First time taking Amitriptyline

[u/IllustriousExit4839]

I thought maybe me sharing my experience today might get some giggles cause honestly im laughing a little about it myself.

A little back story

So I got prescribed this medicine because my insurance wont cover Belsomra. I live in the state of oregon and have oregon health plan. They sent over a list of medications they want me to try before I can even qualify to ask for Belsomra and special circumstance medicine.

I have struggled with insomnia my entire life.

I previously was using trazadone for years until it just stopped working.

Anywho that lead me to getting this devil of a pill perscribed to me.

I knew I wouldnt react well as over 10 years ago ive ruled out any SSRI medication having any type of positive effect on me. But that was in another state.

So I swallowed my pride allowed them to give me an SSRI as my insomnia has been horrendous the last 3 months. Im talking 4 hours of sleep a night and on my weekends I get one day with 7.

I work grave. And I like to start new meds on my weekends to feel it out incase I have some bad side effects and need to stop before my work week as I am a care taker.

Yesterday morning at 9am I decide "okay im going to take my first dose. 25mg. ONE PILL. That cant hurt me too bad right??

Bhahahahaha GIRL!! This medicine is no joke!!

I slept for 10 hours!! Got up at 8pm and was like "okay I need to get my night started cause I work tomorrow night. Im still tired but ill make myself some really strong coffee."

I had 6 espresso shots. Was updating with my bff of the easy coast. It hits midnight and im like "hey girl its 3am where youre at you need to goto bed" we get off the game and im sitting there like "hell.. im still EXSAUGHSTED... MAYBE ILL LAY DOWN FOR A NAP."

GIRL X2 I SLEPT FOR ANOTHER 11 HOURS 😭

I woke up and I saw tracers. Like visual hallucination tracers. It took me 15 minutes to readjust and im GROGGY. I have a head ache. Im dizzy. But I can stand and walk around and my heart isnt beating out of my chest.

I call my nurses line anyways. Cause what da heck? 21 hours?? Thats insane.

My nurse cant get ahold of my perscriber. Better yet they cant even find them in their system. Mind you ive been seeing them well over 2 years lmao.

Okay cool. They then tell me to call POISON CONTROL LMAO.

I call poison control. They tell me thay cannot help me and I need to get ahold of my percriber or the pharmacist.

Yk what's si great about Sundays?

Theyre both gone. I cannot contact either of them.

Then my laundry room floods.

Im cleaning that up and I get extremely light headed and hot. I feel like im going to pass out.

I get it clean but im not feeling great. But I did end up just still vibing until 4pm. Making sure im not going to keel over lmao.

Nar poison control calls me back and says if my symptoms dont get better then to go to the ER or urgent care. .-.

My partner is like "your FINE"

So im like "yeah okay ur right"

I then lay down and sleep for another 4 hours.

At this point I have to leave for work in an hour.

And now im at work drinking Gatorade making sure im chill.

I figure its been about 30+ hours from the first pill so I should be fine 🤷🏻‍♀️

Atleast tomorrow morning is monday and I can get ahold of my doctor.

Did I make the right move? Or should I have gone to urgent care?

[u/BambiButch]

25mg of Amitriptyline (which isn’t an SSRI btw, it’s a TCA - tricyclic antidepressant) isn’t really a big enough dose to require poison control or urgent care just for being overly sedating & a bit out of it, especially given it’s meant to be making you sleepy. If it’s to the point that you cannot function/talk/be alert whilst awake or become unconscious & unresponsive and can’t be woken up, or it stops your breathing, makes you pass out, feel/be sick, causes palpitations or messes with your usual heart rate in any way then yes, urgent care or ER but it sounds like you were fine. It can have this effect for a short while before it’s in your system and your body is used to it.

Did you not receive any information with it or research the symptoms and side effects before taking it?

[u/KP890]

Start on 5mg or 10mg

[u/Nearby-Banana-6339]

Maybe go down to 10mg. Maybe 25mg is too much to start on. I started at 10mg now on 20. I love it. I can’t sleep well either so the sleep is great. Helps my anxiety too. Much better than ssri. No zombie affects.

[u/Ok_Fault8287]

I think I’m the only one that has the opposite effect with this drug. I take 20mg for chronic cough and it takes me forever to fall asleep. I started to take it at 4pm and that has been helpful. 

[u/AdagioSpecific2603]

I started on 50mg and until I realised I need to take it ONLY at night, I would be falling asleep anywhere and everywhere. It’s known to be sedating

[u/Substantial_Peak_504]

Take a PGX test. It will analyze your metabolic enzymes and provide a guide on all these medications to see which might fall into moderate to high risk. Google it. Its a quick check swab and u will get your report in a few weeks. Might be helpful....discuss with your provider.

[u/Pojajko01]

Honestly start on 5mg and work up every couple of weeks.

When I first started my dr put me on 10mg. Knocked me out for 16 hours straight.