symptoms. Give the medicine at least 6 weeks to work. Antidepressants like amitriptyline help to gradually lift your mood so you feel better. You may notice that you sleep better and get on with people more easily because you're less anxious.
Hopefully you'll take little things that used to worry you in your stride. Amitriptyline will not change your personality or make you feel euphorically happy. It will simply help you feel like yourself again. Do not expect to feel better overnight though. Some people feel worse during the first few weeks of treatment before they begin to feel better.
Once you're feeling better it's likely that you will keep taking amitriptyline for several more months. Most doctors recommend that you take antidepressants for 6 months to a year after you've stopped feeling depressed. Stopping before then can make depression come back. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking amitriptyline for longer than a few months. It will depend on:.
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 withdrawal side effects if you stop taking it suddenly. If you've been feeling better for 6 months or more, your doctor may suggest coming off amitriptyline. Your doctor may recommend reducing your dose gradually over several weeks, or longer if you have been taking amitriptyline for a long time.
This is to help prevent any withdrawal side effects you might get as a reaction to coming off the medicine. These include:. Do not stop taking amitriptyline suddenly, or without talking to your doctor first. Amitriptyline can change how hungry you feel. Some people feel more hungry when they're taking it, while others feel less hungry. So your weight may change when you first start taking it.
If you start to have problems with your weight while taking amitriptyline, talk to your doctor or a pharmacist. Some people feel sleepy while they're taking amitriptyline. It's best to stop driving and cycling for the first few days of treatment until you know how this medicine makes you feel. It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking amitryptyline. UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving. Amitriptyline does not work any better or worse than other antidepressants. However, for some people, the side effects are a problem and they may have fewer side effects with another antidepressant. Sometimes people respond better to one antidepressant than to another.
Talk to your doctor if you are not feeling any better after taking amitriptyline for 6 weeks, or sooner if the side effects are still a problem.
Antidepressants, including amitriptyline, are just one of several approaches to treating depression. Other potential treatments include:. You can drink alcohol while taking amitriptyline but it may make you feel sleepy. It might be best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine makes you feel. You can eat and drink normally while taking amitriptyline. However, it might be best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine makes you feel.
Amitriptyline does not affect any type of contraception, including the combined pill and emergency contraception. The good effects of amitriptyline may, after a while, improve your sex life as your mood lifts and you become interested in life and relationships again. Sexual side effects are not common and should pass after the first couple of weeks.
If they do not, and this is a problem for you, go back to your doctor to see if there's another antidepressant you can try. If you get vaginal bleeding after the menopause make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible. There's no evidence that amitriptyline affects either male or female fertility. Cannabis with amitriptyline can give you a fast heartbeat.
Cannabis can also make drowsiness worse, especially if you've just started taking amitriptyline. Methadone and other opiates for example, heroin can increase the risk of severe drowsiness if you're taking amitriptyline. Find out more the side effects of some recreational drugs on the Frank website.
Amitriptyline has not been properly tested with recreational drugs. Talk to your doctor if you think you might use recreational drugs while taking amitriptyline.
Page last reviewed: 9 September Next review due: 9 September The severity of withdrawal is dependent on a variety of factors such as the time span over which the drug was taken, the dosage, and the physiology of the individual taking Elavil.
Withdrawal symptoms are more likely to occur in individuals that were taking high doses of Elavil for a long time rather than a shorter course of treatment. The safest way to detox from Elavil is under the supervision of medical professionals using the tapering off method.
Tapering off Elavil includes progressively reducing the dose of the drug over the course of a few weeks or months until eventually use stops completely. If you think that a loved one may be abusing or addicted to Elavil, know that there are multiple treatment options available. Learn More. Contact a treatment provider for rehab-related help today. She has always had a passion for literature and the written word. Upon graduation, Jena found her purpose in educating the public on addiction and helping those that struggle with substance dependency find the best treatment options available.
All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional. David embarked on his journey into sobriety in June of , which led him to his current career path as a Certified Professional Addiction Recovery Coach in private practice in Greater Nashville.
David is also a public speaker and the author of two books. David is cohost of the weekly Positive Sobriety Podcast, as well as being a frequent contributor to various articles and recovery based materials. As a member of the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors NAADAC , David works closely with Nashville area treatment centers, nonprofit recovery organizations, and consulting with faith-based groups trying to bridge the gap between the recovery communities and faith-based organizations who wish to understand addiction.
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Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:. Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects.
This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare professional who knows your medical history. Amitriptyline oral tablet can interact with other medications, vitamins , or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well.
To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Taking certain drugs with amitriptyline may cause serious side effects. You should not take these drugs and amitriptyline at the same time. Examples of these drugs include:.
Using an MAOI with amitriptyline can lead to seizures or even death. Do not take an MAOI within two weeks of stopping amitriptyline, unless told to do so by your doctor. Also, do not start taking amitriptyline if you stopped taking a MAOI in the last two weeks, unless told to do so by your doctor.
Taking amitriptyline with certain drugs raises your risk of negative effects. All possible dosages and drug forms may not be included here. Your dosage, drug form, and how often you take the drug will depend on:. Typical starting dosage: 10 mg three times a day with 20 mg at bedtime, for a total of 50 mg per day. The kidneys of older adults may not work as well as they used to. This can cause your body to process drugs more slowly.
As a result, more of a drug stays in your body for a longer time. This raises your risk of side effects. Your doctor may start you on a lowered dose or a different dosing schedule. This can help keep levels of this drug from building up too much in your body. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this list includes all possible dosages.
Always speak with your doctor or pharmacist about dosages that are right for you. You might experience an initial worsening of your depression, thoughts of suicide, and behavioral changes when you first start taking amitriptyline.
This risk may last until the drug starts working for you. Stopping it suddenly may cause side effects such as nausea, headache, and tiredness. Do not stop taking this drug without talking with your doctor. They will tell you how to slowly lower your dosage over time. Taking it again could be fatal cause death. The use of drinks that contain alcohol while taking amitriptyline raises your risk of serious side effects, including extreme drowsiness.
For people with heart disorders: Taking this drug could cause heart problems, such as irregular heart rhythm, heart attack , and stroke. Your doctor should do this because a major depressive episode is usually the first symptom noticed in people with bipolar disorder. This drug should not be used in people with bipolar disorder. For people with a history of seizures: Taking this drug raises your risk of seizures.
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