Taking too much Amitriptyline?!


Question: Taking too much Amitriptyline.?
I normally just take 20mg to help me fall asleep but last night I accidently took 30mg and today I feel like a zombie and I can't seem to focus on anything. The doctor prescribed me 20mg and 20mg of Prozac which of course I take at different times. But why does Amitriptyline cause fogginess.?Health Question & Answer


Answers:
Hi,
I am a registered nurse and I have several pt's who take the medication that you are talking about. Amitriptyline or Elavil has a fairly long half life(the amount of time it stays in your system before it begins to loose it's effectiveness). Taking an additional 10 mg can lengthen that time which would cause you to feel drowsy and lethargic or run down for a longer period. You will be ok and you shouldn't have any lasting problems as a result of this. Be really careful with your meds though. It's really easy to overdose yourself.Health Question & Answer

Hi Bell, I have a sleeping problem myself. But it sounds like you're having some side effects from this drug. I found this info on Wikipedia's web site. Hope it helps. Common side effects of using amitriptyline are dry mouth, extreme weight gain, drowsiness, muscle stiffness, nausea, constipation, nervousness, dizziness, blurred vision and insomnia.

Some rare side effects include tinnitus, hypotension, mania, psychosis, anticholinergic effects, heart block, arrhythmias, lip and mouth ulcers, extrapyramidal symptoms, depression, and hepatic toxicity.

What I found that helps me is some Herbs, like Hops, Valerian root, & Melatonin 1, 3 or 5.
These help you SLEEP without the side effects. Give it a try, it wont hurt. And you can take it with your other Meds.

Hope you feel Better
Health Question & Answer

It is a pretty potent sedative. The reason it causes fogginess is because to interrupts the way certain chemicals in your brain function. These chemicals are involved with how your brain cells communicate with each other. 30mg isn't really a huge dose. I used to take 100mg for my crohn's disease and it really knocked me out.Health Question & Answer

Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Dizziness; drowsiness; dryness of mouth; headache; increased appetite (may include craving for sweets); nausea; tiredness or weakness (mild) ; unpleasant taste; weight gain

Less Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Diarrhea; heartburn; increased sweating; trouble in sleeping (more common with protriptyline, especially when taken late in the day); vomiting
Health Question & Answer

Amitriptyline is as you know is to be taken at night. Because your system is not accustomed to the higher dosage that you took you will feel groggy for a few hours but it will wear off soon. I have done the same in the pastHealth Question & Answer

Just let the medicine go.. it will stop once the medicine is past.. extra 10mg for that medication is not alot so don't worry of any health or life Danger you will get with that extra 10mg. no need to go to the hospital.. next time just be more careful...Health Question & Answer

It's okay becuase you only took an additional 10mg. But in extremely large doses this particular drug can be lethal so just be careful in future. Check with the NHS Direct helpline if you are concerned.Health Question & Answer

done it, got the tee-shirt, had all these type of drugs, how long have you been on these.? im drug free after yrs of medication...
thanksz

ray xHealth Question & Answer

Call NHS direct and talk to a professional asapHealth Question & Answer



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