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amitriptyline withdrawal

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amanda59745
amanda59745

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?   

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  • paul26786
    paul26786 amanda59745

    Posted

    Hi All

    I am now down to 1.5mg of amitriptyline and I am experiencing a lot of all over body pain, especially in my back, chest and abdomen.

    I am also feeling very nauseous, the nausea seems to be linked to trapped has, if I burp it tends to help a lot.

    I started taking amitriptyline 11 months ago for IBS symptoms (pain and nausea) but found it didn't do a great deal and due to tiredness and possible long term issues I decided to come off it.

    I started coming down from 50mg in May this year, 4 months on I am down to 1.5mg.

    When I was down to 10mg I tried to go every other day with zero. The day 2 days after I didn't take a 10mg tablet my head was horrid - couldn't think or function.

    Has anyone else experienced the nausea that seems to be linked to trapped wind?

    I can't believe the withdrawal symptoms I am getting, I feel so unwell.

    Paul

    • nancy72466
      nancy72466 paul26786

      Posted

      Hi Paul. I am right there with you. Nausea overload! I also have developed stomach pain and such increased head pressure that causes dizziness beyond what I can tolerate. Do you think coming down from 50mg to 1.5mg in 3-4 months was too fast and created the onslaught of symptoms?  I was on 15mg for 30 years and am now trying to get off. I am down to between 7.5mg and 5 mg and its horrible.  I have to take it extremely slow because I was on it for so long. I am getting the AMI compounded into a cream so I can come down 1mg at a time. I want this out of my system so badly yet when I rush it I get sicker.  I feel so unwell also and wonder if I'll ever feel good again. But I derive so much encouragement from this group and that keeps me going on.  That...and God will see us through.

    • paul26786
      paul26786 nancy72466

      Posted

      I think I may have come down too fast from 50mg but not sure what to do - ride it out - cut to zero and ride it out - increase dose for a while?

      Does your nausea seem related to having trapped wind?

      Paul

    • nancy72466
      nancy72466 paul26786

      Posted

      I would definitely do this under doctors supervision and not by yourself. I would increase and stay there until you level out, but talk to your doctor. I wouldn't cut to zero yet. And yes, the nausea is from being bloated from trapped gas. Plus the nausea is from your gut going into spasms (muscle spasms) because it is used to a certain amount of AMI and it is not getting it anymore.

    • paul26786
      paul26786 nancy72466

      Posted

      Thanks Nancy.

      I will increase it tonight to approx 2.5 mg and try that for a while.

      At the moment the nausea and pain is really taking its toll on me.

      I don't trust the doctors anymore. I bet my doctor(s) would say you can't get withdrawal symptoms when on such a low dose.

      When I was on 10mg and tried missing a tablet one night (big mistake) one doctor said it is fine to just stop taking it from 10mg

      Before taking amitriptyline my doctor said I WILL get side effects but didn't mention anything about how hard it is to come off it.

      Paul

    • anita49406
      anita49406 nancy72466

      Posted

      Hi Nancy not worth talking 2 my doc he was gonna drop 25mg down to 10mg I said no too fast the Xmas b 4 last they stopped it altogether I was in bed all Xmas lost 2st so they put me back ok it 4 2 years I 've suffered gerd morning anxiety which I never had b 4 ami and constipation

    • amanda59745
      amanda59745 paul26786

      Posted

      Hi Paul, i suffered awful pains, nausea, trapped wind, burping and many more symptoms. I felt like i developed IBS as a result of coming off of ami. Some of us get bad withdrawal symptoms. It will pass, i used to stay at the level i had reduced to until the nausea and other problems passed. It took me 11 months to get off of 10 mg x 
    • Paula2019
      Paula2019 paul26786

      Posted

      Hi everyone, reading all your posts is bringing back the nightmare we have all been through and still, I am still on citalorapram and its hard to know whether I am getting side effects from that or still getting withdrawal from amit.

      Paul, you have reduced these too quickly thats why your suffering so badly. My experience of doctors is they do not know about the terrible withdrawal affects, and too often I read and have experienced personally that coming off even low dosages of amit is really awful. There are others who do not suffer like this, but alot of us who do. I know its tough and it takes its toll, but hang in there and go with it. Stay on 1.5mg until you settle. Peppermint tea, or mints helped me a bit with nausea and my stomach and I have lactose free dairy which has helped plus i take magnesium supplements to help relax me.

    • Paula2019
      Paula2019

      Posted

      It took me 7 months to come off 25mg, and wished I had weaned off slower for longer.
    • anita49406
      anita49406 nancy72466

      Posted

      Hi Nancy felt brill Friday I thought I was getting there 20mg of citalopram and down 10mg of ami to 15mg yesterday and today I 've had the worse acid reflux and nausea dry eyes woke in the nite was like my eyelids were sandpaper a little voice in my head says go back on 25mg but I m determined to come off them can only feel better couldn't b any worse

    • nancy72466
      nancy72466 anita49406

      Posted

      Anita I also had a wonderful day Friday and thought I was finally leveling out after 5 weeks on 5 mgs. Not the case! Saturday (yesterday) I had a terrible histamine overload and now have terrible anxiety, facial itching, swollen lips,, ETD, burning tongue,etc. I had to start taking an antihistamine around the clock now. I hit a wall! And it feels so discouraging but I am determined to get off this stuff. My eyes also have been glued shut during the night so I have to use eye drops many times during the night. We have a long road ahead of us and hope we can cheer each other on to the finish. One nice positive change I see is that as I have reduced my dose my resting heart rate has finally started coming down to normal instead of being close to 100 all the time. This drug has really affected my heart and dried out every part of my body. Stay the course with me! Be well.
    • anita49406
      anita49406 nancy72466

      Posted

      Yes I will hun we 'll do it together I m gonna c how I go tomorrow mite drop to 10mg on Tues my main problem is agrophobia I use to take citalopram 40mg couldn't sleep so this stupid woman took me off and put me on ami I never had morning anxiety or couldn't go out b 4 ami I want my life back I m driving my son mad I feel 4 him

  • ahlam.a
    ahlam.a amanda59745

    Posted

    Finally got off amitriptyline (for my migraines) fully about 2 months ago though I don't feel like the side effects of it fully went away until a month after I stopped. On propranolol now and I finally am happy with something. Did anyone experience any weight loss over the duration of taking amitriptyline or was it due to other factors?

    • anita49406
      anita49406 ahlam.a

      Posted

      Hi yes I had no appetite at all had to force myself to eat meal times became scary as I new how I was gonna feel
  • catali
    catali amanda59745

    Posted

    hello everyone! I wonder if some of you would help with some thoughts? I've only dropped from 45 to 40mg 2 weeks ago. Dropped 50 to 45mg 2 weeks before that. I thought that was quite reasonable being close to 10% drop but now feeling very sick. Thought it was something I'd eaten but not so sure now. Also have a lot of fatigue. The amitript was given for fibromyalgia. So is the fatigue a withdrawal symptom or is it the original fibromyalgia? It's so confusing when withdrawal symptoms are so similar to the original condition! Thanks for your comments! Would be so grateful for ideas! xx

    • amanda59745
      amanda59745 catali

      Posted

      Hi Catali, i had lots of nausea when i dropped 1 mg so yes , it is probably Amitriptyline. The fatigue may be your Fibo, i did not  suffer with fatigue however, we all get different symptoms so who knows. I would stay at your new dose until the nausea subsides, it will i promise. Your brain chemicals just need to adjust. xx  
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