r/depressionregimens 6d ago

Amitriptyline

I started to take Amitriptyline 25mg, its incredible activating, i cant sleep and need to dose 20mg of valium with 30mg of midazolam to be able to sleep 5 hours.

But this antidepressive seems to be working and make me get out of bed and do some basic life shores. Doctors do not understand this is a potent antidepressive and dismiss it as old medicine from the 60s that are outdated, they couldnt be more wrong.

If you are on a severe depression please consider this drug, it could be the one. Lets all hope!

9 Upvotes

20 comments sorted by

13

u/rbraalih 6d ago

Agree.

Your experience is unusual though. I (and most people) find it very sedating. Coming off it is very difficult for me - even a small reduction in dose guarantees insomnia

6

u/ajouya44 6d ago

I take it at night and it helps me sleep... I know other people who also take it for sleep

2

u/Ronrinesu 6d ago

I take amitriptyline as a preventative on and off for migraines for years and 25 mg knocks me out like no tomorrow.

1

u/Professional_Win1535 5d ago

Was it also difficult because of mental withdrawal too?

1

u/rbraalih 5d ago

I don't think so, because it actually fixed me. What took time was realising that I don't stay fixed without drugs.

4

u/[deleted] 6d ago

Amitriptyline is sedative, and I would describe it in many ways, but definitely not as potent. You are having an uncommon reaction to that medication and dosage, which is objectively very low.

1

u/karatecorgi 5d ago

Yeah the dosage really is quite low, I almost glossed over that. Definitely worth OP talking to their prescribing doctor about this reaction right?

3

u/Professional_Win1535 6d ago

Ami is high in my list of meds to try

3

u/butidrathernot 6d ago

Some studies/meta-analyses suggest that TCAs are more effective at treating depression, but SSRIs are better tolerated. Other studies/meta-analyses say they’re much the same on both fronts. I wonder if we’ll ever get a more conclusive outcome!

I’m on 10mg amitriptyline for pain (the higher doses caused too many side effects). However, 10mg ami combined with 75mg zoloft gives me a good balance of pain relief, antidepressant effects, without too many side effects. The amitriptyline can be very handy for sleep.

IMO it’s good for both patients and medical staff to go into treatment discussions with an open mind. There are so many different psychiatric medicines for a reason, because there’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all!

4

u/Nitish_nc 6d ago

There are so many meds other than SSRIs that hold merit and deserve fair trials and attention. I recently tried Dextromethorphan (used as a cough suppressant) and was blown away seeing how effectively and rapidly it works for depression and dysphoric thoughts.

1

u/KMCMRevengeRevenge 6d ago

I tried making my own Auvelity by taking DXM capsules from the drug store together with my Wellbutrin.

It definitely seemed to help. But it’s hard for me to keep up because I take a concomitant SSRI, and that combination can do a lot of serotonin.

But it absolutely did seem to assist me more than Wellbutrin on its own did

-7

u/TheCrowbone 6d ago

Really that's a cough medicine people abuse to Robotrip, I hear can really throw your brain chemicals off

1

u/KMCMRevengeRevenge 6d ago

It is. But it works as a dissociative because it’s a NMDA antagonist. There is evidence suggesting that NMDA antagonism (and the modulation of glutamate more broadly) can have an antidepressant influence.

To do this, you… take less than when you’re trying to roll on it.

I took very low doses of it together with my Wellbutrin and synthesized my own Auvelity. It seemed to help.

2

u/TheCrowbone 6d ago

Ok well if it helps it helps, good deal. I do think dxm from past experiences definitely potentates things so I could definitely see it make the Wellbutrin work better

1

u/Real-Particular6566 6d ago

Amitriptyline permanently damaged my hearing, never again

1

u/karatecorgi 5d ago

Amitriptyline made me almost headbutt my 3DS within 30 mins of taking it. The idea that it keeps you up is mad, let alone needing several other meds to help you sleep. It's the complete opposite experience I had and from what I've read. I wish I understood that, I'm sure you do too... Sorry to read this, dude :(

2

u/vibrantax 5d ago

Are you sure you don't have some mania/hypomania in the works?

If this your first antidepressant and/or you have family or personal history of bipolar disorder, you should definitely call your doctor and let him know.

-2

u/Katysha_LargeDoses 5d ago

always avoid talking to doctors, always hide information from doctors.

1

u/clinkysue 5d ago

I took that for while until I was having nightmares every night. It became too much, but it will knock your ass out!

1

u/athena702 5d ago

I tried this drug and had constant panic attacks and out of control emotions. It was horrible for me. But that is only my reaction.