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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dannyg2604 amanda59745
Posted
Hi all.
So the past week my legs have been aching like crazy. And the balls of my thumbs too. Yesterday and today it's so bad I walk like an old man. My calf muscles feel so tight.
Wondering what it could be, I suddenly realise I dropped from 150mg Ami down to 0 within 2 weeks about 6 weeks ago.
Found this thread and putting it all together, there's been aches pains, head fogginess, stomach cramps, bloating , waking up earlier, sleeping worse, whooshing noises in my ears, bad guts, definitely less energy and coping skills.
I think i know why now. I thought I was just really run down. Anyone else hd these leg pains? How long did they last? Anything work to soothe them. I need the use of them better than this and especially it's important I don't walk like an old man yet...
sammy85762 dannyg2604
Posted
Hi Danny
You have made a massive cut over a very short space of time may I ask why?
I have experienced the calf and leg pain, almost like you have done a massive workout but never goes away. When I got down to 10mg everything that could go wrong did and one was the aching legs which I thought was from working out but I ended up having this constantly day and night with no break for over 8 months then it just went away and hasn't returned no matter how hard the workout and I'm in my 50's. So there is light at the end of the tunnel.
i am curious as to why such a high dose, what it was prescribed for and why the basic cold turkey over 2 weeks?
Loof forward to hearing from you.
dannyg2604 sammy85762
Posted
The prescription was for migraines and I basically just decided to try and get off the tablets without any research.
I've decided to go back into 25mg per day and gradually reduce that over a longer time. So hoping to see some improvements now, 2 days back on 25mg now.
I do want to be medicine free, but maybe this time I was a little optimistic.
amanda59745 dannyg2604
Posted
sammy85762 amanda59745
Posted
Im still having a few issues more frustrating than anything but hey not much I can do, just hope as time goes on the body heals.
Take care xxxxx
catherine11245 amanda59745
Posted
Hi, I have taken 150 - 200 mg of Amitriptyline for approximately 10 years. It was prescribed as a preventive for migraine and tension headaches. It has been successful and I very rarely suffer from either now. However, the side effects are numerous and just awful. I permanently have a very dry mouth, sweat profusely, heart palpitations and feel very drowsy and hungover every day. Knowing and accepting your body is well and truly addicted to such a nasty drug is very difficult on all levels.
One month ago I decided I wanted to reduce the dose (100mg) with a view to stopping completely. I am now retired and my life is not as stressful as 10 years ago. It is Spring and I figured the light mornings and lighter evenings would help my mood. So I am reducing the dose following this plan:
100mg > 75mg for 2 weeks
75mg > 50mg for 2 week
50mg > 25mg alternate nights for 2 weeks
25mg > 12.5 alternate nights for 2 weeks
12.5 > 6mg alternate nights for 2 weeks
6mg for 2 weeks
6mg alternate nights for 2 weeks
6mg every 3 nights for 2 weeks
6mg every 4 nights for 2 weeks
6mg every 5 nights for 2 weeks
6 mg once a week for 2 weeks
STOP!
This will take me 5 1/2 months, but having taking Amitriptyline for over 10 years I think this is a sensible reduction.
I am currently 3 weeks into the plan and I have halved the dose to 50mg every night. The first couple of nights I found falling asleep impossible! I tossed and turned and wandered about the house feeling restless. It was horrible but I set my alarm and made myself get up at 8.00am regardless of how exhausted I felt and went to bed at 10.30pm to get into a routine.
I took 50mg last night and my Fitbit measured 8hrs and 24 minuets sleep! I am delighted that on half the dose, I am sleeping and waking up naturally around 7-8 am. My mouth is not dry and I feel much more alert in the mornings. Falling asleep is still a bit tricky as I am having to re-learn how to fall asleep naturally, rather than going to bed in a deep drug induced fug. I know I have a long way to go and from reading others experience it gets much harder the lower the dose.
So far I have not had any nasty physical side effects, no nausea, stomach cramps etc.
I have found this forum really helpful and it is good to know I am not alone with this! I wanted to share my experience of withdrawal to date and will keep updating as I continue to reduce the dose.
Good luck everyone, we have can do this! Catherine ??
Sheena737 catherine11245
Posted
Hi Catherine
Just a short one as l'm travelling and not get much internet time. Good on you for deciding to get rid of this drug. After being on ami for 23 years I took my last 2.5mg at the end of January this year. I did a very slow taper (went from 50mg to 25mg over a few weeks then stayed there for over a year then took about 18months from 25 to 0mg). My main withdrawal is also insomnia. I am on a concoction of sleep aids mainly natural but l'm al so taking dyphenalamine, temazapam abd melatonin (not all together, l alternate them). My sleep has been dreadful since the end of Jan with the pattern being either 1. Sleep from 11pm until 2am then awake from 2am until 6am then sleep again at 6am for a couple of hours. Or 2. Sleep until 4.30am then not able to get back to sleep again. It is harder to fall asleep than it used to be but the staying asleep is the main problem. Thankfully, I've started to have some normal sleeps lately, even 3 good nights in a row this week. Last night was not so good but it was a melatonin night and l don't really get much from the melatonin.
Hi to Amanda and everyone else out there. I'm still floating around. No internet in Cuba for the 4 weeks but I'm back on it now in Portugal. My sleep is definitely improving so l now have HOPE that it will eventually be ok.
I hope everyone is well
Cheers
Sheena
amanda59745 catherine11245
Posted
sammy85762 Sheena737
Posted
I am doing ok, my sleep is getting better and would probably be great if not for the menopause, the getting hot is what wakes me, the nocturia is not as bad I only get up once maybe twice a night so between the two my sleep is enough to cope with.
Still have the spacey head feeling but I think that it is vestibular problems as I have had various issues with my ears since taking the ami, most of the ear issues are resolving since being off but the tinnitus and the vertigo/spacey feeling are still hanging around. I am at 26 weeks off.
Great to hear from you enjoy your travels talk soon.xxx
sammy85762 catherine11245
Posted
Hi Catherine
Sounds like a good plan and so far it is working well for you, just know that if it gets hard at any stage with any side effects then you can always slow down the taper as much as you need to. I was only on 25mg for about 5 years and didn't encounter any problems until I got down to 10mg. I went extremely slow from 12.5 mg to 0 took 21 months as my side effects took along time to show up after a cut so I slowed the taper down. I have been off since beginning of Nov 2017 and it has not been easy but it has been doable and I can still function and feeling pretty good now although I do have ear issues which I never realised could have been caused by the ami in the first place however they are slowly rectifying to some degree.
Glad you found the forum we are a pretty supportive bunch here, certainly helped me over the last 12 months so I'm sticking around to help and support others where I can.
Take care xx
catherine11245 sammy85762
Posted
Thanks for your reply, it was great to have some feedback and to know I am not alone! Last night was the second night that my Fitbit logged 8 1/2 hours sleep on 50mg so I am pretty pleased with that! I know realistically I have a long way to go and that it will be much tougher the lower the dose. I feel better already with fewer side effects on 50mg compared to 100mg.
It it is great to hear you have successfully come off the Ami all together and it is reassuring to know I can do it slow it down if I need to.
Take care
Catherine x
catherine11245 amanda59745
Posted
Thanks for your reply, it was great to have some feedback and to know I am not alone! Last night was the second night that my Fitbit logged 8 1/2 hours sleep on 50mg so I am pretty pleased with that! I know realistically I have a long way to go and that it will be much tougher the lower the dose. I feel better already with fewer side effects on 50mg compared to 100mg.
It it is great to hear many of you have successfully come off the Ami all together and it is reassuring to know I can do it slow it down if I need to.
Take care
Catherien x
catali catherine11245
Posted
sammy85762 amanda59745
Posted
Hey Amanda and everyone else
Just thought I would give an update as to where I am in my recovery from this horrid withdrawal. I have been Ami free for 26 weeks or 6 months and still suffering but doable suffering. I seem to be that person where side effects with this drug don't show up for long periods of time. I think from memory when I had successfully gotten off Ami it took 17 weeks before I felt the first side effect.
I still have dizzy issues but that is because is has affected my ears so hoping this will resolve with time. Sleep is so much better than it was I am getting a good 6 hours most nights. The new issue that showed up in the last few days is digestive issues which I have never had before, I always had the nausea but now I have stomach cramps and all that goes with them. Pretty much as Amanda describes.
Hopefully this is the last of the withdrawal side effects of this horrible medication and my body will hopefully start to repair itself from all the damage that this medication has done.
I have read others stories where it took a good 12 months for most side effects to go, terrible that we are in a position where you are wishing time away just so you can feel well again.
Hope this finds everyone doing better. Take care xxxxxx
jennifer071376 sammy85762
Posted
What does the dizziness feel like? I had to go back on this Med bc I was dying - literally can’t eat without it. I have chronic pancreatitis and it’s the only MED that helps me to eat. But now I have this chronic floaty dizziness and imbalance. I did cold turkey for 3 weeks so I’m wondering if I did some damage to my brain. Anyway just curious how you would describe the withdrawal dizziness. Once I stabilize somewhat (months from now probably) I will start a very slow taper. Good to see you are feeling better.
sammy85762 jennifer071376
Posted
Hey Jennifer
Sorry to hear that you are not doing so well. The dizziness is like a spacey buzzy feeling you feel,a little off balance but not enough to fall. I would say it is vertigo it's just describing it is so hard. So how you are describing it sounds like mine. I don't think it is damage per se more like over the past 3 weeks your brain started to try and make all those neurotransmitters that the Ami blocks or the brain adjusting to not having the Ami there. Hopefully with reinstating your dose it will stablise.
My taper was extremely slow I think I started my taper in 2015 and last dose was nov 2017.
The slower the better IMO.