amitriptyline withdrawal

Suggest you try going slower and let your body adjust to lesser amounts.  You may not experience too many really bad effects until you get down to the lower amounts (25 mg) - based on some peoples' experience.  I have been trying to cut back from 25mg which I was on for 20 years.  Started cutting back in May - side effects were not good but I was still able to function okay.  Have made it to half a pill now, and side effects come and go.  Worst is a reoccurrence of my IBS so trying to find ways to cope with that.  My worst was not being able to sleep - if that happens, see if doctor can give you something just to help you sleep - I take a very small dose of ambien - I could not do the withdrawal if I am not able to sleep.  Best of luck - and you will find lots of support and companionship on this board.

Thanks for the advice dee I'm only on day 5 so still early days. I first got put on them because of trouble sleeping so I expect to have trouble struggling with out them.  The last two days I've been extremely tired though and my mood has plummeted. 

Hi Danielle,  it is possibly ok to reduce by 25 mg at first but, when you get lower say 25 mg i would make the cuts smaller. I am struggling getting off 5 mg. i was at the most on 30 mg and cut to 20 mg for a month  all ok. i then cut to 10mg and again ok. It was  from 10 mg to 5mg that caused a problem, even 10 mg to 7.5 mg cause me back withdrawal. Keep in touch x

Hi Sammy, Dee and Sheena and anyone else listening. Im still not brilliant my neck is sore and am assuming this is anxiety. I do feel a lot better but like i said not brilliant, not even good really. I occassionally feel dizzy and slightly nauseous at times. I have been having head aches daily. I am so glad you are down to 5 mg Sammy, how are you feeling? 

Hi Amanda

yeah feeling quite fuzzy/spacey in the head, I do get sudden pain just over my right eye but it goes. I have had the spacey head feeling for such a long time now so I just thought what the heck, I will hopefully just fide through it but who know I usually don't get withdrawals for at least 10 weeks so still early days. I went to see my naturopath and they have given me this stuff called brain energy (u can't just buy it have to been prescribed by naturopath) but it helps the brain make acetylcholine and that is helping enormously. I have my fingers crossed that it continues to work. 

Sorry to hear you are feeling so bad I hope it passes quickly I know how horrible it feels when you are in the middle of it, the last thing you feel like doing is communicating with others but am so glad you are still here, we all need the support of others to get through this. Xxxx

Hi Sammy, yes im still here, its easy to not bother communicating. Most things seem to take such effort these days. I am going to see a gp tomorrow someone suggested to me to take a antidepressant which has a long half life to help get over ami which,has a short half life to ease the withdrawal but, i really do not want to replace a head drug with another. I have such a sore neck and shoulders as the moment which is even affecting my left clavicle area. i am unsure if it is withdrawal related or  something which is resulting from anxiety. I am also having a buzzing in my ears at night like when you have been to a loud concert, my ears feel   blocked also and , i feel like my nose is blocked  all the time like a sinus thing. Keep in touch x 

Hi Amanda I know how you feel but honestly that is how I ended up taking this drug buy someone suggesting it would help to get off the Valium and relieve all the symptoms, that this would be easier to get off. Well they were definitely wrong ami has proved to be harder. I have actually switched it si I am getting off the ami before the Valium. Why don't you just wait until you have stabilised and then try the tittration method that I put up, that way you can go extremely slow and hopefully the side effects will be so much milder, I have done this method before and it works so much better than adding another drug with the potential for even more side effects. In my opinion and experience with this drug I think you might have gone too fast in trying to come off I have been coming off for over 18 months and counting and for the last year I have had constant tinnitus and spacey buzzing feeling. All we can do is try different things but I have found that by adding drugs to help only makes things messier. All the best, keep venting on here it helps xx

Hi Sammy, i have an appointment with my GP this afternoon. I am going back on Liquid and will drop 1 mg very slowly say each month. I am seeing him as i have what feels like sinus problems ears feel full but are clear, i have buzzing at night when it is quiet, when i bend forward i ache in my head behind my eyes and i have burning in my throat every day as well as daily headache. i am unsure if this is due to the anticholinergic effects of ami or if it a  lingering  sinus thing which i had in June.  My neck and back and left clavicle are in constant pain ? due to anxiety but have an appointment with a physio in 3 weeks. x

Hey Amanda hope this finds you a little better. I think your plan on going on liquid is really good and dropping very slowly from there is very wise. We never know how our bodies will react in a decrease of this med.

the problem with the side effects of ami is that sometimes it is hard to distinguish one from the other. 

I am still on 5mg and will stay here for a while, I know as you get lower we tend to get really impatient and excited about finally being off it, so close to the finish line we really want to go quicker. Trying really hard myself not to do that, still have the spacey/vibration feeling but it is lessening. Tinnitus is still there has been constant now for months, I am hoping that it will eventually go. Wishing you the best and all the others out there wanting to come off, Go Slow xxxx

Hi Sammy and everyone, i went back to my GP re ear fullness, feeling of not being able to breathe through my nose when head bent forward and fuzzy head, i questioned sinus problems. I also went re my constant sore neck, i said i do not think it is related to Amitriptyline  withdrawal but the anxiety i experience makes it hard for me to not question if it is. He said i am just experiencing heath anxiety and never heard of people having problems coming of this medication. He makes me question myself!!! I think i am going mad at times. No new problems to report at 4 mg where i will stay for a 3 weeks. x Hope you are all well and being strong x

Hi Sheena and everyone, i have had an appointment with drug worker today, i was  thinking of cancelling as was not sure he could help. I'm so glad i went, he was fantastic, he listened and offered great advice and to be frank far better than the GPs i had seen. He explained about the symptoms and effects i was experiencing stating everyone's experience is unique . He even informed me he too had been on an antidepressant years ago and had to stop after a few month for health reasons but, had to do it cold turkey and had an awful experience. He stated most GPs are not really experienced in the effects of coming off these head drugs. He added the GPs should never have advised going back up to  the dose you were previously on when symptoms start as this messes with the chemicals in your brain and reinforces the anxiety we experience. He advised me to cut very slowly and only cut each time  when my brain has  rewired itself and allowed the chemicals to settle. He added i will have to have a leap of faith at the end but by believing in me i can do this. But , by weaning slowly the  awful feelings should be much more bearable. All in all i came out feeling positive.  I have also had a back massage today and she stated my back and neck was just all knots (from anxiety) and i will need to go more than once to get them all out. It was relaxing and very nice. Im going to go next week too. Keep in touch and stay strong. Im glad your ok at 12.5mg Sheena, we can do this xxx 

So glad you finally got some positive and honest feedback from someone who knows.  And glad you did something for yourself by getting a massage.  Hopefully this will remind you in the future when you have a bad day, how good the good days can be - just need to get there!  i'm stuck at 12.5 for about 6 weeks.  Everytime I think about going down a little, I have a bad day or some crisis (usually minor which I blow up into major), and then I'm afraid to risk the cut.  Hopefully will get the courage to do it next week, because the majority of the time I do feel pretty good.  My allergies are terrible, but I don't think that has to do with the withdrawal.  Will cut very slowly - goal by the first of the year is to get to 10 so I can stop having to cut and weigh the portions of a 25 mg pill - at least for a little while.  Hope you have a good positive weekend!

Hi Amanda and Sheena

Amanda so pleased for you that the drug worker has helped, it makes such a difference to speak with someone who has been there too. Totally agree that our experiences with these drugs can be so unique. It really reassures us that we are not crazy and these effects are definitely the drugs. Unfortunately Drs don't do their own research on drugs that they prescribe they take the written word of pharmaceutical companies as gospel, so sad that they don't listen to their patients. 

Sheena glad to see you have made it down to 12.5, and doing whilst travelling you are braver doing that.  Glad the side effects haven't been too bad for you. I am down to 5 and staying here for a few more weeks still have roaring tinnitus which is annoying, have been through a bit of anger,my tolerance levels are quite short at this low dose. Anxiety is up a little bit but I suppose that is to be expected. My sleep is a little messy at the moment I fall asleep ok but wake a few times in the night but not enough to get up so I have persisted in just lying there until I fall asleep again which has paid off as it doesn't take too long to go back to sleep. I have had that achy leg crap that I had before when I cut but it hasn't been as severe or lasted as long.

We will get there ladies have to believe that. Keep the communication going, will talk soon.xx

Hi Dee, sorry for delay, i have  had crisis after crisis but, today im ok, it is a good day , like you a small  crisis becomes a massive  crisis due to my  anxiety. I have for the past couple of days had a burning tongue sides and tip, i think it is perimenopausal though. I am at 4 mg this is my second day, if all is well i will stay here a couple of weeks. lets keep positive. x

Hi Sammy, that's great 5 mg whoop whoop. My sleep has not been affected at all i can sleep for England, TBH i'm shattered all the time. I had a nap yesterday afternoon, then went to bed at 10.30 pm and got up at 9 am today. I have messaged Dee and informed her i have started with a burning sensation on my tongue, i'm informed it is stress related but, i think it could be hormones. I am on day 2 of 4 mg all ok so far. Speak soon xxx

Hi Amanda, go you girl 4mg that is great well done, my sleep is not the best  I fall asleep ok but still wake a couple of times mainly due to the fact of being hot, don't know if that's withdrawal or menopause only lasts a few minutes but enough to wake up but I go back to sleep, tinnitus is still roaring away and I get angry very easily lol the spacey head is disappearing slowly which is definitely a plus. 

I have been working out just 20 minutes every other day and eating protein diet with lots of fresh veg and fruit, my energy levels are so good plus I cut out most sugars, so feeling pretty good. 

I had the burning tip of my tongue as well but I thought it could be caused by eating to many bananas as they can do that if they are not ripe enough something to do with the potassium or by eating something too acidic, who knows or just a side effect. Anyway will chat soon. Xxx