amitriptyline withdrawal

Hi Sheena, i do hope  you enjoyed your travels and now rest.  i hope your cut to 10 mg is going well, if you are having withdrawal symptoms ride them out your brain will adjust. Just remember its the brain rewiring and you will be fine nothing bad is going to happen. I remain positive and so determined. I am still ok on 3.5 mg apart from belching and feeling  nauseous at times but,  i can cope with it. I fear anxiety most of all, as when i am anxious it is hard to control my thoughts and hard to keep things in perspective hopefully, anxiety will stay away. I have read lavender oil on your temples is good for sleeping have you tried this?

x amanda x  

Hey Sheena, Amanda, Seank 

Sheena hope you had a great time travelling and congrats on tapering during your trip not an easy thing to do, and now down to 10mg well done.

Amanda you sound really upbeat and positive and at 3.5mg go you, you must feel really hopeful and pleased that you will beat this crap. Hope the anxiety goes away I have experienced anxiety so bad that I just couldn't function so I appreciate how hard this can be. Go at your own pace there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel.

Seank glad to hear your stomach issues have resolved have fun on your travels.

I am at 3.6ml as I have titrated the last 5mg into a liquid (much less preparation) and I take out 0.1ml per day if I feel any side effect I just stay put at the last dose, and don't move until the issue has resolved, fingers crossed as this has been relatively symptom free so all going well only another 5 weeks and I will be done with this awful drug.

Great to hear everyone is in a pretty good place, hope we all continue to do well with our tapers talk soon xxxx 

Sammy wow, 3.6 ml. We are going to do this i know we are. We will be fine, YES we will have some withdrawal symptoms but, our brains will sort it out. I am going on Jury service for the next couple so do not want to cause some symptoms by trying to taper too much. Keep in touch xxx  

Hi Amanda; l haven't tried lavender oil but l will add it to my shopping list as l will be needing everything l can get to help with sleep. It's night 2 on 10mg and I've been awake since 4.30am after getting to sleep at midnight. Night one was ok. I don't mind the odd bad night but l will need to avoid bad sleeps every night which is what l got last time l came off.

I'm glad your anxiety levels are ok at 3.5 😀. Have faith that you are slowly but surely getting rid of ami.

Hi Sammy

                  I'm glad that I continued to reduce while I was travelling instead of waiting until I was somewhere 'stable'.  There is no use putting it off.  Now that I'm down to 10mg the sleep is not too good so I've just started (2 nights ago) on Magnesium Sleep with Ziziphus and Passion Flower.  I'm not sure how that's going yet as my sleep is a bit messy from travelling.  I'm having camomile tea before bed as well.  I'm also taking a women's multivitamin, Vit B complex and Inner Health Plus.  That should all help and if not I will look into getting some 5HTP which I have seen mentioned somewhere on this forum.  

Cheers to all 

Sheena

Hey Sheena

i know what you mean with the sleep, when I was at 10mg I think I stayed there for about 10/11 weeks the sleep got a little better but with every cut it rears its ugly head. As of today I am at 3mg still titrating and will do so until off I think doing it this way is a little smoother,  I have terrible anger and depression but it is sporadic and does eventually lift, if this is the worst it gets whilst titrating I can handle that ( just have to stay away from people lol 😂 I get so damn mean which is not like me at all.  I have been doing this for 20days have a buzzy head again but can still function so fingers crossed that I don't get slammed with side effects.

I take magnesium and Sandra cabots liver shots as the ami was causing fatty liver, tried vitamin b's but with still being on a benzo they rev me up too much. Plus I went to see this great naturopath and I have been taking brain energy which has worked wonders in helping with withdrawal. It helps the brain to make acetylcholine which ami stops.  

Glad to hear that both you and Amanda are doing reasonably well in your withdrawals. Let's go slow and steady and get off this crap.

luv n hugs talk soon xxxxx

 

Hi Sammy, Sheena and all, i am also on 3 mg day 3. I feel a little low but that's all. No nausea or fuzzy head. I didn't sleep well last night but may be anxious. I also have bad  burning in my throat and have developed a sort of burning on the tip of my tongue is this due to anxiety issues ? I will keep you posted. x

Hey Amanda,Sheena and all.

Congrats on getting down so low. Every step down is a milestone.

i am at 2.7mg today and feeling ok, but I had the burning tongue as well and I was trying to figure out if I had eaten something to cause it but I did research it and others have also experienced it so I say side effect of ami.

ive had a little nausea but it doesn't seem to last too long, my sleep is a little better but menopause could also be contributing to that, double whammy, although the blessing is not knowing which is withdrawal and which is menopause lol.

talk soon xxx

Hi Sammy, Amanda and all,

                                             Wow, you are both so close to taking 0mg of this medication.  3mg or less is a great effort.  It seems like ages away for me but I am happily stable on 10mg (13 nights now) and I've been having some good sleep in there as well.  So, I'm feeling pretty confident about going lower.  It's definitely going much better than my last attempt to come off years ago and I think that going very slowly is the key, for me anyway.  

Looking forward to seeing you both get to 0mg very soon

Hey Amanda & Sheena

just thought I would check in to see how you are both going, I hope this finds you both well and doing ok with your taper. I am at 1.7mg and feeling really well only a couple of minor issues like itchy scalp in one place only though weird, and having heat waves every so often so fingers crossed that it keeps going like this until the end.  

Cheers xxxxx

Hi Sammy and Amanda, Good on you Sammy. 1.7mg is amazing. I was just thinking of you and Amanda last night and wondering how things were going. I'm almost 3 weeks on 10mg and going really well. It is so much better than last time. I know I'm healthier in general than l was last time. I'm sure the vitamins and supplements are helping and I've been doing some serious detoxing as well. It's all helping that's for sure. Keep up the good work everyone :-)

Hi Sheena

yeah I'm pretty excited to be down so low and feel really good compared to a year ago, I really believe that these pills turned toxic on me and the lower I go the clearer I feel. Supplements have also been helping heaps although I just tried fish oil and I have now an abdominal ache hopefully it will not last too long.  Might not add any more to the mix for now. Glad to hear you are doing well. Xxxxx 

talk soon 

 

Hi Sammy Sheena and all, omg Sammy 1.7 mg that,s FAB! I am ok on 2.5 mg slow and steady. No issues apart from itchy shins i have to stop myself scratching them as i will make them bleed they are that itchy, i have to apply loads of moisturising cream 2 x daily x 

Hi Sheena im glad all settled down for you and your stable at 10 mg. Currently on 2.5 mg feeling fine, im tempted to just stop  lol but i will not. Slow and steady x

Hi Amanda and Sheena

hope this finds you both doing well with your taper. Amanda well done you must feel really happy with your progress 2.5. Way to go, so pleased for you.

and Sheena 10mg from the original dose you were on is amazing.

My last dose was Thursday sooo excited and hopefully doing it so slow my symptoms if any will be minimal if not I will just tough it out no way will I ever pop one of these pills again. My buzzy head has mostly as in 98% has gone what a relief still have tinnitus  which can be annoying but I can cope with that. I won't be going anywhere though, I will definitely stick around to see you both hit 0mg, and will still be here for support and cheering you on.

cheers and well done talk soon xxx

Wow - what a major accomplishment!!!  I'm stuck at about the 10mg.  Suffered an attack of diverticulitis, and now all my focus is getting over that and getting my eating habits where they need to be to prevent another one.  I think it was caused by a regime of steroids given me to relieve a very uncomfortable aching in my neck along with sinus trouble.  Now the meds for the div. attack are doing a real job on me.  I HATE MEDICINES!!!  But - yea for you, you are off of it and that is wonderful!  Hope the side effects stay away!!!

 

Wow, wow, wow Sammy, i actually had a little cry of joy for your good news. I am on 2 mg but am having some nausea, belching and cramps. I will wait until this settles before i drop again. I am glad you are going to stick around to keep us going lol. xx

Oh Dee, sorry your dealing with diverticulitis too, i am currently having cramps, nausea and belching from my latest drop to 2 mg. My neck has been sore for months but not sure if this is peri menopausal anxiety or anxiety from withdrawal ? x hugs x

Hey Amanda

thankx for the little cry 😭 lol me too I cannot believe I have finally done it.

sleep is really all over the place, I wake up hot then go cold so body thermostat not working very well a few aches here and there but nothing too bad at this stage. So if this is all the side effects I get I can cope with that.

But hey you 2mg wow oh wow you go girlfriend, you are doing it slow and steady wins the race never forget that one, it gives the body time to catch up.

Dee 10mg is no mean feat,take your time and get over the diverticulitis when everything settles and it will eventually then continue, don't feel deflated we all have hiccups along the way.

talk soon 😁😁

Hi Sammy, Dee and all,

I have stopped feeling nauseous and have dropped again 1.8 mg day three. I will stay here another few days if all ok i will drop again. I have an overwhelming need to drop quicker  as i think 1.8 mg is tiny but,  then have to stop myself. Speak soon. xx

Hey Amanda 

So excited for you, you are doing it and 1.8 wow So low. I can relate with wanting to drop it now and Ben done with it I felt the same way but thought better I feel doing that. You come so far with few side effects don't blow it now. I was like that when I hit 0.5 it was like I was on fumes lol.

It has been a week since I have been off and has been ok, sleep last night was a little better, the nocturia was finally a little better than goodness I have had that as a side effect since I got down to about 10mg.

I am so happy that this time your withdrawal is working, it's amazing how a little support can really help.

talk soon 😬

I am overly impressed - you have fought a great fight and are going to be victorious!  That's wonderful!  Over my diverticulitis, but will wait, maybe until after Christmas and my Christmas plans to drop again.  Stuck at just a little 10 mg.  I think I made a mistake in blaming every symptom I had on the drop in amit - and maybe why i ended up with the diverticulitis.  So hard to know what is causing what!!

 

Hi Dee you know you so listen to your body. You do not want to rock the boat over christmas so let everything settle and when your ready drop again. I am still at 1.8 mg was feeling a need to rush and drop all the way to 0 mg before this bottle of amitriptyline has to be thrown away ( only lasts a month from opening it). however, this would be 4th December so no way. I will order one more bottle, this is my goal. So new year new me . Keep in touch over the next few weeks xxx     

Thanks - anxiety has increased a lot over the last few weeks - don't know whether to attribute it to the steroid, then antibiotics I was on, or anxious over all the digestive problems with the diverticulitis and fear I will get it again.  Almost went back up on amit, but trying to hang in there and conquer it with commonsense.

Dee I too have massive anxiety issues but do not go back up on the amitriptyline it is a bad idea i have been told by a drug worker it messes up your head even more. i did it twice which, i was told will contribute  to  so called withdrawal symptoms and anxiety next time. you just need to let your brain re adjust. xx 

I know - it so helps to know others suffer these same symptoms.  You, Sheena and Sammie give me hope that I can make it - eventually!  Thanks for the encouragement!  One day at a time!  Thankful for good days, which usually occur when I have something to do that takes my mind off of myself!    

My faith also helps me along - I so believe that in all of this, God is in control!  

Hi Dee

Sorry to hear that you are having a hard time lately, I do know for a fact that steroids can cause increased anxiety so with all you have been through it is understandable. Hopefully it will pass quickly for you nothing worse than anxiety, I used to have it so bad that for years I didn't leave the house at all, so I feel where you are.

i agree with Amanda avoid increasing the ami like the plague it causes so many problems that it is not worth putting yourself through, I tried it myself self and it created more problems and prolonged the withdrawal and the side effects were worse and didn't shift for over a year, I know this happens a lot with reinstating and updosing.

Just a suggestion but have you tried any supplements to help? I know magnesium really helped me enormously and there is no way that I would not take it today. I am quite sensitive to quite a lot of things.

Give yourself a break you have been through a lot you will get there.

If someone had told me this time last year that I would be totally off ami of would never have believed them them and yet here I am ami free, so my advice just take one day one week one month at a time and you will succeed.

talk soon 😀Xx

 

I so appreciate everyone's encouragement - thank you, Sammy!  It's not something you can talk about with friends very much.  Everyone always says I am so in control - if they only knew!  My experience with magnesium is it gave me diarrhea (I also have ibs).  Could try it at a very low dose.  Thinking about talking with a health nutritionist who owns a health store here and is suppose to be very knowledgeable about supplements.  Again, thanks for the support!  

Hi Amanda go you 1.8 you are doing it you should feel extremely proud to have gotten so low. I agree don't rush it. You have come so far you don't want to mess up now you want it to be like going down a slide smooth, not stumbling down steps. 

I have been free  a week and a half it's not been too bad, a little depression but I try to keep myself busy to avoid any bad slumps, I don't tend to have the anger any more at all thank goodness, the sleep is not the best but I will persevere and hopefully with time it will get better.

talk soon xxxxx