Wania: Amitryptyline withdrawal and akathisia

[Wania]

Oh ok! I thought mayby it was a little easier then withdrawal itself, but no.

 

its so incredibly hard 😞 but im glad akathisia is now better for You

[puthappinessfirst]

I'm sorry you're having to experience it. My heart is with you!

[Wania]

Thank You. I hope rest of Your road will be easier. 

[Shep]

 

On 4/27/2020 at 6:28 PM, Wania said:

I started cbd oil and propranolol for migraines and wonder if they arent doing this 😞 Im so scared.

 

On 5/9/2020 at 2:00 AM, Wania said:

I was so scared cause akahisia came back then that I started lower doze again next day. Akathisia was getting better but yesterday was so severe I begged my husband to take me to psych ward. But he gave me mj to try first. I was smoking all day with about 40-20% reliefe depend on wave so I will able to survive. I slept at night thats plus. 
 

I was sleeping ok last days but when aka came back I slept mayby 2 hours. 

 

Wania, some of your symptoms may be due to the other drugs you are adding in. Sometimes something that brings short term relief can cause problems later on. 

 

Also, the more sedating drugs and supplements you add in, the more likely your nervous system is to hyper-react with a paradoxical reaction. This can create worsening anxiety and akathisia over the long term. 

[Wania]

I dont take cbd anymore, took two days and got bad so stopped.

 

Im on propranolol few days now. I dont know should I continue cause its helping a little, I just dont know what to do. I cant deal with waves without any reliefe. So I smoke mj when its 10. I can deal with everything to 8 but 9-10 is too much.

[Kerrym]

Hi @Shep

a question about paradoxical reactions as you mentioned....

If a sedating med revs you up, would a stimulating drug calm you down. 

Curious

[Shep]

On 5/11/2020 at 8:21 AM, Kerrym said:

If a sedating med revs you up, would a stimulating drug calm you down. 

 

I haven't seen a lot of members experiencing paradoxical reactions to stimulating drugs. Generally, a stimulating drug causes upticks in symptoms such as anxiety and insomnia.

 

The reason a sedating drug can cause a paradoxical reaction is because too much sedation causes the nervous system to fight to stay awake. 

[Wania]

How to cross tapper? If Im on 12mg amitryptyline Im thinking about cross tappering with nortryptyline or doxepin.

 

I have gastroparesis and cant take antiemetics because I react bad to all of them. Amitryptyline was well controling it, but now its not helping and when I tried to up my doze 3 weeks ago I reacted bad. Im severey nauseous daily and vomit a lot. I need something to control that and thinking about another med to cross tapper. If Im on 12mg I have to stay on that doze and start low doze another antidepressant and go down with Amitryptyline slowly and go up with another antidepressant slowly as well?

[Shep]

5 hours ago, Wania said:

How to cross tapper? If Im on 12mg amitryptyline Im thinking about cross tappering with nortryptyline or doxepin.

 

Nortriptyline and doxepin can also cause nausea and other withdrawal symptoms that you're experiencing with amitriptyline. 

 

You may want to look into other ways of handling GI symptoms, such as peppermint or ginger tea. Some members have seen good results using Sea Bands, which are acupressure wrist bands (you can order these online). For more, please see:

 

Digestive problems: nausea, diarrhoea, bloating, GERD

 

If these digestive problems have gotten worse since you added in Propranolol, it could be coming from that drug. Nausea is listed as a side effect (Propranolol - side effects). 

 

[Wania]

Amitryptyline was a med that I started because I have gastroparesis, and it was my symptom prior to Amitryptyline. And its now coming back, I dont feel its a withdrawal symptom just gastroparesis coming back. Thats why I think about nortryptyline. 

[Shep]

Wania, if you believe a psychiatric drug will help a medical problem, please work with your doctor. 

[Wania]

Yes I will, but she isnt familiar with cross taper that why Im asking. Im thinking about cross taper with nortryptyline. But dont know how cross taper should look like.

[Altostrata]

Wania, how are you doing?

 

Any doctor prescribing psychiatric drugs should know what a cross-taper is. Your doctor can ask her colleagues.

[Wania]

Somewhat better, somewhat worse.

 

Nausea is daily now as my gastroparesis is coming back. Akathisia is better at daily basis but EVERY supplement I tried is triggering it back. And its not connected with withdrawal, something destroyed my nervous system after IV med I got 3 months ago. So Im struggling a lot as I have other conditions I cant treat. 

[Wania]

Im very confused now.

 

My akathisia got much worse few days ago out of nowehere. I was on 12mg for 5 weeks. After 3 days of huge wave I reduced to 11mg but it didnt change anything. May it be late withdrawal akathisia?

 

I have started tapering 3 months ago, in the beggining it was too fast, but then I did it very slow. I tappered from 30 mg (but was on 30mg only a week, before that I was on 20 mg for weeks) to 12 mg in 3 months.

[Altostrata]

Did anything happen before the wave? A drug change? A glass of wine? A skipped dose?

 

How do you feel now that you've reduced to 11mg? Usually, we tell people not to reduce during a wave.

[Wania]

This is the thing that I didnt do anything. I was 5 weeks on that doze a s it suddenly got that bad. I have no idea why. I upped propranolol yesterday cause I couldnt cope. 

[Wania]

Im on 10 mg my second day. Akathisia got better last 2 weeks, is still daily but tolerable.

Now Im struggling with dizzyness, depression, confusion, jerks, anxiety, derealisation. Its hard to fall asleep as Im getting jerks when Im trying to. My head feels heavy and out of space. Im very sad and have intrusive suicidal thoughts. 

[ChessieCat]

Are you able to play some soft music or some soft talking which might help you to relax and get to sleep?  I have an mp3 player with podcasts and audio books which I listen to.  When I had trouble getting back to sleep after getting up for the toilet I would listen to things which were interesting.  Recently I've just been listening to an audio book which has a narrator with a nice gentle voice.  When I first started my taper I used to cuddle a soft teddy bear and play with its soft fur or velvet paws and that helped me to relax.

 

hypnic-hypnagogic-jerks-when-falling-asleep

 

 

tips-to-help-sleep-so-many-of-us-have-that-awful-withdrawal-insomnia

 

[Wania]

Thank You. Im smoking marihuana when things are really bad, when they are mild to moderate I cope with meditation.

[ChessieCat]

4 minutes ago, Wania said:

 

Im smoking marihuana when things are really bad,

 

 

cannabis-marijuana-hashish-thc-cbd-or-hemp-oil

 

Have you tried Magnesium?

 

[Wania]

Cannabis is my lifesaver when things are severe. And when I say severe I mean that, after all that happened to me I have high tolerance for symptoms, so I suffer daily but smoke only when Im afraid I could end it.

 

Im using magnesium oil as I have chronic gastritis and dont tolerate oral. Its the only supplement I can take, I react to everything else.

[Wania]

Im on 10 mg amitrypryline a month now. Im gonna wait one more month to another cut. Most days Im doing managable, not well but things arent severe as well.

 

I have akathisia daily but at mild - moderate level.

Confusion, dizzyness, headaches.

Bousts of depression.

Started having breathing issues and I dont know is it withdrawal or no.

Nausea, but its because of my gastroparesis I guess.
 

I lowered propranolol in this month from 30 to 10. Im on 10 since yesterday. I thought mayby this is what makes my breathing hard as it was causing it in the beggining for me.

[Altostrata]

If you went from 12mg amitriptyline to 10mg, that's a 16.67% cut. We recommend 10% decreases, calculated on the last dosage.

 

If you have withdrawal symptoms now, further decreases are likely to make them worse.

[Wania]

I went from 12 to 11 almost 3 months ago. Then from 11 to 10 more then a month ago. 

[Wania]

Im a year into tapper. I did two big cuts in first month. Since then extramely slow. I went from 25 mg to 8 mg now in a year. I was holding at 8,5mg for 4 months as started getting worse. 1,5 month ago reduced to 8 mg. I started reacting to food with extreme weakness, panic, drunk feeling, akathisia, agitation, electricoty throughout my body. Im keeping strict diet, it improved about 50% but Im still very disabled by symptoms. Started propranolol 2 days ago as couldnt cope anymore. Why it suddenly got that bad so long after big cut? Is there someone that started reacting to foods? Even to water. 

[ChessieCat]

Hi Wania,

 

Please do not create new Introduction topics.  Each member has 1 Introduction topic.  It is the best place to ask questions and journal your progress.  It keeps your history in one place and means that you do not have to repeat your story.

 

Your topic is here:

 

wania-amitryptyline-withdrawal-and-akathisia

 

[Wania]

Im a year into tapper. I did two big cuts in first month. Since then extramely slow. I went from 25 mg to 8 mg now in a year. I was holding at 8,5mg for 4 months as started getting worse. 1,5 month ago reduced to 8 mg. I started reacting to food with extreme weakness, panic, drunk feeling, akathisia, agitation, electricoty throughout my body. Im keeping strict diet, it improved about 50% but Im still very disabled by symptoms. Started propranolol 2 days ago as couldnt cope anymore. Why it suddenly got that bad so long after big cut? Is there someone that started reacting to foods? Even to water. Its feeling like I have a seizure. It can last for hours.

[getofflex]

Hello Wania.  Can you please update your drug signature with your most recent drug history?  Thank you.  

 

Sometimes our withdrawal symptoms can take time to show up, and often don't show up until a while after we make a cut.  If it were me, I would hold for while.  That means, don't make any changes at all to any drugs or supplements I'm taking.  Here is a post that talks about this:

 

 Are We There Yet?  Stability

 

Also there are many things we can do that don't involve taking drugs to help ourselves: 

 

Non Drug Coping Skills

 

 

Edited March 23, 2021 by getofflex

[Wania]

This is what I was trying to do and I didnt find where to change it. Can You help?

[ChessieCat]

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

[Wania]

Thank You so much! Done

[Wania]

Little update.

 

I was managing better, doing Healing university and Neural retraining. Still many symptoms but was functioning. In may I reduced to 7,5mg. Then 1,5 month later to 7 mg. 2 weeks ago I started feeling worse, more joint pain, weakness, electricity feeling, fever feeling. Few days of easier symptoms and last days like death again, joint pain, muscle pain, headaches, derealisation, multiple panic attacks a day, weakness, depression. Can it be from such a low changes in doze? Im starting to wonder is it withdrawal or something else going on. 

[getofflex]

It is probably WD from the reduction.  What drug have you been tapering recently - amitriptyline or propanolol?  It would help it you could put the drug name and dates of each reduction in your drug signature, thank you. 

 

It can take up to a couple to 3 weeks to feel the effect of a reduction.  This just shows how powerful these drugs really are.  I'm sorry you are going through this. Here are some links to help:  

 

Important Topics About Symptoms

 

Non Drug Coping Techniques

 

Please hang in there, and take heart.  Most of us have been through or are going through what you are.  Someday, you will be off this drug, and your nervous system will heal.  

[Wania]

Thank You. I did. I never had those symptoms during withdrawal tho thats worrying me, and it started more then a month after realy small cut. I dont tolerate any single supplement or med so its always scary for me when I got new symptom, when Im thinking it might be something else that I should treat. 

[getofflex]

From what you describe they do sound like WD symptoms to me.  Sometimes it can take several weeks for symptoms to show up. It could be that something set it off, a change in weather, exercising or being overstimulated by lots of activity, extra stress, heat, too much sunlight, etc.  Often these things happen without us realizing it and it can trigger a wave.  

 

Here are some links that may help to reassure you.  

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

Symptoms, Health Anxiety, and Reality

 

My suggestion would be to stay on your current dose of 7 mg amitriptyline for a good while, a month at the very least, but perhaps even longer, like 6 to 8 weeks.  This will help your nervous system to settle down and stabilize.  

Edited July 30, 2021 by getofflex