Anyone on Amitriptyline or Nortriptyline? Do/did you suffer many side effects?

[WearsblackLoveschocolateAvoidspeople]

I recently have been prescribed Nortriptyline (for visceral hypersensitivity due to decades of IBS-D and pain due to endometriosis).

I was offered Amitriptyline but decided on the Nortriptyline as it is supposed to have less side effects?

I have a medication phobia and as soon as I read the enclosed leaflets of any medication, I am put off. I know all reported side effects, regardless of how rare, have to be registered and recorded. However, this pack has 2 A4 printed sheets of side effects and has left me feeling unsettled.

I have only been prescribed 10mg so am hoping that will mean less side effects but not sure if that is the case with this medication?

The side effects which concern me the most are,

Weight gain - my sister was on Amitriptyline (25mg) for 20 years and put on a lot of weight during this time. I have suffered with an eating disorder in the past and have been slim all my life, being even a little overweight throws me into a deep depression

Confusion/memory loss/tiredness - my mum has dementia and the NHS website mentions that these drugs (anticholinergic) can cause dementia although more research needs to be done. Since caring for a parent with Alzheimer's this potential risk does worry me

Increased anxiety - as someone already suffering with anxiety/depression, any increased in this is something I most certainly do not need in my life

Constipation - as an IBS-d suffer this is something I am hoping as a side effect

This is kind of my last chance saloon when it comes to treating my issues as I have spent decades trying literally everything I can to help. These issues are completely controlling my life right now so I am really hoping they may help without too many issues.

How have you been on either of these drugs?

I've been on both and came off both because of the side effects. I couldn't function on amitriptyline. It says to take it before bed which I did. 7pm the next day, I wanted to sleep despite taking it at 9 the previous evening

Nortriptyline made me suicidal

I’ve been taking up to 50mg for several years for neurological pain, no side effects whatsoever.

I've taken amytriptiline for nearly 10 years with no side effects. It's work wonders for my nerve pain and restless legs - both of which were affecting my sleep but now I take the amytruptiline I sleep much better with less pain.

I’m on Amitriptyline and have been for years for migraine prevention. It also helps with my anxiety. I take 35mg now. At first I was on 10mg and it made me very sleepy and dopey in the morning. I got used to it. I now take it about 8.30pm and I can get up at 6 no problem. I tried increasing it and I found it’s given me a hoarse voice so I’ve come back down. 35mg seems to be my tipping point to help with my anxiety but any higher and I can’t talk loudly.

I’m on 10mg of amytriptaline and it does make you feel tired the next morning when you first take it but that wears off after a while. Take it maybe around 7pm. I took it at midnight last night and I’m fine today as I’ve been on it for ages. I did get some pins and needles on and off. Sadly it’s not had the constipation effect/helped with my IBS!
It did make me feel really hungry for a few weeks but that has also gone away. It doesn’t make you put on weight it’s just it can increase appetite so you can just watch out for that and have lots of healthy snacks in. Hasn’t made me feel anxious at all.

I take 20mg amitriptyline at night to help with sleep. I have no side effects (other than it helping me to sleep!)

I am on an antidepressant for anxiety and depression too and haven’t found the amitriptyline to make things worse.

I take amytriptaline for fibromyalgia. I have not had any side effects and it effectively reduces the pain.

Sorry to tell you this but since you ask. I was recently given amitriptyline for pain. I had these side effects. I immediately stopped taking it after one dose.

Worst night's sleep of my life
Looping/trapped dreams
Diarrhoea to the point I considered whether I had food poisoning
A strong sense of doom
Headache
Low blood pressure
Dizziness to the point of nearly blacking out
Feeling and being sick
Restlessness/inability to move

The only good thing about it was that it made me grateful for only being in pain.

I take amitripline for sleep - yes, if I take a higher dose I am a bit groggy/slow to wake in the morning but I love it as my 25mg dose gives me an extra 2 hours sleep a night on average I was waking early regularly.

No weight gain - and have successfully lost weight while on it.

Yes, I do intend to cut the dose back when life is less stressful - I used to be on 15mg. I've taken it for 30 years now and my GP is not worried about side effects beyond the grogginess but does encourage sticking to minimum dose that works for me. Given what you've said about dementia I'll ask her more when I next see her.

Thanks everyone. Not too sure I want to try it tbh, my mental health is not in a great place right now and I am not certain I could tolerate any adverse side effects.

Looks like I may need to keep searching for something else.

My friend is on it, thinks it is the best thing ever.

I gave it up after 2 days, wasn't right for me.

With meds it really is just giving something a try to see if it's right for you.

I was on 25mg amitriptyline for an injury and it gave me the worst anxiety, I felt panicky and stressed, heart racing. I didn't know what has happening. Safe to say I only took one dose. It wasn't for me. I felt out of control like I was on some illegal drugs and felt I could do something dangerous.

I've tried both as migraine preventatives. I'm a morning person and they made me feel so groggy. Yes, I slept like a log when taking them, but I hated how I felt in the mornings. Also had a dry mouth with them. For me it was better to take a triptan when I got a migraine. I've lately come to the conclusion that stress is the major factor for me and that's what I need to tackle.

@WearsblackLoveschocolateAvoidspeople 15.7 million prescriptions were written for Amitriptyline last year, now not not everyone will have continued on with it but better than anecdotal evidence on here. But as you asked, Dh was on it and had no side effects, he was on it for 18 months.

Have you ever taken an antidepressant before?

For me, I knew I was going to react badly to it because I've had terrible anxiety from trying some of them in the past. If you've had a bad reaction before, it might be a clue as to how you'll respond to this one.

I was pretty annoyed about the whole thing because I told the GP this would happen and got told to either try it or continue to be in pain. I even got a second opinion from another GP at the surgery but they both insisted that I try it or they wouldn't help me.

Fortunately, now that I've made myself ill to prove it, they've put me on gabapentin which is helping a bit and not making me feel like a maniac. So even though I'm annoyed no one listened to me, at least taking it got things moving forward.

I'm on 150mg amitryptaline at night for foot and leg pain. It also helps with my chronic depression which I also take another antidepressant for.

It makes me sleepy but that's fine, I take it at night (7pm) and then I'm ready to sleep at 10pm. It can make me thirsty and my eyes feel a bit scratchy but no other problems. I've been on it at this dose for about 8 years.

I’ve been on 75mg of amitriptyline for years now. The first week I could have slept all day, everyday….but once I got used to it I had no other side effects

I have tried Sertraline and Citalopram in the past but they exacerbated my IBS to the point that I had to come off them.

This is my concern with the Amitryiptyline/Nortriptyline.

And I certainly can not afford for my anxiety to be any worse than it is already.

Really not sure what to do tbh.

I love amitriptyline.

I’m a bit lacking in focus and motivation, but so many things are better- my memory, irritable bladder, irritable bowel, pain, sleep…

And I think it’s actually helped with my weight as I’m less inclined to stress eat.

I take it at about 6pm with my meal. I sleep between 9 and 10. Wake up between 6 and 7.

They say to take it twelve hours before you want to wake up.

It does make you sleep hard and fast initially, and leave you a bit groggy the next day, but that wears off over time.

I very much want to give it a go as it is really is one of the last things that I have tried for my IBS which has completely taken over my life, I literally have very little joy in my life because I am ruled by my digestive system.

Really wish I wasn't so scared to try it.

My experience is that it dampens things down. So anything twitchy and irritable tends to settle.

I used to get early morning rush. I didn’t even know it was the Ami that resolved it til I read about it somewhere.

Everything is calmer.

I take 30mg of Amitriptyline for migraines, zero side effects, sleep really well and no only the very occasional headache.

I take amitryptiline for nerve pain.

The first night I took it I have never been more awake in my life! My thoughts felt like they were bouncing around my skull on fast forward and I was beyond agitated! But since then I’ve had absolutely no side effects - not even the sleepiness others enjoy.

I came off it cold turkey earlier this year (no withdrawal symptoms) as I wanted to see if I still needed to be on it. The answer was a resounding yes! It’s been a wonder drug for me.

Would you consider trying a half or a quarter to minimise any potential side effects?

I love Amitriptyline.

I also hate Amitriptyline.

Serious nightmares and extremely vivid dreams when taking it, also a short temper and a slowing of my mind and thoughts. I ended up having slower speech.

Great for pain. Great for calming inflammation - I don't know why or how it does that - I think it has some by-proxy effect on the endocrine system by blocking or raising certain neurones that effect the pituitary gland or something.

I personally found it easy to get addicted to. Pain relief acclimatisation increases quickly. Helps to take it irregularly, which I did, but I had to drop it in the end as I couldn't get the pain relief without raising it by triple or quadruple the dose. But I was taking it for pain and to calm my autoimmune reactions so that may not apply to others