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Amitripiline Withdrawal symptoms

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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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  • victoria1712
    victoria1712 patrick34872

    Posted

    hi ive been off Amitryptaline for 5 weeks now after being on 200mg for 16 years and put a lot of weight on. i just wanted to know if anyone has lost any weight after coming of them.

  • ryanismith93
    ryanismith93 patrick34872

    Posted

    its great to find this post. Ive been on 75mg for 2 years and cane off then 2 weeks ago. ive had aching and feverish symptoms. one of the worst things has been the nausea and headaches its almost constant and standard pain killers don't seem to help relieve them. I have tried a low dose travel tablet which helped with the nausea but the headaches are so brutal, its like having a weight on the front and back of my head and a constant throb.

    does anyone recommend anything to help with the headache side of things?

  • sarah82273
    sarah82273 patrick34872

    Edited

    Hi all,

    Im really happy i found this forum because i too have had terrible amitryptaline side effects after stopping it. i was only on 10 mg for 18 months, which is the lowest dose that seemed to be available in the U.S. i went on it for severe migraines which it seemed to help at first. but soon there were lots of side effects, horrific constipation, dry mouth, and it wasnt even helping my migraines anymore so i decided to get off it. i titrated off it extremely slowly for 4 months. but then dizziness, which id never had before, arose. and it wasnt conventional dizziness, but horrible, daily, debilitating dizziness. i also had terribly stiff neck and back pain which werent new but seemed to have increased. its been a really awful journey. its been almost a year since my last pill, and my anxiety around health has been hard to manage. i hope that some day this will go away, and in the mean time i am trying everything not medication related to try to alleviate this. my doctor thought maybe the Ami had caused nerve damage. i am thinking of all of you as i struggle as well.

    has anyone else had this overpowering dizziness/vertigo?

    Sarah

    • nancy72466
      nancy72466 sarah82273

      Posted

      yes Sarah, i have constant dizziness and disequalibrum every day and i took my last pill Oct 2020. TOday is July 2021. add that to the constant fatigue and back pain and life is not enjoyable. i was on 15 mgs for 30 years for pain and took 3 1/2 years to taper off... ending October 2020. very long road.

  • Mr.Wilson
    Mr.Wilson patrick34872

    Posted

    Good evening everyone going through withdrawal symptoms.

    Ive been off amitriptyline for about a month. Terrible symptoms on my end. Extreme dizziness, loud ringing in my ears, horrible fatigue and very low motivation to do anything. Of course with extreme fatigue, you don't have much motivation to do anything. I didn't get the nausea or the GI tract problems that I've read in earlier post but not everyone will have the exact same symptoms as the other i assume.

    I was placed on amitriptyline when I was in my early 20's for panic attacks so, that puts me around the 15 year mark of being dependent on this drug for sleep and general well being knowing what the withdrawal affects are now. I've been to multiple doctors and have yet to get any relief from the withdrawals that I personally have. As I've read in earlier post, it takes time for your brain to regulate from the absence of this drug. It's been a pure nightmare for me and hindsight is always 20/20. Wish I had never been prescribed this medication and I'm sure every soul in this discussion feels the same way. Just wondering if anyone else has the same symptoms i have so I'll know it's only the medication withdrawals and I'll stop searching the internet scaring myself trying to self diagnose my symptoms.

    • jessica78592
      jessica78592 Mr.Wilson

      Posted

      Hi Mr. Wilson and everyone else here...

      I've fully been off ami for about two weeks now. I was first put on it in January for insomnia and was taking 25mg. It cured my insomnia, but while on it my resting heart rate went up close to 90bpm and my normally low blood pressure (80's/60's) went up to 140/90. After going to the ER for palpitations and dizzy spells, I decided this drug isn't worth it.

      I have every symptom you listed. Loud ringing in my ears almost constantly but especially in the evenings. Intense fatigue and lack of motivation. Vertigo and dizziness daily, too. I also have the GI symptoms. My stomach is always sour, especially later in the day. I've lost 5 pounds in the last two weeks so I'm now 125lbs and I'm nervous about losing any more weight but I cannot stomach food (I was 115 before ami, but was okay with the weight gain to put some meat on my bones). I also am battling depression like crazy, my insomnia is back and actually worse, and I get weird hot flashes and tingles on my arms and legs.

      Like all of us, I wish I'd never been put on this med.

    • jessica78592
      jessica78592

      Posted

      Oh, and headaches. Oof.

      I should add that I've been tapering off ami since March. The withdrawal symptoms have been there every time I've tried to taper.

    • kevatron
      kevatron Mr.Wilson

      Posted

      Hello.

      I hear you - about looking up the symptoms and trying to understand what it going on. I have had all the symptoms you describe, apart from the ear ringing.

      I have had lots more too.... I'm hanging in there - and hope you are too.

      I have thought that there was something deeply wrong with me, but now I do think that it's all caused by coming off the drug......

  • kerry37870
    kerry37870 patrick34872

    Edited

    Hi All,

    I've only been taking amitripiline for 6 weeks (perscribed for vaccine induced chronic daily tension headaches post COVID vaccine). I stopped taking them 3 days ago and boy do i know it! I've had vertigo, hot flushes, pressure in ears/head (worse than the pressure I actually started taking them for in the first place), prickly skin and insomnia! I was on 10mg for 2 weeks and 20mg thereafter.

    I went cold turkey (thought I'd be ok due to limited time on the medication). I'm 42, usually fit and well and triathlon train 5 x per week, never been on any other medication but can barely function. I hope I can stick it out as I really don't want to have to go through this again. Urgh! Good to hear I'm not losing my mind, as my doctor seems to think it couldn't possibly be caused by amitripiline withdrawal based on the limited time I took it for. I disagree! Good luck everyone!

  • dawn48284
    dawn48284 patrick34872

    Edited

    Hi I have been on Endep (Amitriptyline) 20mg for the last 10 years and two weeks ago he just told me to stop taking them, he gave me no reason just told me to stop. Initially my Back Specialist had started me on the medication and I had no idea that they were bad for you.

    I have all the symptoms that everyone is talking about and feel dreadful.

    Why are they on the market if they are so bad?

  • sue73823
    sue73823 patrick34872

    Posted

    Hi Patrick

    I have been on and off Amitryptiline for 30 years now and have been tapering off the drug for a year and half now (my GP said to come off very slowly).

    About a year ago I developed a prickly feeling all over my body for about 3 weeks and then it disappeared - my GP said it was a withdrawal symptom of the drug!

    I now am experiencing anxiety and irritability - awful but am determined to get off it this time! My GP has said that it is possible to do this.

    Sue

  • lesley10783
    lesley10783 patrick34872

    Posted

    hi , so glad i found this site. I was put on amatripyline about 12 years ago as i have fibromyalgia . i have now decided that I no longer wNt to take them so I have weaned myself down from 40mg to 10mg with the aim to be off them completely by end of next week. I too am having all these symptoms that i see on this site. tummy been playing me up for a while , itching all around my head and face and feeling very dizzy and nauseous at times. It is very reassuring that you ar3 not alone and that these symptoms will go eventually . So it must be the right thing to do is to rid ourselves of this drug. With help we can do it

  • lesley10783
    lesley10783 patrick34872

    Posted

    i stopped taking amitriptyline 2 weeks ago . i gradually dropped from 40mg to zero over a couple of months. i can honestly say i feel so rubbish since. Had the most awful itchy rash on back of hands and around my neck and throat area and dizziness and nausea . Itchiness a lot better but the bouts of nausea and dizziness are horrible. I think this causes anxiety too. I wish I had known about this awful drug before I started tAking iy about 12 years ago for fibromyalgia . I just want to feel well again

  • nicole30511
    nicole30511 patrick34872

    Posted

    If only I had discovered this forum sooner. I have been on amitriptyline for about 5-6 years and at one point was on 100mg a day without any guidance or knowledge I have weaned myself off of these and am now on 10mg every other day. I am really wanting to come off of them completely. Without even realising I have had a lot of the those symptoms over the years that the doctors have looked into but nothing has come of them. The tummy issues, and have been tested for intolerances. The aches and pains everywhere in the body. The anxiety I do suffer with however now I am wondering how much of it is caused by me coming off the pills over the years without realising. Currently under investigation because my ears, face and jaw are really painful and keep going numb, which triggered several panic attacks as it felt like I couldnt swallow and so the cycle continues. My ears feel like I'm under water and wont pop. After reading your comments im now wondering if this is just another side affect. The doctors has put my on liquid form of ami so I can reduce at 0.2mg each time to come off of them. Its really nice to know I am not going mad and making this all up because I feel sometimes people want to say its all in your head its not really happening you cant possibly have all those issues. Yet I very much feel all of them!

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