Amitriptyline... what are they for?

Question

I have just been prescribed amitriptyline, what are they actually for and are there any side effects?

I am taking 2x10mg pills a night for the first 4 weeks and then i will be on 2x50mg pills after that for 6 weeks.

Oh and are they addictive as i am already addicted to Solpadol.

Answer 1

Just wikipedia it!

Answer 2

he is right  sometimes it is given as a pain control as he told you

Answer 3

Weight gain and water retention are the two main symptoms I know about.

Normally, it is perscribed for sleep and it is perscribed in low doses for small children who pee in the bed.

I would say, after they get in your system, it will be harded to sleep without them

Answer 4

Amitriptyline is used to treat symptoms of depression. Amitriptyline is in a class of medications called tricyclic antidepressants. It works by increasing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain that are needed to maintain mental balance.

Answer 5

Amitriptyline is a type of medicine called a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). This type of medicine acts on nerve cells in the brain.

In the brain there are numerous different chemical compounds called neurotransmitters. These act as chemical messengers between the nerve cells. Serotonin and noradrenaline are neurotransmitters and they have various functions that we know of.

When serotonin and noradrenaline are released from nerve cells in the brain they act to lighten mood. When they are reabsorbed into the nerve cells, they no longer have an effect on mood. It is thought that when depression occurs, there may be a decreased amount of serotonin and noradrenaline released from nerve cells in the brain.

Amitriptyline works by preventing serotonin and noradrenaline from being reabsorbed back into the nerve cells in the brain. This helps prolong the mood lightening effect of any released noradrenaline and serotonin. In this way, amitriptyline helps relieve depression.

Amitriptyline can cause side effects such as drowsiness. This means it may be useful in treating depression in people who are also anxious and agitated, or who are suffering from disturbances in sleep.

It may take between two to four weeks for the benefits of this medicine to appear, so it is very important that you keep taking it, even if it doesn't seem to make much difference at first. If you feel your depression has got worse, or if you have any distressing thoughts or feelings in these first few weeks, then you should talk to your doctor.

Amitriptyline is also occasionally used for a completely different purpose - for the treatment of bedwetting in children. It works in this situation by blocking receptors called cholinergic or muscarinic receptors that are found on the surface of muscle cells in the wall of the bladder. This prevents a chemical called acetylcholine from acting on these receptors. Acetylcholine acting on these receptors normally causes the muscle in the bladder wall to contract, and the bladder to empty. By reducing this, amitriptyline helps the muscle in the bladder wall to relax. This reduces unstable, involuntary contractions of the bladder, and thereby increases the capacity of the bladder to hold urine. This in turn reduces the need to pass urine. When used for this purpose, amitriptyline should generally only be used for a maximum of three months, unless a full physical examination is given and the child is fully re-assessed.

Answer 6

my mam takes them for blood pressure but my brother took them for depression.

didnt they have a leaflet inside the packet to tell you all the side effects etc?

Answer 7

i've also seen it used for patients with chronic pain - -

Answer 8

Amitriptyline is in a group of drugs called tricyclic antidepressants and affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced. It is used to treat symptoms of depression.

Don't bother trying to find out about side-effects as you're better off not knowing about them. They are the same as for any other anti-depressant drugs and will present themselves more easily if you are aware of what they are or may be.

If you experience something un-wanted such as pain or anything else, go to your doctor.

If you really want to find out go to http://www.drugs.com

All the best.

Answer 9

its for depression  and for other reasons also..one is sever migraines..the drug itself as some side affects but not so bad that you need to stop taking it..go to drugs .com  for info!!

Answer 10

they are used to treat Depressive illness.http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100...

every kind of medication will have some side effects but wont effect everyone who takes them in the same way

solpadol is a pain killer so you should be ok taking both together

Answer 11

Elavil (Amitriptyline) is used to elevate the mood of patients with depression. Elavil is also a sedative, and is useful in depressed patients with insomnia, restlessness, and nervousness

x x x x x

Answer 12

My son was precribed them to help stop him bed-wetting