Last Updated on June 1, 2016

Off-Label Use for an Anti-depressant

Amitriptyline is a drug approved for the treatment of depression. Yet, like other sorts of anti-depressants, it’s also commonly used as an off-label treatment for insomnia.

Besides its alternative use as sleep aid, amitriptyline can also be used to treat pain related to an extensive array of medical conditions.

How Amitriptyline Works

Elavil. Amitriptyline works as an anti depressant by suppressing serotonin reuptake and norepinephrine uptake, as well. Both serotonin and norepinephrine are significant neurotransmitters responsible for body reactions and automatic mood. When both are in short supply the symptoms of depression, in tandem commonly with sleeplessness, can occur. Amitriptyline is called a tricyclic antidepressant for the molecular structure.

Serotonin reuptake and norepinephrine uptake is suppressed by amitriptyline. Norepinephrine and serotonin are both crucial neurotransmitters which can be in charge of body responses and involuntary mood. If there’s little serotonin and norepinephrine, the indications of melancholy and often sleeplessness might take place.

Amitriptyline was not developed to use as a sleep aid. Among the top benefits is the drug’s substantial half life, which is 12 to 24 hours. This surpasses that of virtually all insomnia drugs and makes the medication advantageous for people who have late- insomnia that is waking or those who are not able to go back to sleep and have the inclination to get up really early each morning.

Remember, amitriptyline wasn’t designed as a sleep aid, but as an anti depressant and as such has many popular antidepressants ahead of it. As a sleep aid continues but it’s utility. Biggest benefit is the drug’s long half life, 12-24 hours, which far surpasses that of most insomnia drugs. This bioavailability makes the drug useful for patients with late waking sleeplessness—or the propensity for awakening very early in the morning, at the end of the sleep cycle, unable to return to sleep.

Interestingly among the side effects that are common IS sleeplessness, together with weight gain, dry mouth, dizziness, and confusion. But the challenge with some more common prescription sleep aids is their super short half-lives, making them totally useless for late insomnia sufferers.

It can be a very effective drug for chronic insomnia sufferers when used in the correct, physician-prescribed dosage.

When it comes to using amitriptyline for insomnia each patient’s needs may be different. When used for sleeplessness is much less than that prescribed to a depressed patient the dosage needed. A person suffering from depression generally will be prescribed 50 milligrams or more of the drug. Sleeplessness patients may only need from 10 mg to 40 mg. Doctors typically begin patients outside on a very low dose of amitriptyline and will increase the dosage each week, if desired.

There are potential side effects that make some patients reluctant to use amitriptyline for sleeplessness. One common complaint involves weight gain that is unwanted. Constipation and dry mouth are two other side effects that many people may experience. Amitriptyline impacts all patients differently, so people WOn’t understand until they try it if the medicine is right for their sleep needs. A patient who starts using this medication and wants to cease should contact her or his doctor to be correctly weaned instead of stopping unexpectedly.

It can not be safe for people who like long exposures to natural or artificial sunlight to take amitriptyline for insomnia. Using a tanning bed or spending hours on the seashore just isn’t recommended for individuals taking this drug. Patients who spend lots of time in the sun and aren’t willing to make lifestyle changes should not be dishonest with their doctors and discuss an alternative type of insomnia treatment.

There are some rare instances of patients who actually suffer with insomnia as an effect of amitriptyline. A patient who detects her or his sleeping habits getting worse after starting use of the drug should notify his or her prescribing physician as soon as possible. A common complaint of various other patients is that amitriptyline works well for slumber, making patients groggy and unable to get up for work each day. This may signal a lower dose is needed.

Anti Depressants Versus Sleep Aids and CBT

Genuine drugs created expressly to treat insomnia are more powerful and safer, say sleep specialists. Notably concerned with the alternate uses for amitriptyline are those slumber physicians interested in shoving the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy. CBT is a non-pharmacological therapy that rolls together an assortment of therapies, including behavioral and psychological, physiological to address the habitual patterns of long-term insomnia.

Antidepressants. Some clinicians consider antidepressants have fewer side effects and are safer for long term use than benzodiazepines. Further, these drugs may be suitable because insomnia is also experienced by many individuals with depression, and taking an antidepressant may help alleviate symptoms of both issues. Sedating tricyclics for example amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep) and doxepin (Sinequan) are frequently prescribed for insomnia. Other antidepressants that work on serotonin receptors, particularly trazodone (Desyrel), nefazodone (Serzone), and mirtazapine (Remeron) — each with its set of advantages and disadvantages — can also be prescribed for insomnia.

Studies in people who have depression who also have sleep difficulties show that antidepressants reduce time it takes to fall asleep and nighttime arousals. How these drugs function is’t clear, although presumably their sedative effects boost slumber. Furthermore, the drugs’ skill to ease anxiety and mild depression may ensure it is easier for individuals with these issues to relax and fall asleep.

The effect of antidepressants on sleep quality changes; in general, they reduce REM (dreaming) sleep but have little impact on heavy slumber. Common side effects include dry mouth, dizziness, upset stomach, weight gain, and sexual dysfunction. Leg movements also can raise during sleep. Many people find specific antidepressants make them feel nervous or restless, so the medication can actually exacerbate insomnia.

The Correct Amitryptyline Dosage for Sleeplessness

But what exactly is the greatest amitryptyline dosage for sleeplessness?

Amitriptyline is a medication used to treat depression. Yet, it’s frequently prescribed to treat sleeplessness. Along with its unusual use as sleep aid, amitriptyline has also been effective in the treatment of pain management which is linked to an assortment of medical disorders. The amitryptyline dosage for sleeplessness will be individualized based on medical history and a sick patient’s characteristics.