Amitriptyline is a medicine used for treating certain types of pain.
It is only available on prescription and comes as tablets and as a liquid.
You can take it:
- to treat nerve pain (neuralgia)
- to help prevent migraine attacks
- to prevent chronic tension headache
Your GP may also prescribe it for back pain. This is known as off-label use. Talk to your GP or pharmacist about off-label use.
Off label - what it means
Off-label use is when a medicine is prescribed in a way that is different to how it was first licensed.
Your GP may prescribe a medicine off label if they think it will treat your condition effectively.
They prescribe the medicine in a different way than described on the patient information leaflet, such as:
- for a different age group
- to treat another condition
- at a higher or lower dosage
Off label use does not mean that the medicine is unsafe. Your GP will tell you if they are prescribing the medicine off label. They will only prescribe it if the benefits outweigh any risks.
Talk to your pharmacist or GP if you have any concerns or questions about off-label use.
Amitriptyline is also used to treat depression.
The doses used to treat pain are lower than the doses for depression. Taking amitriptyline for pain will not have the same effect as taking it for depression.