Amitripiline Withdrawal symptoms

Hi Everyone, I stumbled on to your site and read all of the posts about the horrors of coming off amitriptyline and felt my experiences with amitriptyline withdrawal can help all of you who are suffering. First off, I can confidently tell you all that most of what doctors told me about how to taper off that miserable drug was all wrong. After disastrous attempts in 2018 trying to get off 50 mg. of the stuff after 23 years, I ended up consulting with rehab centers, did my own research and in-house clinical trials and found a protocol that is--manageable and will at least allow you to go on with your life until you're off it. I've spent thousands of dollars with so many doctors and my life was in a very dark hell. Here's what you need to do: You must first understand that you can't get off this drug easily if you've been on it for a substantial amount of time. You can't fast track yourself off that drug without putting yourself through unnecessary hell. Your brain can't heal/re-calibrate that fast. So start by buying one or two of those inexpensive microgram jewelry scales off Amazon--they're usually around $20. Once you have them, weigh the pills you are taking--for example in my case I was taking 50 mg. pills. You will likely have to weight a number of the pills because they won't all be the same weight. Get an average. Then divide that number by 50--if it is a 50 mg. pill. THAT will give you the actual weight of each medical milligram in each pill--and in my case each milligram for each pill was 4.44 mg. of weight per "medical" milligram of the pill. Same for other pills like the 10's, 25's, or the 100's. Using a piece of sandpaper, drag the edge of the pill on the sandpaper to take off 1 mg. & weight that pill a number of times on one or both scales to make sure it's accurate. I found that it almost always took 9 days for any variation in the drug to stabilize in my body. I could never drop more often than every 2 weeks. Then I'd drop again. If it feels like too much for you, then drop 1/2 a milligram. Yes, I know that it may take quite a while to get off the drug that way, but if you can't feel it that much--it's worth it! It has taken me almost a year to drop from 60 down to nearly 45 milligrams where I'm at now, but at least I can function with my life. There are times it's uncomfortable, but as I learned with the re-hab centers, you can take a 500 mg. of choline and a 500 mg. of inositol and those help take the edge off a bad episode of withdrawal. I can't take them regularly, but situationally and they really help. If you have panic attacks coming on, two capsules of California Poppy will stop a panic attack in its tracks in 40 minutes--with no drowsiness or side effects. It's not an opiod like its cousin; it's the California state flower and many doctors use it. Totally safe. Don't be without it. Panic attacks will be a thing of the past if you keep bottles of it on hand. I like Diane's recommendations and I'll have to give those a try, but so far, this is what has allowed me to continue to run my business and function while coming off and at least have a life. The prickly sensations many of you mention and the other side effects are normal--they go away a lot faster if you don't drop so much at a time. If you can handle a 2 mg. drop or more--go for it. Your body will tell you what you can comfortably handle and with the scales you can tailor a drop small enough to get you by. Again, it takes longer than you may want, but who cares if you can make yourself reasonably comfortable along the process? Your brain/nervous system needs a lot of time to heal--and they usually do.

sorry, id meant to say id been in valium for 16 years before elavil.

Hello all,

I came across this thread while looking for info about Ami withdrawal. I'm so glad I found it.

I took a low dose (10mg or sometimes 20mg) for insomnia, most, but not all nights, for about 8 years. Initially I was told by the GP "it's no big deal, you're on such a low dose, you can take it whenever you want, 20 or 10mg" - there was, of course, no mention of the horrendous withdrawal effects etc, as noted by others here....

So to try to cut a long story short, I started to take it less often, as I was looking to move away from using it, but I was not treating it as much of a big deal, as I had been given that idea by the GP.

I noticed dry patches of skin on my back, and tops of my shoulders, which were intensely itchy. Some parts like a rash, some like eczema/psoriasis. I didn't know what was causing it. I had not had anything like that before.

I also had bad diarrhoea for nearly 2 months, but thought this was IBS, which I have experienced on and off before, but usually constipation, not the other type. I also had anxiety and tension headaches - but put this all down to my emotional state and IBS etc,.

Anyway, one day I got hit by a s**t yourself headache with a very unusual flavour, like some blood vessels in the left side of my skull were going to explode. I'm no drama queen, it was literally like that. I didn;t know what the hell was happening to me... I was in the car and managed to get home and just lie down and drink some water. After doing some detective work about what I'd maybe been doing differently, coupled with a sense that some of what I was feeling, felt "chemical" I realised that I had not taken any Ami for about 5 or so days in a row - the first time I had done this. I then looked into the Ami withdrawal symptoms etc and did some research.

Anyway, suspecting the Ami, I took a quarter tablet (about 3mg) that night and the headache dropped in intensity by about 60%.

So, now, conscious that it was the Ami withdrawal, I started tapering off the dose with some attention. I figured I'd already dropped the overall level of Ami in my system over the previous couple of months, so I did quite a quick taper off - maybe too quick, but I just wanted it out of my body soon as...

So, like people here have reported, the withdrawal effects are deeply awful. I've had pretty much everything mentioned in this thread I think, as I scan through.

It's now nearly 4 weeks since my last dose. I'm still having most of the symptoms. although some are less intense, or come in waves. I've been sorely tempted to go back on a small dose, but so far I have stuck it out....

One thing I have found that helps a little with sleep, is a diffuser at night, using Vetiver oil. Plus deep belly breathing whilst trying to relax and calm the mind, and not eating too close to bedtime.

I'm really just checking in here, as I am happy to have found a discussion with people who are going through similar experiences....

Happy to add more info/details etc, if anyone wants to chat...

Thanks for listening,

Wishing you all well with this process.......

Kev 😃