I am 63 years old and was diagnosed with Fibro by a hospital consultant about 9 years ago during a massive flare up. I was prescribed amitryptiline , 10mg daily, but mostly I have been on 5mg , tapering down to 2.5mg .Sometime near the end of February this year I took the decision to come off them completely and for the first few days it was OK. Then I experienced extreme nausea followed by quite bad upper abdominal pain, terrible wind and acid reflux. Have been following quite a restrictive diet to no avail. Since February it has been more or less continual and the novelty is most certainly wearing off. I have been prescribed omprazole which made no impact at all and have had an ultrasound and gastroscopy which revealed a solitary gallstone which is too big to make its way out naturally. Otherwise everything was reported to be normal. My GP didn't seem overly concerned about the gallstone. However, I have been diagnosed with depression ( moderate ) and quite bad anxiety which to be honest has been ongoing for years so am waiting for CBT. I was not offered counselling for the depression so am paying myself for sessions for that and so far I have found it to be helpful. A long way to go with that but am hopeful .My question is : could all my gastric problems be down to anxiety ? I have had IBS for years but have always managed that. Or , could this be withdrawal from the amitryptiline ? Would that also account for sore ribs, both sides ? Burning mouth and throat ? I feel in a bit of a mess right now and in need of advice - the ten minute session with the GP is not adequate to deal with these issues so any observations from any of you , please, would be most gratefully received. Sorry about the long post and I hope all of you are as OK as can be. Thanks for reading !
Amitryptiline withdrawal symptoms ? - Fibromyalgia Acti...
Amitryptiline withdrawal symptoms ?
Gallstones can make you feel nauseous. The withdrawal symptoms for such a small dose of amitryptiline wouldn't have lasted such a long time.
Good luck.
Hello Daphne ,
I don't have any experience with amitriptyline, but I do have some of managing multiple health conditions and unpleasant side affects of drugs. My advice is to look into eating foods which maybe less aggravating to your gallbladder while you wait for your appointment. I would have a think about which Gp you could see ,who is most prepared to listen and give careful consideration got your health concerns? Ask for a double appointment with them? Be prepared for for a bit of a wait to see them? If you have multiple problems it's perfectly reasonable for you to need to discuss them? Not all problems are straightforward or linear.
Good luck
Hi, I did reply to your post straight away but for some reason it is not coming up and am wondering if I pressed the wrong button ! Thank you for replying - am trying to eat very sensibly ( low fat, low everything ) and am now taking probiotics and magnesium. I see my GP again in August. The surgery is a bit pushed at the moment in terms of staff , the general wait is 3 weeks.
gallstones will make you feel nauseous. Mine lead to pancreatitis , hospitalization and then removal of gallstones. Depression, pain under ribs,feeling sick, giddiness, sleeplessness, restless legs, tiredness, noise intolerance, tinnitus, cramps, forgetfulness are most of my symptoms. Once you know they are linked to fibromyalgia they become easier to accept. The right medication helps. Gastric reflux is helped with omeprazole and I take a tablet night and day. Gastric reflux is when the stomach acids rise up the oesophagus and causes indigestion like pain. If you feel it is not working then go back to the doctor.
Only things I can suggest to help are going gluten free if you aren't already and taking a good probiotic daily. I've had IBS for as long as I can remember and a couple of months ago it was so painful I started probiotics. ( been gluten free over a year) The probiotics made a huge improvement within in a few days. I started off on 2 a day, went down to one a day and now take one on alternate days. No IBS symptoms at all.
I had terrible side effects coming off amitrptyiline in January, they lasted over 3 months with severe nausea and also migraines, loss of appetite etc. In the end my husband made it into a solution and I came down 1ml at a time, but it still wasn’t good. I was quite poorly & have only recently been able to eat normally.
For me taking CQ10, which I bought from Amazon helped, become it also builds up serotonin levels.
As you get older (I’m almost 60), you can’t use CQ10 so readily and need to take Ubiquinol, which is more expensive, but I’ve been lucky & get on fine with the CQ10 and the migraine has virtually disappeared (rare now).
You’re told the side effects can’t last like that, but there was no other explanation.
Hope you start to feel better soon. x
Thank you for replying to my post and for your suggestions - will certainly make a note of the CQ10 and Ubiquinol. At the moment I am trying magnesium and probiotics. Think it is just a question of being patient here and seeing what works for me. I am open minded about the side effects of withdrawal. Although I was taking a low dose of amitryptiline , I was on it for a long time and think I was quite sensitive to the effects of the drug. Have no idea how people tolerate the high doses they are sometimes prescribed but then we are all different. I hope you feel better soon , too !
You’re right, we all react to things differently. I’ve been taking probiotics and magnesium for several years, with good results. Strangely, I had no problems going from 20mg of Amitriptyiline to 10mg, but coming off the 10mg due to dry mouth, problems swallowing, dry eyes, itching and then nausea, was problematic. I hope it all goes well for you & things improve soon.
This is my personal experience. I was only diagnosed with fibromyalgia a month ago. I was having nausea, abdominal pain, burning sensations in the throat, sore ribs whilst I was still taking 10mg Amitriptyline (for nerve pain in my back & foot) also medication for other conditions. My Dr gave me omeprazole which didn't work, he then told me to come off some of the medication, which included Amitriptyline, so was off it for 6 month, the nerve pain was really bad and my abdominal pain was worse. I still suffered nausea etc, nothing changed. 6 weeks ago I had an Endoscopy and Colonoscopy, Gastroenterologist said everything seemed fine, but I have IBS. He told me to take Probotics & to start back on Amitriptyline. I started the Probotics but not the Amitriptyline. After a few weeks the nausea, burning sensations in throat etc had gone, but the pain in my abdomen was just as bad. A month ago I saw my Rheumatologist who diagnosed me with Fibro, he told me to start back on Amitriptyline. Both Consultants wrote to my Dr requesting I go back on it. I am now on 25mg Amitriptyline & the abdominal pain has completely gone. So perhaps the Amitriptyline was masking the pain you have from your Gallstones. Just a thought! Hope you find relief soon.
I found that really interesting to read - thanks for taking the time to reply. While the amitryptiline , as far as I know never did anything for the pain and discomfort I had with the fibro at the time I have since wondered whether it masked other things going on. After 6 weeks of taking it had helped a bit with low mood and , being a champion tooth grinder in my sleep, it helped with that as well to a certain extent ( unexplained dental pain ) Having taken this antidepressant for so long I was keen to come off it and thought that after 9 years had probably grown tolerant to it anyway. My feeling is that I should stick this out for a bit longer . It is so difficult to know what to do , which is why I posted here to find out what all you guys thought. Fibro in itself is a thorny subject with medics , I can never tell how seriously they view it and that is if they view it at all. I have been much heartened by all your replies to my post. Should have done this ages ago ! Thank you for replying and I wish you well.
My Dr was right with me, when you have been on meds for so long, it does help to come off just to see what is going on & what it could be masking, of course under their supervision. I know my Dr taking me off was a good thing, even though at the time I didn't think so. I have a history of depression, and didn't realise how much Amitryptiline actually worked as an antidepressant for me, until I came off. I won't go into details, but I feel it is right for me to be back on it again. My mood has stabilised & I am calm again. Glad I did come off it, just to experience life without it. Good luck in your journey and hope you find the balance.
Thank you, Rosanda. And of course , good luck to you too. Depression and anxiety aren't great, are they - nothing to show for it outwardly. There has been a book published recently about the close link between health of the gut and the effect it has on mood. Cannot think of the author ( a doctor) but I think the title may have been The Inflamed Mind. I haven't read it but it seemed to me that perhaps he was on the right track. There is a very close connection between the brain and the digestive system.
Have just looked up the book I mentioned. It is by Dr Edward Bullmore and the title is The Inflamed Mind.
Thank you Daphne, I will have a look at the book you mentioned. You are right about the brain and the digestive system, when ever I am stressed out my IBS flares up and I tend to eat more. I am on steroids for nearly 2 years, so that has caused me to put on a lot of weight which doesn't help my mental state as I am so upset about it. A vicious circle!
Hi Daphne, I bought the book you mentioned and it has just arrived, looking forward to reading it. Thanks for recommendation, I am sure it will help.
Hi Aussiebird Thanks a lot for your messages and sorry to have missed the first one. I haven't read the book myself but read an article about the author and his theories recently in The Times newspaper magazine and it just made sense to me. If we can sort out a reasonably good working digestive system - where of course we get all our nutrients- then we stand an even chance of feeling a little better. I did wonder, in my own case , if I had an overgrowth of yeast. Think the abbreviation for this is SIBO. I have seborrheic ( ? spelling ! )dermatitis in parts of my scalp, face and in my ears which hasn't really responded to antibiotics so that suggests to me there is an imbalance going on somewhere. My immune system is not as it should be either for some reason ( low white blood cell count ). I would be most interested to hear what you make of the book and I do hope it might provide a few pointers for you. We can but try. Take care and hope this finds you OK today.
I believe that Amitriptyline can mask symptoms.
Karen
I agree. Just wondering now if other antidepressants have this ability ?
Do they use other antidepressants for pain? I was put on Amitriptyline because of nerve pain in my back and foot, the dose was low so not used for depression for me, even though I know it helped because now I am back on it after 6 months, the depression has lifted.
Well I came off amitryptiline cold turkey 40 mg a day when I saw on the news that we are 30% more likely to get dementia when we take it .I didn’t suffer anything I must say .Even if you did it’s a small dose and you would be over it now maybe it’s something else going on .Hope this helps .xx🤗🦋😇
Thanks for posting and your observations. Yes, I saw the bit about increased risk for getting dementia too, one of the reasons I came off it. I did ask a GP for their thoughts on the subject and if memory serves they just said about the quality of life - if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages carry on. Actually, I have to say that amitryptiline never did anything for the pain or discomfort I was in at the time but certainly helped with sleeping, which is half the battle with Fibro. Well done for going cold turkey !
Same here Daphne it helped for a couple of years with sleeping but then stopped and no help with pain at all . I don’t sleep anyway lucky if I get an hour and thatcwas with amy so no difference for me and that horrible sweating has stopped xx🤗🦋😇
Yes tried a lot but have given up and I still keep good hygiene like going to bed and setting alarm everyday even at weekends , don’t know why really habit I suppose . It’s a bit lonely some time and a lot of ours to fill plus I’m alone all day until Hub gets home . I’m going to lie down for a bit I’m feeling very tired . You take care now love and hugs xxx🤗🦋😇
Hello
Your subconscious controls your gut and bowels, so if that isn’t in harmony with your body, sadly you are more likely to have problems. There are so many natural alternatives out there to try against pharmaceutical meds, it’s all about finding a balance for yourself. I have very complex problems in addition to fibro, I take 75mg amitripylene plus other nerve pain meds. I do also take omeprez, but been told must come off it in 6 months, got a blood clot, so have to take meds for this for 6 months. Omep, apparently - long term - depleted the absorption of calcium, putting one at risk for osteoporosis ! I will then go on to ranitidine, I have a gallstone too but can’t comment on what the does as on so many meds, it is masked!
It is getting the right balance for you at the end of the day. I hate having gut and bowel problems but I am a nervous person, so my subconscious plays up despite hypnosis and other natural things I’ve tried.
Good luck
Hi Millie
Thanks for your reply and sorry to hear you have so many ongoing problems. As well as depleting the body of calcium I think it is correct to say that omprazole also has an effect on your B12 and magnesium levels. You may want to check this out. Whatever medicines one is placed on, there are always drawbacks in the long run for some of us. One of my biggest problems is a tendency to worry about everything so a lot of my current health concerns I regard as an own goal. It is difficult to manage anxiety if that is the way you are and a lot of my family are like it , past and present members- whether that is down to an inherited reason or nurture I don't know. Probably a bit of both ! As you so rightly say , it is just a question of finding a balance that is right and works for you. Good luck.
Thanks for additional info, anxiety is horrid illness to cope with ,
Low dose amitryptiline 
Diagnosed by GP. Should I see specialist? 
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Good Morning I hope !!! Are there any links to SEVERE ANTIDEPRESSANT WITHDRAWAl?
