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Misc Amitriptyline vs. Cyclobenzaprine (medical use)

Jamshyd

Jamshyd

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
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Not on a train, sadly.
I have a script for Amitriptyline which I use every once in a while to get to sleep. 25mg - or whatever the lowest dose/yellow pill is - is surprisingly affective at getting me to sleep (since I'm going through benzo withdrawals). Unfortunately, if I take it for any more than 4 days in a row, I start getting strange thought patterns and feel some pretty nasty anticholinergic effects.

I was wondering if it is worth pursuing a script for Cyclobenzaprine?

For those who tried both drugs, how do you compare their efficacy as sleeping-aids?

Also, about the Cyclo, is it actually any more relaxing than other TCAs? I really find it hard to believe an anticholinergic can be muscle-relaxing...

I mean the two are analogues (in fact the only difference I see is that the Cyclo has one extra bond in the middle ring), is it possible that it is actually more relaxing?

If I could get any fast replies, I'd appreciate it since I see my doctor tomorrow...
 
I've not tried Cyclo, but I'd imagine it could be slightly more sedating that Amitriptyline. It could even have a lower tendency to cause the strange thought patterns you talked about, though I cannot be sure.

I reckon it'd be worth checking out :) I'd like to know if it was any better than Ami.
 
Not really sure Jamshyd. How have other sleep aids (other TCA's, or antihistamines) worked for you in the past? Some antihistamines have less anticholinergic effects than others (making them more friendly at larger doses when you aren't getting relief from baseline doses).
 
My girlfriend is prescribed Amitriptyline and I've had a bottle of Cyclobenzaprine with me for years now- I find them both sedating, no question there. However, for me at least, the Amitriptyline makes me tired with little or no perceived side effects, and I wake up the next day perhaps a bit groggy, but otherwise perfectly normal.

Cyclobenzaprine definitely makes me drowsy, and is a decent muscle relaxer in the event of an injury, but I really don't like the way it makes me feel over all. More than that, the day after taking Cyclobenzaprine I am always extremely and inexplicably irritable and short tempered.

It seems like Cyclo has a longer half life/duration of action, and is a little "too" anticholinergic-esque for me to take unless I really need it, if that makes sense.
 
Thanks for the input guys.

My IDIOT psychiatrist tells me that "there is no such thing as "Cyclobenzaprine"".

That said, I create a new disorder everytime I visit him, so today I walked out with my Ami and a cute little bottle of Concerta. lol.

I will ask my family doctor about Cyclobenzaprine.
 
Jamshyd said:
Thanks for the input guys.

My IDIOT psychiatrist tells me that "there is no such thing as "Cyclobenzaprine"".

That said, I create a new disorder everytime I visit him, so today I walked out with my Ami and a cute little bottle of Concerta. lol.

I will ask my family doctor about Cyclobenzaprine.
Click to expand...


lol I do the same shit with my psychatrist and family doc xD I try to have opiate but it's not an easy thing... all I got is tramal D: ! ...
 
I did not find flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) to be useful for anything really.........I would recommend trazodone, but after you mentioned that you get some bad side effects from amitriptyline, I do not think it would be a good sleep-aid for you. How about hydroxyzine? Or maybe even something like lunesta......I found it to be far superior for sleep than ambien, and also had very few side effects if any.
 
Jamshyd said:
Thanks for the input guys.

My IDIOT psychiatrist tells me that "there is no such thing as "Cyclobenzaprine"".
Click to expand...

Wow, that's surprising...flexeril is a super common drug and it has helped greatly when I've hurt my back in the past. I don't know how effective it is for other things, but it is good for injuries.
 
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I haven;t used cyclo for a sleep aid, but its great when mixed with opiates. Although one time I took it with just suboxone, so did my friend, and we were pissed that we bought it because it didn't seem to do anything. A while later it snuck up on me and i melted into bed, so i suppose it could be a good sleep aid
 
I actually like cyclo more than some benzos. It may by anticholinergic but its effects are very different and more relaxing than other drugs in that family.

It lasts long but I'd give it a try and see how it works. I think it will definitely get you to sleep better.
 
CitioKid said:
I actually like cyclo more than some benzos. It may by anticholinergic but its effects are very different and more relaxing than other drugs in that family.

It lasts long but I'd give it a try and see how it works. I think it will definitely get you to sleep better.
Click to expand...

Really? At what doses. Off the top of my head I forget what they come in, but I call them "motorolas" because they have that M and they come in 2 stregths I think.

I've found benzos to be better and I would need a lot of the cyclo to get the same effect.

My ex-girlfriends parent used to get cyclo, but then got switched to tizanidine, which was horrible compared to cyclo.
 
at 15-20mg i get the best affect. any higher and i fall the fuck asleep.

i find it odd that on erowid some people describe cyclo as being one of the better pharms, while in practice and on forums people seem to hate it.

on some benzos, namely nasal xanax and oral valium, i get a nice high that i would always take over cyclo. but i'd take cyclo over kpins or rohypnol any day.
 
I know this is an old thread brought back so I'm not exactly giving this info for jamshyd but in general if someone searches this thread or something...

I've been prescribed both nortriptyline and separately cyclobenzaprine at doses of up to 40mg q night and 10mg TID (but admittedly took 20mg at times) respectively for chronic pain. I found cyclobenzaprine to be more sedating as well as more anxiolytic and oddly, less of certain anticholinergic side effects such as dry mouth/odd tastes and restlessness.

If other people are in a similar situation, I wouldn't be surprised if GP's or psychiatrists were unwilling to prescribe flexiril off-label for sleep, relaxation, etc. Despite most MR's being useless recreationally, for some reason, they are perceived by some to have more abuse potential then they do.

Of course this drug practically is a TCA pharmacologically, but many doctors and psychiatrists are not as versed in such as they should be. I see no reason why a doctor SHOULDN'T prescribe this for the indications described, but it wouldn't surprise me if they wouldn't.

Also... how've you been since all this? I don't know if you'll see this, but I thought I'd ask in case you do.
 
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