Anti depressants for Insomnia

Trying Amitriptylline once will not work for insomnia. It has to be taken regularly to have any effect.

Tablets that are used for depression in high dose are not "anti-depressants" when used in low dose for pain or insomnia. Then they are painkillers or sleep-helping pills. Just cos something is used as an anti-depressant doesn't mean that's all it is or even that it is an anti-depressant in a low dose used for something else. One could just as easily say that some people take a painkilling drug for depression.

I am the worlds worst insomniac.
Have tried nearly all of the above suggestions, sleep,hygiene etc.

My daughter is prescribed Amytryptilene. She gave me two 10mg tabs one time to try and I was still awake at 3am.

Some nights are better than others as I am now prescribed proper sleep medication, but I am very lucky if I can get six hours a night.

I am yet another person who takes amitriptyline ( 3 X 10 mg ) an hour before I go to bed. Dr prescriped them for periferal neuropathy particularly pain in my feet. For me they are marvellous . They keep the pain at bay and I sleep well. Such a relief !
I have been on them 18 months and started with one per night and increased til the pain was under control. I am allowed to take more. In fact the pain specialist told me to play around with the dose until I found the lowest amount which worked.
So I would definitely give them a try. Dr told me to persevere cos you need to get used to them. I slept well from the first one! I think dr said it was an old fashioned treatment for depression and the dose was them very high. Good luck!

have you tried all the tips for sleeping well that you can find both in this thread and on the internet.
for example:
Tips for Sleeping well
1.Stick to a consistent sleep schedule and routine. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. A set sleep routine will "train" you to fall asleep and wake up more easily.
2.Use the bed only for sleep and sex.
3.Cut down on caffeine. For some people, a single cup of coffee in the morning means a sleepless night. Caffeine can also increase the need to urinate during the night.
4.Be physically active. Regular aerobic exercise like walking, running, or swimming provides three important sleep benefits: you'll fall asleep faster, attain a higher percentage of restorative deep sleep, and awaken less often during the night.
5.Limit daytime naps. Prolonged napping can disrupt your natural sleep cycle and prevent you from feeling tired enough to fall asleep.
6.If you use tobacco in any form, quit. Nicotine makes it harder to fall asleep.
7.Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol depresses the nervous system, so a nightcap may help some people fall asleep. But this effect disappears after a few hours and may even lead to waking up throughout the night. Alcohol can also worsen snoring and other sleep breathing problems.
8.Improve your sleep surroundings. Remove the television, telephone, and any other devices from the bedroom. This reinforces the idea that this room is meant for sleeping. An ideal environment is quiet, dark, and relatively cool, with a comfortable bed and minimal clutter.
9.If you're still awake after about 20 minutes in bed, get up and read awhile to relax. Otherwise, you'll set yourself up for tossing and turning.
10.Try to avoid taking sleeping pills. If you do take a prescription sleep medicine, work with your doctor to use it effectively and for as short a time as possible.

I keep a file of these. Do not know where this one came from. I have a relaxation tape that one can listen to whilst drinking a cammomile herb tea. If I take a tablet like Nytol then the next night I take a vitamin tablet following the same routine and that helps work like a placebo etc.

Good luck. An thank you to the contributor for the advice on Nytol and Dementia.

I use an antihistamine (Phenergan) when I am desperate for a really deep sleep. I find it particularly good for overcoming jet lag. The drowsiness can persist into the next day so I only take it when I have no commitments. I also used it occasionally to give me a decent night's sleep when under extreme stress (eg. Bereavement). After just one night I find I can cope better and have never felt the need to take it regularly.

A few years ago my GP diagnosed anxiety and insisted on prescribing anti-depressants. I certainly was anxious at the time but about one specific thing (job stress related) and I'd explained this to my doctor. I knew that when my problem was resolved, I would no longer be anxious about it so I was determined I didn't need medication but my GP isn't the easiest person to communicate with. When my next appointment came round (I was on sick leave) I was concerned he'd ask me how I was getting on with the drug (in the event, he didn't mention it) so I took one tablet that morning rather than tell a lie (I know! Pathetic! ) When I got home, I passed a mirror in the hallway and did a double take! My pupils were fixed and dilated and I looked pretty scary! I never took another of those tablets and my anxiety disappeared the day I dropped my resignation letter in the post box. I don't think my GP comes out of it very well. He knew I wasn't suffering from general anxiety. Surely he shouldn't have prescribed anti-depressants under such circumstances!

Goodness I am glad that I read this! I have a long standing friend who has been taking amitriptyline for about 20 years and she has sudden moments of completely irrational and unpleasant behaviour. Maybe the medication is to blame?

I have been suffering from disturbed sleep as my husband moves around and talks in his sleep. I tried valerian years ago and didn't find it helped.

Since using a Fitbit, which monitors my sleep pattern each night, it's interesting to see just how poor my quality of sleep often is! On a couple of occasions I've resorted to Zopiclone which is a "sleeping tablet" but is not meant to be taken regularly. However, taking Zopiclone guarantees me a good night's sleep!

I also purchase Melatonin from a company called Vitasunn (you can't buy it in the UK apparently) but, having taken one a night for quite a few years, can honestly say they don't appear to have made a difference for me. Anti-depressants, in my view, aren't really what's needed as popping a pill isn't solving the cause / reason for the insomnia. I even started a blog about my insomnia back in 2012 and I know I have been suffering from sleep deprivation for many years prior. Please have a look at my blog - all feedback and criticism, good or bad would be appreciated! wordpress.com/stats/insights/moogienights.wordpress.com

My doctor wanted to prescribe me anti depressants as I don't sleep well. I did some research and found that a small percentage of patients suffer from bipolar disorder after taking the tablets and this lasts for life. It may only be a small percentage that are affected but no one knows if they are the ones to get this disorder. Please do some more research before taking them and perhaps try something else first. All the best x

I'm prescribed Amitriptyline for pain in my legs and feet at night.
I don't get the disturbed sleep or nightmares that some people suffer, but it doesn't just make me sleep, it knocks me sideways until at least lunchtime of the following day!
My prescription is 10mg per night dose, but I have a pill splitter and only take half a tablet, and then only when the pain is really bad.
It's prescribed for me as a muscle relaxant, and it relaxes my eyelid muscles within 15 minutes of taking it, I couldn't stay awake if I tried!

I have serious sleep problems and for a long time could not get to sleep before about 3am and then missed most of the next day and felt like a zombie. Then I changed my antihistimines to Bendryl activastine and they work really well, both with my allergies and with making me sleep without that dopey feeling the next day that most tablets that help you sleep give you. I have to take one about 8.30 to 9.00 and then can sleep from about 11.30.
I feel like a different person now I'm able to sleep again and am getting things done that I had to spend a week building up the energy for before.

My vote goes for valerian as well. It always seems to work for me and breaks the "no-sleep" cycle so that I no longer need to take them--until the next time.

Humbug4 I didn't like the idea of antidepressants for insomnia either but eventually took them for a week. Like marmar2 I woke up seeing things on each occasion. Strangely now I just have to threaten myself with the tablets and I sleep well.

When I was a Community Psychiatric Nurse, helping one of my patients rescue trapped frogs from her splendid pond, they had got tangled in the netting. She explained how the 10 mgs. Amitriptyline at night had so dramatically helped her sleep. It is this older but well used and tested group of antidepressants that can be used this way, the dose range as an antidepressant is much much greater. So as for weight gain it should not come into it at all. So as Doabledudun said be kind to yourself, snuggle in bed and relax, not for nothing did our mothers give us a milky drink too to help us sleep. Good times Xx

I had to stop taking Amitryptaline because I woke up from sleep with a jolt & saw people at the side of me. Happened about four times. Had awful nightmares too.

I've taken 25mg Nortriptyline (sister drug to Amitriptyline) every night for the past two years, for arthritis and fibromyalgia pain. It works really well for me and helps me to get some quality sleep.

I was told by a rheumatologist to make sure to take it 12 hours before you want to get up. I take mine at 6pm and this means that I don't get a fuzzy head in the morning. I haven't noticed any weight gain associated with the medication.

I find valerian based herbal tablets work for me. And if you wake in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep you can take some more. Apparently they're non addictive. I used to take Nytol on occasion but the active ingredient in them has been linked in a study to dementia so I stopped taking them.

I've been taking low dosage amitriptyline for four years for PHN following shingles, and may be on it for life. I haven't had any side effects and generally sleep quite well, though I'm allowed to take more if needed. Have gained a bit of weight but I think that's due to being more sedentary than I used to be.

I have never tried one,but you can buy hop pillows to help with insomnia.

I don,t sleep for long.
I worked until 3.30 this morning and was awake again at 6.30.I shall work all day and then have a good sleep tonight.
When my daughters were young,I rarely slept and used Kalm tablets from Boots/Holland and Barrett...they contain hops and valerian and do work but are non addictive.
If you really want a good sleep ,lettuce tea will provide that...it knocks me straight out !!Lettuce contains lactucarian which is a mild sedative.
Boil a few green leaves in a pan and drain off the liquor to drink.There are U Tube instructions.Again,totally non addictive and very effective.

Been a widow for three years, recently hit a bad patch, have gone back onto AD Matrazapine, they do what it says on the tin and will carry on for a while and wean myself off when I feel ready, sometimes it pays to give in and be more gentle with ourselves. Wish you all the very best. X ?

I was prescribed Amitryptylline for back pain and associated insomnia- I slept like a log had violent nightmares and a huge hangover. This doesn't happen to everyone by eldest daughter is very comfortable long term on this drug. I think you have to try it and see how you go. I don't think its related to weight gain in fact I saw a research paper that claimed people who had a good nights sleep gained less weight than those who didn't. Perhaps the gainers raided the fridge in the night - I'm sure you don't.

One of the prescriptions I have for pain is also used as an anti-depressant. It helps my sleeping pattern too. The dose for pain is much much smaller than what is usually used when it is an anti-depressant.

I've been taking it for a couple of years and haven't put on any weight.

A lot of modern drugs cover a whole lot of symptoms, not just one.