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Just started amitriptyline and experiencing strange side effect?

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safarii241
safarii241

I was prescribed 10mg amitriptyline to treat visceral hypersensitivity which is a stomach condition. I have only taken 3 pills so far but last night I experienced a really scary effect. First day I was just really exhausted despite having slept for 9 hours the night before. I read online to take it around 12 hours before you need to be up in the morning to reduce grogginess so the next night I took it a bit earlier in the evening around 8. Around 12 I decided to lay down and try to sleep. Almost immediately it was like my mind started to fall asleep even before my body while I was still in the process of moving around a bit. I opened my eyes and in the darkness of my room I was seeing patterns of different images. I was understandably terrified and half asleep. I sat up in bed and turned all the lights on which stopped the hallucination but it took me quite a while to calm down and go back to sleep afterwards. Tonight after experiencing the tiredness all day again I took the pill again. I am waiting for the doctor to call back and tell me what I should do ( maybe if my body gets used to the pill the tiredness and weird hallucinating will stop?). I was wondering if anyone had experienced hallucinating even on such a low dose of the drug, and also if the tiredness fades away or if it stays forever on the drug? any help or comments are appreciated. 

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • melody65861
    melody65861 safarii241

    Posted

    I don't want to scare you but after reading your post I feel I must tell you my horrifying experience with amitriptyline. I got off of it around the end of May this year and still have side effects from time to time because it is an anti depressant older drug and my gastro dr who put me on it told me to quit cold turkey which is the very worst thing you can do with a drug like that due to how it changes my brain chemistry and my body had adapted to it, so quitting cold turkey sent my nervous system into shock. the gastro dr started me on 10mg last October. I started having auditory hallucinations and some were strange bizzare noises and some were just horrifying. I told them I didn't want to take it anymore and that's when he told me to just quit taking it. Shortly after quitting cold turkey, my nervous system went into shock and I started having a cluster of symptoms such as brain zaps, dizziness, tingling feelings, tremors, involuntary movements, panic attacks. IT was the worst thing that has every happened to me in my life.  Most of the symptoms only happened in my sleep and made me horrified to go to sleep. Some nights I slept for 1 hour only so I went around like a zombie everywhere. I still get a brain zap or involuntary movement in my sleep here and there but it has eased up in frequency and intensity thanks to almighty god as I prayed with many people and many people prayed for me. Again, I am not trying to scare you, but the in my experience the doctors DO NOT warn you of these horrific side effects and how the drug is addicting to your nervous system and brain. I was in the emergency room 4 times and to the doctors offices 10 times and NONE of them wanted to admit it was Amitriptyline that did this to me and wanted to try to say I had suddenly contracted some other kind of physical problem and send me for an array of tests. I found out EVERYTHING on my own through stacks of research and other people. Again, I am not trying to scare you, but if I was you I would ask to taper off that drug and stay as far away from it as you can. As I said my gastro dr had prescribed it for my irritable bowel to help the pain and it did ABSOULTLY NOTHING to help me, but SURE DID A WHOLE LOT TO HARM my physical and mental health, and ruined my SLEEP. I will NEVER take natural sleep for granted ever again!

    • christine15542
      christine15542 melody65861

      Posted

      Hi Melody.  

      This is an absolutely evil antidepressant that the doctors use for all sorts of conditions.  I was offered it for sciatic nerve pain, when I had a lumbar facet sprain.  I refused it.  I only knew about this drug the hard way.  Ten months previously I had gone cold turkey off Mirtazapine.  Both drugs are exactly the same for side effects and addictions in everything but name.  Stopping Mirtazapine was one of the most horrific experiences of my life.  The withdrawals were dreadful I was given no support from the doctors because they refuse to admit that these drugs are addictive.  I’m in complete agreement  with you.

      Safarii, your experiences sound frightening, patients on this forum only speak from experience and don’t intend to scare anyone.  If I had known about the side effects of Mirtazapine, I would have stopped them.  Instead I took them for 5 months and that was more than enough time for the horrors to set in.

      There may be others that have found amitriptyline and mirtazapine beneficial but most have found both these drugs to cause more damage than good.  At least by asking this forum you can make an informed choice.  Beware of the medics.  They don’t know very much about these drugs or they don’t want to accept the facts that many patients present them with.

    • melody65861
      melody65861 christine15542

      Posted

      Hello Christine15542. Is there anyway to message you directly from here? I had a couple questions for you. Thank you!

    • Paula2019
      Paula2019 christine15542

      Posted

      Hi Christine, I completely agree with everything you have said. My experience of these is the same as yours. Someone messaged me on here a few months back having a go at me as I could scare people. My aim on here is to raise awareness as wouldnt wish my nightmare experience on anyone. Doctors do not seem to be aware, at no fault of their own, as only know what they know. Ami was manufactured in 1950's, that tells me all I need to know.

    • Paula2019
      Paula2019 melody65861

      Posted

      melody, I wish more trials would be done on the affects of coming off these. When I had tapered down to 10mg My neurologist tried to get me to go cold turkey and said she has never come across side withdrawal from such a small amount, I replied yes you have ME.

    • melody65861
      melody65861 Paula2019

      Posted

      Hi. I just wondered if you had received my message with the questions I had sent to you on here. Thanks so much!

    • Paula2019
      Paula2019 melody65861

      Posted

      Hi Melody

      I have sent you two emails answering all your questions, thank you once again for highlighting all this.

  • anita49406
    anita49406 safarii241

    Posted

    I agree wouldn't recommend this drug to anyone tried to come off cold turkey only 25mg was so I'll lost 2st wouldn't get out of bed so put back on it I am now trying again gradual still suffering I couldn't understand why I had terrible gerd and morning anxiety apparently side effects

  • Paula2019
    Paula2019 safarii241

    Posted

    Safarii, amit affected my eyes alot plus many other side effects, and I agree with Melody, Christine and Anita, this is an evil drug, took me months to get off, read up as much as you can and if your doctor says that 10mg is not a high dose, which it isnt for alot of people, for others it can give nasty side effects.  My doctors never listened to me, and since my recovery getting off it,  they are listening to me now.
    • melody65861
      melody65861 Paula2019

      Posted

      Paulafreeatlast,

      Is there anyway to directly message you on here? I had a question.

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