Amitriptyline can bring some relief if you’re suffering from neuropathic pain.

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How to take - Side Effects - Dosage - Things To Avoid - Pregnancy

While it’s often used as an antidepressant, its effects can help you make sure your day isn’t disrupted by nerve pain.

There are many ways to treat nerve pain, so talk to our doctors and see if amitriptyline could help you. They’ll talk through your symptoms, provide expert advice on what you should do next and even write you a prescription for amitriptyline if needed.

Amitriptyline Dosage

It’s important that you take amitriptyline exactly as your doctor tells you to. They’ll advise on the size and frequency of your doses and you shouldn’t change these without talking to your doctor first.

It can take up to a month for amitriptyline to have any effect, but you shouldn’t stop taking your medication or up the dosage even if you think you’re better. If you stop taking amitriptyline suddenly, it can cause harmful withdrawal symptoms.

If you accidentally miss a dose, you should take it as soon as you realise, unless it’s almost time for your next dose. If this happens, don’t take a double dose, as this could mean you’re more likely to experience side effects.

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What Are The Side Effects of Amitriptyline?

There’s a few side effects that are relatively common for people taking amitriptyline. They’re usually nothing to worry about and will typically stop when you’ve finished your treatment, but you can alway speak to a doctor if you’re concerned.

These common side effects include:

Drowsiness
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Itching
Lower sex drive
Bad taste in your mouth
Nausea and vomiting
Trouble urinating
Changes in your appetite
Getting sunburned more easily - stay out of the sun and avoid sunbeds while you’re taking amitriptyline

Younger patients are thought to be more likely to get side effects such as mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia. If you’re under 25, your doctor may want to monitor to this during your treatment.

In rare cases, serious side effects can happen. See a doctor if you notice:

Bleeding and bruising that has no obvious cause
Seizures
Pain going to the toilet
Fever
Sores around mouth or gums

If you have an allergic reaction to amitriptyline, you must call for an ambulance straight away. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include a swollen face, neck or lips, skin rash or trouble breathing.

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Things To Avoid

Amitriptyline is not suitable for patients under 12 years old, or for people of any age with a history of heart attacks.

The drug can also react with other medication, so tell your doctor about anything else you’re taking, including MAO inhibitors. Your doctor will also need to know if you have:

A history of depression
Diabetes
Kidney or liver problems
Glaucoma
Trouble urinating

All of these things could mean that amitriptyline isn’t suitable for you, so it’s important to provide your doctor with this information.

If you need surgery during your treatment, you must tell the surgeon that you’re taking amitriptyline.

Can You Drink Alcohol While You’re On Amitriptyline?

It’s recommended that you avoid alcohol while you’re on amitriptyline.

It can make side effects such as drowsiness worse and affect your decision-making skills.

Is It Safe To Take Amitriptyline During Pregnancy?

The effects of amitriptyline on an unborn baby aren’t known, so to be on the safe side, you should avoid taking it to avoid any pregnancy related issues, or planning to start a family.

We do know that amitriptyline can pass into breast milk and is potentially harmful for your baby, so it’s not suitable for breastfeeding mothers.

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Talk to a doctor Today

If you’d like to talk to a doctor about amitriptyline and get treatment for your neuropathic pain, our GPs are available from 6am until 11pm every day. If you need a prescription, they’ll be able to write you one straight away and you can collect your medicine from a pharmacy of your choice.

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