Elavil and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2019

For Insomnia "This is a terrible drug. Took Elavil 25mg as was prescribed for arthritis pain, which would also help with insomnia. Put me in a hazy, not a full sleep with vivid scary nightmares, which were very disturbing and terrifying. My heart was pounding loudly in my chest, sweating, unable to feel anything, felt totally spaced out until six the following evening. Shaky, nervous, and very anxious. Could not safely drive as I felt drunk. Take my advice, keep away from this drug, it’s scary and frightening."

• Sam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2019

For Insomnia "This is a terrible drug. Took Elavil 25mg as was prescribed for arthritis pain, which would also help with insomnia. Put me in a hazy, not a full sleep with vivid scary nightmares, which were very disturbing and terrifying. My heart was pounding loudly in my chest, sweating, unable to feel anything, felt totally spaced out until six the following evening. Shaky, nervous, and very anxious. Could not safely drive as I felt drunk. Take my advice, keep away from this drug, it’s scary and frightening."

• Nli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 3, 2019

For Pain "I was prescribed a low dose for my IBS-related pain. It did help my stomach, but I suffered badly with the side effects. I would take it at night before bed, but during the daytime, I experienced shakes, anxiety, severe trouble focusing, and could barely string sentences together, so I stopped taking it two days ago. I am still suffering from bad shakes and difficulty concentrating. Be very careful with it."

• Fal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2016

For Pain "I was prescribed Elavil mainly for chronic headaches. I also suffer from depression, anxiety, and insomnia, so my neurologist had me start Elavil to try and kill many birds with one stone, so to speak. Elavil worked great to reduce the intensity of my headaches. Although they were still ongoing, it was much more tolerable. I had been on Elavil for only one month and a week before I stopped. The first week my insomnia and anxiety seemed to be simmering down (this stopped soon after week 2). As for my depression, Elavil put it under a magnifying glass. I was suicidal and crying on a daily basis, it was not the medication for me. It helped with the main objective but at a horrible cost."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2024

"I want to post this for others with anxiety. I have been on 20 mg of Lexapro for some years, but it was not fully addressing my anxiety. I added Elavil to it - 10 mg a night. My anxiety increased greatly for roughly the first two weeks (these are the startup effects). I am now on day 19, and the anxiety has vanished. I am so grateful for this medication. I want to leave this review for others who are having the startup anxiety. It is horrible, but so worth it. Don't give up!"

• Anonymous
• January 4, 2011

For Vulvodynia "Elavil really worked for the vulvodynia discomfort. Unfortunately, it also made me super anxious and shaky, and I just couldn't tolerate it."