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Amitripiline Withdrawal symptoms

Posted , 82 users are following.

patrick34872
patrick34872

Hi,  I was taking 75/100mg of amitripiline for chronic pain.  (5 Yrs)  The pain has now disappeared & i came off amitripiline over 6 weeks.  After about 3 to 4 weeks, i am still waking up extremely early & having trouble going to sleep.  But the main thing that concerns me is, i have developed a prickly sensation all over my body which i have had for about 7 weeks.  The doctors thinks this has nothing to do with withdrawal from amitripilne, i have had antihistimines & creams which has no effect.  Has anyone experienced this sensation on withdrawal.

3 likes, 184 replies

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  • diane_b
    diane_b patrick34872

    Edited

    Hi Patrick

    I was on 200mg amitriptyline per night for 18 years. I stopped taking it completely about 5 months ago. I also have the prickly sensation since stopping taking it. For me it's worse in my hands for some reason. The sleep problems are also a withdrawal side effect. I have been using the supplements 5-htp and valerian and they do help with falling asleep. Unfortunately I haven't found anything to help with the prickling but have started taking magnesium because I was told it might help. If anyone on here has a solution to the prickling I'd love to know.

    Stick with it, you are not alone.

    Diane

  • patrick34872
    patrick34872

    Posted

    Hi, Thank you all for your replies, much appreciated.

    I am sure the prickly sensation will disappear in time as our bodies return to normal.  Doctors should be aware of the withdrawal symptoms of drugs.  My Doctor told me, that the drug would be out of my system after a couple of weeks & that any withdrawal symptoms would clear within a month.  I knew the prickly sensation was to do with withdrawal.

    Thanks

  • patrick34872
    patrick34872

    Posted

    Hi,

    Sorry I forgot to mention, I was adviced to take Vit B50 complex for the prickle sensation, it takes about 3 weeks to work.  I will let you know what happens

    Kind regards

    Patrick

     

  • jacqueline54301
    jacqueline54301 patrick34872

    Posted

    HELLO PATRICK. yes yes & yes to all of what you mention, plus many more.

    Sleep pattern  is terrible, cant get to sleep, awake early,  sweating terribly, flushes, hot & cold, & shakes.

    Everything is happening & it is all withdrawel symtoms of taking this very STRONG & ADDICTIVE DRUG.

    Jackie

    • anita49406
      anita49406 jacqueline54301

      Posted

      Hi Jackie I c ur post is a few months ago just wondered how ur feeling now I ve been of them since 22dec ruined my and my sons Christmas couldn't eat didn't want to do anything but worst of all I ended up with agrophobia it s terrible never had it b 4 I stopped my doctor said no withdrawals

    • mary75226
      mary75226 jacqueline54301

      Posted

      Did your symptoms improve? I hope so! When did your sleep return to normal? Can barely function with this insomnia

  • jacqueline54301
    jacqueline54301 patrick34872

    Posted

    Hello Patrick again.

    PS I was informed by my GP it could take a year or more to overcome the withdrawal symtoms of taking AMITRYPTALINE if not more.

    Jackie

    I have not been taking them now for about 14weeks & I am still having problems

    • rich12565
      rich12565 jacqueline54301

      Posted

      Hi Jacqueline,

      I was on this drug for 10 years and my doc weened me off over a 5 week taper.  Started with 10mg but over time my dosage was increased to 50mg.  i think It should have been a 5 month taper but the doc disagrees.   I have had horrible symptoms as well (withdrawal I assume)  I was finished taking the drug in early May.  You think this is going to take until next May to get over this?  could I go back on a low dosage (10mg) to releive the symptoms?  and just ween off over the next year?

      Rich

    • rich12565
      rich12565 patrick34872

      Posted

      Hi Patrick, yes.  I had my doc start me up again.  one week at 10mg then the next two weeks at 20mg.  I have an appt on tuesday to see if she is going to increase it again.  I still have some very uncomfortable symptoms.  mostly off balance issues and my face gets hot frequently. I also still get some jitters in my core. But I definitely went through hell in August.  fevers, no sleep, very fast heart beat, fast heavy breathing, and a pain inside my gut....like someone was squeezing my pancreas.  not to mention i had diarhea for 2 weeks straight.  it's very weird now because all of my off balance/dizziness issues dont appear at all if im driving.  The smaller the room im in, the worse it gets.  At least I'm back at work.  My withdrawal was mostly delayed as well......nothing nasty started until about 7 weeks after stopping the meds.  Thats probably why the ER could never figure it out, and I didnt even think of it being this at the beginning either.

    • patrick34872
      patrick34872 rich12565

      Posted

      I think it starts when the meds are completely out of your system. My doc said that I am not suffering from withdrawal as the meds has been out of my system so long. My body has been relying on the meds for sleep, so my body now has to get use to going to sleep on its own. The prickling skin sensation, he hasn't got a clue what that is. One doctor did tell me, that sometimes when we introduce you to a medicine. Your body will rely on it & may have to stay on it for the rest of your life, which is quite scary.

  • heather51637
    heather51637 patrick34872

    Posted

    Hi Jackie, it's shocking we put our lives in their hands. I don't think there are many who really care.

    • heather51637
      heather51637

      Posted

      I'm back on amitriptyline. Withdrawal symptoms I could put up with but the restless leg terrible. I'm taking 25mg doctor thinks that once it builds up in my system the restless leg syndrome will go. I sincerely hope so because it's driving me mad during the day. The amitriptyline is knock on no me out at night thank goodness because I wasn't getting any sleep.

  • patrick34872
    patrick34872

    Posted

    Update, so far.  Approximately 10 weeks off amitripiline, I still have this extremely irritating prickling all over my body.  Still waking very early in the morning.  I have been back to the docs, who has given me blood tests which came back negative.  The solution is to put me back on amitripiline as the doctor thinks I have developed this abnormal sensation in my body (Prickling of the skin) while I was taking the amitripiline & the amitripiline has been flattening it.

    • blythe85287
      blythe85287 patrick34872

      Posted

      Hi, Patrick. I have a great deal of neuropathy - nerve damage in my legs from a car accident and down my arms from a different accident. When I forget to take it, 75mgs at night, I am engulfed in intense pain and my doctors tell me I can take more pain than an NFL linebacker.

      It also helps with the other symptoms you shared and sleeping which intense why I started taking it.

      Diabetes causes neuropathy besides nerve trauma. Do you have your bloo glucose checked?

      Good luck!

    • blythe85287
      blythe85287

      Posted

      Sorry for the "auto-correct" bizarre typos! I'm on my phone. smile

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