I have been given Amitriptyline to help with my depression, and to help me relax at night, so I get a better sleep. I am on 2x50mg, plus 1x 25mg, but there are some nights that nothing helps me to get to sleep. I am not depressive because of my diabetes, I have been a depressive from the age of 15, and have been put on different drugs to 'try' and see if they help.
My problem is that I can get to sleep ok, but after about 3/4 of an hour, to 2 hours, I come wide awake and have to go downstairs again. I spend most of the night sitting in a chair, catching up on tv shows, or films, that I recorded earlier, and I do doze off again, but not for very long each time.
I have seen a psychiatrist, he couldn't help, and a counselor, she didn't help, so my GP put me on the Amitriptyline to try and help. I have severe arthritis in so many parts of my body, it would be quicker to tell you where it isn't, I also have Gout, so I am on Dihydracodine for the pain, maximum dose of 8 in 24 hours. It doesn't really help much, as I have been on them for so long that my body has got used to it. I am on 50mg pills, and can take up to 8 in one 24 hour period but, as I said, they don't really help much. My GP said that the next step up would be something like Pethedine but, as they are so addictive, he couldn't prescribe them. Hopefully there will be some scientist who finds a pain killer that will do just that, kill the pain, and be non-addictive at the same time, but I don't hold out much hope of it being discovered before I kick the bucket!
Oh well, we all seem to have rotten health issues, and I understand now why my Gran used to say that old age doesn't come alone!!