Coming off Amitriptyline (Elavil)

HanPanes · 11-30-2009, 03:01 PM

Having posted today about extreme fatigue I've had some really useful answers and I'm considering coming off my Amitriptyline (Elavil)?

I was prescribed this for severe head pain which I still have so not sure the Amitrip is working, it did initially but not anymore.

Been on it about 3 months, 5mg at night. Do I need to taper or just stop it, is there likely to be a withdrawal at all. Obviously it's a very small dose but I want to be extra careful - I have NO experience with tricyclics whatsoever. I'm sure it's only making my extreme fatigue worse at the moment.

Any tips? Feeling like I'm asking so many qustions at the moment - it's such a release after years of suffering in silence so to speak - thank you for being patient and inspiring....

Han

Light · 11-30-2009, 03:27 PM

Please do this with the full knowledge and support of your doctor. 5 mg is a tiny dose but enough to cause fatigue. If it were me I might try reducing by quarters a couple of weeks apart and see how that goes. Your body will dictate the pace. Let's see what others have to say....

Songbird · 11-30-2009, 03:56 PM

I don't know much about amitriptyline, just that it is a tri-cyclic anti-depressant, and is very sedating, it sometimes seems to be used off-label for insomnia. I believe tri-cyclic ADs also need to be weaned, but if you're on a low dose and only for 3 months, maybe the wean won't need to take a long time. Is the 5mg one tablet? I would probably try three-quarters of the tablet and see how that goes (as Light said).

HanPanes · 11-30-2009, 04:04 PM

The 5mg is actually half of a 10mg tablet, so tiiiiny, again gonna need the scales. Prob thinking now I need to do the Flupenthixol first, it's all such a huge gamble with everything, you all know that though!!

Songbird · 11-30-2009, 04:12 PM

I would still do the amitriptyline first, if that was the most recently added. You could use a nail file to reduce the size of the pill pieces. When I was cutting paxil pills, I just used a small, sharp kitchen knife to chip pieces off the corners of the pill halves.

Charlie · 11-30-2009, 04:18 PM

I would just stop if you're only on 5mg for 3 months. I would also leave everything just like it is for a couple of weeks so you don't complicate anything that might come up.

My dad has taken Elavil for years and while I'm no expert and don't claim to be I have seen how it works.

BlueEyes · 12-01-2009, 06:07 AM

Before I got started on my whole Prozac/Trazodone long journey, my doctor had put me on Elavil/Amitryptline (sp?) for about 6 weeks - and like you, was only put on it for nighttime purposes only to get some sleep. (Honestly, I was so happy with how it worked I wanted to stay on it longer - but he wanted me to come off it ??).

Anyway, at the time I really don't remember any problems whatsoever coming off it - I guess if I were you, I would cut it in half for a few days and see how you feel. If it's too tough, you can always go back up, restabilize and then later when you're ready to go down again, maybe just cut it into quarters.

Terri

11-30-2009, 03:01 PM	#1
HanPanes Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 107	Coming off Amitriptyline (Elavil) Having posted today about extreme fatigue I've had some really useful answers and I'm considering coming off my Amitriptyline (Elavil)? I was prescribed this for severe head pain which I still have so not sure the Amitrip is working, it did initially but not anymore. Been on it about 3 months, 5mg at night. Do I need to taper or just stop it, is there likely to be a withdrawal at all. Obviously it's a very small dose but I want to be extra careful - I have NO experience with tricyclics whatsoever. I'm sure it's only making my extreme fatigue worse at the moment. Any tips? Feeling like I'm asking so many qustions at the moment - it's such a release after years of suffering in silence so to speak - thank you for being patient and inspiring.... Han __________________ Seroxat (Paxil) 1997 - 2003 (age 17 to 23) Breakdown from withdrawal 6 month stay in hospital - July 03 - Dec 03 Somewhere in that mess - Mirtazapine, Olanzapine, Diazapam, Lorazepam, Cirpralex, Promazine, Effexor, Busperone - all off now Reinstated 15mg Prozac one month off 15mg Remeron 1mg Fluanxol 0.5mg Ativan

11-30-2009, 03:27 PM	#2
Light Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,323	Re: Coming off Amitriptyline (Elavil) Please do this with the full knowledge and support of your doctor. 5 mg is a tiny dose but enough to cause fatigue. If it were me I might try reducing by quarters a couple of weeks apart and see how that goes. Your body will dictate the pace. Let's see what others have to say.... __________________ Drug-free since 4/9/05 If you ever teach a yodeling class, probably the hardest thing is to keep the students from just trying to yodel right off the bat. You see, "we build to that. " — Jack Handey

11-30-2009, 03:56 PM	#3
Songbird Queen of the appendage vocabulary Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 9,170	Re: Coming off Amitriptyline (Elavil) I don't know much about amitriptyline, just that it is a tri-cyclic anti-depressant, and is very sedating, it sometimes seems to be used off-label for insomnia. I believe tri-cyclic ADs also need to be weaned, but if you're on a low dose and only for 3 months, maybe the wean won't need to take a long time. Is the 5mg one tablet? I would probably try three-quarters of the tablet and see how that goes (as Light said). __________________ Jul 01-Feb 02 Aropax Feb - Dec 03 Citalopram Jul 04 Aropax Jan 07 - Feb 08 20mg - 5mg Apr 4.5mg 5mg Jun 10mg zopiclone > seroquel Jul 20mg Aug + methionine Oct aropax > loxamine Dec off seroquel 7 Dec 17.5mg 30 Dec 15mg 24 Jan 12.5mg 16 Feb 10mg 10 May 9mg 30 May 8mg 5 July 7.5mg 2 Aug 7.25mg 1 Sep 7mg 9 Oct 6.75mg 8 Nov 6.5mg 18 Dec 6.3mg Appreciation is the antidote to stress - Trust is the antidote to fear

11-30-2009, 04:04 PM	#4
HanPanes Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 107	Re: Coming off Amitriptyline (Elavil) The 5mg is actually half of a 10mg tablet, so tiiiiny, again gonna need the scales. Prob thinking now I need to do the Flupenthixol first, it's all such a huge gamble with everything, you all know that though!! __________________ Seroxat (Paxil) 1997 - 2003 (age 17 to 23) Breakdown from withdrawal 6 month stay in hospital - July 03 - Dec 03 Somewhere in that mess - Mirtazapine, Olanzapine, Diazapam, Lorazepam, Cirpralex, Promazine, Effexor, Busperone - all off now Reinstated 15mg Prozac one month off 15mg Remeron 1mg Fluanxol 0.5mg Ativan

11-30-2009, 04:12 PM	#5
Songbird Queen of the appendage vocabulary Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 9,170	Re: Coming off Amitriptyline (Elavil) I would still do the amitriptyline first, if that was the most recently added. You could use a nail file to reduce the size of the pill pieces. When I was cutting paxil pills, I just used a small, sharp kitchen knife to chip pieces off the corners of the pill halves. __________________ Jul 01-Feb 02 Aropax Feb - Dec 03 Citalopram Jul 04 Aropax Jan 07 - Feb 08 20mg - 5mg Apr 4.5mg 5mg Jun 10mg zopiclone > seroquel Jul 20mg Aug + methionine Oct aropax > loxamine Dec off seroquel 7 Dec 17.5mg 30 Dec 15mg 24 Jan 12.5mg 16 Feb 10mg 10 May 9mg 30 May 8mg 5 July 7.5mg 2 Aug 7.25mg 1 Sep 7mg 9 Oct 6.75mg 8 Nov 6.5mg 18 Dec 6.3mg Appreciation is the antidote to stress - Trust is the antidote to fear

11-30-2009, 04:18 PM	#6
Charlie Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 7,916	Re: Coming off Amitriptyline (Elavil) I would just stop if you're only on 5mg for 3 months. I would also leave everything just like it is for a couple of weeks so you don't complicate anything that might come up. My dad has taken Elavil for years and while I'm no expert and don't claim to be I have seen how it works. __________________ The truth is the truth even if no one believes it, and a lie is a lie even if everyone believes it." Knowledge speaks ....... Wisdom listens Charlie www.ThePaxilProtest.com

12-01-2009, 06:07 AM	#7
BlueEyes Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northern New Jersey Posts: 886	Re: Coming off Amitriptyline (Elavil) Before I got started on my whole Prozac/Trazodone long journey, my doctor had put me on Elavil/Amitryptline (sp?) for about 6 weeks - and like you, was only put on it for nighttime purposes only to get some sleep. (Honestly, I was so happy with how it worked I wanted to stay on it longer - but he wanted me to come off it ??). Anyway, at the time I really don't remember any problems whatsoever coming off it - I guess if I were you, I would cut it in half for a few days and see how you feel. If it's too tough, you can always go back up, restabilize and then later when you're ready to go down again, maybe just cut it into quarters. Terri __________________ On Prozac/Trazodone since 1991 Weaned myself off Trazodone 2006 Started off at 25 mg of Prozac in 2006 Did my own slow wean of 1 mg every 4-6 weeks As of Dec 21, 2008 - 3.5 mg Jan 27, 2009 - 3 mg; Feb 23, 2009 - 2.5 mg March 25, 2009 - 2 mg; April 21, 2009 - 1.5 mg June 6, 2009 - 1 mg; July 14, 2009 - 0.5 mg LAST DAY OF PROZAC - August 13, 2009!!!! Major setback after 5 days on bc pills - Started Citalopram 20 mg 5/10

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