Splitting amitriptyline

[dorri]

Hi my doctor prescribed amitriptyline 10mg. I've been splitting the tablet and still feel over sedated. I wake up with a headache. I think it's from sleeping too long. Has anyone here tried to split this pill, it's not scored so it's hard as rock and doesn't split easily. It would be nice if I could continue to take it, but why does this little dosage hit me so hard? Any suggestions? Thanks

[lori j]

Originally Posted by dorri

Hi my doctor prescribed amitriptyline 10mg. I've been splitting the tablet and still feel over sedated. I wake up with a headache. I think it's from sleeping too long. Has anyone here tried to split this pill, it's not scored so it's hard as rock and doesn't split easily. It would be nice if I could continue to take it, but why does this little dosage hit me so hard? Any suggestions? Thanks

Dorri, I had posted to you on another thread, but yes I did always split mine in half with one of those little red pill splitters & no it isn't easy. I weigh about 105 and most meds hit me hard, like I almost need a childs dose of meds. The half pill I would take at bedtime helped me sleep well & I did not have the drowsy feeling the next day. I'm not sure why it is hitting you so hard, it is one of the AD's that I handled very well without any adverse side affects. Ask your doc about it, it may just take a few weeks to get used to it. It's hard remembering back as I was on it for 7 years, but it may have made me drowsy at first, I was going thru a very bad time when I started on it & wanted to sleep all the time anyway, so hard to remember. I know I took it for 7 years & it did not make me drowsy the next day.

[dorri]

lori thanks for the reply. Maybe as I continue to take it, I won't feel the sedation effect as much. I appreciate the fact that it helps me to sleep, but I slept in until 11:15 this morning. I seldom sleep past 8. The 2xs I've taken it I awoke the next morning with a headache. The headache could be from sleeping so long, I'm not sure. Well, soon it's bedtime and I'll be trying it again. Wish me luck!

With some medications, if you split them it breaks the coating and nulls the time release. The concave line along the width of the tablet is created as the tablets are made, not necessarily to make it easier to break as one may think. It is quite possible because the tablet was cut in half, the full dose went into the bloodstream all at once reducing it's effectiveness. It's just my opinion but don't think splitting the Amitriptyline is helping. This medication causes daytime sedation. If you take the medication at night, perhaps taking it a few hours earlier will help. Good Luck.

[dorri]

Update, I tried amitriptyline several times. My doctor told me to try and split them because it was hitting me too hard. I tried with a knife but it was impossible because it chewed the tablet up. I bought a pill splitter and it worked just fine. The split tablet didn't hit me like the full one did, however I noticed that I was getting vivid dreams, some of which weren't too pleasant. After a few times of this, it was enough for me and I quit taking them. From what I heard, this is a medication that most people do well on so I don't know why I reacted this way.