Amitriptyline and weight Gain

[Teddybear58]

I am taking Amitriptyline, I have read that this can cause weight gain? I take 10mg daily for help with fibromyalgia pain. Can anyone comment if they have has weight gain usi g this drug?

[Bacaloca]

Hi Teddybear58,I take 150mg of Amitriptyline every day, It doesn't make me weight gain. I began to gain weight when I started using Gabapentin.

[Teddybear58 in reply to Bacaloca]

Thank u for that, I don’t want to stop as it’s helping my fibro, I have put on weight but it’s been Christmas and I have indulged a bit lol

[carerof123 in reply to Teddybear58]

I think we are all probably guilty of doing that!!

😊 I am on pregalbin 150mg per day and i started to think it was the meds making me gain weight but i think it is more extra food intake. We all crave comfort food during the winter months A salad is not as appealing as a hearty stew or roast dinner. Plus of course there are temptations with left over xmas cake, chocs and special biscuits. I am longing for the lighter evenings and warmer days when i can potter in my garden and greenhouse again, rather than sitting down in the afternoon with a cuppa and something'naughty but nice'. I try not to gain weight as i have two arthritic hips and weight is the worst thing. Goodness knows when i will get replacements as i heard on the radio the other day there are 6,000,000 people waiting for different ops!!!! Obviously anyone with a life threatening illness should come first. I am in terrible pain with my hips and herniated discs in my spine. My quality of life is very poor. I try to do things but have to keep stopping to rest my bones. I am currently looking for a gardener to do the heavy work as i just can not do it any longer. Even changing the duvet on the bed takes me half an hour. I have arthritis in both hands too so that limits me as well. So on the look out for a cleaner too. Its so frustrating as in my head i can do these things but my body wont let me. Take care and hope you can resolve your weight gain. Fingers crossed i can too.

[Teddybear58 in reply to carerof123]

Thank you for the reply, i think most operations will be postponed due to covid 19. I hope u dont have to wait too long tho. I am going to try and reduce the fatty foods and see xx

[ivytrain in reply to Teddybear58]

Hi l just read what you put up on here l am on the same and no it dont l could not do with out my tablets either as they do help me so much

[Banditqueen]

Hi T bear,

I haven't taken amitriptaline for many years. I don't honestly know if it does, its very possible as its an anti depression and to help with the effectiveness of some painkillers. It raises seretonine, one of the pleasure hormones and sleep hormone. It possibly makes you sleepy or helps to sleep.

I didn't put on weight in the three years I was on it and wish I was on it now. I take a natural drug which does the same thing but no side effects.

Has it increased your appetite? That's what some hormone enhanced drugs do. For example the pill puts weight on because it makes you hungry... A side effect of a number of hormone enhanced drugs is a healthy appetite. That might be why you are putting on weight. Be careful. If that's the case it's hard to lose again.

As I said I don't know if it's that but it's possible, especially if you didn't put weight on or have a healthy appetite before. As it's raising the pleasure hormones it's a possibility.

Sorry I can't help more. Hope you are otherwise well.

I wonder if it might make my mum eat more. 94 today and is not eating properly. Still waiting for care to start. Social services are crap.

Cheers

LynMarie

By the way if this looks underlined I can't switch it off, sorry.

[Binkybear in reply to Banditqueen]

What is the natural drug you take please. I hate medication as they all have horrible side effects but I’m desperate as I’m in great pain with this fibromyalgia .

[Woodhouse16 in reply to Binkybear]

Diet changes I found greatly reduces my pain with fibromyalgia as I cannot tolerate strong medications with bad side effects.. knotting tightening pains in my legs with some down to suicidal thoughts with others pregablin being worse for that with me so I cut out gluten and dairy processed foods sugary foods don't drink alcohol cut right down on caffeine and eat lots of veg especially leafy type like spinach which helps with my strength and tremors/shakes... then broccoli cauliflower green beans Brussels and a little bit of carrot but have to have that and the cauliflower in small amounts but do eat around 6-7 different kinds of veg a day plus fresh fruit homemade smoothie for breakfast.. seems to have cut inflammation in my body down quite alot but has taken great perseverance and over a year to get the bad out and the good into my system having suffered with digestion and irritable bowel problems since early childhood..

[Cat00]

Amitriptyline didn't make me gain weight and I've been on between 50mg and 150mg over the years. My weight has fluctuated over the years but it's more in relation to pregnancy and injury. I'm like Bacaloca Gabapentin made me put on weight.

[bertie1606]

Hi Teddy, I take amitriptyline, and I put on about a stone in the first few months of taking it. But everyone is different, some do put on weight and others don't. I do find it really helps with the pain though x

[Butt3rfli]

Hello.It really did help me with my sleep but I gained 4.7 stone whilst taking it. Plus made me crave sweet foods!🤦‍♀️However due to not being as mobile this has also contributed to my weight gain.

[Epea]

Hello! 😁fibro causes your circulation to slow down, reflexes and metabolism too, so by default coupled with the medication often prescribed, like amitriptyline have in the past been used as a sleeping tablet which naturally also slows the system down so because of less movement and speed by default weight is gained also most of us suffers eat the way we did when we were not ill consuming more than we can burn off and it's hard to change eating habits you've had most of your life so being careful as to what you eat and how much matters greatly. New body- new management! we have to be patient with ourselves while adapting to food and meds none of this is easy as you know. I got big fast from being an athlete to can hardly move through pain and what felt like cement that hardens when you sit down! So changes were needed i chose to discontinue meds and went on healthy eating and juices but everyone does what suits them and rightly so. I hope you settle into a routine that helps you cope on your meds without gaining too much weight 🥰

[Teddybear58 in reply to Epea]

Thank you for the reply, i am thinking of coming off meds tbh as im not happy at this weight, i only take Amitriptyline which was given as I had a fibro flare up and was in constant pain. Im still in pain all the time and have now gained weight, so not happy. I am now looking towards healthy diet and will see what happens. I am starting to feel that the Drs dont know how to treat this condition, and just throw drugs at it

[Epea in reply to Teddybear58]

Aww weight gets you down and adds to pain I was big but under control now flare ups still happen if travel long distance or get stressed or hormones or virus I just roll with the punches and take it easy when it happens but nowhere near as bad as they used to be thank goodness! Keep enduring big hugs 🥰

[softekcom]

Yes, I did gain weight on Amitrytiline. It did help with pain and sleep. But also left me feeling emotionally 'numb', like an uninvolved spectator in my own life.

I later heard that the drug is sometimes prescribed to Anorexia patients to increase appetite and help with weight gain.

An interesting side effect was phenomenal bladder control. It was apparently a drug initially used in care homes to help residents control bladder incontinence!

Just because I gained weight does not mean you will. We all seem to react differently to it

All the best. Fingers crossed for you.

[Bobmarlee12]

Hello Teddybear58I was on Amitryptaline for about 9 years for my Fibromyalgia

Last year (June) I was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation (heart condition) and the coronary team took me off it,saying it causes more heart arrhythmia.

I was then prescribed Gabapentin along with other meds of that group but I had really bad side effects which I didn't have with Amitryptaline

HOWEVER in the last 6 months lost 32 lbs I was obese now have 12 pounds to go to reach my normal BMI. I can't say I had bad effects suddenly coming off the med

,but I realise my heart treatment came first. Are you able to exercise

If you find your weight is really becoming a problem can you get support.what do you struggle with the most . I find morning symptoms and fatigue worst. BEST WISHES X

[DelBoy56]

I take Amytriptyline for ten years for the same reason as you and have gained weight during lockdown. I put this down to a sedentary lifestyle rather than the effect of the drugs as prior to this I never had a weight problem. I think if you can exercise moderately you shouldn't gain weight, but Fybromyalgia itself can be debilitating and may reduce your mobility to a point where you start to put on weight.

[Wrecklesham in reply to DelBoy56]

Evening DelBoy. I have rarely ever put on weight, throughout my life down to bring plain skinny in my 20s, so during lockdown I indulged myself, buying chocolates and biscuits et c not even because I really wanted them but I was bored and buying on line made it seen guilt free. I put a small amount of weight on but as soon as I got back onto my normal diet it dropped off. However, it was stupid as as well as all my health problems I now suffer from excess sugar and have to watch my diet all the time. Still walking my little dog twice daily helps with both the sugar and my fibromyalgia pain.

[scally_2]

Evening Teddybear I don’t think you have a problem you are on a very low dosage therefore I don’t think you can blame this for any weight gain. I’ve been taking 125mg for many years. If I really set my mind on wanting to loose some weight then I can but it takes longer. So I would carry on taking it the benefits outweigh the side effects. Hope this helps you x

[Teddybear58 in reply to scally_2]

Many thanks that is helpful. X

[Wrecklesham]

Hi Teddybear58. I have been taking one 25mg Amitriptyline at night for 10 years or more for my fibromyalgia and I have never had a problem with weight gain. In fact I take Amitriptyline, Pregablin and Zapain and still wear size 10 clothes. Personally if I had gained a little weight it would have been worth it to help with the pain. Hope it helps you.

[paris1511]

I have been taking Amitriptyline for years I'm now on 150mg a night and it hasn't increased my weight gain but everyone is different

[JayCeon]

Altho I never usually gained weight and continued some sports and many exercises, I gained 6kg on amitriptyline, and have only managed to get part of that back down. I stopped it after 4 months due to >8 side effects and was glad to find other ways of managing my sleep better, hunting / preventing triggers and passiflora and the amino acid GABA.

[Mimbabe]

Hi Teddybear I have been 150mg Amitriptyline for over 25 years and can’t say I’ve put any weight on because of them only because of boredom and frustration and of course extreme pain leading to comfort eating, snacking and my sweet tooth. I also gave up smoking so those are my honest reasons not because of amitriptyline. I hope this helps. Good luck I hope you feel better soon.