r/Amitriptyline

I was on 150mg of amitriptyline for 6 years for MDD and insomnia. For context, I also have Multiple Sclerosis. I decided to stop taking amitriptyline after realizing the cognitive changes I'd been having for a few years had nothing to do with my MS. I was having issues remembering things, I was experiencing aphasia, and I was dropping everything from my hands. When I would take my pills at night, I would go into fight or flight mode, followed by being so heavily sedated I couldn't wake up if I tried. I noticed the sleep I was getting wasn't actually restful, and I wasn't dreaming anymore (that I could recall). In January of 2025, I started the process to taper off. I started by halving my dose to 75mg, and every 2 weeks, I'd go down until I made it to 10mg per my provider's instructions. I followed this exactly, and I finished the process, but I've been having withdrawal symptoms for over a year. This has been kicking my ass and leaving me for dead! I have dysautonomia caused by my discontinuation of Amitriptyline, and it doesn't help that I have MS. Every day, I have palpitations throughout the day. When I wake up, I'm usually nauseous and or sick to my stomach. Sometimes I have attacks where I suddenly can't move, and these scare me the most. It feels like my body weighs more than I can carry, and my heart feels weak. These attacks usually last between 20 minutes to a few hours. I have a hard time maintaining my body temperature to an extreme. If the temperature drops even a degree, I begin to tremble heavily, and my teeth start chattering. I have to be careful when I shower because if I get too hot, I get so dizzy and weak it takes everything in me to get out before I faint. I have an overactive bladder and go more times than I can count in a day. The worst symptom is that I wake up and can't go back to sleep because I'm as wide awake as if I had a cup of coffee. Once the sun comes out, I get horribly sleepy. It's such a roller coaster, and I've been hanging on, hoping it'll be over soon, but it seems to be the gift that never stops giving. Has anyone gone through something like this?

I'm after seeing if anyone else has had stomach pain as a side effect of amitriptyline and if so if it settled once your body adjusted to the medication.

This is my 5th form of meditation for my chronic migraine and I just want something to help so really want to give it a good try but the stomach pain is hard to move past.

I'm just hoping it's a small inconvenience that will pass?

Any help appreciated

Has anybody gained weight on this medicine, I’ve been taking it just over a month and I’ve put on 4 kg please help because I’m dieting like crazy and not losing ANYTHING

I wanted to post this because when I was going through amitriptyline withdrawal I felt completely alone, and I know there are other people searching Reddit terrified by what they’re experiencing.

I was on 15mg of Amitriptyline for about 7 months for pain. My brand got changed and it caused a massive cascade of side effects that eventually led to me coming off it completely.

Looking back, this drug clearly did not agree with me and I pushed through side effects I probably shouldn’t have ignored.

My withdrawal symptoms were honestly brutal and in no particular order included:

* Full body twitching. I had some twitching on the drug already but coming off made it 100x worse * Itching, probably because it acts like an antihistamine * Jerking like i was electricified when trying to fall asleep * Audible hallucinations at night while drifting off voices and tweeting birds (not uncommon i found out from a nhs spinal interface physio) * Brain zaps * Paresthesia * Brain fog * Loss of appetite * Debilitating panic attacks * Uncontrolled shaking and adrenaline surges * Suicidal thoughts. These were already bad on the drug but got much worse during withdrawal * My face moving by itself while falling asleep and restless legs * Pain, aches and increased pelvic pain * Crying spells

* Weird euphoria whenever i dropped down a dose would last 5ish days * Insomnia * High heart rate. I already had SVT before taking it and nobody picked up that this medication seemed to make it worse. Been diagnosed now though so theres that.

The worst part was how long it lasted. I stopped completely on the 4th of June and by October I was only just starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Propranolol helped me massively with the svt, adrenaline surges and panic symptoms.

It’s now May and I’m pretty much back to myself. I still get the occasional brain zap or twitch but nothing compared to before.

I also want to mention my taper because I genuinely think I came off too fast and I don’t want others repeating my mistake.

This was my taper:

* 12mg for 1 month * 10mg for 3 weeks * 8mg for 2 weeks * 5mg for 5 days * 2.5mg for 5 days

The taper got quicker at the end because my withdrawal symptoms were getting worse and the doctors got scared and rushed me off it.

I also had what people call “windows and waves” the entire time and didn’t even realise that’s what was happening until later.

During the taper and after stopping, I’d get short periods where I felt more normal again. Those were the windows. Then the symptoms would come crashing back hard again. Those were the waves.

At first my windows only lasted a few hours, but over time they slowly got longer and longer. Eventually they started lasting days, then weeks. Now I don’t really get waves like that anymore.

For me, my cycle massively affected my waves as well.

A few things that seemed to help me personally:

No alcohol No caffeine No sugar where possible Omega 3 supplements with high DHA Avoiding loads of random supplements because some seemed to make me worse Trying to eat even when I had no appetite, even if it was just porridge.

I followed that pretty strictly for around 3 months while my nervous system calmed down.

I know everyone is different, but I wanted to add this because when I was in the thick of it I genuinely thought I was permanently damaged. Time was the biggest healer for me.

Please go slower than I did if you can. I’m not saying everyone will react like I did because plenty of people come off this medication fine, but if you’re in the middle of severe withdrawal right now and scared you’ll never feel normal again, I just want you to know that things did improve for me with time.

I might not respond much, i wanna close this chapter but i made a promise that once i got better id write this to help others who are sensitive like me. You arnt broken you will heal but it does take time.

Hi just saw my DR today and after discussing getting off the med, he told me to just start taking it every other day for a few weeks then I can stop taking it completely. Reviewing this plan I haven’t seen any people or medical websites that advise this or even mention this method. My main concern is experiencing withdrawal effects every other day for the weeks that I will be taking it every other day then be in full withdrawal when I stop. Any advice?

BEEN 2 MONTHS OFF AND STILL

I’ve been on 25mg for over a year and one week ago I went down to 10 mg. I didn’t feel like this would change but i’ve been having bouts of diarrhea and i’m wondering if it’s related. I have emetophobia so this is super scary for me. Any help appreciated

Ive only used it for 5 days yesterday was my last dose and i wont be taking it tonight. It caused me to have terrible akathisia since yesterday and i just cant handle it any longer

I hope i wont get withdrawals. I was only on 10mg.

The side effects on my already sensitive CNS are killing me.

If im making a huge mistake let me know

I have nausea and anxiety waves, sleep not very well

Im on week 5.5 off ami

When does it last or its just back of symptoms

PS. Im taking Escitalopram for 8 months before stopping

Is it normal or there is something wrong??

I was on 25 ami for 2.5 years

Is this normal? Its been 4 days since taking amiltriptilyne and the first 3 days everything went just fine, didnt have any side effects but now day 4 i woke up with intense nausea like i was about to vomit, lightheadedness and i also have very vivid dreams.
Are these side effects of The amiltriptilyne or a coincidence? And why are they happening after a few days ans not instantly.

If so, did your pain get worse for a while?

I’ve been on 10mg amitriptyline for six weeks and I’m switching over to notriptyline because of the side effects. Will I need to start all over? I know it can take up to 4 months to start working.

I’ve been taking 10mg amitriptyline for almost 2 weeks now for chronic hadached I’ve had all my life. It’s like constant pressure and heaviness in my head for as long as I can remember but I can function and have lived like this since I can remember and wouldn’t really say it’s painful just bothersome.

Thing is it does worsen and can even turn into a migraine though not super frequent. My headache can be like it’s pounding overall, like someone is piercing me behind the eye with an icepick or something, more intense pounding on one side. I only call it a migraine if I can’t function, get very nauseous, can’t sleep due to the pain, have to lie down in the dark and quiet. I got prescribed sumatriptan for when I get a migraine attack. The ami is for the daily.

But I have yet to notice any difference.
Has it helped any of you for daily headaches?

I see a lot of people find Amitriptyline helps with sleeping, but I have been taking 10mg at night for migraines of Amitriptyline and although tired I am not falling asleep, like I haven't slept for 2 days . Does anyone find Amitriptyline actually stops you falling asleep or do I have something else stopping me falling asleep? I have tried the usual practise to get to sleep and stay asleep, and it's just not working, feeling like I am going crazy

I tried 10mg, 1/day (3 days) , i sleep well but waking up like a zombie, weak and pale.

Yesterday i took my first dose, i have a weird headache for hours its in the back of my head.. but the lack of positive stories is worrying me.
They gave ami to me for hypersensitive oesophagus which i dont really agree with, but my symptoms have worsened to the point im in severe pain that i was willing to try the amitriptilyne even if it doesnt work, but my headache on day 1 is worrying me.

Hey everyone, I have been on Amitriptyline for a year for nerve pain. Worked amazing for the pain, but from week 1, had the strange, vivid dreams which over the year progressed to nightmares and sleep paralysis. GP has taken me off them, for a 2 week period to check that is the cause (am pretty sure it is considering it started when taking them) so now stuck in pain for 2 weeks.

However, am on day 6 and the dreams, while not terrifying are back to the strange vivid weirdness they were when i first started. Gp is not tapering me down, just stopped them.

I am very worried now my dreams will never return to normal. But also concerned that 2 weeks may not be long enough for my brain to remember how to dream normally.

For anyone who has come off Amitriptyline, and had strange dreams while on it, how long until things returned to normal? Did you ever find your dreams did return to normal?

My 17yo daughter was prescribed this as a remedy for her headaches by her doctor because she told the doctor she had migraines. Ive had migraines my whoke life and I think what she is experiencing isn't as bad as what I have to go through when I have a migraine. Is this medicine safe and what are the downside if she starts taking it. Is it normal to use this medicine as a first option to treat migraines?

Ive been on 10mg for like 5 days but i just cant tolerate the side effects and honestly the pain i have already lessened without the help of amiltriptilyne so can i just stop taking them or is a taper needed? The heart palpitations are really bad i dont want to take this anymore

Ive taken amitriptyline for 7 months for pain and its worked amazingly.

however its only when ive tried stopping it (twice now) that i actually feel euphoric. i feel alive. im happy. i feel soooo damn good even though my pain comes back. its not that i feel bad when im on it, its just that i clouded. im not as energetic. im pain free but im a shell of a person in mood and attitude when im on it. i think regardless of the pain i cant go back on it. anyone else the same?