About amitriptyline for pain and migraine

Amitriptyline is a medicine used for treating pain. You can take it:

• to treat nerve pain (neuralgia) and pain that lasts a long time
• to help prevent migraines

Amitriptyline is only available on prescription. It comes as tablets and as a liquid that you swallow.

Amitriptyline is also used to treat depression. The doses used to treat pain are lower than the doses for depression. Taking amitriptyline for pain will not have the same effect as taking it for depression.

Key facts

• It's best to take amitriptyline in the evening or before you go to bed. This is because it can make you feel sleepy.
• You may start to feel better after 1 or 2 weeks, but it can take 6 weeks for amitriptyline to work as a painkiller.
• Amitriptyline can cause extra side effects if you stop taking it suddenly. Talk to your doctor if you want to stop taking it.
• Do not drive, cycle or operate heavy machinery if amitriptyline makes you feel sleepy.
• You can drink alcohol while taking amitriptyline but it may make you feel sleepy. It's usually best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine affects you.