amitriptyline withdrawal

OMG Dee i have hoarseness every day and over the past months had had a sinus issue even went to my GP twice as would not go away, and burning tongue and throat, GP dismissed this and i did wonder about a post nasal drip or silent reflux but again GP just thinks i  have health anxiety! Any way the sinus is much better but still have the hoarseness and burning tongue but, my throat is ok. I am so hoping all  this will clear up now i am free Amitriptyline. I hope your diverticulitis settles and the reflux so you can progress with your reduction take care xx 

That sounds EXACTLY what I have - ENT doctor did a scope through nose to look at throat (numbed first - no pain) and said that it was reflux even though I hardly ever have heartburn and occasionally acid reflux symptoms.  You might try something like Zantac or Prilosec and just see if it helps.  Also avoid spicy food and caffeine (haven't made it to that completely -gotta have my coffee).  Hopefully eventually getting off amit will help, but doc thought I need to address the reflux now instead of waiting.  Have only been on meds a very short time, so don't know yet if they are helping.  

 

I never saw the connection of amit and reflux on an amit site, but it is frequently mentioned on medical sites when discussing reflux.  

I also had a strange burning very dry red sore throat (inside my nose was also dry & sore) for weeks the burning sensation has gone now but my throat still looks red and is a bit sore still didn't know that this could be caused by the ami..

I am shocked at how little GPs know about Amitriptyline and the possible effects it has on people, they dismiss it and say it is us patients having anxiety issues. xx 

Hi Sheena, maybe like Dee has suggested the Amitriptyline is causing some silent reflux which is causing your mucus. It makes sense as Amitriptyline causes alterations in mucus membranes xx

Hi Sammy..feeling pretty much the same as you I am also sensitive to light and noise (my eyes also hurt) and headaches are daily..I also get nausea but not been too bad with it last few days..my sleep is the most annoying still only getting a few hours 2/3 in one stint then it's really difficult to get back to sleep and I never actually feel like I've even been asleep properly

   I tried some magnesium glycinate last night and fell asleep on couch for a short while but no improvement when I went to bed but am still going to take it and see if it helps..

all the best to everyone in 2018

 

Hi Sammy sorry your still experiencing withdrawal symptoms, I am feeling ok apart from this constant sore back maybe all the pain meds are masking withdrawal for me. I am feeling anxious though but because of my back, im worried as it has been 3 weeks with only a little improvement and fear there could be something  else wrong! xx

Hi Tessa yeah the sleep side of things really sucks I also am having bouts where I get really hot then about 5/10 minutes later get cold not sure if this is related to Ami withdrawal as it started when I got lower in dose or is related to menopause or maybe both, as I do know that they give this medication to women who are going through menopause to stop the flushes, so maybe because it stopped them years ago I am now having to go through them. So frustrating. 

I too take magnesium however I take mine in the morning as if I take at night it acts more as a stimulant and gives me energy so maybe play around with the times a bit. If I miss a dose I notice that my sleep is actually worse.

i have been taking magnesium for years now and would not be without it.

take care talk soon 😀

 

Thanks Amanda feeling a little better No other choice but to ride through the withdrawals until I come out the other side, so rather than dwelling on horrible symptoms I am trying to read positive self help books and focus on mindfulness practices. When I go into catastrophic thinking I now do the breathing as Sheena stated 4-4-6 and this helps to calm the CNS down.

i know you pulled your back a couple of weeks ago but it can take up to 6 weeks or so to feel any relief plus you have the added problem of withdrawal which tenses our bodies up even when we think we are relaxed.

maybe for piece of mind go back to Drs get checked out again, you don't need added pressure when in withdrawal, I know I would, peace of mind is everything when suffering anxiety and withdrawals. Do what is right for you.

if you think you need further testing as in X-ray/scan to determine that nothing else is amiss then demand it if it will,put your mind at rest. If you constantly worry your body will be constantly stressed which will prolong everything. 

Take care talk soon xxx

Hi sammy..I'm also getting hot sweats but I noticed they actually started when I first started taking ami and I thought it was a side effect..I have had menopausal sweating at night but it had stopped a couple of years ago and I was fine 

Yes I've heard that magnesium can act as a stimulant in some people so am taking it in the day I think it is helping a little by relaxing me 

take care too x 

 

Hi Sammy feeling very low at the moment. My back pain is static which is not helping. The reason i went on amitriptyline 2 years ago was for a nerve condition which, has fully returned. I am crying lots as the only treatment for my condition is this type of medication. Amitriptyline did help me not fully but obviously loads and i fear i may have to go back on this drug. I am going to see my GP on friday  re my back and my nerve problem  feeling so very very sad. 

Hi Amanda and Dee

So sorry to hear that both of you are in a similar predicament after working so hard to get where you are. Only you can makes the decision to stay on it ,and maybe at a low dose it will  take away the pain and in dees case take away the anxiety both of which I can relate as I have suffered both. My heart goes out to both of you. 

I am at the 8 week mark and doing lots of mind/meditation work and finally it is starting to give me hope that I will get through this, the anxiety is levelling out more and the aches and pains are bearable. 

My method of taking my dose lower was a lot slower than most I just looked back on my calendar and January of 2015 I was down to 15mg it has taken me till November of 2017 to rid myself of this drug. That's just just under 3 years to get off. I would sometimes wait 20 weeks between cuts to give my body time to make the chemicals that the ami stopped and then give my body time to change.

i only mention this in that you can definitely reinstate and get back to a place of stabilisation and stay there or titrate the medication and slow the taper down to 0.01mg every month as an example might take you 5 years to get off but less is definite more when it comes to this medication in my opinion. These medications retrain the way your brain and body react and whilst sometimes it may be inevitable that you have to stay on them and hope and pray that you can one day be rid of them. 

I hope I haven't offended anyone, or that you fell I am being judgemental I am just so passionate about health and wellbeing and know how much everyone here has and is suffering that any and all information that can be imparted to help you make your decisions I hope is helpful.

if you need to be on this medication then no one has the right to tell you otherwise, I just like to share my experiences to help others. This is only one medication that I have rid myself, all up I have spent the last 11 years trying to get well so know that I've been doing this along time. 

However this is the best I have felt emotionally because I feel I finally have control of my life and choices back.

i wish you both well in your journey and will stick around the forum to offer support as much as I can😘Xxxx

Hi Amanda, Sammy, See and everyone,

I'm sorry Amanda and See that you are both having a rough time. After all of your efforts it would be devastating. It's such a shame that we've all been put on it in the first place. I wish you both all the very best whichever way you go. I won't write much here as I'm driving around Gippsland and only using my phone. It takes me forever ever to type anything.

I'm still on 2.5mg. My sleep is not so good but I'm getting enough. I get the occasional acute anxiety attack but is fades in minutes. Still have some of the stabbing pain in the ears. The thing that has driven me nuts since dropping to 5mg 2 months ago is the constant post nasal drip and excessive amount of mucus. I try to look at it as a form of elimination.

Glad the 4-4-6 breathing helps Sammy. I use it quite a bit.

Hi Sammy, Sheena and Dee, and anyone else. I have not started back on this drug, i do not feel great, anxiety, pain, slight nausea and fear creeps in. I also have a slight headache even though i am taking pain killers and paracetamol for this blooming back back. I am also feeling the need to belch a lot and have some cramping in my tummy. 16 days without Amitriptyline, i guess i will have good and bad days. i have been trying distraction re my nerve pain which helps. I knew it would return as amitriptyline never fully controlled it anyway. I am giving mindfulness ago to help too. thank Sammy keep in touch xx  

Good for you hanging in  there!  I know it is tough!  The burping and stomach pain could be due to acid reflux.  That' what the ENT doctor told me I had - prescribed some meds which I haven't started yet - really don't want to go on anymore meds.  I am working on improving it with diet and life style (not eating for 2 hours before going to bed) etc.  Will see how it is in 6 weeks.  I also have hoarseness when I talk for very long at a time.  Some sites say amit causes it - some say amit is prescribed for it - go figure!  Keeping you in thoughts and prayers.  

Hi Amanda, Dee, Sheena and all

Wow Amanda go you! All you can do is try for a good length of time without Ami to see if you improve. I know I have lots of aches and pains that kept creeping in over the last few months, some have slowly disappeared others still lingering and others are new. My legs had played up quite a bit and exercise was nearly impossible as the aches were so bad and the lethargic feeling never went away, after 8 weeks off the legs finally feel somewhat normal thank goodness, and the lethargy and fatigue are lifting as well, so I think time is one of our greatest healers. Plus I am reading lots of mindful books and doing the meditations in them which is really helpful. The anxiety is still there but is better and not totally debilitating like it has been in the past so that is a massive positive.

keeping a clean diet with fresh foods and little carbs has helped enormously plus supplements. 

Do what is right for you without judgement. Everyone's experiences are different, we all have the right to offer advice but no one has the right to judge.

congratulate yourself for coming so far😘Will talk soon xxxxx

PS. i will stick around for quite some time as I know with many of these forums people get off, get well and move on leaving those behind wondering if they continued to improve.  I will endeavour to not be that person xxxx

Hi Sammy, Amanda, Dee and all

                                                     Good to see you are still hanging around, Sammy.  It is good to have someone around who is Ami free so we can follow your progress too and see how long it takes for you to feel human again.  I'm doing not bad and having some pretty good sleep most nights.  I'm planning to start my next cut at the end of this week where I'll continue with the 2.5mg but start skipping very 3rd night.  I'll try that for 4 weeks then go to every 2nd night.  Scary but good :-)

             

Hi Sheena, good luck with your next cut, i am not doing too well at the moment, stomach cramps, nausea, bloating back ache all relentless, head aches, anxiety thinking the Amitriptyline has masked some terrible disease and now i am off it, it is revealed.I felt like going back on it a few days ago as i am so down but , i didn't, its day 19 off Ami. I am going to see if this calms down, I am worried i have some Gynae problem now and see a Gynae dr  in February. If the drug was easy to get off i would go back on it to see if these symptoms disappear but, it isn't so i can't. xx