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"Commonly Used Drug Amitriptyline Might Be New Treatment Option for IBS" -- no mention of withdrawal symptoms

Tridentata

By Tridentata
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Tridentata

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This study is going to make the rounds of medical news reporting. On Drugs.com, a summary:

 

https://www.drugs.com/news/commonly-amitriptyline-might-new-option-ibs-115597.html

 

The original study in The Lancet (may be paywalled)

 

Neither the summary nor the original article has anything to say about the risks of prescribing amitriptyline connected with discontinuation. Unfortunately, this means it will be prescribed by even more GI doctors than currently who are unaware of the risks. (Speaking as someone who has been forced to taper very slowly off 10 mg of ami prescribed for IBS-like symptoms after experiencing disruptive effects of trying to discontinue at the rate doctors/pharmacists usually suggest.)

Amitriptyline: prescribed 10 mg/day in mid-August 2022

  • Began fairly quick taper 18 October 2022 to 3 mg by 9 November (no withdrawal symptoms)
  • Reinstated at 10 mg on 9 November leading to some serious sleep disturbance
    • 10–17 November, tried 8 or 9 mg
    • 18 November, 10 mg
    • 19–22 November, 3.5 mg after advice to drop back to taper level
    • 23 November – 14 Dec., 3 mg
    • 15–22 Dec., 2.7 mg
    • 23 Dec. 2022 to 3/15/2023, ranged from 2.5 mg up to 3 mg w/partial reinstatement after bad crash provoked by CBD/THC gummy, then slowly back down to 2.5 with long hold in March
    • from 15 March 2023, continued slow taper (Brassmonkey slide, 2.5% week + 2 week hold every 4 weeks) to 1.2 mg as of 1/1/24. Increased tapering speed to 20% in 6 weeks, probably bad idea.

Other medications: albuterol inhaler as needed, acetaminophen as needed

Supplements: daily multivitamin, magnesium glycinate 400 mg/day PRN, probiotics
Caffeine: Max 1 cup coffee/day or 2 cups of tea

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SurreyGuy Contributor

SurreyGuy

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@Tridentata, I could not agree more with you. This is a link to a post on my experience of amitriptyline and its impact on my guts: 

 

Fortunately, my IBS symptoms have greatly reduced or even disappeared. 

Diazepam: Prescribed for 1 month; CT by GP; free since 2019-12. 

Zopiclone: Prescribed for 6 weeks; very fast taper over 6 weeks; free since 2020-01. 

Amitriptyline: Prescribed 10mg from 2004 to 2012(?); 25mg from 2012(?) to 2019-10; 50mg in 2019 November; attempted CT (very fast taper) in December 2019, reinstated within 2 weeks at 20mg;  Start slow taper in June 2020: 2020-06: 18mg; 2020-08: 16.6mg; 2020-10: 15.9mg; 2020-10: 15.45mg; 2020-10: 15mg; 2020-11:15.45mg; 2020-11: 15mg; 2020-11: 14.5mg; 2020-12: 13.7mg; 2021-02-12: 13mg; 2021-03-05: 12.5mg; 2021-03-11: 12mg; 2021-04-16: 11.5mg; 2021-06-06: 11mg; 2021-10-03: 10.5mg; 2021-11-24: 10mg; 2021-12-23: 9.5mg; 2022-01-19: 9mg; 2022-03-08: 8.5mg; 2022-03-29: 8mg; 2022-05-16: 7.5mg; 2022-06-14: 7mg; 2022-07-13: 6.5mg; 2022-08-21: 6mg; 2022-10-29: 6.3mg; 2022-11-29: 6mg; 2022-12-11: 5.5mg; 2022-12-18: 5mg; 2023-01-21: 4.5mg; 2023-02-17: 4mg; 2023-04-23: 3.5mg; 2023-08-27: 3.3mg; 2023-09-20: 3.1mg; 2023-10-15: 2.9mg; 2023-11-11: 2.7mg; 2023-12-04: 2.5mg; 2024-01-04: 2.3mg

Supplements: Fish oil (1g)

Discontinued supplements: Vitamin C (1.25g); D3 (4000IU); zinc (15mg); boron (3mg); magnesium glycinate (800mg); melatonin (0.3mg, reduced from 0.6mg in 2022-06) discontinued on 2023-12-08

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