GP advised duloxetine or nortriptyline for gastritis nerve pain relief, I have declined so far as a side effects can be irregular heartbeat and I don't wish to poke the bear. I have checked with EP and he said it's fine, how can this be?? (I forgot to ask)
Is anyone else taking these with afib diagnosis? I'd really appreciate any feedback. TIA
I was on duloxetine for five years because I have extreme anxiety and depression or I did have. I did not even realize about the added off label for pain. I never had problems with it and oh my goodness when it comes to pain, it was incredible. This past summer I had to go off of it. It just wasn’t working for me anymore regarding depression and I can’t take it with another
a pain management doctor just put my cousin on it. He was afraid I told him it never bothered me. The problem is when you try to get off of it. my GP is not thrilled with duloxetine. He is not the one that put me on it. It was my doctor in Florida, but as I said, I had no issues until I get off it. The was the I really have other problems, but oh yes, I could barely move for about a week. It was first time I tried. I actually had to take it again the following day I couldn’t take the pain. When I did it the second time last summer I don’t know if it was the other med being started at the same time but honestly, it was smoothly done. My pain is not my a fib. I was hit by an 18 truck about 12 years ago.
I know I have seen several things, including what they may possibly try to make me take for my thyroid soon and it says accelerated heartbeat. The last thing I need someone who had tachycardia and has a pacemaker now. Amiodarone is another one they try to. I know I’m going to have some issues because I’m to iodine.
duloxetine tends to kick in pretty quick others may disagree. I don’t know how bad pain is. I would say give it a try. You don’t have to keep taking it, but if you get the relief that I did when I was taking it, it’s not a hard drug FYI it’s not withdrawal addiction like with some. It’s just you’re going to get addicted to not having pain. at least that’s my take on it. We are all different if your PE is not concerned just like mine was not. That’s a good thing.
best of luck in your decision
Thanks fir your reply. I take it that you were diagnosed pre duloxetine, with afib? Did you have many episodes while on it? I agree, the stomach pain is overriding the Afib for me, unsure if that is contributing to afib as well. I would hopefully only be on short term until stomach healed, I'm just concerned about it triggering afib.
actually no I was on duloxetine first, but kept on it without issue. I have had depression and anxiety issues for quite a while. Right now, I am off of everything but my clonazepam at bedtime since November. Because duloxetine was no longer working for me. (this happens when you are on something for a length of time sometimes.) I was put on something else, but it just did not agree with me. At the same time I had become very ill with some type of viral infection so pretty much. I was unable to take anything during that time. I did manage to take my heart meds.
I asked my GP if that was OK the way I went off of them. He told people often think they are on antidepressants for life that’s not always the case. And it was fine if I wanted to try to go without them and see how I felt I have had my ups and downs a couple of times, but everyone has ups and downs. You don’t take a pill all the time. I feel so much better being off of because I had such a lack of for anything while on them. Again, I on them a very long time for other reasons nothing to do with a fib. I got the perk of the pain relief because I was on duloxetine. I have had a fib about five years now. I was diagnosed after going to the doctor following up on the floor one night. That was the beginning of adventure. We all have different ways of having it discovered.
if your doctors agree that there’s no problem with you have nothing to lose trying it and if you find it doesn’t then you don’t have to take but pain on top of a fib is a tough one because it will most likely keep triggering it. I recently fell a couple of weeks ago a very serious fall, including banging my face and head into the wall and landing in a heap. The pain for a couple of weeks was almost unbearable. I wish I still had my duloxetine however, I do have pain meds
no one can really tell you what to do or how you are going to feel but if your doctor wants to put you on something hopefully he is smart enough to know what he’s doing and it’s to help you. I’m probably going to have a battle soon lol just came back. Haven’t had my meeting yet with the doctor. We are going to wait until I meet with my new EP. I already know what they normally put people on for thyroid is something I cannot take because I am to iodine. I have already started making changes in other ways to help myself.
it would be lovely if all we had to deal with was a fib if we had it unfortunately other things also pop up
best of luck as I said, we can’t tell you what to do, but if it’s something to help you and the doctor has approved, I would think you would want to see if you can feel better
as far as episodes. I have a very complicated case with my although for the most part, my episodes had been fairly controlled with my meds. I had two ablations one lasted six lasted a year at the very beginning of a fib. I have felt pretty good during those times. I did a lot of swimming daily and walking unfortunately right after I made a major move out of state I had Covid, which may be it off again. I went very much downhill until I got my pacemaker.
as I said, I’m complicated and very different from you. There is no one-size-fits-all with a fib flutter or anything else I have atypical flutter. I have been pretty much rid of a fib for a couple of years.
I am reassured that the Docs approve the meds, but I know from experience that some can be quite blase' about prescribing until, something happens, they didn't mention the irregular HB side effect, I did. I will think more, hoping in the meantime the Gastritis will heal. Wishing you well.
I wouldn’t myself use an SSRI drug like duloxetine unless all else failed but most get on well, I would say. Nortriptyline or amitriptyline are older “tricyclic” antidepressants that can affect the heart. To reduce “nerve” pain, however, the doses are small so I would be guided by your doctor.
I’m surprised gastritis needs this, though. What are your pain symptoms?
Steve
Tight gnawing, visceral hypersensitivity, burning pain under ribs/ fatigue/anxiety ( never experienced before) waking up every morning like I've been beaten up and given a good kicking/ sometimes worse when I eat, I eat carefully, all this ever since I took metronidazole and amoxicillin for h pylori eradication (now negative) 18 months ago. Nutritionist described treatment etc as a ' bomb going off in my stomach ' ...it's basically destroyed it and needs to heal. I'll never touch metronidazole again! (Had taken amoxicillin in past without problems)
Tried amitriptyline years ago, made me groggy for 24 hours. Nortriptyline has the same side effect, by the nature of what they are a, nerve suppressant. I suppose they will all can potentially affect the heart .
PS. Antidepressants it seems accidentally discovered that- they could help with stomach pain often prescribed for ba k pain as well, as it targets the nerves, it doesn't heal but helps to ease the pain until stomach recovers. It doesn't work for everyone pain wise. All good perhaps unless you have a heart diagnosis.
So far as I know, it’s not clear how (or if) these a/d drugs work on “nerve” pain, but anything is worth trying if the pain is severe. SSRI drugs are something that I once reacted to very badly when given for anxiety - never again! The older tricyclics like ami/nortriptyline do cause next day grogginess but that is said to go away over time. I felt zombie like and hated the feeling. My wife was given them for back pain but couldn’t cope with the feeling.
You did need to be rid of the H. pylorii, though. Metronidazole is of a different order of toxicity to any penicillin like Amoxil. I think the nutritionist exaggerated somewhat as it’s been in use for many decades.
It sounds to me as if you have some form of gastritis. It took me a year once to fully lose the daily nausea from that.
Why the GI tract takes so long to heal no one seems to know. After half a lifetime of being told I had IBS, I later found it was likely diverticulosis all along. I am awaiting a scan after three lots of antibiotics haven't cleared up a flare up of that. There’s always something to worry a worrying mind! Such is life.
I hope you do recover sooner rather than later. It must be hard going.
Steve
Thanks fir your reply. H pylori is now negative. Pre treatment i was surviving on water and crackers, i believe h pyloriwas given a massive boost, kick start by the newly prescribed to me (with new afib diagnosis)-omaprazole which reduced the acid allowing it to ravage my stomach more, it was so painful, I no longer take it. I ended up in A & E after 7 hours of pain. Gastritis was diagnosed after the second endoscopy. On researching metronidazole ,it seems that it can be a brutal antibiotic, i know when i was taking it, it felt like stomach was being ripped by red hot knifes.
Ive tried everything to help heal supplements/meds/diet/CBT, I've given up a bit now and accepted it'll just be a matter of time... a long time .
I do wish you well with your healing, digestive issues can affect the whole body it's not nice. Take care
I don't know anything about these drugs or about pain from gastritis. I note you were due for a gastritis operation a year ago, and wonder if this is residual pain. I've just been put on a tablet that has many side effects including mood swings to the extent that you feel you want to self harm or commit suicide, dizziness, urticaria,, and many others including arrhythmia. If there was a better drug for my ailment I wouldn't have been prescribed it, but the ailment, trigeminal neuralgia is unbearable. It is deemed to be the greatest pain a human can have. It gives pain to the face and can be set off by touching the face, or eating, speaking , shaving, applying make,-up or any movement of the head. The tablet I'm prescribed is the only one recommended by NICE for initial treatment.I have permanent though asymptomatic AF after 20+years of paroxysmal AF, am asthmatic and have right foot drop
Those ailments pale into insignificance, compared with the pain from trigeminal neuralgia.
I do sympathize with you and your pain. I had pain in side of face when I had shingles on my head and that was bad. I can only imagine your pain, I did see recently I think, a person had Similar and they had an operation to cure, maybe this is possible.
Re gastritis, Doctors are not very knowledgeable , even GI'S as regards how debilitating and painful gastritis is, they have no idea or seem to care , it is not taken seriously as it should be, many sufferers will vouch for that. I had two endoscopies, first missed h pylori and gastritis as they did visual only and didn't take biopsies, this caused me months of added pain/damage and mis diagnosis. I self diagnosed with a home test the h pylori then requested treatment. Second endoscopy I insisted on them taking biopsies, they were not going to even then.
Gastritis affects the whole body , the brain - gut connection, the stomach is called the second brain. I have never ft so unwell for so long , I plod on looking for relief and hopefully healing .
I have taken Cymbalta or its generic for at least15 years and most of that prior to AF...really has helped with arthritis pain and mild depression. No side effects that I know of.
Not at all - most of my episodes happened after a lunch where I had a dessert - something I normally wouldn't eat, so it seemed more like sugar was a trigger. Definitely has helped me avoid daily Tylenol regime for arthritis - and I;ve had knee, hip and shoulder replacement due to that.
good morning Sunlovah,
I have been on duloxetine for approximately a year now and have had NO negative effects on increased frequency of AF attacks . My duloxetine is for severe nerve type occipital headaches which started when the big boot of our car slammed down on my head but it was ‘manageable ‘ initially but then as time went on and the normal healing process was over severe headaches developed with eye symptoms . Initially put on a migraine prevention medication ( topimarate ) . This really helped , until a year later i was punched in the back of my head by a psychotic person whilst sat in A and E . I was there to support my very sick Mother and had just stepped out of cubicles to rest and get some water . Big mistake ! Anyway , i eventually started on a low dose of duloxetine and titrated up to the max dose of 120 mgs , split in 2 . No issues at all , including AF .
So i would say go for it !! ( i do have previous anxiety and severe depression issues treated with an array of different medications over the last 20 years , most recently fluoxetine ) . I was on fluoxetine when AF began 8 years ago . No EP advised me to come off them , i did this myself when i felt i no longer needed them . However I did it gradually with no ill effects .
Sorry for the essay !!
Amanda x
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