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radiohedwig: heart palpitations and sick coming off Amitriptyline

radiohedwig

By radiohedwig
in Introductions and updates

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radiohedwig Newbie

radiohedwig

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Radiohedwig - heart palpitations and sickest I've ever been coming off 10mg Amitriptyline.

 

I have found this forum through desperation as the last few months have been the worst in my life.  I started tapering off the wrong way from AMI in July 2021(every other day full dose) and started getting heart palpitations maybe a few times a day.  This slowly got worse as time went on and persisted to events where I would get heart palpitations every minute for a few hours a day.  Been in the ER 3 times in the last few weeks.  All EKG have been normal all heart labs fine.  I have been off AMI for 6 weeks now coming from a quarter dose (2.5MG) that I was on for only 2 weeks.  I basically went every other full dose to half dose to quarter dose but only doing 2 weeks at a time and not very consistent.  I am desperate but my doctor says there's no way amitriptyline can do this and has told me not to try going back on it.  I am looking for advise on starting up a lower dose again to see if symptoms improve.  This last week I have had the following:

 

-anxiety

-Chest tightness through back, gets better with massage from partner

-numbness in left side of face/neck

-heart palpitations usually worse in afternoon or after eating

-crazy insomnia in the last week can't sleep longer than 2-3 hours, but also weak and tired

-Nausea no appetite

 

I have done a 2 week halter monitor and am waiting on results from that to rule out anything with the heart but after finding this forum a lot of the other symptoms seem like a symptom of withdrawal.  Is there any advice from someone on what dose to go back to after being off for 6 weeks?

 

Edited by ChessieCat
added original intro title before shortening

10MG Amitriptyline 2009 - July 2021

Started tapering wrong way (every other day full dose, every third day, etc)for a month

Changed to half dose around September/Oct

Went off of half dose completely November 20th at request of doctor.

Major symptoms began November/Dec

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to radiohedwig: heart palpitations and sick coming off Amitriptyline
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Onmyway Veteran

Onmyway

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Welcome to SA @radiohedwig, 

I am so sorry you are struggling with withdrawal from amitriptyline. You can try reinstating a small dose of the medicine. This thread (especially the first post in it) has our collective wisdom on reinstatement. Reinstatement gets a bit riskier when you are more than a month off but you could try a very small dose and see whether it will help. If it doesn't help or makes things worse you can stop it. 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants

 

This post will tell you how to approach your doctor and has links to academic articles on the topic. You might want to download some of them. How to talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal? What to expect. - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

 

Please let us know if you decide to reinstate and we can keep advising you on next steps. 

Hope things get better soon and you get some respite from what sound like very difficult symptoms. 

 

OMW

 

"Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig 

 

I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. 

 

In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. 

 

Aug  2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg,  xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn 

Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used)

Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up)

September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0

Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd

March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week

Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering)

citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg,  7/27/19 -1.5 mg,  8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg

 

Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate

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radiohedwig Newbie

radiohedwig

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Posted

Thank you. Do you think 2.5mg is a good dose to go back to or should I go smaller?

10MG Amitriptyline 2009 - July 2021

Started tapering wrong way (every other day full dose, every third day, etc)for a month

Changed to half dose around September/Oct

Went off of half dose completely November 20th at request of doctor.

Major symptoms began November/Dec

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Onmyway Veteran

Onmyway

Posted
  • Moderator
Posted

Hi @radiohedwig, 

why don't you start with 1mg and see if you don't get adverse effects you can then go up. Since you have been off of the meds for a while now this would be a more cautious approach. If you find that you don't have adverse effects and you find some benefits but not enough we can try increasing slowly until the withdrawal symptoms are manageable. Does that sound like a good plan? 

 

This has tips on how to get the right dosage. 

 

Wishing you good luck and pls update us on how you are doing and let us know if we can help more. 

OMW

"Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig 

 

I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. 

 

In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. 

 

Aug  2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg,  xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn 

Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used)

Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up)

September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0

Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd

March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week

Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering)

citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg,  7/27/19 -1.5 mg,  8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg

 

Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate

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