Coming off amitriptyline

[Runaround50]

Hi
I've been taking 50mg of amitriptyline for well over a year now, primarily for nerve pain.

In the main, I suppose it works. However, I'm not too happy as I seem to be dependent on this drug for sleep also ( menopause sleep issues, another story!)

How do you come off this drug? Is it a case of tapering off slowly?

Earlier in the week, I reduced by 12mg and slept okay. The following two nights, I was wide awake!! I'm shattered at the moment as my sleep is so sporadic. There have been times when 50mg hasn't worked.

No idea what to do. Menopause and sleep issues appear to be ruling my life!

I probably am dependent upon it @Runaround50 but the long nights without sleep were awful, and I have no wish to go back there. I have never had a problem going to sleep but I seem to be unable to stay asleep without Amtrip. I used to go to bed at 11.30pm, sleep by midnight then awake from round 2.00am for the rest of the night. It was awful. I have been on 30mg for about 10 years now and have never gone higher than that. My GP is really happy for me to take it forever.

@FiveShelties yes I hear you. The nights are dreadful when you can't sleep and worse still when you know you have to be up for work having had zero sleep.

Are your sleep issues, hormone related to do think? Which hrt regime are you on? That's another issue I've got, although I'm wondering whether this is as good as it gets! I am functioning, but have days where I literally cannot be bothered!

It's not ideal being dependent on something, but it's not the end of the world.

I was on nightly zopiclone/trazodone for years and years. I'm only ok to not have it every night now because I only work evenings here and there so it doesn't matter if I have an odd sleeping schedule. When I was having to be up early every morning, I couldn't risk losing my job. It did stress me out and it caused serious issues if I suddenly found myself having to stay somewhere and I didn't have a tablet with me. But it worked.

Your sleep is going to be worse if you're in cessation than it would be normally. You'll only really know how bad your insomnia is if you get completely clear of it.

I really highly recommend looking up a sleep vitamin with magnesium and 5HTP, whatever you do. They do work. Even if you don't get to actual sleep, it makes lying in bed much more relaxing. I used to lie there with my legs twitching, tossing and turning and now I find I'm enjoying lying down with my eyes closed instead of getting more and more stressed out about how awake I'm feeling.

I’ve taken amitryptaline for about 8 years, 20mg a day. I am currently pregnant, tried coming off it and the symptoms were so awful they decided I’d be better just staying on it! It kind of concerns me that the effects were these bad, that maybe I’m going to have to persevere and come off it! I take it for migraines though and I cannot bear the thought of a newborn along with that!

@Runaround50 I have 25mg. I also take Magnesium Glycinate and CPD oil. I don’t feel groggy in the day. I’m up at 5.30 for work, and I feel so much better for sleeping on Amil than maybe one or two hours without.

@Runaround50

I stopped taking it completely at the end of January but weaned myself off it over the course of the month.

This is the one I take, it really helps me sleep.

@VintageThoughts ah I do have that piriton in my drawer. Do you take just the one tablet before bed?

Yep, and if I forget I know about it!

I really hope they work for you 🤞🏻

Good tips, thank you. I have magnesium spray but I only realise I should have used it when I'm already twitching.

Has anyone had gastro withdrawal symptoms?

I started on 10mg for migraine. It was great at first, but a soon as the sedative effect wore off the migraines returned so I ended up at 100mg and like a zombie. I'm now on HRT which controls the migraines, but cannot seem to come completely off the bloody amitriptyline. On the 3 occasions I've dropped below 20mg I've developed gastritis. My GP says there is no known link between the two, but it's arrived like clockwork within a week of each attempt.

I think years of aspirin for the migraines has probably fucked my stomach, but I haven't used any NSAIDs for years and the gastritis only occurs when I've been withdrawing from amitriptyline.

I have just weaned down from 40mg to nothing by going down 10mg every two weeks. My last 10mg was Thursday.

Reading the comments above it would explain why i've been wide awake in the night.

I didn't want to go on it initially and then I didn't want to come off it but my Neurologist is unhappy with weight gain etc.

For anyone that has come off it how long has it taken your sleep to settle down?

@fandjango yes I hadn't realised that rebound insomnia was a thing until I didn't take it for 2 nights. Crikey it was hell!! Literally wide awake, not even sleepy!!

Well, apparently the sleep pattern can resolve within days or weeks.
Best of luck 🤞

@Runaround50 I take Ultrogestan 100mg and use Estradot 100mcg Patches. The Ultrogestan I have been taking for around 2 months but have been on HRT, tablets then patches, for 16 years.

I have never slept well but when I hit menopause it got really bad. I did have a total hysterectomy with ovary removal when I was 50 and then the night sweats got really bad and I gave in and started HRT. I feel really well and sleep much better than I have done and long may it last. Sleep deprivation is awful.

So glad you posted this, I was on 60mg for nerve pain for 6months and started to decease by 5/10 mg every week- initially I tried to go down by 10mg and I had terrible cramps in my legs/ restless legs which made me reduce by 5mg for a few weeks then could tolerate down by 10mg. I’m now down to 25mgs ( taken 6/7 weeks!) and the nerve pain is there in the background so I’m fearful of going down below this. I havn’t had sleep issues but have small children so never get a full nights sleep anyway!I have started magnesium supplements also when decreasing and recommend that.

I probably should have said that I was prescribed Amitrip together with Tramadol after a bad hip injury following a fall. Took Tramadol for around a year but did not cease Amitrip.

If it works and you sleep well when taking it, why come off it?

@lurchermummy I suppose it's the whole thing about being dependent on a drug. I thought it might not be a good thing in the long term.