Question
Hi my doctor gave me amitriptyline 10mg. I started it last night. Ii took it at 12:00am and could not go to sleep. I stayed up until 5:00am which I never do. Is this normal. I wanted to sleep so bad but I just could not. I can't explain why I could not either. Thanks.

Answer
Is it a common reaction? No.  However - just like people who get all speeded up by Benadryl (which normally makes people fall asleep like a tranquilizer dart) there are people who are wired backward and get speedy from Amitriptyline too.

Ask you doctor about a prescription for Trazadone to help you sleep - it works well, helps your mood during the day and is dirt cheap!

AND

Your doctor has other options to try and reduce the potential for headaches - there are plenty of low risk preventative medications that are also cheap to ward off the cluster headaches.  Some anti-convulsants (these are normally used to prevent seizures) work and some beta blockers can help (these are normally used for blood pressure).  During the day the best thing OTC for Migraines or cluster headaches is Excedrin - the generic is fine.  If you have no excedrine take some aspirin, some tylenol and drink a soda.

Hope that helps.

Dr Joshua