Why is Amitriptyline causing Vision Problems & Tremors

[Health_freakk]

I’ve recently been prescribed 10mg Amitriptyline to help with nerve pain from bad posture (still waiting for a diagnosis) however, I’ve been getting tremors when I go to sleep and horrible visual problems. It’s sounds strange but when I turn the lights off to go to bed, I can see a purple light in my vision and it’s like I can see the inside of eye and I can see various shapes and colours. With this problem and the tremors, I’ve decided to come off it for the time being as I’m worried it’s damaging my vision and it’s hard to sleep with the tremors. I know some medications can affect your vision and it stops when you don’t take the medication anymore but I just wondered if anyone else has had these symptoms? Thanks

[Bevvy]

Not had these issues in fact had no side effects with that dose. What I would say is it’s important you inform your gp so they know about it. Clearly you can’t take the drug and you need something different prescribed.

[Health_freakk in reply to Bevvy]

Thanks for the reply! I might see how I go without it and try find natural remedies and if that doesn’t work, see if there’s another medication I can go on. Unfortunately, the doctors at my gp are useless. I did tell them about my side effects and they just said they had never heard of those side effects from Amitriptyline and didn’t say anything else or offer anything else. I wish they were more helpful.

[Poppy_Ann]

Hi there, I take it among several other pain medications I am prescribed 50-100mg I actually take 50mg unless I am very bad, the purple shapes I get but it has been such a long time since they started that I do not know what caused them I thought I had had them all my life I can see them at any time no matter if they are open or closed if they are open I have to concentrate to see them the only thing I did notice after starting them was I can now get more than 4 hours sleep in one go where as I use to only manage around 2 or less I recently started with I cannot stop my hands from shaking which is something I hate as my pass time is building radio controlled scale model construction machines which have fully working hydraulics on them due to the size the bolts can be from .7mm upwards and trying to screw them in and tighten them up can be very difficult as the shaking makes it very hard to keep the driver in the screw head drives me mad . Sorry I seem to have wandered off topic so back to your problem give it a couple of months before you stop taking them as they take time to build up in your system. Good luck with them I hope they settle down quickly. Regards Poppy Ann.

[Health_freakk in reply to Poppy_Ann]

Thanks for the reply Poppy! I’m the same, I feel like they’re there all the time too but you just notice them more when the lights are off. Maybe it is a migraine without a headache situation that’s causing it because I have noticed I have a slight headache when on this medication. Thank you, good luck to you too!

[kev60]

hi, I would discuss this with your GP as there maybe alternate medication, don’t forget everyone reacts differently. I was put on Gabapentin for nerve pain but after five days I had stroke like symptoms and spent 3days in hospital. So talk to your doctor or even a pharmacist (they know all about medication). Good luck I hope you get the answers you need. Kevin

[Health_freakk in reply to kev60]

Thanks for the reply Kev! Unfortunately the doctors at my gp are awful. They just treat you like you’re being dramatic and keep dismissing everything I’ve said. I have told them but they didn’t seem bothered to find out if the side effects are anything to worry about and they said they’ve never heard of these side effects. Thanks for the advice. I’ll speak to the pharmacist to see if they’re more helpful. Thanks

[Poppy_Ann in reply to kev60]

hi Kevin I tried gabapentin but after a couple of days I had to stop so my doctor changed them to pregabalin and they are great not sure why the gabapentine were so bad it felt like someone was sat behind me hitting me on the back of my head with a hammer in time with my pulse.

[cyberbarn]

Drugs can work differently in different people, so it is worth discussing it with your doctors and maybe try a different one. They often try Amitriptilyne first because that works with more people. They started my son on that, and it was fine, but they wanted to try a different one and he had a lot of side effects so he went back to amitriptilyne. And yet another friend of ours found the opposite.

As for the colours and figures when you turn the lights off, we call that playing with your brain, and you don't need to take drugs to do that, you can just have a dark room.

When you close your eyes, the brain isn't getting information in from your eyes, but the bit of the brain that interprets the signals that run down the optic nerve to the brain is still active. And it basically makes things up. Most of the time the rest of your brain, especially the conscious frontal lobs, just ignores that information, knowing that it isn't coming from the optic nerve.

But you can override that. And control it! I can now change the colours, make shapes, and even ask my subconscious part of my brain questions and it shows red for no, green for yes.

As I say, I call it playing with my brain, and it can actually help me fall asleep! (there is a sector of neuroscience called neurohacking that this 'playing with your brain' would come under, so I am not just a weirdo making things up!)

So next time you get the shapes, embrace them, play with them, and have some fun. And ask if you can change your medication to get to one that works better for you.

[Health_freakk in reply to cyberbarn]

Thanks for the reply! That’s interesting to know. I think it’s because it’s really disturbing at first and it shocks you. It’s like I can see the inside of eye ball and I can see the veins which freaks me out ha! Thanks for the advice.

[Batty1]

Do you have thyroid issues? If so this medication could be causing your thyroid to act up … I had this issue with Cymbalta (tremors) or maybe it’s actually causing you to have migraines without a headache which is what we usually associate with migraines but migraines without a headache is possible.

[Health_freakk in reply to Batty1]

Thanks for the reply. Not that I know of. I had my thyroid blood work checked not that long ago and they said it was fine although, thyroid issues run in my family so I will have to get tested again when I’m older. I was wondering if that was it because I’ve been getting slight headaches whilst I’ve been on this medication. It just worries me that something else is going on with my eyesight because I started to see yellow flashes when I was on lansoprazole for a stomach issue. I’m going to come off the medication for a while and see if I can deal with the nerve pain without it for a while and see how I go. Thanks

[Tonynatella]

you are wise to get off this drug it is terrible. Have been on this drug 5 years 20 mg. It affects everything from sleep to metabolism, sexual function and bladder control. Have tried to quit it’s a nightmare. The only way out is onto another terrible antidepressant. This is terrible stuff and the manufacturers lie about it raising serotonin, it doesn’t , it rewords your brain. I’m 78 done much research and been on all the psychotropic drugs. Stay away from these drugs find a natural Path. Exercise, fasting, dietician guidance or nutrition.

You will be on these drugs for life, this is medical flypaper!

The drug companies spend hundreds of milllions on studies to sell their drugs but have not spent $1 dollar on getting off them. Your Dr knows only what the drug sales person tells them. The statistics from the studies are manipulated to sound great. When you read the studies in detail you learn the misinformation they are selling. Good luck slippery slope.

God bless you Tony

[Health_freakk in reply to Tonynatella]

Thanks for the reply Tony! I agree, they’re way too quick to give medication instead of actually diagnosing you and finding natural remedies. I understand the doctors are under pressure here in the UK but they just treat you like you’re exaggerating all the time. They said the symptoms were rare and it wouldn’t happen even though it is happening so I’ve hit a brick wall with them and they won’t do anything about it. I’ve read that amitriptyline isn’t FDA approved and there’s not enough research to see what it can cause if you’re on it long term so I’m going to see how I go without it for a while. Thanks

[Tonynatella in reply to Health_freakk]

Do be careful and a very slow taper is best. I have failed at 2 attempts, truly a nightmare. If you consult your Dr they will recommend another antidepressant. Maybe you will have better luck.

God bless you, I will pray for your spiritual guidance and success on your journey.

Tony

[DollyDutchGirl_1946 in reply to Tonynatella]

I have been on 70mg of Amitriptyline for several years as part of my pain control and find that they do help me sleep. However, I do have take them at 6 pm otherwise - I don’t wake until late in the morning. Throughout the day, my pain media are dihydrocodeine - taken with 2 paracetamol ever four hours (from 8.30am until 8.30pm). I cannot stand for more than a few minutes , nor walk for more than a few minutes. I use a wheeled walker outdoors - that has a firm seat (for the many frequent stops), another wheeled walker with a small tray for indoors if I need it, a small mobility scooter for longer journeys and wheelchair for distances when I’m not feeling able to walk/am in too much pain. So, I have all bases covered. I also am blessed with a wonderful husband, our amazing daughter, son in law and two super grandchildren aged 15 and 24 - who all tease me constantly 😂🤣. I’m also fortunate to have a positive attitude towards things and I truly do think that helps a great deal.

[DollyDutchGirl_1946]

I’m so sorry that you are experiencing such awful symptoms from Amitriptyline - they sound scary. I actually take 70 mg at 6 pm (along with other meds) and, as well as helping the pain throughout the night, it means I do mostly, get a decent nights sleep. My other pain meds are dihydrocodeine, with 2 paracetamol every four hours from 8.30am through to 8.30pm. I do get intermittent, minor shakes - but had put that down to high dosage corticosteroid asthma inhalers (that also leave my arms covered in reddish bruises), along with semi occasional use of prednisone (another corticosteroid). Apart from those - I have no other side effects from Amitriptyline. I’m just so very sorry that it isn’t working for you.

[Tonynatella]

been on ametriptoline for migraines 7 yrs 20 mg/day. Tried to get off impossible nightmare. They want you to go on another drug like Cymbalta it’s just medical flypaper you never get off. Ametriptoline is a love hate drug. It’s helpful to migraine pain but you are on it for life potentially convert to another but I couldn’t very scary stuff.

Tony