amitriptyline withdrawal

Hi Charline. I wait 4 weeks between dose changes, thinking that is enough time. I come down 2.5 mg each month because they are 10mg pills and I can only cut them into fourths. Do you think it's still too fast?

I went down 10% a month and that worked pretty well for me, it is so hard to cut that little blue pill. I think you should go back up to 7.5 for a month or two. There is no hurry, as long as one day you reach your destination 🙂🙂🙂

I spoke with my doc yesterday and she is going to try getting amitriptyline compounded into a liquid for me so I can titrate down a mg at a time from a compounding pharmacy.

Still having withdrawal on 5 mg after starting that dose on Aug. 1 2018. I wonder how much longer before I even out and my head stops spinning. I'm housebound because of it and can't drive. I appreciate your input.

Hi Nancy 

Sorry to hear you are going through this, it is a trying terrible ordeal to get through. I am 9 months free of Ami and it has been a long hard road. I started having problems when I got down to 12.5mg started with vertigo/spacey feeling, then I got an ocular migraine that was misdiagnosed as a TIA, which meant MRI etc, but nothing found, no one would acknowledge that it was the withdrawal of amitriptyline. I started titrating it in water so I could go as slow as possible. I had ear fullness, tinnitus, vertigo 24/7, nausea everything you are experiencing. No drs would believe me that it was withdrawal and my body hung on to it as well, meaning that I would make. 1mg cut and it would take up to 17 weeks or more to show/feel effects of that cut. It took me over 18 months to get off it. THE past 9 months have not been a picnic but it is getting better, I still have tinnitus but it is sometimes really quiet, the nausea comes and goes but it is definitely way less, ear fullness plus ear eczema comes and goes but is also lessening as time goes on, this medication caused Eustachian Tube Dysfunction as well. Don't be discouraged I am only telling you this so that you go very very slow, There is a light at the end of the tunnel, whilst I still have problems they have improved and continue to improve as time goes on. I hope this helps. Take care xx

Hey Nancy

My ETD just comes and goes but I think it is better than it was, I still get ear fullness on the odd occasion which is so frustrating oh and tinnitus like being in the middle of a shipping channel. I actually titrated my ami in water so I could slow it down to 0.01ml per day so it was more like coming down a ramp rather than bouncing down stairs. On page 1 or 2 of this thread I put up a method that I used. It may help if you look at it. I found that as I got lower in dose the cuts felt bigger and where I am they don't compound to a liquid, so I made my own. It worked well and wasn't so assaulting on the system. you really are the first person I have come across to have all the issues that I had as I got lower, but no Dr would agree that that was causing my problems. Anyway I am slowly getting better although I do have a setback every now and then. Hope this all helps take care talk soon xxx

Hi Sammy. I looked and looked but could not find your formula to titrate the ami in water. If you have the time could you list is for me again here.  Much appreciated. I SO want to be on the other side of this. I cannot handle the nausea and the constant balance issues on top of my ear tube popping open all the time. It's maddening! Thanks for any help.

Not sure how the pharmacy would do it but it works well foe me.

I just dissolve 1 10mg tablet in 10ml of water and currently squirt 2ml into my mouth each evening.

I agitate the solution as it does settle, this way I am getting an accurate dose.

It is good that I can accurately control the taper.

I have the plan to reduce by 0.5mg each week until I am down to nothing.

Hi Nancy here is the whole explanation etc of what I do, hope this helps as when we get down do lower doses the % of the cut gets greater that's why this method works well, I write out how much I'm taking out and tick off every day so I don't forget where I am, also if symptoms get bad you can just stay at a particular dose for as long as you want. Just copy and paste the whole thing to you iPad/computer. Hope the below method helps

S

The approach is sometimes referred to as a 'symptoms based taper'. This is hopefully how you can withdraw without suffering. This approach basically calls for you to heal with your cut rate by trying to stay virtually non-symptomatic and if/when symptoms appear utilising a slow down, a hold, or an up-dose.

REDUCTION METHOD

 1 ml  liquid amitriptyline and place in 100ml of water  which can be reduced over a period of time, hopefully giving you a slow and smooth taper with few side effects.

Below are the number of mls you would need to reduce each day to achieve the required number of (approx) days shown. Of course most people will be taking more than a 1mg dose, so you would take your additional dose (ie if your dose is 6mg, you would use the 100ml solution for 1mg and take an additional 5mg in tablet or liquid form). 

Reduce 100ml by 10ml per day = 10 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 9.5ml per day = 11 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 9ml per day = 11 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 8.5ml per day = 12 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 8ml per day = 12 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 7.5ml per day = 13 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 7ml per day = 14 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 6.5ml per day = 15 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 6ml per day = 16 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 5.5ml per day = 18 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 5ml per day = 20 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 4.5ml per day = 22 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 4ml per day = 25 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 3.5ml per day = 28 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 3ml per day = 33 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 2.5ml per day = 40 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 2ml per day = 50 days to reduce 1mg ******

Reduce 100ml by 1.5ml per day = 66 days to reduce 1mg

Reduce 100ml by 1ml per day = 100 days to reduce 1mg 

So, using the amount I marked with asterisks as an example, this would be your dosing schedule (+ you would also need to take whatever amount you needed to take in tablet or liquid  form to make up your full dose).

Day 1 – Drink the 100ml solution

Day 2 – Make a new solution and drink 98ml (so with syringe take out 2 ml and discard)

Day 3 – Make a new solution and drink 96ml (discard 4 ml)

Day 4 – Make a new solution and drink 94ml

Day 5 – Make a new solution and drink 92ml 

Day 6 – Make a new solution and drink 90ml 

etc etc…….. until you reach zero. Then you would start the process again, but reduce the amount of tablets you are taking by 1mg, because you have now reduced your dose by 1mg. 

hey Nancy 

I feel your frustration the ETD is maddening but when I think about it it is better than it was back in 2016, the last 2 1/2 years have been a nightmare for me with all the side effects and no one acknowledging what I was going through. I still have a few residual problems that come and go but it definitely is getter better as time goes on. I try to eat extremely healthy fresh food which I find helps as well. 

I am so glad that Amanda started this thread a few years back, Amanda, Sheena and I have periodically kept in contact for all this time and occasionally come back and check to see how everyone is going as I think this is the only active thread around on ami withdrawal.

take care talk again soon it's a very supportive community here. Xx

I just read this today and it has brought so much encouragement to my very dark day. Thank you. Did you use anything for the anxiety? I can't handle it anymore. X