Amitriptyline withdrawals

[Caren]

Hello! I took Amitriptyline for about 8 months and went off of it because it caused me to gain 15lbs and made me severely constipated. I taped off and took my last dose back in June and I still can’t lose weight and still dealing with horrible constipation. I never had this problem before that drug. I’ve a very healthy person. I exercise daily and eat healthy. This is beyond frustrating!! I’ve been to the doctor who told me to just take laxatives. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars at a naturopath who had me take tons of supplements. Those things will work for a little while then they stop.  Has anyone experienced this with a medication and did the constipation get better? 

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, Caren.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations.  Please indicate the date you started the Amitriptyline, the dosage, and the dates and rate of your taper.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

We're a site for tapering off psychiatric drugs and dealing with psychiatric drug withdrawal.  Some of our members have had issues with constipation in the context of psychiatric drugs.  For your information, here's our link on the topic:

 

Bowel problems and constipation - Symptoms and self …

 

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.  I hope you’ll find the information here helpful for your situation.  

 

 

[Caren]

I was on Amitriptyline for 8 months. I was on a pretty high dose to treat depression since I couldn’t handle the side effects of SSRIs or SNRIs. I started out at 25mg and after 2 months I was up to 125mg but that dose gave me tremors so I tapered down to 75mg. After 4 months I realized Amitriptyline was giving me chronic constipation and weight gain so at that point I wanted off of it so I tapered off the drug over 4 months. I did have insomnia after I stopped but that went away after about a month but the constipation and weight gain are still sticking around. I didn’t realize how bad that drug is for your gut. I would of never went on it if I knew that. I hope it didn’t cause permanent damage. 

[Gridley]

1 hour ago, Caren said:

I hope it didn’t cause permanent damage. 

It's been our experience that the damage is not permanent and that you will recover.

 

Please complete your drug signature, including the taper does and dates information in this new post.  The link and instructions to do this is in my first response to you.  Thanks.