r/Amitriptyline

Ideally people who've been on 5+ years

I'm posting this to look for advice from people who might've gone from the same situation as me or just anyone who could help me clear my head

I was recently prescribed amitriptyline for migranes, anxiety and sleep. This medicine sounds like it could be a huge help for me in so many ways (in case it actually work on me well) but I come from a background of really bad ED and I am terrified of gaining weight.

I know this might sound stupid to some people but Im sure some people can understand the absolute fear of being unable to control your weight

The side effect of having increased appetite wouldn't be so scary for me as also knowing that this drug also slows your metabolism and hearing other people's experience even with working out and eating properly they still put on a lot of weight.

I know everyone's experience is different and i might not have the same side effects but i still can't bring myself to take it no matter how logically I know it can change my life for the better

(I did talk to my doctor about my issue with the gaining weight, all he said is that this medicine shouldn't cause this side effect... Typical doctor bs)

started a day ago, 10mg then 20mg afterwards. for migraine

I can tolerate these side effects, except the erectile dysfunction and sexual related side effects - that’s a crazy one that I’m not willing to take on.

my question is how has it effected other males. was it temporary? did it come back? did it just stay bad and you had to get off?

I can definitely tell there is some difference, but I don’t know if my worrying is compounding it.

I only take around 5mg of amitriptyle before I go to sleep. Is it normal to have intense morning and day tiredness

Is it possible to have withdrawal, then seem ok as if you are done, then withdrawal symptoms come back? I think my dr had me get off it too fast. Was 25mg then she gave me a week of 10 mg, then have none at all. Had been on it for a bunch of years to help me get to sleep. I had about 2 weeks of feeling bad and having somewhat bad nausea between the taper of 10mg to 0. Then it stopped and I felt great for 3 or 4 days, then bam back to the nausea, with the dizzyness as well as some vertigo. I threw up again. Dr gave me some zofran for nausea and doesn't think the re flair has anything to do with the withdrawal. The zofran makes me very dizzy and I want to stop. The nausea makes me feel like I have a sour stomach too. Before it was smells triggering me to want to vomit, then the smell thing subsided, but still with the sour stomach thing. I am also in perimenopause and have had the smells and nausea before. But not the sour stomach. The only bonus is the 7 pounds I have lost off my fat ass.

I’ve been on amitriptyline for 5 years for pain and trouble falling asleep at night. I absolutely loved it and it was amazing, but my appetite changed a lot (increased) and my life overall is extremely different than it was when I started it. I was smoking, working non stop and studying, never getting a break and so on. Meanwhile I started going to the gym, solving some of the medical problems and eating a lot cleaner. So I thought it may be time to figure things out without it.

I talked to my neurologist and we both agreed it was time to make it happen. Dropped from 50 to 25 in a month. It was pretty bad, but not extreme. Since I had no big issues with this new dose after about a couple of weeks, I stopped it completely one week ago.

And here’s where the real nightmare started. Started hearing clinking glasses sounds downstairs while I sleep, hearing people screaming in my sleep, having absolutely the worst nightmares with my son, being unable to function until 2 pm and so on. If it would’ve been only this, I think I would’ve handled it okay. However, my anxiety is through the roof like never before. Started getting very emotional, tired, paranoid, can’t focus and all the same time.

Every night I try to read more about it to convince myself I’m not crazy. It’s worth mentioning I’m also on immunotherapy + steroids and other treatments. However, I can’t seem to calm myself and I’m just hoping it’s a phase.

I'm on a 100mg dose and took my meds, then forgot and again about a half hour later, should I be worried?

hello everyone.

i just started ami for IBS-D/anxiety. I know my dose is VERY low to tackle either of these yet but I am trying to build up.

However, even on 2.5mg (only three nights in) I’m feeling like a zombie, brain fog, dizzy. i can deal with all the other symptoms right now (dry mouth, inc. heart rate) and i’ve read a lot on these threads that the brain fog will fade.

However!!! my dose is REALLY LOW. and yesterday (third night) i had to lower the dose to 1.25mg because im just not in the position to not be able to think at work (i work really long hours and need my brain).

i’ve been struggling with all sorts of gut issues and brain fog/dizziness has been an on and off problem, but it’s a lot worse right now.

planning to stick out the 1.25mg for a bit more before giving up, but just wondering if anyone has any opinions/advice.

edit: i have started so low because im very sensitive to all meds.

Does increasing the dose impact its Sleep-inducing ability?

Have a friend who says this is very promising at low doses for insomnia.

Apparently works great at 10-20mg depending on weight of the person.

Also it’s been around for a long time with a history of low side effects compared to other prescription meds.

Amitriptyline got rid of my back/neck chronic pain.

Ive been taking 25mg daily for 7 months.

Do I have to take it for life or is possible to stop slowly and never had the pain again?

Doctors said "nobody knows".

Does any of you have experience a cure?

Obviously i don't want to take it for life but I dont want the pain back either.

Im 3 months and 10days off ami 25mg and perphenazine 2mg

I had neutral days.. Like i can say good days with a bit flat mood but functioning very well..

But lately i have like light head.. Nausea.. Mood swings and anxiety again.. It comes and goes

Im on ecitalopram for a year from now.. Im stuck and hopeless.. If anyone like me.. Everytime i feel okey i feel like baam everything went down

Hello,

I want to summerize my expirence with Amitripthyline.

I got it around 2023 when I started my new job because:

- I couldnt sleep (max 2-3 hours)
- Brutal anxiety
- Stomach/Gut problems (IBS/SIBO)
- Constant pain / Inlfmation
- Brain fog
- Chronic tension headaches
- Migranes

In summary my body and my mind was falling apart !

Start: I started with 10 mg and after half year we up the dose to 25mg and it worked like magic !

Pros:

- I slept 8 hours in a row (crazy)
- I gained some weight I was 70kg 180cm (155lbs 5'10) and after year I was 82kg (180 lbs), which is awesome
- no more headaches
- no anxiety

Everything felt "good" no cons

Mid: The next year (the 2nd year) I stayed on 25mg

Pros:

I still was doing fine my weight didnt increase and I hit a lot of PBs in the gym but it was the first time I notice some cons.

Cons:

- Heat sensitivity, I was constantly overheating and the sun became my biggest enemy. I was constantly colapsing in the sun and it got so bad that I couldnt even handle "sunny" days with low temp. and low UV intensity

- My body was still imflammed and I felt "sick" and Amitripthyline felt like its just covering it

- My sleep was good but it doent felt like real "sleep", its hard to describe but people who use it, know what I mean

- Overall felt sluggish

- Sex felt mid

End:

The doc decided to reduce it 10 mg and and everything came back, after 2 weeks the anxiety, IBS, pain, brain fog, insomania, headaches etc. etc.

I felt terrible for months...

When I decided to finally find the route of all cause which is IBS/SIBO and low B12. I started a treatment for SIBO and also took B-Vitamins.

Which turned out to be a game changer, I felt finally really exhausted and tired. A feeling I didnt had in YEARS ! I was also able to reduce my Amitripthyline to 10mg every 2nd day (later switched to 5mg daily) and later to 5mg every 2nd day.

1 month ago I implemented BPC 157 and this changed everything. I felt finally "stable" again and with the go of my doc I came of Amitripthyline.

Side effects:

- The first week, I was very emotional and all over the place, it was hard for me to compose myself
- Gut problems
- I felt "sick"
- Nerve pain cameback greatly
- Anxiety, hit me sometimes like a truck

Dispite coming of from only 5mg every 2nd day, I have to admit it wasnt easy. My body had to adapt to it. Iam currently in week 3/4 and I feel like Iam over the hill. I am stable again and I feel like "me" again

Does anyone else find that they black out and can’t remember huge chunks of the night when drinking way easier than before taking Amitriptyline. It really doesn’t take a lot for me to black out these days and it’s a been dangerous in parts.

I don’t drink often or all that much but when I do, I can’t remember large amounts of time… wondered if this was common with taking Amitriptyline?

(I know the advice is not to drink, but once in a while I do want to)

Hi, I just started taking 10mg of amitriptyline for migraines, fibromyalgia, and depression/anxiety. I only took my first pill last night (along with my 100mg of gabapentin) and only noticed I was groggy this morning, which was expected.

However, its been about 21 hours since I took it and have been noticing my heart racing and feeling like I’m not getting enough oxygen when I breathe. Just trying to walk through my house to get food had me panting and feeling faint. I’ve basically been stuck laying down all day and even then have had to really focus on my breathing.

Has anyone else had side effects like this? Is this something that goes away once my body adapts to the meds? Or do I need to call my doctor and possibly stop taking this? It’s only been one dose so I’m not really sure how to react.

I know every body reacts differently and I am historically sensitive to medications, but thought maybe some folks have had similar reactions and could give some insight. TIA :)

Been on amitriptyline for about four years (I'm at 50mg now) and generally really like the decrease of migraines and the fact that I can actually fall asleep consistently. Just found out attempts are pretty common on this medication in comparison to other antidepressants/TCAs, which felt validating to be honest. I've been struggling on and off with major depressive episodes for years, and just got my MDD diagnosis last year.

I'm just wondering about how you guys are doing mentally. Are we all just in the shit? You all get depressive episodes too?

Ami has been my "safe" medication that never gave me any crazy side effects, which I am now having my doubts about.

I'll definitely bring this up in my next appointment, but just thought I'd ask reddit too. Have a good day

I’m currently on 50mg of Amitriptyline for interstitial cystitis. I’ve been taking it for several months. I’d say it’s not really helping with my pain as I still get monthly flares, I probably have 1 week out of the month where the pain is manageable and just “background noise”.

I am going to go back to the doctors in the next few weeks to ask for further testing to rule out endometriosis and such as I literally just got the diagnosis based off of my symptoms and urine samples alone so I want more investigation.

I ideally don’t want to be on medication but my pain makes it hard for me to differentiate IC pain or UTI so I’ve been on a lot of antibiotics unnecessarily and want to avoid that as much as I can so I’m sticking with the medication atm.

But it’s come with a lot of side affects such as weight gain, I’ve almost gained 3 stone in the last year as my appetite feels uncontrollable. I also have acid reflux issues, currently being referred for possible sleep apnea (the dry mouth is the worst) and I’m constantly tired (I really struggle to get up in the morning, I would sleep all day and night if I could). And I know that amitriptyline isn’t helping on top of these issues so I just don’t know what to do right now. Can anyone relate? Or offer any advice? TIA

I am not asking for medical advice.

So I received a compound medication for dental nerve pain that reads: carba(5%)-amit (2%)- Benz (6%). I took one only dose (pea size applied at gums) at approx. 3:00 pm today. I felt very slightly drowsy & detached mentally around 4:30pm & this feeling subsided around within 1-2 hours.
However, without thinking, 1 took a 2 ounce shot of liquor at approx 7pm. I threw up the shot about ten minutes after I took it (not on purpose)- but could already feel the effects.

I am scared that the “Amit.” refers to amitriptyline & that mixing the two will damage my brain. I hope I am overthinking this & my anxiety is just taking over. Any insight is very greatly appreciated.

It has a herbal smell to it. Or did mine just go bad?

Week 12 off amitryptaline

I finished 3 months mark from last dose of amitryptaline..

No more intense anxiety.. No much fatigue.. Memory so good.. I can eat.. Less nausea.. More appetite

No dizziness (sometimes) but so so little not like before

No headaches.. I had fast bowel sometimes on and off.. But still struggling with anhedonia sometimes.. Like i feel blunt and I force my self to do stuff.. I dont feel happy.. Like before.. Anyone had this??

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Ps.. Im on escitalopram 10mg since 1 year .. I know maybe it maybe cause blunting but I never had it before.. Even when i was on both.. Now I feel sometimes like i just want to escape or do nothing

Anyone felt like this in withdrawl?? And took how much to go away