Coming off all pain relief

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi,

From a week ago I have been off all pain relief.I had been taking amytiptyline for about 7 weeks for sleeping and pain.Just at night.Since stopping the amytiptyline I have felt progressively more down and also have more pain in my lower back.I don't want to start again with medication as amytiptyline gave me blurred vision,even though it was otherwise good.Is anyone else still on pain meds after 4 months?

Janet

2

Hi Janet.

Funny you should take about the meds as last night I came to the conclusion that I may be withdrawing from codine. I have been taking them for about 12 years now, but never over did it with them. I came off all my meds a few days ago ( I am 5 weeks post LTHR ) and have been getting lots of headaches and not being able to sleep. I do have amytriptaline myself but haven't even took any of them. I'm a. It conserves that I have to ween myself of the painkillers now. This is not what I wanted.

Good luck. X

3

I was on oxycodone for 10 months and got physically addicted to them. I only took them as prescribed but it took a while to slowly wean myself off them. I tried to just stop taking them but I couldn't sleep and started going through withdrawals.

4

hi janet, 

did you come off your medication under doctor's supervision?  

amytiptyline is an anti-depressiva and stopping it might cause withdrawal symptoms and feeling more down and achy are some of them-

please contact your doctor - 

I quit cold turkey ... it was really bad and won't do it again - 

let us know how you are getting on, okay .... we learn so much from each other-

big warm hug

renee

5

I'm very unlikely to ever be off them entirely due to other stuff that is wrong. So if it takes some time, don't beat yourself up over it - it will happen for you when it does.

​I'm not an expert but I was previously on amytriptyline for neuropathic pain as a result of arthritis in my spine. It is also an anti-depressant (usually in higher doses, and not used as much these days as there are better ones) - that might explain why you feel a bit down though. If the pain is affecting your quality of life, speak to the doctor - the amytripyline wasn't for me either, but there are alternatives. I'm on gabapentin instead, with much better outcomes.

An maybe worth speaking to your physio about exercises - your back goes through a lot when you have a dodgy hip, and then as you recover. Some strengthening exercises might be all you need.

6

Well done for getting off them though. I have seen some horror stories about people addicted to oxycodone, and it takes character to get off them.

7

I'm allergic to amytiptyline , but I do know you have to come off it very slowly over a period of time , it's quite dangerous to come off it too quickly. Speak to your GP xx it's hard enough and very depressing to be going through this ordeal without the added adverse effects of the medication on top xxxx blessings . Xxx