amitriptyline- weight gain

[elizajane]

just before christmas i saw a different gp about the pain i was having and not being able to walk.i was litterally hauling myself round the furniture. i asked him about the amitripyline and how i had put on weight.i had been swimming twice a week and doing low impact zumba until the flare up. he has now upped the amitriptyline to 50mg and i feel the weight is increasing . has anyone else experienced this and what can i take instead. .i want to take as much info with me as possible when i go back. i feel bloated all the time suggestions please.x.

[Extremelygrumpy]

I can't do anything like you can cos of my arthritis so I know my weight gain is due to lack of exercise, but I was put on amitriptaline to try to help with the pain of that and my fibro, only 10mg as I am on other meds I stuck it for 5 weeks it made me feel like a zombie I couldn't think straight was tired and yawning all day despite it making me sleep .. I just stopped taking it as I was only on 10mg I wouldn't go back on it again

VGx

[elizajane in reply to Extremelygrumpy]

ive been on 10mg for about 2 yrs for migraine. when i was diagnosed with fms the dr upped it to 20mg for pain .then upped to 50mg it helped me to sleep about 5 hrs a night for a few nights and now its not working again. the pain is tollerable .ive put on about a stone in the last couple of month and its not through lack of exercise . i eat healthy ,plenty of fruit and veg so i can only think it the tablets.

[sue57 in reply to Extremelygrumpy]

Same here grumpy!! Weight gain same with me, and the diabetic meds I take. But the Amitrip made me like a zombie too...and I only took 1 tablet!! XX

[hotfox in reply to Extremelygrumpy]

I was only taking10 mg 1 at night to help me sleep, due to atheritic, pain. But I felt like zombie , didn't care about anything nothing botherd me so I stopped taking them and now have been taking nortripa

lyne which isn't too bad. But I have put on weight taking this.

[Amanda]

I take 20mg of amitriptyline about an hour before I go to sleep each night.I have put on about 1 1/2 stone in 6 months but I attribute

this to me being a greedy pig and eating too much as I have severe depression as well!

[rinnie]

I have gained but i thought it was the Gababpentin

[Ozzygirl64]

I am on Amitrips same dose as you and I have not put any weight on with them. So I do not know why it is happening to you. I suppose it effects different people in different ways I would bring it up next time you see your GP. Some people actually say it causes them weight loss so it can all be very confusing. I found the following information but even though it says it can cause does not mean they will:-

•

Side effects of Amitriptyline MAY(but not always) include: Abnormal movements, anxiety, black tongue, blurred vision, breast development in males, breast enlargement, coma, confusion, constipation, delusions, diarrhea, difficult or frequent urination, difficulty in speech, dilation of pupils, disorientation, disturbed concentration, dizziness on getting up, dizziness or light-headedness, drowsiness, dry mouth, excessive or spontaneous flow of milk, excitement, fatigue, fluid retention, hair loss, hallucinations, headache, heart attack, hepatitis, high blood pressure, high fever, high or low blood sugar, hives, impotence, inability to sleep, increased or decreased sex drive, increased perspiration, increased pressure within the eye, inflammation of the mouth, intestinal obstruction, irregular heartbeat, lack or loss of coordination, loss of appetite, low blood pressure, nausea, nightmares, numbness, rapid and/or fast, fluttery heartbeat, rash, red or purple spots on skin, restlessness, ringing in the ears, seizures, sensitivity to light, stomach upset, strange taste, stroke, swelling due to fluid retention in the face and tongue, swelling of testicles, swollen glands, tingling and pins and needles in the arms and legs, tremors, vomiting, weakness, weight gain or loss, yellowed eyes and skin

•

Side effects due to rapid decrease or abrupt withdrawal from Amitriptyline include: Headache, nausea, vague feeling of bodily discomfort

•Side effects due to gradual dosage reduction may include: Dream and sleep disturbances, irritability, restlessness These side effects do not signify an addiction to the drug.

[Malwimmy27]

I take 25mg most nights for the past 6 months or so and have gained weight. Other people I've spoken to have had the same problem. Hope you manage to get something sorted.

[Hidden]

Hi I've been on amitryptyline for more than 10yrs but reduced to taking it only at night along with quinine to help with the incredibly painful leg cramps, due to my mobility problems I can't do much I was a size 10/12 back then and now 22/24 & 16 stone. I know immobility and depression have made my weight soar, but the amtryptyline has also made a great impact on my weight thats why I now only take it at night to reduce the impact of the weight gain, I'm trying to lose weight and not being able to exercise as a normal healthy mobile person could it's a very long haul. I'm determined to lose this weight, as I know it impacts on many other levels of my health straining my major organs, please think about the bigger picture if you really can't do without this medication then try to minimise the intake during the day by considering other meds during the day to control/take the edge off of your pain, I have to take tramadol during the day to get through, these are basically very strong and still don't always work enough to help me to keep mobile, and they have many side effects including (hot flushes, dizziness, light headedness,and feeling sicky). You might find something that suits you better than this, as this is a last resort for my meds, as these are very strong and the only other step after this is morphine which is totally the last resort. I have arthritis, cervical spondylosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, depression, irritable bowel the latter coming as a side effect from the other conditions. It has taken many years of trial and error to get to this point, and within the last year to get to the tramadol. I wish you well please discuss a better option with your gp as many different meds are available that could help, hopefully you can find something more suitable for your individual needs, again please see your gp trial and error may be your best option it may take a while to find what works for you but you'll get their in the end, good luck with you journey, be well, soft hugs.mels.x

[spurs8r]

I've also put a lot of weight on taking amitriptyline x after reading up on it it does cause weight gain and increased appetite I'm in the process of coming off of them at the moment xxx

[anbuma]

I was prescribed amitriptyline when I was first diagnosed with fibro in 2005.and began to gain weight so stopped taking them immediately and have been on imipramine ever since. maybe you can ask your GP for these.

[NWG23 in reply to anbuma]

ooh imipramine my GP has just put me on that and I'm worried about weight gain so your comment is very encouraging! How many mgs are you on? I,m on 10mgs but only started last night and it didn't make any difference to my sleep. Does it help you with depression/anxiety by any chance as these are my main problems? Nwg

[anbuma in reply to NWG23]

I don't know off the top of my head how many mgs I am on but if I forget to take them I normally have a bad night-vivid dreams I have other meds for depression

[Pennie1]

Hi, I take 100mg of amitriptyline at night and it really helps me to sleep, but I've put on about 3st. Earlier in the year I joined lighter lie diet, it consisted of 3 meal packs a day, they were sachets of powder that you added water to them and also has a cereal bar, the weight just dropped off, it's a low calorie diet and not all doctors agree with it, unfortunately I had to stop as it was £72 a week and I really couldn't afford to do it anymore, I guess what I'm trying to say is the weight still came off even though I was on 100mg of amitriptyline.

[michaelb62]

Amytryptiline can make you retain water as it is used as a low dose in children who bed wet or was many years ago I take 50mg a night and have done for a long time i used to be on 250mg a night. I tried weight watchers a few years ago and stuck at it religiously but no weight left and i know it was because of the meds. If i increase the dose i feel bloated instantly but i think we have to weigh up the advantages against the disadvantages if it helps then it is worth taking it. Through stress i haven't eaten a lot most of the time and the weight is coming off but obviously thats not a good way to lose it. gabapentin makes me feel bloated and pregabalin makes me retain water and makes it very difficult for me to go to the toilet. I think once you have been on the tablets for a while your body adapts to them it may only be at the beginning that the weight gain feels so much. The fact that my weight is going down now tells me this must be the case. I am unable to do any exercise my dr told me not to swim he said i could go in the water and just move the arms and legs about gently but not to swim.

[Sammicat15]

Am now on 100mg of Ami, up from 10mg a couple of years ago (going to 150mg for a short while when feeling suicidal) My GP warned me that the Ami would probably cause weight gain. Am already obese and put on weight very easily, and sure enough, the weight has gone on. We decided not to put me on HRT because of the potential for weight gain, but it seems that it was going to go on one way or the other.

You end up in a Catch 22 situation, not able to be active enough to make a difference, then comfort eating when very low. I did diet for a few months earlier this year and managed to shed 2 stones. Going "off piste" for the few months since then has meant the weight has crept back on and am really feeling it.

It's all swings and roundabouts, trying to get the right balance.

[irishlady76]

omg i am on amitriptyline and have been on it 2 years and put on 3 stone i thought it was cos i was not as mobile as before but maybe its the pills will have to chat to doctor about it as the weight is depressing me as well let us know what your doctor said and when i see mine i will update here xx

[NWG23]

I was on amitriptyline for 8 years and the weight just crept up on me. I craved crisps and fruit gums,I just had no willpower. I just couldn't walk past a tin of sweets/biscuits and not have one........or 5! So I think it does make you hungry plus it slows down your metabolic rate. I weaned myself off with great difficulty but at the same time stopped eating convenience foods like ragu and chicken tonight sauces. I cut out as much processed food as possible which also coincided with discovering I had a sensitivity to wheat and cows milk so I cut right down on them too. In 4 months I lost a stone! I then went on a crash diet and lost another stone (but I wouldn't do that diet ever again!!) Anyway 16 months on I am still 2 stone lighter BUT my GP has just put me on imipramine 10mgs as I've not really been sleeping well for the last year and have had depression/anxiety and I have pain again. I'm not happy about having to take anything but I'm reluctantly giving it a go. As for the bloating I had that too until I cut out/down on the wheat and cows milk. Recently I've had problems with heartburn and acid reflux and have been put on omeprazole which is working really really well - no bloating or anything. However my GP says to take 20mgs for two months then 10mgs for a month then stop and see if my tummy has healed enough not to need it all the time. This is my preferred option as I hate having to depend on drugs. Hope something here helps you. Nwg x

[richardjobe]

I am on amitriptyline 25mg and a few others for my headaches. It is making me gain weight while I get used to the adjustments. for me in it is just a few pounds when the med in added or even changed. It is not typically a constant weight gain for me. I guess, that is a common side effect, though. I haven't stopped it yet so I don't know how easy the weight will come off. Know more here internationaldrugmart.com/a...