Anyone on "Amitriptyline" tablets.......

[countryboy]

I too have suffered over the years with disturbed sleep. I have found that medical intervention is only a short-term help and not a long term solution. There is a thing about not having caffeine drinks like tea, coffee etc quite soon before bedtime. Have a bath or shower an hour or so before bed and read or something like that to take your mind off things. If you are still finding it difficult to dtop off then try relaxation exercises in bed, tense up and then release muscles in sequence down your body, really tensing up your feet. Keep this feeling of relaxed muscles if you can and hopefully that should help you drift off.

Ian

[P6bJOHN]

It's not the falling asleep, It's the waking up at 3am in agony, then waiting for painkillers to kick in. The disturbed sleep pattern grinds you down eventually.

[VWD]

I'm off driving at the moment, back to Serco, Medical on the 29th may so off till then.

I'ts getting silly at work, we have to declare Lemsip, Beechams Podwers , Aspirin etc, etc, they started it so we'll play the same game

That's what I said . Don't forget stomach stuff, like Kaoline & Morphine. Ours were BUPA, and as I said,panic took hold when I was diagnosed with Diabetes2 - local BUPA couldn't handle it . In the end went to Manchester, who saw it several times a day ,and gave me a clean bill of health . But then , Birmingham had nurses doing medicals.Manchester had doctors. Case of organ grinders & monkeys ,me thinks .

[VWD]

You're slightly incorrect there, as a fellow train driver.

Two work colleagues have been tested as positive for dope aka opiates, but were subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing because they could prove that they had eaten quantities of bread/bakery products & poppy seed cake in one case, which caused it to prove positive.

I'm not a driver. But up to a couple of years ago was subject to NR D & A policy,as a safety critical person ( one of those blokes on track dodging you drivers , and loving the warnings we used to get on the WCML)

My point ( as in Aurics post) was that there was no guidance as to what to avoid, or alternatives, that had no side effects.

My mention of the seeds suspension was as a warning of how silly the whole thing has become .

[Evening Star]

Well unless you work 'sarf of da river on the scalextric railway system*, you won't have to worry about me.

* - Just joking management (I know you're spying on me! )

[VWD]

Well unless you work 'sarf of da river on the scalextric railway system*, you won't have to worry about me.

* - Just joking management (I know you're spying on me! )

No - mate,I'm a retired ( made redundant because of NR policy) track worker . But I've been subject to the same draconian rules - and I know what it's like. My main friends when on track were signalers, and drivers. Both looked to the safety of on track blokes. That's what's wrong with today's rail safety policy.

[Longyear]

Hi,

I took "Amitriptyline" in 1993 following an episode of Depression and Anxiety.

Amitriptyline is a very old form of Anti-Depressent, called a "Tricyclic". These are rarely prescribed these days, as SSRI type Anti-Depressants (Specific Seratonin Reuptake Inhibiters) are more more effective with not 1/10th of the serious side effects (and threat of seizure) involved with Tricyclics like Amitriptyline.

Amitriptyline is actually a '2nd line' presciption these days, so should not be the 'go to' drug for any presented symptom. I am taking it therefore that you have tried other drugs and they weren't effective?

I am sure you will be fine with the med, but I would personally have a chat with your GP about why he thinks Amitriptyline is the best option, over something like Fluoxetine or Citalopram.

If you wanted to try something more natural, try "Happy Days" (5-HTP), a natural amino acid based product from Healthspan; reputed to be excellent as a sleeping aid.

Cheers.

Edited 22 May, 2012 by Longyear

[Auric Goldfinger]

No - mate,I'm a retired ( made redundant because of NR policy) track worker . But I've been subject to the same draconian rules - and I know what it's like. My main friends when on track were signalers, and drivers. Both looked to the safety of on track blokes. That's what's wrong with today's rail safety policy.

I must say track discipline has gone out of the window lately, Into York/Leeds is Bi-Directional and the number of track workers on there Mobile, stood in the four foot is unreal, I'm surprised we don't have more " Incidents "

[Evening Star]

You mean big red dents & shreds of HVV on the couplers.

Nearly took one idiots head off the other day doing 90 stuck his head around the bridge parapet!

[Kevsta]

I was prescribed amitriptyline a couple of years ago. Lasted three days before I went back to the Doc, it caused me nothing but problems. I started taking on the Monday, and finished on the Wednesday. It caused massive sweating, bad hallucinations, and cronic insomania. I not sleep for three nights and four days.

I have a friend who is a GP in her early thirties and she will not prescribe it, she considers it a well a bad drug and this is not worth it. And she is right there are far far better medications out there, and it seems that older GP do like prescribing it.

Speak to your GP to see if there is a local sleep clinic that you can be referred to.

[queeg]

.

[Auric Goldfinger]

Ours were BUPA. Birmingham had nurses doing medicals.Manchester had doctors. Case of organ grinders & monkeys ,me thinks .

Ours used to be BUPA, but now its SERCO Medical.

If you need to see the Doctor then you go on a Tuesday or Thursday other wise it's a nurse any other day.

No dout Golf isn't played Tuesdays or Thursdays

[Lazy Daisy]

I never realised there was so much to driving a train. I thought it was just two pedals, one to stop and one to go, it's not even as if you need to steer.

[Llanigraham]

A simple exercise for you Daisy.

On your drive to work remember EVERY road sign you pass, EVERY side road, EVERY speed limit, exactly. Plus know how to basically make a simple repair to your car.

That is just the start!

[Auric Goldfinger]

A simple exercise for you Daisy.

On your drive to work remember EVERY road sign you pass, EVERY side road, EVERY speed limit, exactly. Plus know how to basically make a simple repair to your car.

That is just the start!

......whilst driving at 100 + MPH in thick pea soup fog,

[Llanigraham]

Come on Andy, I did say that was just for starters.

[Evening Star]

Some of our trainees have to drive at 100mph whilst learning.

Then there's leaves on the line, whilst driving at 100mph, the problem then comes trying to stop the ****** thing, so whereas your normal stopping distance in the dry/good conditions from 100mph maybe ½ -¾ mile, you may have to increase that by 25-33% to compensate for the sliding as it's like driving on ice.

[Auric Goldfinger]

Some of our trainees have to drive at 100mph whilst learning.

Then there's leaves on the line, whilst driving at 100mph, the problem then comes trying to stop the ****** thing, so whereas your normal stopping distance in the dry/good conditions from 100mph maybe ½ -¾ mile, you may have to increase that by 25-33% to compensate for the sliding as it's like driving on ice.

Leaves on the line, thick fog and its night time, 100+ MPH and the wheels are locked solid, the cheeks of your ar5e nip together,.........Bliss

No wonder were on Bl00dy tablets

[VWD]

I never realised there was so much to driving a train. I thought it was just two pedals, one to stop and one to go, it's not even as if you need to steer.

Lot more ,LD.I,ve never had a train licence,but abroad I had a trolley licence- allowing me to drive a motorised engineer trolley on main lines. ( As in me being a mini train driver) . No steering, that's true, but you need to recognise the types of signals, and know how to check if points are set for yor direction of travel( trains have it easy- their weight will force them over ,known as a run through, but a trolley will come off) .

As Auric said ,"no wonder we're on tablets" - The public DO NOT comprehend the stresses placed on those who operate the train service.

[Llanigraham]

And you all depend on us "bobbies" keeping you safe and secure. :think:

[Evening Star]

And you all depend on us "bobbies" keeping you safe and secure. :think:

It's a darn good job you can't hear the language in the signalboxes when someone leaves a single yellow out in the fog at night when the leaves are down doing the ton, only to find that after you've slid for ½-¾ mile you've got a green on the next one!

Basingstoke, Eastleigh & Woking are prime ones for that!

[Auric Goldfinger]

It's a darn good job you can't hear the language in the signalboxes when someone leaves a single yellow out in the fog at night when the leaves are down doing the ton, only to find that after you've slid for ½-¾ mile you've got a green on the next one!

Basingstoke, Eastleigh & Woking are prime ones for that!

We have the same problem but quite a few of our signals are semaphore with very dim lights ( paraffin).

trying to spot them at night isn't very good at the best of time so foggy weather keeps you on your toes

[Llanigraham]

What's a single yellow?

Proper signals around here, LOWER Quadrant semaphore, but at least all our lights are electric, Andy

[Evening Star]

The hamster's providing the power!

Most of Wales think it's witchcraft, this stuff called electrickery.

[Auric Goldfinger]

Proper signals around here, LOWER Quadrant semaphore,

Victorian Railways, Can you contact the next box by phone Graham or is it Morse code, Beacons or Flags, The Union Jack of course