Effects Of Long Term Amitriptyline Use On The Heart (Page 3)

After 20 years of taking amitriptyline for headaches I would like to find people who have had any heart related side effects after long term amitriptyline use.

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These side affects from Amitryptaline are not anymore age related than waking up in the morning, it's just bad stuff. They prescribe this drug for totally unrelated issues.... Sorry, but It's not health care but rather health 'maintenance' that is the reality of medicine today. It's the new age of the world order.....nothing personal. To those who believe it's all good, try stopping the drug and see what happens.

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I've been taking amitiptyline for 20 years (25 mg) as a sleep aid and have had no problems. I have no problem going off the drug but then my sleep problems return so I'm on it for the rest of my life (65 years old).

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Turns out this drug expands the bladder and when you suddenly stop as I did the bladder stays expanded sometimes causing muscle spasms that make you think you always have to pee even when it's only drops. I am old but this is not age related but more about side effects of suddenly stopping rather than slowly tapering down, which is actually recommended with some of these types of medications especially Prozac types as well.

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When you stopped taking it how long before you began again?

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Yes im in a high dose of amitriptline 150mgs at night for chronic pain for 6years ive been in a coma because my heart was going to fast whilst walking down my street and ive also ended up in HDU because i passed out because 1hr after taking it half of my right lung collapsed, i know i suffer from bad taccacardia and irregular heart rate, its restricts my life alot but i cant sleep without it because of my chronic pain its also made me high a few times but i think that's because me heart has been between 155-180bpm when im high and don't remember a thing :/ im only 24 was put on it when i was 18 im going to be on it for life and even in my sleep me HR is between 115-125bpm the docs say that's why im constantly tired :( just scared that it's this that's going to attack my heart and kill me it already has nearly done it and my pain makes it worse :(

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I've been on Amitriptyline, 40 mg, for thirteen years now. It was used to treat my migraines, and has done so rather successfully, but now we're trying to take me off of it due to major health problems it could be causing. Fatigue, dizziness, memory loss, light sensitivity, abdominal pain, etc. But I always end up worse with terrible migraines. Every doctor wants me off of it, as they're also concerned with how helpful it is actually being since its been thirteen years and I started taking it when I was six. I haven't experienced any heart issues, at least none that were concerning enough to get medical attention. It does beat faster, but it's hard to say if it is caused by the medicine since it only appeared recently and I can't remember what it was like when I was younger.

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i have found rigorous excersize to ve very good for beating withdrawal symptoms

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wow, reading these posts has been very illuminating and educational, very interesting indeed, a wide spectrum of different experiences. the last post, funnily, was what I wanted to mention. yes, definately , rigorous excersize definately definately definately helps with many of the withdrawal symptoms . for sure. I was quite amazed actually. When i was coming back on the plane I was so stressed out lifting luaggage, running to the gate, etc, then i noticed my symptoms abate somewhat. next day went to the gym, did 100 prostrations, then later in evening found myself so much more relaxed, palpataions diminished somewhat. so yeah excersize so important, especially even just 2 minutes very thorough vigorous excersize

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After reading the testimonials here, i would like to share my own experience a little, try and keep it to the point. this will help me i think, just to think it through my own mind, and get some clarity for myself. Reading these testimonials, its moved me to tears, how connected we all are by our shared experience of suffering. I lead a very solitary isolated life, with little human contact, very painful at times, and reading these testimonies of suffering and battle makes me feel a connection to another human being. I wish life was more like that. I wish i could meet you all in real person, instead of behind a computer. I feel a sense of connection and oneness when the suffering and experiences are shared. its seems so crazy that there are so many humans on the planet, but chances of actually talking to someone are so small when your life is crippled by pain, anxiety and depression. but good to read the stuff on here, the messages. i suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome since august 2011. the exhaustion was so crippling that it was not something that you could fight your way through, you had no choice but to surrender to it and just waste away days in bed. then i came across amitriptyline around january 2011. 100mg per day. it was extremely helpful and took away all of the fatigue element of the illness. although I still had concentration problems, difficulty speaking, thinking, working things out in my head, focusing, that kind of thing. but it has helped me survive the last 4 years. it helped me to have some form of daily structure, otherwise i would not have been able to do anything, as with CFS you are just a walking zombie. But I have never really totally liked the drug amitriptyline. the constipation i have hated. i hate having to take laxatives all the time. But recently its been the heart palpatations that have been scarring me. they are definately from the amitriptyline, definately. I have tried to come off amitriptyline many times, but could never really do it. the 2nd or 3rd week in I found myself with difficult withdrawal symptoms, felt really really wierd, had a funny pain in my heart, like a stuck anxiety pain, and just felt too wierd, the anxiety, heightened kind of anxiety wierdness, . tried coming off quite a few times, but always failed. But recently the heart palpatations have been scarring me a lot, and a general sense that "I've been on this drug for too long now, body not liking it". I am very sensitive and very in tune to what is going on with me. I have just been thinking "god i wonder if i have been taking this amitriptyline for so long now that its kinda getting stored up in my body, body is becoming a kind of junkyard of all these toxins from all these drugs- i gotto do something".

So 3 weeks ago i decided to come off amitriptyline (i think this is my 5th attempt in 4 years) so first went from 100 to 75 for one week. then after that first week was getting so impatient i just though "ah sod this, I'm coming off this drug, these heart palpatations are doing my head in", so I went straight from 75 to 0 (zero mg), have been off it for 2 weeks. yes i admit the last 2 weeks have been rocky and wierd, you do feel rather peculiar coming off amitriptyline cold turkey like this, and i agree i think its just kinder to your self to come off slowly and taper yourself off the drug. I'm just bloody impatient and just can't cope with doing things slowly. SO i just stopped it suddenly. i don't recommend this to anyone. I only made this choice because i'm impatient, and once i find out that something is harming me (the palpatations etc) then i want it out, it has to go completely. but now the crippling fatigue has returned and i am still left with a heart that is doing funny fluttery things, (its only been 2 weeks alex, i'm sure your heart will get back to normal in time - i hope so !!) but whether amitriptyline causes long term damage i don't know. to be honest i think it can. heart palpations are a sign that the engine is being 'pushed' beyond its usual ranges. the long long-term effect of that is bound to bring a kind of difference in the heart. i do think for sure my heart is more knakkered now because of amitriptyline. but without the drug i would not have been able to accomplish all that i have done over the last 4 years. now, i must find an alternative healing approach to my CFS illness, which is worrying me, i find it very scary, because amitriptyline gave me that energy and drive that i needed. and nopw i'm not taking it anymore i don't know how i'm going to cope with everyday life, getting to the shops, cooking, etc. it has helped me for 4 years, but now goodbye amitriptyline, i don't want you anymore, you're messing my heart up. I really wish i knew you lovely people, i hate being on my own so much. i miss being with others and laughing and talking. life is so hard. so thank you amitriptyline for all your help, which did help for some time, but now you are no good to me, 4 years on 100mg is all i can take anymore.

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I am completely off this outdated drug, and will never go near it again

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Omgosh, I'm with you Carol! I was on Amitryptiline (sp?) from 1990-1999. I gained about 40 lbs. Finally got tired of talking 2 antidepressants and an anti anxiety medicine so I stopped taking the amitryptiline (against my drs wishes). The 2nd night without the Amitryptiline. I had vivid nightmares of black snakes in my head & other horrific scenes. I ended up tapering down over about a 6 month period. Though my Dr didn't want me to stop the med, she advised I could just quit taking it cold turkey. The side effects I described were "impossible". Oh really? Finally got down to taking one pill a week for 2 weeks then stopped. The nightmares did continue off and on for months. To this day it was the worst experience with a medication I've ever encountered. Just horrid!

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alex, did your dr do lab work on you about every 6 months, maybe more often in connection to the Amitriptyline (elavil) ?

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no he didn't carol,. no heart tests or observation work. should he have done ?

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alex parr , I was referring to blood work. It is common for drs to do routine lab work when you take Amitriptyline. But, a dr is not doing anything wrong if they don't do it. It is a precaution.

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I have been taking ammo's for over 20 years for depression. I know it is used in small doses to control pain. But i would go back to my doctor and ask to try another treatment. I get cluster headaches and take IMAGRAN its a pre-filled injection, but boy does it work quick.

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Does anyone know if constipation is permanent - even after quitting Elavil? I'm hoping it will eventually go away.

I was on Elavil for 5 and a half years. The highest dose was 50 mg but that was only for a couple months. I was able to titrate down to 35 then 25 mg. Stayed there for a couple years then very gradually went down to 10, 5, 2.5 (I used a pill cutter) per day. Then 2.5 mg per week. I think this helped a lot with withdrawal symptoms, although, even doing it this slowly, I still had some (anxiety, vertigo, headaches). The constipation started about the 3rd year of taking it. And it went away the first time I came off of the drug. However, I have been off of it for 16 weeks now, and I'm still dealing with terrible constipation. I have tried different products to combat it - even prescription drugs - but not much relief.

I"m hoping someone out there can tell me that eventually, the constipation gets better. For those of you suffering from other withdrawal symptoms, I can tell you that the anxiety, headaches, vertigo do go away. I think you have to titrate down even more slowly then most doctors recommend.

Hope this is helpful to some people.

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I've taken Elavil 150 mg for 24 years. I have fibromyalgia and peripheral neuropathy in my legs, feet and hands. Unlike most FM patients I have never had a problem with sleep. I've never had a problem with the drug either. It works as good today as it did 24 years ago. For the past week I have been arguing with a doctor about slicing my prescription to one 50 mg tablet at night. I have been told by several doctors I have seen over the years that I should not go off the drug because my body has incorporated it and going off would be risky to my health. I've talked to two pharmacist over this past week and they both said the same thing. However the doctor who prescribed the smaller dose is not listening. After long term use if you decide to go off elavil the dose should be cut by only 10% at a time. It should be an interesting month.

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It's good to hear someone else having no problems with elavil. I have never had side effects with it. Apparently I am fortunate. I won't go off of it because of the help with sleep. With FM you need all the sleep you can get. Also in all of the 28 years with FM I have never experienced depression either. I feel bad for all of the people who have had such horrible experiences with it. If any of you take narcotic pain Meds many of the symptoms described would be a side effect of those drugs. Dry mouth, constipation, heart palpations and some others are all symptoms of narcotic drugs.

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I forgot to mention that I was taking Elavil for Nerve trauma to the bladder that occurred after a routine outpatient surgery. I didn't have the nerve trauma prior to the surgery and it materialized after a year of medical treatment that my specialist had me doing. Which was wrong on his part. The other side effect I had while taking the medication was low blood pressure (fatigue only when at the higher doses). The blood pressure corrected once I was off the drug for awhile. The other things I mentioned in my previous post were side effects only felt during withdrawal from Elavil. (anxiety, vertigo, headaches).

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I have been taking amitryptline for years,,,,Why get off it? It cured my depression....I wouldn't want that back soooo I take Amitriptaline every day and enjoy life. No side effects to report just a joy of life. Joyce

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