I have taken it on and off for yrs, for migraine prevention,to help me sleep and just recently my PM gave it to me for pain to take at bedtime. She says a low dose,25mg helps with pain. It does help with sleep and ever so slightly with the pain. Give it a try,it may help. Good luck
Deb

yes it does make me drowsy so I take it a bit earlier in the evening so as not to have the "hangover" in the am.

I have been on this med fr two years at 75 mg. at nighttime. It helps allot, I can not take at earlier times in the day, I would drop in my tracks...Best of luck

I was on it for a month as a migraine preventive. I did nothing for me, didn't even make me drowsy. Give it time, though. They told me it could take a month or two to start working. I'm not sure if the drowsiness will wear off or not. Maybe ask your pharmacist.

I forgot one thing, I was put on this med at 75 mg. along with the neurontine at first a dose of the neurontine, but worked up to 2400 mg. a day. This is for nerve pain and it can help block the pain. The neurologist talked it over with my PM and family doctor and this was a good treatment, along with other things I have to take to keep a life style up for the most part. I sure hope you find some relief in something they can give you and always keep asking questiongs of doctors, us here and your' pharmysist. The doctor is the best place of all, as some others have opinions that can give you a sense of blame. I have had that happen in my past, so the pharmacy is not always my best bet. You just have to experiement with everything when you have daily pain. Let us know how you do and if anything works for you. May help us out...Thanks

This was one of the first things the doctors had tried with me and my chronic pain and headache pain. (Followed shortly and combined with Gabapenten...but that is another thread) I was on it for about 8 months and I had lots of "hangover" effect in the morning. I was put on it for "nerve pain/chronic pain" and to help me sleep because the sleep deprivation was adding to the pain and the pain adding to the sleep deprivation etc. It did help me sleep sometimes....but that was about it.
In the end, it really wasn't the right approach for me....the doctors put me on this medication near the beginning of my chronic pain path when all I was only asking for a physiotherapy referral!! (I am in the military so physiotherapy has to be referred by a doctor). So my experience may be different from others. Be careful with doctors and chronic pain, sometimes they just want to throw pills at you to make you "go away".
I never did get over the drowsiness, it pretty much lasted the entire time I was on the medication. I started with 25mg and by the end I was up to 75mg (because I guess they thought the dosage was not high enough for the pain) and the drowsiness only got worse and worse. I was like a Zombie.
Give it a little while to see if your sleepiness lifts, a couple of weeks or so, if not the doctors may have to try something else.
I do have to say that every so often amitriptyline is okay just to get to sleep.... but as for a preventative treatment for chronic pain, it didn't seem to do the trick for me.
I hope it works better for you than for me and I hope that your drowsiness does lift. If it doesn't DO NOT hesitate to tell your doctor. Don't be silly like me and put up with the drowsiness and the side effects for 8 months if they are making you miserable. There are lots of other meds and therapies, if this doesn't fit for you make your doctor do his/her job and find something that does work!
Again though I do want to stress that this is my experience.... I so hope that this works for and your side effects lift. I know that this medication can be helpful for so many.

I took it for a week and threw it away because I could not open my eyes on it, my daughter was given it for seizure's when she was young and for about 4 mths she walked around like a zombie, I took her off it.

I have been taking it off and on for about 4 years. I started it for magraine and depression it worked well but I went off it because I thought I no longer needed it.

Then about a year ago I had trouble sleeping and was put back on it. It has been a life saver for me. I take 50 mg at bedtime.

The hangover effects went away for me after a couple of weeks but if I miss a couple of doses I can tell a big differnce when I start back on it.

Thanks to all who replied, i really appreciate it :) I will let you all know how it goes! Fingers crossed it starts to work & the drousyness will faid!

I hope you all have a beautiful Sunday xxoxxx

my husband takes it for neuropathy pain, and it works well for him. The drowsiness lasted for about 2 weeks then mellowed off . I have tried nortryptline for my pain as well and had no sucess so I wish u luck, I think it really depends on the pain and severity of it.
Hugs
Morgaine

yes it does eventually help and you will get past the drowsy part after awhile. I have been on it now for about 4 months and the reason I know it works is I ran out recently and had major spells of pain. I then got back on it and it has helped alot. I take one at about 2 p.m. and then the other 2 hours before bed for sleep. believe me you will adjust and it will help you just give it time...

iT DEPENDS ON THE SEVERITY OF THE PAIN, BETTER THEN HIGHER PROFILE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS (pROZAC,zOLOFT), BECAUSE YOU CAN QUIT IT, AND KEEP TO A MINIMUM DOSE

Thanks to all who have responded :) This has been really helpful to me to get other peoples opinions.