MJT1976: Any guidance appreciated

[MJT1976]

Hi, I’ve just joined the group and I’m looking for reassurance and support. 

Here’s a bit about what’s been going on with me;

I had taken Amitr1pt1line amitriptyline 10mg at night for 10 years having been put on it when I had my daughter and she was sleeping while I was wide awake worrying about her. I suffered from a really dry mouth over the years, waking in the night constantly sipping water. I finally decided that I didn’t think I needed to be on it (as well as taking Pr0pran0l0l propranolol for headache/migraine control). I spoke to a doctor who said to halve the tablets for a few weeks, then take them every other day for a week, then stop. So, on 30th Jan I went to 5mg a day. On the 24th Feb I went to 5mg every other day. On 1st March I stopped. 

I started having problems sleeping and staying asleep if I did drop off, night sweats leaving me drenched and terrible anxiety (something I’ve suffered all my life, but this was another level). 

The doctor put me on Sertr@line sertraline for the crippling anxiety, prescribed 50mg a day but told me to take 25mg for a week to minimise side effects, this made me worse and did nothing so I moved up to 50mg on 16th March. I had been told it can make things worse before getting better and take a few weeks to work. 

The anxiety stomach churning/fear subsided, but the night sweats and waking in the night and not being able to go back to sleep carried on causing headaches and exhaustion. 

I was taking the Sertr@line sertraline in the morning and advised by doctor to take at night as it was making me woozy in the daytime but it didnt helped the sleep. I resorted to Sominex (CC added:  antihistamine - diphenhydramine) to help my sleep pattern but after a couple of nights of sleep I was still waking drenched. I took it for week and a half to get some sleep inbetween side effects but stopped taking it as it’s supposed to be a short term help.

 

I’ve had blood tests to check hormones and they have come back clear with regards to night sweats. 

 

I had no idea about withdrawal from meds until I started googling and no doctor has ever mentioned the word withdrawal to me. If I knew then what I know now, I would have tapered off over a far longer period. I’m also now fairly sure the sudden and massive anxiety was caused by stopping the ami, not anxiety returning that the Ami had been helping. Starting another medication has helped the anxiety but not the withdrawal my body was suffering with and could have been giving me more issues with sleep. 

 

I had a review with my doctor last Wednesday and said I was taking sominex to keep me from waking as not going back to sleep as still struggling with sleep pattern but anxiety better/stable.The doctor said Sertr@line sertraline could be causing sleep problems and suggested I halve dose to 25mg for two days then go on to mirt@z@pine mirtazapine as it aids sleep. I got a 2nd opinion who agreed further med changes could cause more issues. My sleep has improved slightly in that I sleep until I wake drenched but now go back to sleep, although sometimes disturbed. I decided to try and stop completely seeing as I am at 25mg again as I’m so worried these tablets are going to mess me up further. Day 4 in to taking 25mg of Sertr@line sertraline and was unwell with stomach pains/griping tummy. Also unwell with bad cold/headache (tested negative for covid even though my family had it). 

Day 8 of taking 25mg and I feel so ill. Terrible nausea, clammy, sweaty, thirsty, panicky. 

I just feel stuck not knowing what to do as when you feel so unwell you just want it all to go away. I think I’m tackling so many things at once I don’t know what’s causing what.  

Do I come off completely in the hope my body recovers (my night sweats could improve?) or do I go back up to 50mg as before the doctor told me to cut down and go on another med I had started to be more normal without these awful side effects. I’m just worried if I stay on them I will have this all over again in the future.  

 

I’m so desperate to feel normal. It’s been months since I looked forward to getting in bed and sleeping. If I had an answer, a goal to work towards knowing everything will be back to normal I could cope. It’s the constant uncertainty and having no answers that is so hard to cope with. Battling over what to do with no proper guidance. 

Thanks for reading if you got this far x

 

Edited April 13, 2022 by ChessieCat
added spacing / fixed up spelling of drug names

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @MJT1976

 

On 4/13/2022 at 1:43 AM, MJT1976 said:

I started having problems sleeping and staying asleep if I did drop off, night sweats leaving me drenched and terrible anxiety (something I’ve suffered all my life, but this was another level). 

The doctor put me on Sertr@line sertraline for the crippling anxiety, prescribed 50mg a day but told me to take 25mg for a week to minimise side effects, this made me worse and did nothing so I moved up to 50mg on 16th March.

 

It sounds like you got withdrawal symptoms from going off amitriptyline AND adverse effects from Zoloft.

 

Now that you've reduced Zoloft, how has your symptom pattern changed?

 

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