What side effects have people had fro... - Fibromyalgia Acti...

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What side effects have people had from amitryptilline?

chilli50 profile image
19 Replies

ive been on a veery low dose of amitryptilline for around 2 months and ive gone from being ok mentally to feeling pretty much ready to go to sleep and never wake up. Its come on so fast im shocked! i was on 10mg increased to 20mg for the last 3 weeks or so. I felt like this when i was on antidepressants before xmas but took myself off them (definitely something i would talk to the doctor about next time) and i have to say i actually felt able to cope for the first time since 2008, although i was nowhere near this bad. I felt a bit down a couple of weeks ago but thought it was hormonal but since friday its been AWFUL. Im not on anything for depression as i felt as if the last lot of tablets had actually made it a hell of a lot worse. I was on amitryptilline to help with sleep. I feel as if im going out of my mind! Please let me know as i dont think it would be so bad if i know this will at least calm down. Its getting worse by the day and i dont know if i can keep going for much longer if this carries on. Ive got a doctors appointment on the 26th so am going to speak to them then and see what can be done, but its managing til then that im worried about. I cant face an emergency appointment as ill be sat there a good 2 hours.

Big wet hugs

Chilli50 xxx

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19 Replies
westgate profile image
westgate

hi honey!

i was on amytry...... a few years ago . i suffered terrible hallucinations and seriously thought i was going mad. i eventually told my therapist, wnet back to the doctor and got it sorted. not all meds are for everybody.

if its bothering you then u need to go to your docs. you know your body

warmest hugs

xx

LindseyMid profile image
LindseyMid

It sounds like you need to see your doctor asap. Side effects are a common problem with Amitriptyline. In fact research doesn't support using Ami as a treatment for Fibro long-term as it is common to need an increasing dose with increasing side effects.

Catsrule profile image
Catsrule

Hi, these are the worst pills if you ask me. My Dr wanted me to persist in taking them as I use to give up after a few days as they made me feel so out of it. I too was prescribed them to help with sleep; they did help but I did not like the feeling they gave me in the morning. I have tried them several times over the years with the same horrible effects so will not bother any more! Hope this helps.

Dexter2009 profile image
Dexter2009

I felt like I was could murder someone when I went on them! I am normally really chilled out and easy going but after having these for a few days I felt like I'd got a massive ball of anger in my chest and felt ready to explode at anyone who dared come near me. Went back to GP who changed medication and I was fine then x

martinarapley profile image
martinarapley

I am on Amitriptyline 30mg at night and can increase it to 40mg if I need a good night sleep. I have very little side effects only dry mouth and I can cope with that.

It is one of those meds that agree with some people and really disagrees with others. Sounds like you are one of the latter. Think you need to see GP ASAP if feeling so unwell.

rosehip profile image
rosehip

i came off them i had very vivid strange dreams x

sarah111 profile image
sarah111

Im coming of them at the moment,i have put on 2stone with them and have got to the stage there just not working for me any more....I have bn changed to Tramdol which will work for a while but anything is better than pain at the time...Xxx

roxyroo profile image
roxyroo

Im on 100mg of them, but like Rosehip they do cause very vivid dreams. Some times i scared to go to sleep (: xx

siver52 profile image
siver52

They sent me loopy. I was totally out of control going between suicide and homicide, All in 1 week. My GP has now put on my records that I am allergic to them and that group of antidepress. I take venlaflaxine.

Speedqueen9 profile image
Speedqueen9

I lost about a month of my life while taking these. I had no awareness of time or events, they just totally spaced me out. Scarey thing was I didn't even realise it but my family did and got me off them ASAP

rafiki profile image
rafiki

i must be thexception! they are so good for me with the nerve pain i get in my legs. i take a varied dose as to my ability to cope with the pain. anything from 35 to 50mg. yes they do make me tired when th dose is higher but i do get use to it but i dont work and live on my own. i couldnt be without them, maybe because i dont react well to stronger painkillers and m only on diclofenic because i cant take stronger but boy do i wish i could! every one is different in how their body reacts to meds.

renrobin profile image
renrobin

Before I started taking them I didn't have a full nights sleep and was in desperate pain.

They have been my saviour!

Hugs from Ren Robinxxxxx

bumblebee57 profile image
bumblebee57

I take them again now, but came off them for about a year,to see if I could do without them.But I couldn't sleep, tossed and turned all night, so I was more tired than usual, I didnt remember dreaming at all and my depression became worse. But now I'm back on them, I sleep like a log, although I still wake up feeling like Ive had no sleep at all, and I remember my dreams and yes they are vivid and bizarre. I have also put on weight, about 2stone, since I went back on them.

Huggybear16 profile image
Huggybear16

Both my son and I are on them and find them great ant sleep without them

Jeannie profile image
Jeannie

My doctor was very clear that if I had any symptoms then to STOP taking it. It's not for everyone but works well for me.

Perhaps there's an alternative

Sarah-Jane profile image
Sarah-Jane

I am really sorry you are having this experience with this medication. I am afraid no medication is for everyone and it does sound like you should be at your doctors now, not waiting. If you have not done so, not knowing where you are or your surgeries rules, I would go there first thing they open and say you really need to see your doctor - today and that yes, it is an emergency! If not, call him out to you hun. You cannot go on like this. Please come back and tell us you have seen your doctor as we are all now worrying about you.

Amitriptyline works for me but does not work for everyone - you need to find something that does and I am sure your doctor would not want you to be going through all of this.

I would reduce your dose if you can tonight, but maybe you could ring for out of hours advice on that because I don't want you to become ill because of that idea.

All the best hun - come back and tell us the outcome on this thread, please?

Soft hugs

acutehugs profile image
acutehugs

I Have been on amitriptyline for 4 yrs now i take 50mg at night as well as other meds for muscle spasms, i take extra amitrptyline when im at my worse in the day, doesnt stop the pain but calms the muscle down a bit.. x

chilli50 profile image
chilli50

Hi.

Thanks evryone so much for your replies. I really appreciate the effort and doncern shown to me I took a half dose the other night and have now been off them for about 4 days. Im totally back to normal and have to say its a relief! That was one scary episode i can say. I think if i had carried on taking amy, i would have either murdered someone or i wouldnt be answering you now and im not being dramatic when i say that. I didnt in the end need to see the doctor although i am still seeing her on tuesday so will let you know what she says. It looks like ill be trying duloxetine now and i also might ask about morphine for really bad days, although it all depends on what they say. Ive also got a letter asking me to make an appointment for physio so im going to book that and see how it goes. Its strange but i feel so much calmer now and more emotionally stable than i have in a while and although im still in a lot of pain and life isnt ideal, looking after 2 grandsons aged 6 and 5 and a partner who works shifts and is always tired, i seem to have got my positivity back and actually feel as if i can cope again.

Im still going to have my bad days and flare ups but i know they will not last and that and the love i have for the boys and my partner will get me through. This weekend i realised just how much my bf cares for me and for the first time in probably 20 years, i feel almost secure.

I also argued with my eldest daughter this weekend and after she talked to my bf, we had a heart to heart and talked about a lot of issues we had with each other, clearing the air for the first time since i got parental rights on the boys. We still have a lot to work through but its a start, one i thought i would never see to be honest. I dont know what my fella said to her, but it worked. Another sign i had that he really cared.

Im so lucky to have these people around me. My younger daughter has started to realise the implications that fm has on me and has been much more helpful lately.

What happened this weekend was a scary and strange event but actually, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It showed my family just how close to the edge i really was and has brought us much closer together.

Thankyou to everyone who showed concern, im glad to say im fine!

Lots of love and gentle huggles

Chilli xx

chilli50 profile image
chilli50

I forgot to say that my fella helps as much as he can with the boys and around the house. He does all the school runs after getting breakfast and making sure the boys are ready. He washes up before his shift and will pop to the shops to make sure i have everything i need before he leaes.

He cooks the boys tea and washes up before going back to work until midnite. He ecen got me a flask that holds 24 cups of tea and he makes that before work so i dont even have to boil the kettle. He isnt romantic in the slightest lol and ive realised that this is the way he shows me he loves me. The boys have ADHD too and can be very difficult to cope with and he takes it in his stride and deals with it even though he is pretty much exhausted permenantly!

At the moment im trying to get him to read some info on fm but reading isnt reslly his thing and he is reluctant so im going to have to work on him a bit. I think he kind of understands but i want him to get thhing such as, if i say im tired, i dont just mean a bit sleepy, i mean totally and completely drained.

Anyway, life story over lol. Thanks everyone!

Love and hugs

Chilli xxx

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