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[discogirl]

i know this is not connected to menopause or anything but ive beem on 20mg of amitrypline for a few mths and i want to stop taking it.

can i just stop or would i have to cut down

thanks xx

[Amazing grace]

Hi discogirl, I'm on amitriptyline but I was on it before and came off it, it's not recommended to just stop cold turkey as withdrawal symptoms can happen, it's advisable to cut down and wean off slowly but this is dependent on dose and length of time taken, I was only on 10mg when I came off it, I cut pills in half took 5mg for a couple of weeks then went to every other day, but I suffered the most horrendous insomnia when I stopped all together, it did pass eventually, not saying that will happen for you just my own personal experience, I was on it for 3 years at that point, if you've only taken it a couple of months withdrawal might not be so harsh, but I'd cut down and do a slow withdrawal of taking it x

[discogirl]

hi amazing grace

dr gave me this drug as i developed tinnitus in feb. i was on 20mg in feb but im convinced it really messed my sleep up. initially it sedated me but that wore off after a few wks and i developed insomnia
 
im convinced its this drug which is why i want to come off it.

how do you sleep now xxx

[Marchlove]

Hi Discogirl

I was on it for about three years. Initially it worked well for sleep but over time it stopped doing so.

It took me a year to come off it. Slowly slowly, until I was down to a few bits from cut tablet and then every other night, then nothing.

The end result was I felt like I did before I started taking it, no better or worse.
 Certainly it didn’t end up helping my insomnia.

But don’t be discouraged, my insomnia is so much better and yours will be too given time.

Mx

[Amazing grace]

Hi discogirl, I had the same issue I found it sedated me at first and was great for sleep, but like you it eventually messed up my sleep, I couldn't go to sleep till early hours literally awake till 5am if I did sleep I was constantly waking up so I made the decision to come off it, I eventually got into a better sleeping pattern and was doing quite well, I went back on it last November due to bladder issues but finding the same pattern with sleep happening, to be honest insomnia has been a problem for me since peri started, I'm also thinking of getting off it again, it can cause insomnia in some people but definitely wean off it slowly xx

[discogirl]

Hi Amazing Grace,

My sleep has always been great to be honest. I'm post meno now, but amitrypline is a horrible drug.

I hope you get sorted with your bladder issues.

I was on 20mg, properly since about June, a few days ago I went down to 10mg, I was planning to go back up to 20mg but I really want to try to see if I can manage on 10mg, I will stay on 10mg probably for about 1 month??? then I will half it and do 5mg for a month??? 

I hope thats ok, as my gp, really believes in amitrypline and although he's great where HRT is concerned he is adamant that amitrypline cannot cause sleep issues, well it has with me and you, so I am tapering myself without his help!!!!

Once you weaned off it the first time, how long did your sleep take to resolve.

I really hope you get there with your bladder issues and manage to come off amitrypline again.

Thanks so very much for replying xxxx

[Amazing grace]

I also came off with out my gps help, as she also said there's no way it causes sleep issues but it definitely does, it's also listed in the side effects In the PIL that Comes with it, I did 5mg for a month then every other day for a month then stopped, it's was around a month and my sleep was much better, if sleep wasn't an issue for you before amitriptyline yours will probably return to normal quicker than it did for me, thanks for your well wishes that's so nice of you, I too hope your get off it OK and get your sleep back, insomnia is awful makes everything so much worse when you can't sleep doesn't it, good luck and hope you are sleeping well soon xx

[CLKD]

It's an anti-epileptic drug which was prescribed in the 1990s when I had trigenimal neuralgia.  Never made any difference, 3 others I have spoken to haven't found it of use for conditions for which it was prescribed.

Ring the Pharmacist in your town for advice? 

[discogirl]

i definately will.

I actually started taking amitrypline in the morning, as it really doesn't sedate me at all. However the half life of the drug is between 10 to 28 hours xxx

[CLKD]

Let us know how you get on. 

[Limpy]

It's an anti-epileptic drug which was prescribed in the 1990s when I had trigenimal neuralgia.  Never made any difference, 3 others I have spoken to haven't found it of use for conditions for which it was prescribed.

Ring the Pharmacist in your town for advice?

CLKD - While anti-convulsant drugs are used to treat nerve pain amitriptyline  is not one of them.
It's an anti depressant used to treat pain. Well that's what the NHS thinks, as did my neurologist when treating my MS nerve pain.
I agree it is good to share information, better still to get the facts correct.

"NHS
1. About amitriptyline for pain and migraine
Amitriptyline is a medicine used for treating pain. You can take it:

to treat nerve pain (neuralgia) and back pain
to help prevent migraine attacks
Amitriptyline is available on prescription. It comes as tablets and as a liquid that you drink.

Amitriptyline is also used to treat depression."

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/amitriptyline-for-pain/

[Nicodemus]

I was on it for several years for sleep but it stopped working and I disliked the horrendous constipation it gave me. I wanted to come off and realised I'd forgotten to take it one night so just carried on not taking it. I had a pretty hideous withdrawal, basically felt sick and shaky for a couple of days.

So I think you need to taper off gradually. That said I was on a higher dose, 70 - 100mg IIRC.

[discogirl]

hi nicodemus

yes thats what i intend to do.

i was only on 20mg took it down to 10mg and will stay on 10mh for about a mth and then reduce tp 5mg xx

[Limpy]

Like any other medication the best thing is to taper it down gradually and slowly.

[CLKD]

Strange that: I was told in the 1990s it was used as an anti-epilepsy drug and never as an AD: many types of which I began taking in the 1980s.