CharlesG: fatigue and insomnia 5 months off amitriptyline

[CharlesG]

Extreme fatigue and severe insomnia 5 months off amitriptyline

 

I quit amitriptyline 75mg after 25 years of use ( I had a 2 year initial stint of imipramine 300mg).

 

The meds were prescibed for chronic tension headaches that were making studying difficult back in senior high school. I tapered over 3 months and got to zero on april 28th 2022. The decision to taper fast was reached after experiencing severe tachycardia (140 pulse rate at rest) plus worsening perioheral neuropathy.

 

I persevered with the usual withdrawal symptoms and other than insomnia, i was doing well for the next 3 weeks. All hell broke loose end of May when i suffered an adrenal crush. I just woke up one morning extremely tired, with severe head pain, pain all over the body, sexual dysfunction, zero appetite, urinary frequency, total insomnia among other numerous symptoms.

 

I turned to online fora and got ideas on supplements. I was happy that the first supplement was affron saffron and the depression lifted markedly. I started high dose vitamin C (5mg) and the fatigue bulged a little bit. I also started 5HTP, melatonin, magnesium for sleep. For the last 4 months, my life has been marked by 2-3 hours of sleep and extreme fatigue. However, i am determined not to get back to amitriptyline or any other psych drug. Am currently taking: affron saffron 30mg twice a day, 5mg vitamin c once a day, 400mg magnesium glycinate daily, 2g EPA/DHA daily, 3mg melatonin, l tryptophan 500mg, l theanine 200mg. Out of desperation, i’ve added diphenhydramine 50mg to lessen sleep deprivation after going for 4 days with only a hour of sleep per night.

 

Last week, i noticed that my blood sugars had creeped into the prediabetic range, with a hb1ac of 6.1, a problem i didnt have prior. I have since made dietary changes, but i am not strong enough for exercise. Of late, i feel that adrenaline has shot up. This is evident from my heart rate at rest shifting from 50’s to 70-80. I can also feel the cortisol surges especially at night with heightened alertness when i am supposed to be asleep. 

Is anyone handling this chronic fatigue and insomnia and what is helping? 

your responses will be appreciated. Thanks 

 

Edited October 12, 2022 by ChessieCat
added spacing

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @CharlesG

 

On 10/12/2022 at 11:43 AM, CharlesG said:

I persevered with the usual withdrawal symptoms and other than insomnia, i was doing well for the next 3 weeks. All hell broke loose end of May when i suffered an adrenal crush. I just woke up one morning extremely tired, with severe head pain, pain all over the body, sexual dysfunction, zero appetite, urinary frequency, total insomnia among other numerous symptoms.

 

This sounds like your amitriptyline withdrawal syndrome got worse. You now have protracted withdrawal syndrome. 

 

How has your symptom pattern changed since the beginning of September?

 

You are also taking 5-HTP? Please keep daily notes of times o’clock you take your drugs and supplements, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day. We need to know how you feel before and after taking each drug, and your symptoms in between. Post 24 hours of notes at a time in this topic, in a simple list format with time o’clock on the left and notation (symptom or drug and dosage) on the right.

 

 

To help us out, follow these instructions Please summarize your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.