Posted , 100 users are following.
Hi all, i have tried unsuccessfully to withdrawal from amitriptyline twice. every time i get down to 5mg i start with awful symptoms, bad headaches, nausea, belching, abdominal cramps, back ache and my bowels get so upset they feel like they are swollen i get bloated have wind and abdomen feels bruised. has anyone experienced this also?
9 likes, 915 replies
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stephen73292 amanda59745
Posted
Oh no! I want to come off them too but when i hear horror stories like this, i get so scared to come off them.
Good luck amanda & get well soon.
ecsuee amanda59745
Posted
Dear Amanda, I started a thread last week about withdrawal. When I tried to go down to 5mg, from 10mg, a few years ago I got my migraines back so went back to 10mg. However, this time I've managed to get to 5mg without any trouble. My problem was going to less than 5mg. I have sought advice and been told that one way to reduce is to go to less for one night only then wait a few days before trying again so that the body has a chance to gradually get used to less. Then you gradually bring the days on a lower dose closer together. Perhaps you could try that. How long have you been taking Amitriptyline? I think the longer you are on it the longer it takes to come off and it must be very gradual.
Sue
amanda59745 ecsuee
Posted
Tomatom amanda59745
Edited
hi Amanda. I'm currently in the process of coming off them, and hopefully I'm pretty much there as I can't remember the last time I took 5mg (maybe a week ago). I've been amazed how hard it has been to come off them. I took 10mg for two weeks for pain but started feeling nauseous after two days that just got worse. I tried going cold turkey and just gave them up but after six days I had really bad nausea and felt like I was in a desert - constantly thirsty. I went back to half tablets (5mg) and have gradually weened myself off. I currently have abdominal pain but as my doc thinks I have fibro that's not unusual for me. I hadn't thought that it might be a withdrawal symptom from the amitriptyline. I've also been feeling itchy all over the last three days. Again I've assumed that's fibro related but I guess it could be amitriptyline withdrawal. I have been amazed just how hard a drug it is to come off, even at low doses. Good luck with getting off it.
Tomatom
Posted
Forgot to say I've also had the belching / acid reflux as withdrawal coming off them. The nausea and the thirst have been the worst though.
ecsuee Tomatom
Posted
Tomatom ecsuee
Posted
both. I started by cutting the tablets in half and having 5mg a night, then 5mg every other night, then every two or three nights, then every four or five nights. I just tried to go as long as I could without taking it, but as soon as I started feeling thirsty and nauseous I took 5mg that night. It's been over a week now without any so hopefully I may be there. It has taken a while though, maybe six weeks to get off them after only originally taking them for two weeks. Never again!
amanda59745 Tomatom
Edited
stephen73292 amanda59745
Posted
I so want to come off these tablets, but reading the above posts & the side effects suffered is scaring me.
amanda59745 stephen73292
Posted
ecsuee amanda59745
Posted
I had no idea that it was available as a liquid. I'm surprised that Tomatom was cutting tablets in half as they are available in 5mg. which is what mine are. Stephen73292, don't be worried. I've heard on other forums that some people have come off with no problems at all. Just don't rush it. I've realised that because I've been on this small dose for some years I need to take things much slower. All the best everyone.
amanda59745 ecsuee
Posted
fussyfussy Tomatom
Posted
Are you fully recuperated as far as your abdomen goes now? I have been living a nightmare after going down to 10 mg of nortriptyline. Any stomach sx you can imagine, but the worst is nausea, followed by acid burning.
Pls let me know how you are. Thank you!
Tiffany188887 Tomatom
Posted
You said after 2 days on amitriptyline you experienced nausea and it only got worse. I am wondering how you felt. I started amitriptyline in Nov 10mg and feel nauseas daily sometimes it is all day other times it comes and goes was this similar to You?
canygirl61 amanda59745
Posted
I am super sensitive to every medication under the sun. I just tried Amtriptyline 10mg for nine days, for treatment of migraine associated vertigo. The Amtriptyline caused unsettled sleep, with weird dreams, constipation, extreme morning grogginess, and bad heart palpitations; I stopped taking it, and my last dose was Saturday. It's Tuesday, and I've been feeling somewhat dizzy and nauseated for the past three days and nights. I feel like crap. Oddly, my lower back was aching me all day yesterday and this morning; I didn't know there could be a correlation. Glad I found this message board.
amanda59745 canygirl61
Posted
canygirl61 amanda59745
Posted
Hi Amanda,
I'm feeling better; that is, I no longer feel the withdrawal from amitriptyline. I am left with finding a med to alleviate the migraine associated vertigo
Thanks for your response!
amanda59745 canygirl61
Posted
larry21907 canygirl61
Posted
canygirl, hoping u see this. I was only on it for 2 or 3 weeks. have all your exact symptoms and more. stopped taking it 2 days ago and feel terrible. horrible depression and anxiety. horrible fever like symptoms that come and go. sweaty hands and face. numbness feeling in head and arms. continued nightmares and night sweats. curious how your doing and how long it took?