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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Kellyg199208 amanda59745
Posted
Aw Amanda that is awful what the Gp has told you, I don't think that is good advice at all. I weened off mine for 4 months and I'm still getting nasty symptoms 6 weeks later,
I too went to my gp crying yesterday as I'm getting awful tingling sensations everywhere and leg pain twinges.
Keep in there and go slow and steady. I hope we all get relief soon x
dee88278 amanda59745
Posted
I have made it down to 12.5 or close - I use a jewelry scale to measure so I can be consistent. I started going down from the 25 mg I had been on for 20+ years in May. Side effects haven't been too bad - but I know that will change as I go down further. My main problem is bowel issues. I don't have diarrhea,, just loose stools all day long. Hard to plan on going any place. By the evening I am fine. Have been very relucant to give up my morning cup of coffee, but guess I will try that next. That's another withdrawal all unto itself. Am going to try 1/2 decaf and 1/2 reg and see how that does. My other thing is just such a useless blah feeling. I don't really care about anything! I am going to a new doctor next week as my other one (who never questioned me being on amit) retired. I am very curious to see what he thinks about all of it. I have also been suffereing really bad head fullness and light headedness, but have been on 1/2 zyrtec the last couple days and that has really helped that, so maybe that was allergy and not amit withdrawal. I am paranoid about taking any kind of meds anymore. Think I will stay right where I am for a month or more and see if things even out some. I really rely on this discussion board - you are right - all the others are years old. Thanks for all the input! Hope things are better for you, Amanda - I dread getting to that point but I'm sure I will have to deal with the same thing the lower I go.
amanda59745 dee88278
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dee88278 amanda59745
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What you just described about your neck and shoulders and stuffy head and eyes is exactly what I have felt for several days, with the exception of one - don't know why I got one day of relief. I'm thinking stress is also playing a big part in my keeping my muscles tense. It is worse when I first get up, so think I'm tense even while asleep. Thought it was allergy related, but allergy meds just helped that one day. Don't know if I will ever get down past the 1/2 of the 25 mg pill. Don't know if I could take this feeling forever. Stomach is better today, but who knows what tomorrow brings! Prayers for you that you get some relief.
amanda59745 dee88278
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dee88278 amanda59745
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Have decided if I wake up with it again tomorrow, I am going to get a massage and see if that helps. Maybe she can pinpoint the muscles that are tight and sometimes they can even help relieve sinus pressure. Pain meds don't help mine, either.
amanda59745 dee88278
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yabi99504 amanda59745
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Becky183 yabi99504
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I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure severe pain in yoir bladder is not a withdrawel symptom. You might have a bladder infection, might be best to head to your dr and get checked out.
edie90930 yabi99504
Posted
That is so odd. I went on Ami BECAUSE I had bladder pain and the Ami took the bladder pain completely away. I’m now off the Ami for a month and I’m not having any withdrawals, nor am I having bladder pain. It’s so bizarre how differently each of us reacts to this drug. I wish I had an answer for you, but I don’t. Do let me suggest seeing a urologist to address your bladder pain, instead of just a GP. GP’s just simply don’t know what the hell they are doing when it comes to specific issues affecting specific organs. Get a good urologist and go from there. Much luck to you, my friend.
yabi99504 amanda59745
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All you stated symptoms are right it is side effect of amitri but when it goes is my qautsion? inaddition that you list symptoms i exprience loss of sex desire,bladder pain who can tell me about this? Helpe me.
amanda59745
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dee88278 amanda59745
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Have been wondering how you are doing. Can I ask, have you considered just staying on the 5mg indefinitely? Can't remember why you decided to go off completely, but if you feel good on the 5, why not stay on it. I decided to go off the 25 b/c I had read it was not good for you as you got older (I'm 73). Last week I had an appointment with my new doctor (other one closed her practice) and he is highly respected and very knowledgeable. He asked me that question "Why do you want to go off". I told him I and he said, "I have no problem with you being on 25 mg the rest of your life - it is a good medicine. It is a low dosage and if you have taken it this long with no bad effects, it isn't going to hurt you at all." He is more concerned about the ambien I take, even though that is an extremely low dosage, too. I am currently at 12.5 of the amit and feeling good - have been there about a month, and for right now, I'm just going to stay put on that. May try to get down to 10 so I don't have to cut pills, but I'm not going to worry about it or beat myself up trying to come off. It has taken over my life, and I'm not sure but what the stress over trying to come off it didn't cause my side effects as much as the actually coming off. Just a thought - may not be something you even want to consider, but I felt much better after my doc told me this. Prayers in whatever you decide. If you are still trying to come off, highly recommend the scales which will help you cut down at very small increments.
amanda59745 dee88278
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sammy85762 amanda59745
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Hi Amanda sorry to hear that you have had it so rough lately I know exactly how you feel, please do not feel defeated I am a couple of years older than you and I have been doing this for 2 medications of which I did not need as was misdiagnosed I have been trying to reduce both over the last 5 years. The ami is by far the hardest but still doable, you are lucky in one way that where you live you can get it in liquid form so I will put up another post after this outlining how it is done. I have done this myself by crushing tablets it is a lot slower but symptoms are not so agressive and you can slow it down as much as you like.
In my opinion and with the research that I have done this drug stops your brain from making acetylcholine which is a neurotransmitter in the brain so when we reduce the brain has then got to start to make it again that is why we get all these horrid symptoms. Drs whilst they are good in lots of ways, do not know much about pharmacology and they believe what the pharmaceutical companies tell them about drugs and also about withdrawals so most don't know, unless they have done their own research or had other patients in the same situation. So we the sufferers are very much on our own much of the time.
i have not even informed my Dr what I am doing as when I first mentioned it I was told that no it shouldn't be giving you those symptoms and that I should be able to reduce 5mg per week and be off, what a joke!! And in my opinion dangerous.
Anyhow it is what it is hey? But with supporting each other we will get there.
👍🏻👍🏻😁
sammy85762 amanda59745
Posted
Hi Everone just a rough outline of titration/suspension method:
The approach is sometimes referred to as a 'symptoms based taper'. This is hopefully how you can withdraw without suffering too much. 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 or liquid you are taking by 1mg, because you have now reduced your dose by 1mg.
Hope this helps
armandolev05033 amanda59745
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I hope everything is moving a bit well. I would just like to mention that, every Dr has a defferent opinion for amitriptiline. Initially, I was prescribed Amitriptiline in Ohio, then it started giving me problems and I was not able to work, that time I was a Software engineer. I had to quick my job and travel to Minesota to meet my familly for support. In Minsota many Drs even question why they have to precribe me ami, that ami is a ve
armandolev05033
Posted
that ami is a very old drug with very bad side-effects. The doctors there asked me to stop it and take a simple ibuprofen what I did, and the withdrawal was very bad, today I am still having some effects (7 months after cold turkeys, and I only take 10mg of ami during 2.5 months). I got a new job during that time and I travelled abroad and a doctor told me that he never prescribes ami to his patient. Please if anyone can go out of this drug then do it, do not wait too long.
kristen20229 armandolev05033
Posted
fussyfussy amanda59745
Posted
Dear Amanda,
I'm very sorry it took me this long to respond. I hadn't been on the forum for the last few months. I'm sorry you've gone through so much.
As an update, it turns out I developed gastritis and my GERD got out of control when I was writing to you back in April/May. I'm still struggling with these gastro sx and have been losing weight, etc. I don't know if the nortriptyline withdrawal had anything to do with it or not as I have stayed put at the 10mg since the gastro issues began as I can't risk rocking the boat any more than it is already doing.
Now on to you: all of the heavy head, aching pain in eyes when moving the head, dizziness, neck pain sx are anxiety related. I think you fixated on the withdrawal from the drug and have become hypersensitive. I'm sure the withdrawal causes some of the sx but then your nervous system can't deal with it and you go into a downward spiral of even more sx. I had all those sx due to a sensitized CNS for a few years now. My advice would be to try to relax (yoga, mindfulness meditation, cognitive behavior therapy) until you can get off this drug. I'll try an acupuncturist who is supposedly good at rebalancing the body and reducing anxiety this week. If you can find one that specializes in anxiety, s/he might be able to get you off the drug. Never lose hope. Seek that which helps you and I don't think that will be your GP. you'll have to learn to relax yourself. I'm in the same boat. Don't despair. We'll overcome this.
Xoxo