Amitriptyline Vs Nortriptyline (Page 2)
(Newest replies first)

Hi everyone, I'm interested in amitriptyline and/or nortriptyline. I have been taking amitriptyline 100mg at night. As usual my dose was increased over time. The only side effect I had difficulty with is that grogginess in the morning which I don't like. I'm most interested in no grogginess. I was told that it shall pass as my body adjusts. I found a different drug called nortriptyline accidentally while looking for insurance. They consider amitriptyline to be a tier 4 as to nortriptyline a tier 2, that's a huge difference in price for me, so I looked it up and they seem to be basically the same medicine but I noticed that in the comments area the grogginess was not so much a problem as to the other medicine...so if anyone can help me out with feedback that would be great. I don't go back to the dr. for 3 weeks...and I want to be prepared for what I might ask for. So is nortriptyline better than amitriptyline? Thx everyone.

REPLY

REPORT

I’ve been on nortriptyline for 5 years and have never experienced any grogginess.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hello Charlene,

It seems you have done some proper research on the drugs but there are a few key things to keep in mind. First being that every user is going to experience the drug differently so while it is still good to look up reviews to see how common or strong the side effects are for most people it doesn't necessarily mean you will have the same experience. Something else to take into consideration is that since you are not going to see your doctor for 3 weeks perhaps by that time your body will have adjusted more to the grogginess. If not, ask your doctor how long the adverse reaction is going to last give your situation and see if it is even worth switching drugs.

If the grogginess has dissipated slightly but not completely it may be worth sticking with it because there is always a risk when trying new drugs. It might be worth waiting out this adverse reaction simply because you know the drug works with your body and there is no certainty that the nortriptyline will work for you.

Just keep these in mind when you go in. As for the nortriptyline vs amitriptyline adverse reaction I have found that both drugs commonly have the grogginess as an adverse reaction but most users say that the nortriptyline does wear off faster. So even if you do switch it is possible that your body will need to readjust again and you'll still be experiencing the symptom. Talk with your doctor and see what they think as it never hurts to know all of your options.

Best wishes.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I am also on Amitriptline and have been for years. My dosage is 50 mg. Initially it also made me very groggy, but after my body adjusted the grogginess went away and I woke up feeling wonderfully refreshed and ready to face the day. What a godsend! It has made a HUGE difference in my life.

You are taking 100 mg. That's a high dose. Did your doctor start you out at a lower dose and gradually increase it? Or did he start you out at 100 mg? My doctor started me at 25 mg and once my body adjusted he increased it to 50.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Hello Charlene, I was prescribed nortriptyline and amitriptyline for the nephropathy by my neurologist. I had a bad experience with these drugs. Both of them caused grogginess the next day and also balance and memory issue. After about 2 weeks, I stopped taking these medications because I read a lot about very bad side effects of these medications. These are anti seizure medications that are prescribed off label for a nerve pain. After experiencing bad side effects, I discontinued these drugs and not taking anything for the nerve pain. I’ve learned how to deal with the nerve pain and will not take these medications that not help the body to recover but instead masking and compounding the problem. Charlene, I don’t know what for you were prescribed amitriptyline, but if I were you I would not take any anti seizure meds that include lyrica and cymbalta too. I hope I did not scare you but I just want to help. Just know that doctors hand out the meds like candy and don’t care about side effects they can cause.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Hi, I was on amitriptyline 20 mg before sleep time and venlafaxine 150 mg in the morning. Because of side effects my doc...

1 REPLY

With toprol amitriptyline nortriptyline ## WHAT MEDICINES SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN WITH TOPROL ## I'm sorry, but there ar...

2 REPLIES

Is amitriptyline the same medicine as Cymbalta? ## No, Cymbalta is Duloxetine, it is an SSNRI, selective seratonin and n...

2 REPLIES

I took the white M77 for years, one and a half year ago my script provder changed it to the blue 1201 v. during this tim...

5 REPLIES

I am taking 25 MG at night and sometimes 25 MG in the day time. I have very short temper and I get angry very fast. I am...

35 REPLIES

I have been taking 10mg of nortriptyline at night for migraine prevention for approximately 7 weeks. Shortly after start...

14 REPLIES

I've been on 100 mg of tramadol 2x per day for a little over 1 month this time. I'm having s horrible time detox...

6 REPLIES

Need deep sleep! How much of this stuff would I need to take to knock me out for the count and make me oblivious to anyt...

5 REPLIES

I just started 25mg nortriptyline for migraine prevention. I was previously on amitriptyline for them and it worked so w...

5 REPLIES

HI, I'm taking amitriptyline for interstitial cystitis and have recently been diagnised with under active thyroid so...

5 REPLIES