Scared to try Amitriptyline

[gingerandpeppermint]

Hey guys.

Female, 33

I've had IBS D for 9 years since getting some virus in 2017. My life changed completely as of 2018 and it has been the bain of my life. In the last few years I've somehow managed to undergo a Masters degree, a job at a solicitor and tour in a band from 2019-2022. I unfortunately have had to alter all of this due to the severity of my issues and currently awaiting the result of whether I can get any allowance from the government as I'm working up to 40hrs per week and this has made my gut severely overstimulated.

I finally got a colonoscopy in late 2023 after begging and revisiting the docs(it should NOT have taken this long) where i was convinced they'd find Crohns, inflammation or even cancer. I'd been so so poorly especially as I had my gallbladder removed in 2022. To my surprise they found nothing. They did multiple biopsies however due to gas & air not being affective, I was in agony and begged them to stop the procedure. They did around 90% of the test i believe.

Two days ago I had an enlightening and positive appointment with a specialist. He informed that looking at my medical history my issues seemed to stem from gut brain axis and that it seemed my issues post-infection seemed to be a nerve problem.
Whilst practitioners have been prescribing me Imodium and buscopan, this doc advised I try Amitriptyline.
I was chuffed initially as I'd read thousands of good reviews and that ibs D sufferers got their lives back however, ive made the mistake of reading reddit this morning and have severe anxiety about it making me unwell. I have lifelong emetophobia and even the word Nausea gets my heart racing. I read a couple of reviews stating it actually made gut issues worse and one said they got very sick after one dose.
Im off for the next 4 days so imagine its a good time to try it before work next week but im so petrified of feeling unwell.

Can anyone give me any encouragement or tips on how to approach this?
Ironically enough, ive been having a good few days without symptoms so its tempting to stick with my trusty imodium. The specialist was shocked that I only take one imodium every few days as he said this was a very low dose

What's the dose they suggest OP?
I'm on it for nerve issues and it is brilliant for me. The only negative side effects I ever had were a raging thirst when I first started taking it. I'm on 10mg a day

I'm on 100mg a day and it's been brilliant for neuropathy for me. No nausea, let alone vomiting.

I took it for pain. It really didn’t help the pain but I didn’t have any side effects. It’s a very safe drug and it’s been used for years.

I would give it a go @gingerandpeppermint , you can always just stop taking it if you don’t feel well.

I take if for nerve pain, have never had any sickness with it. I sleep much better with it and take 30mg and have done for around 15 years following a bad fall.

It is definitely worth a try.

I had a similar issue and was on the lowest dose - a child’s dose’ for 4-6 months. I was neither up nor down with it and it seemed to effectively ‘reset’ my nerve issues. I‘m much better and my symptoms have not returned.

I did come off it cold turkey and felt like I had flu for a weekend but that was it. Reading the leaflet afterwards (😬) I realised I should really have wound down gradually .. but it was fine.

I take 10mg at bedtime for nerve pain and it's fabulous. No side effects at all.

I take it for migraines and have never felt any nausea, it’s changed my life. They have almost stopped, and I sleep really well.

And for goodness sake, next time you have a colonoscopy ask for sedation and pain relief - far better they’re able to do it properly. Women find it far more painful due to their anatomy - don’t be fobbed off.

Safe to say I'm very mistrustful of Big Pharma and really think before I try any meds and ALWAYS research, however I take between 10_30 mg at night for insomnia and nerve pain, (sciatica and degenerative disc disease in neck). It's been brilliant, it works and apart from initial dry mouth no effects.

I have emetophobia and IBS-D too, and was prescribed amitriptyline about a year ago. I was also very reluctant to start it but I'm glad I did! The only side effect I had was tiredness at first and it definitely helped my IBS. I'm still on it now and no issues at all.

I was on it for a while. It made me so sleepy.
I couldn’t stay awake.
I had a job interview and I had absolutely no recollection of it at all.
god knows what I said.
but I did get the job

I take it due to nerve pain caused by chemotherapy. I don't think it gives me any noticeable side effects except that I sleep more deeply when I take it. Remember that if you go looking for bad experiences you will find them, whereas people who have had a positive experience don't tend to make a thread about it.

I just saw a gastroenterologist today OP for similar symptoms to you and he’s recommended amitriptyline. I’ve tried so many things over the last 5 years I wondered why this has never been offered by my GP.

And I am similarly reluctant to try new medication as I always seem to get hideous side effects. But I think I will give this a try. Would be over the moon if it works.

Please let me know how you get on! I also wonder why my general GP didn't. He continously told me to keep taking imodium...
Just reading all the responses now (thank you all so much for your encouragement and good stories).
I had a panic attack yesterday so have decided to wait a couple of days as i know ill probably be imagining side effects.

I'm on 10g a day. It's helped with pain from tmj issues and i sleep really well on it too.

It's also good for treating anxiety, although at a higher dose than they prescribe for pain.

I've taken it twice for migraines in pregnancy, only about ten weeks each time. Made me very sleepy which did ease sightly and I imagine would have got better over time. No sickness or nausea at all.

I take it for nerve pain, and it’s been life changing.

i have taken up to 100mg daily (on 50mg now) and the only side effects were dry mouth to start, and when i got up to 100mg I was a bit constipated, and if I stood up too quickly I would get a bit dizzy. Don’t get those side effects now, it was only on the higher dose

This me too

I took 50mg for vulval pain. It didn't do much for the pain. Slept great at night with it and the only symptom was a slight dry mouth.