Amitriptyline and weight gain?

I noticed a few people have mentioned this in other posts and just wondered if it does indeed cause weight gain? I have been on these for a couple of years and have put on about a stone and a half which gets me down as I eat healthily (most of the time..........)

[Extremelygrumpy]

Noooooo I have just started these yesterday and I need to lose about a stone and a half, it just makes me want to give up on meds altogether.

VGx

[Linjack in reply to Extremelygrumpy]

Totally agree with you.It is so upsetting!Linjack xx

[Hidden]

Sorry! Please don't stop on my account. I just saw a few posts mentioning it, I am seeing my GP on Monday and will ask him about it................I could do with losing a good two stone but it is Christmas soon............... xx

[Hidden]

I took Amitriptyline for almost four years and put on a stone and a half. Fortunately being tall, 5'7 and a half inches, it doesn't show too much. I have gone up one dress size, so it could be worse. I have heard that others have put on more, but it's hard to say for sure as our lives are less active now, so it could be a combination of lack of exercise, different diet and medications.

Amitriptyline is one of the meds attributed to possible weight gain. It's something to keep an eye on. xxx

[nanatofour]

I put on half a stone when I stopped smoking after my heart attack and have been on 30mg amytrip at the same time. I only snacked on healthy food so I put the weight gain down to not smoking and being less active now with fibro xx

[Someonesmother]

My GP won't put me on this for the weight gain reason. i have to go off HRT because of the same reason and he says there may be something else I can try after I go off hrt. I have ony just been diagnosed so I have no meds or plan or anything else so i am just coping taking paracetamol which just takes the edge off the pain to let me get to work.

[Extremelygrumpy]

Well been taking Amitriptyline for a whole two days now , first day very bad headache second day headache slightly less drowsiness slightly less, appetite lessened, and two days running woke up with no swollen stiff fingers ... I only just noticed, surely 10mg a day wouldn't help my hands this quickly ....fingers crossed. Literally I can !!!!!!

VG x

[Hidden in reply to Extremelygrumpy]

That's good if Amitriptyline you are getting relief already, i couldn't manage with out mine i'm on 75 to 100mg a night. I have put on weight but i'm loseing it again with hard work and heart ache as i love my food hehe. I too used to get those sort of hangovers but once my body got used to it i don't have them anymore unless i have to take more but thats rare thank goodness. Good luck xx

[stickleberry]

If you take amitriptyline same time every night (I take 50mg at 6pm) yI dont get that headache feeling .Iv put on lots of weight but i put that down to not enough exercise and bad mobility .Ness xxx

[newtalk44]

Hi, I was put on Amitriptyline 16YRS ago when I was first diagnosed. 25mg at night about 2hrs before going to bed. All it did was give me a dry mouth and did nothing for the pain.

By the end of the first year and gradually building the amount up to 150mg at night. The doctor said this should help me to get some relief and a restorative sleep. All it did was make me feel drowsey all the time and my mouth even more dry, I did get a good nights sleep at times though.

I had always been 8st. 4Ibs all my adult life apart from when I was pregnant. Within 3yrs of taking the Amitriptyline had put on 3st. weighing 11st 4lbs. I couldn't stand being fat and it didn't help the pain. I decided to knock the dose down gradually to 75mg. and was on that amount for the rest of the time but could not lose any weight,

Then 2yrs ago I was told I was borderline Diabetis 2 and that to try to counteract it I should lose some weight. I tried everything I could to lose some but it just wouldn't budge.

I sugested to the doctor how about trying to reduce the tablets. I have got them back down to taking just 1 X 25mg a night. In the past 6mths I have managed to lose a stone.

This proved to me that it was the tablets that put all this weight on. Some doctors say it doesn't but I asked the Rhumatologist I saw 6wks ago and he said it was one of the side effects unfortunately.

I don't want to finish up having Diabetis on top of everything else. I do want to stop them altogether and I WISH I HAD NEVER TAKEN THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE .BUT I AM NOW ADDICTED. I also have Osteoarthritis in my hands, feet, Spondalosis in my neck with 3 of my Vertibrae out of place, plus due to my body trying to comfort the pain I now lean to my right side and this has caused a Curveture of the Spine. This causes me a lot more pain in my back, hip and legs.

During all this time my doctor has tried all sorts of painkillers finally putting me onto Morphine. This was the one that finished me from taking any painkillers at all because when I do I am either sick or so nauteus, to bad to put up with. So all I can do is grin and bear the pain.

After seein the Rhumatologist privately 6wks ago, he has put me onto DUROLOXETINE this like Amitriptyline helps to build the Seratonin in your brain, but I haven't got any side effects at all and the pain is now bearable. People with Fibro have found to be lacking Seratonin.You could ask your doctor if you could try them in place of the Amitriptyline. They don't like to because they are more expensive. But only a small percentage put weight on with them, and that could be with eating the wrong things.

I hope you get sorted soon. LOL. Newtalk

[vajrayogin1]

Hi I have taken amitryptiline for 2 years and gained 2 stone!! I have just got a pilates machine and am hoping my fat belly will majicaly go if I just look at it another item gathering dust!! I swim twice a week and eat moderately healthy but alas most of my day is spent lying on sofa so I guess being inactive along with the meds is the cause. I can't go back to not taking it now and besides I sold my size 8 clothes on e-bay and now have size 12 so would mean another sale!!

[adapting in reply to vajrayogin1]

hi, i got a pilates machine as well, how are you getting on with it?

[vajrayogin1 in reply to adapting]

Hi I was lucky enough to get my pilates machine from freecycle, no video at first unsure how to use it. I now have a level 1 DVD and have had at least 4 goes now! Its great and the stretching really relives the pain. Keep looking at the belly not any change there ha ha! but it is tightening up so maybe in a few months time if I keep it up there will be an improvement. What do you think? Do you like your machine?

[adapting in reply to vajrayogin1]

hi, yes i do unfortunatly i have lacked motivation with it, but am about to launch myself in to a lifestyle overhaul.

i think being able to keep it out would help rather than packing it away

i have a few dvd's i'll see if i can burn them and post to you

the streches do feel good but i find i get foot cramp so must find some lightweight shoes with a firm sole

do you have any feet problems with it?

very lucky indeed to get it off freecycle!!

xx

[vajrayogin1 in reply to adapting]

Hi, no problems after using pilates machine. Although I do have problems with my ankles mainly and my feet often feel strange I can't describe it I tell my partner they feel like pigs trotters! most times I have pain in my knees, wrists, shoulders and ankles feels like they are covered in deep wounds although there's nothing there. What with the deep muscle pain, fatigue, sinus, migraine cystitis IBS etc etc etc its so hard to describe when to others I look well. I leave my machine up. Not been on for last few days, coz I now have a virus, sore throat etc. Swings and roundabouts and pilates machines!! Hope to get back to it soon. Good luck with the new regime, we might have started something here.!

[saloudav]

Hi there, I have been on them for a good few months and I have gained in all a good 3 stone. I did go through a period of comfort eating so I know that didnt help it. But since then, I have been eating quite healthy and following a diet and nothing is coming of at all. In fact, I still feel like I am gaining. It has made me so depressed it has triggered a past eating disorder and I am now battling that as well as the mental health and the pain. Not good. Defo talk to other physcians about it cos not all agree that it does gain weight. I am going to see about coming of that and trying something else cos I cant live with the extra pain the extra weight is causing as well as the depression.

Hope this helps

[jom277]

I was on amitriptyline for 18 months and had put on 2 stone. I have now come off amitriptyline just over 5 weeks ago and have lost nearly a stone in that time. I have now started Pregabalin, which can cause weight gain or weight loss. Luckily my appetite has deceased and I no longer have sugar cravings.

Everyone I know who have taken amitriptyline have put on weight but they do not have fibro.

As with everything fibro, what happens with one of us doesn't necessarily happen to another.

[elizajane]

i have put on weight since being on amitriptyline too. i swim twice a week and do zumba on good days and the weight will not come off. im going to ask my gp if i can come off it and try something else.a warning to anyone on amitriptyline. whatever you do dont just stop taking it. it causes lots of health problems if you do. you need to ween yourself off them.good luck .x

[demdike]

Yes it does make you put on weight. I have put on stone and a half and no matter what i do i can not loose it.

[Hidden]

Thanks everyone for your replies. It does seem most people have put on weight and about the same amount which is odd. I am definitely going to ask my GP if I can go on another type of medication as I just cannot shift any weight either, seems to be stuck at where it is and it's getting me down x x

[chicme]

been on them 12yrs still the same or less all depends if ya pron to put weight on xx

[Teddysmum43]

I'm on amitrtiptiline and pregablin and have had a real battle with my weight. I lost 3.5 stone but since stopping slimming world I have put a stone back on but I've been having a really bad time with anxiety and depression and have been comfort eating but have still been walking my dogs(with walki g stick) and going to the gym to try and improve things.

[Kirby]

I think most antidepressants put in weight. I'm on Seroxat, only 10mg and have put on one and half to two stone.

[Hidden]

There is some info here on Amitriptyline if you click on the link below.

It states that two of the side effects could be weight gain or weight loss. Hmmm, I guess it varies then - we have had more of our members who have told us of their weight gain on this sort of medication, but if you know otherwise, please let us know! Thank folks!

nhs.uk/medicine-guides/page...

(((hug))) xxx

Libs

[Hidden]

I did ask my GP and he confirmed Amitriptyline can cause weight gain, also Fluoxetine can cause it too which I am also on so going to try hard (after Christmas I think....) to lose some weight through diet, but if it doesn't happen I will have another chat with my GP.

The weight gain has made me feel down so need to do something about it. xx

[Linjack]

I have the same problem.Linjack xxx