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?
Oh no! I want to come off them too but when i hear horror stories like this, i get so scared to come off them.
Good luck amanda & get well soon.
Dear Amanda, I started a thread last week about withdrawal. When I tried to go down to 5mg, from 10mg, a few years ago I got my migraines back so went back to 10mg. However, this time I've managed to get to 5mg without any trouble. My problem was going to less than 5mg. I have sought advice and been told that one way to reduce is to go to less for one night only then wait a few days before trying again so that the body has a chance to gradually get used to less. Then you gradually bring the days on a lower dose closer together. Perhaps you could try that. How long have you been taking Amitriptyline? I think the longer you are on it the longer it takes to come off and it must be very gradual.
Sue
hi Amanda. I'm currently in the process of coming off them, and hopefully I'm pretty much there as I can't remember the last time I took 5mg (maybe a week ago). I've been amazed how hard it has been to come off them. I took 10mg for two weeks for pain but started feeling nauseous after two days that just got worse. I tried going cold turkey and just gave them up but after six days I had really bad nausea and felt like I was in a desert - constantly thirsty. I went back to half tablets (5mg) and have gradually weened myself off. I currently have abdominal pain but as my doc thinks I have fibro that's not unusual for me. I hadn't thought that it might be a withdrawal symptom from the amitriptyline. I've also been feeling itchy all over the last three days. Again I've assumed that's fibro related but I guess it could be amitriptyline withdrawal. I have been amazed just how hard a drug it is to come off, even at low doses. Good luck with getting off it.
Forgot to say I've also had the belching / acid reflux as withdrawal coming off them. The nausea and the thirst have been the worst though.
Hi Tom, when you say you have gradually weened yourself off how did you go about it? Missing days or cutting the tablets in half?
both. I started by cutting the tablets in half and having 5mg a night, then 5mg every other night, then every two or three nights, then every four or five nights. I just tried to go as long as I could without taking it, but as soon as I started feeling thirsty and nauseous I took 5mg that night. It's been over a week now without any so hopefully I may be there. It has taken a while though, maybe six weeks to get off them after only originally taking them for two weeks. Never again!
hi, i have been on amitriptyline 14 months started at 10mg, went to 20mg after 3 months then 30mg after another month as it helped then stopped helping so weaned down to 10mg. i stayed at 10mg for a month. i cut the tabs in half and started on 5mg BOY was i ill on day 3. went back on 10mg and took 8 days to feel ok. i stayed on 10mg another month then did alternate days 10mg and 7.5mg for 2 weeks all good. went to 7.5mg for a month the first few days i had bowel problems felt like an torrent inside my bowels then settled. then i reduced again 7.5mg alternate days and 5mg then same old abdo pain and headaches, nausea and bloating felt so drained. so here i am again on 10mg.
hi the itchy feeling will be the amitriptyline withdrawal as too is the abdominal pain and belching and acid. i dont understand why it has such an effect on gastro system, im still feeling the awful effects and been back on 10mg for 4 nights .
I so want to come off these tablets, but reading the above posts & the side effects suffered is scaring me.
i found a web site called point of no return it mentions 10% tapering and taking omega 3 oils so going to speak to my gp and try getting the drug in liquid form as will help with the tapering and makes it easier.
I had no idea that it was available as a liquid. I'm surprised that Tomatom was cutting tablets in half as they are available in 5mg. which is what mine are. Stephen73292, don't be worried. I've heard on other forums that some people have come off with no problems at all. Just don't rush it. I've realised that because I've been on this small dose for some years I need to take things much slower. All the best everyone.
GPs dont tell us its in liquid form as its much more expensive.
I am super sensitive to every medication under the sun. I just tried Amtriptyline 10mg for nine days, for treatment of migraine associated vertigo. The Amtriptyline caused unsettled sleep, with weird dreams, constipation, extreme morning grogginess, and bad heart palpitations; I stopped taking it, and my last dose was Saturday. It's Tuesday, and I've been feeling somewhat dizzy and nauseated for the past three days and nights. I feel like crap. Oddly, my lower back was aching me all day yesterday and this morning; I didn't know there could be a correlation. Glad I found this message board.
hi, your symptoms should subside soon as you have only taken it for 9 days. its awful that this medication affects us so quickly. im not sure if its on here or another forum but, someone else had terrible withrawal symptoms and had only been on it 2 weeks. that person went back on the 10mg and did a slower taper as the gp had said just stop it its a low dose! yeah right, easier said than done. i hope your symptoms dont last long xx
Hi Amanda,
I'm feeling better; that is, I no longer feel the withdrawal from amitriptyline. I am left with finding a med to alleviate the migraine associated vertigo 
Thanks for your response!
im glad you are feeling better x
Hi amanda59745,
Just wanted to check to see how you were going. How much are you on
now? I'm on day 9 of 17.5mg. The main thing I'm noticing so far is that it's
a bit harder to get to sleep and I'm waking a bit earlier which is actually a
good thing. On the higher doses I needed 9-12hrs a night so less is good
(so far anyway - ask me again when I'm on 5mg😢
.
Did you see the post from kyra 17yo who's been put on 150mg? One GP
has told her that it's not really a high dose as it would even be safe to go up
to 600mg. Aaaarrhhhgg!!!!!!!
Hi sheena im doing ok im currently on 7mg day 5 with no withrawal symptoms apart from finding it hard to fall a sleep. im having to get up through the night to wee, this is good as on 10mg i didnt need to go to the loo in the night. im taking half a 10mg tab (5mg) and 2mg of the liquid. i plan to drop to 6.5mg next week if all ok. the liquid only lasts one month once started so hope to get down to 5mg within the next 25days. if all ok i will stay at 5mg for a month to allow my body and brain to get used to a lower dose. im a little anxious as the drop from 7.5mg to 5mg is going to happen in one month but fingers crossed.
Hi again yes i have seen the thread re the poor girl on 150mg and yes that bloody stupid gp who said she can go upto 600mg OMG REALLY!!!!!