Effects Of Long Term Amitriptyline Use On The Heart (Page 2) (Top voted first)

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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Could you please expand a little? It caused more pain to get off of it than you already have on a normal basis?
What kind of pain?
I'm scared from reading all this and I want off but I have loads of pain already with back and neck and a lot of other stuff like DDD (degen disc disease) calcific tendonitis, carpal tunnel, SI joint issues, nooo I don't want more pain but I don't want this drug anymore. I can't believe I just take it to sleep and now I'm addicted? It's been 15-20 years And taking 50 Mgs. I'm so glad I'm not on a higher dosage.
Thank you for your post, it was the most inspirational one I found. I'm glad your finding success in recusing your dosage.
I do wonder how any of us will ever fall asleep again.
I also take Xanax, and maybe that's why I don't get anxiety as much as some of the people who posted.

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Hi Angus, Shannon, Debra and all who post to this. I am grateful to hear from others on this drug that are suffering the same side effects yet my doctors are telling me they are not connected to Amitriptyline. I want to congratulate all of you for trying to get off this drug and glad that there are others that can relate as I try to reduce my dosage. I am back down to 10 mg per night (way to go Angus you have come a long way on your reduction of dosage)! I am posting today to let everyone know of the additional side effects I have experienced from this drug so that others may know that it is not just them. In addition to memory loss, palptations, and severe anxiety trying to go off of it, I also have constipation, ringing in my ears that comes and goes, and severe dental issues. Because this drug causes severe dry mouth my gums have receded dramatically. This has caused my entire mouth to become extremely sensitive to hot and cold. Going to the dentist is brutally painful because even the water they use to rinse my mouth and the air to suck the water hurts. My dentist kept telling me it was this medication but each time I asked my neurologist he denied it. Instead of helping me get off this drug my neurologist now wants me to take Pristiq also. I refused to take it and I am now seeing a naturopathic doctor to help with my migraines and eventually help me get off the amitriptyline. I am hoping that Angus (and anyone else who is trying to go off this drug) can give me some tips on reducing the last 10 mg entirely. Thanks!

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i am really glad i found this site, i was doubtful that amitriptyline was causing all of my problems but i can see now that it is .................. i have the feeling in the legs which i could not explain, my gums and teeth are rotten and i have blurred vision along with racing heartbeat...... im currently on 25mg from 50mg. my gp said to stay on as it is great for the pain.....no thanks.

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I'm 60 and have been on amitriptyline for decades. I went through a spell of high anx / panic attacks in the 80's coupled with chronic back pain and insomnia. I resisted taking meds for years but by then I needed serious help. Looking back, it was a smart choice by my doctor, it addressed all of the above and was gradually able to get back on my feet with my career etc. with 50 mg @ day.

After several years I was on 25 mg a day and decided to try going off it cold turkey. At first I was edgy but it was tolerable. But after a few weeks I started having panic attacks again (which are living hell and therapy didn't help to reduce them). I don't do well on Xanax type meds so I tried an SSRI... terrible results, felt like I was mainlining caffeine. It was terrifying, I thought I'd have to check into a pschc ward. So I went back on amitriptyline, but.... now I had to take 250 mg to be as effective as it was previously and have had to maintain that much ever since.

I'm concerned about having taking so much of it for so long. It's a dirty old medication, I don't have dry mouth etc anymore but it bumped my resting pulse rate up 20 bpm and I have heart palpatations when I get over stressed or dehydrated. But it seems to be the only thing that works of me. I also tried switching to nortriptyline but it was over stimulating like SSRI's for me.

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I am 60 and started Amiltryptiline at 27, ostensibly for depression, but I did not actually feel depressed, I had had long term insomnia. It worked like a charm.

At that time I had to have an ECG and I was given an ECG every 5 years thereafter. I am guessing the Canadian health system decided not to cover ECGs for this purpose, because all of a sudden the ECGs became 'unnecessary'. There is a documented relationship between heart problems and Amiltryptiline *for some people*.

This is the second time I have tried to stop Amiltryptiline. The first time I went down from 100mg to 50. Colours became very bright, sounds very loud and life a little surreal. I decided to wait for a time when I could rest and take it easy before I tried again.

That time came 3 weeks ago. This time it was different. Almost nothing happened. I had sleep disturbances for a few nights, by the end of the week they were completely gone. Nothing else happened except that I feel better, much more relaxed and focused a little healthier and rid of most of the horrendous dry mouth.

I am going to try to stop the last 50 mg. shortly.

I don't know what to expect.

For me cutting down effected me completely differently the first time I tried and it was extremely unpleasant.

I am at a loss to explain why I had no problems this time, except that I was able to stay in a calm quiet environment.

So there it is.

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I was prescribed amitriptyline about 30 years ago for severe headaches. Nothing had worked in the past, and I think I went through about a dozen different meds prior to this. All it took was one 25 mg dose and my headaches were gone! Over time, my doctors have increased the dosage to 50 mg., taken 1 to 2 times daily, due to what we thought might be stress-related headaches that began several years ago. Amitriptyline is cheap to come by, so I have considered myself lucky. However, as I age, I am developing problems I am not comfortable with, such as significant neck pain, light headedness, and weakness. I take other medications for increasing hypertension and diabetes, so I can't absolutely blame the amitriptyline. I've spent a fortune on chiropractic care, with no lasting improvement, so I'm trying massage therapy and the use of a support belt, to relieve the neck pain. I follow an exercise and strength-building regimen, as well as a very strict diet, but I sure haven't seen any real gains in energy or strength. I am curious as to whether my deteriorating health (blood sugar issues, hypertension, reduced motor skills) is being helped or hindered by the amitriptyline. Several years ago, I tried getting off it, but I was unsuccessful, experiencing a lot of nausea and pretty awful headaches. I later found out that a better method is to take it every other day, then gradually reduce the amount taken. Yes, I too was told that amitriptyline isn't physically addictive, but it sure seemed like it was when I tried to quit. I will be talking to my doctor soon about the long-term efficacy of taking amitriptyline and if taking it is impacting my overall health. That should prove interesting.

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I have been taking amitriptyline for almost 30 years. I have two side effects, my heart skips a beat now and I have serious memory losses. Enough to keep me from working effectively now.

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Amitriptylene has been around since the 1960s so it is known that there are no longterm side effects waiting to appear. I think a lot of people who have posted here are blaming it for unrelated problems. I've taken 50mg for 20 years, the only side effects are slight weight gain, tiredness (make sure you get enough sleep) and occasional dry mouth on waking, a small price to pay for getting your life back. g

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I have recently read the side effects and studies citing amitriptyline's direct action on memory centers of the brain. I have taken it for 20 years before discovering that it may be a contributing factor to my early onset memory loss. Hopefully it will be reversible once I attempt to stop the medication. Does anyone know if the memory problems stop once cessation of the drug takes place?

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Hi, you are probably long off this by now, but I would suggest skipping one day of the week for a month, then two days (not consecutive) until you eventually get down to every second day, then every third day etc.
My Mum is 78 now and has been on this since she was 32. She is suffering terribly with memory issues. I am still not sure if it is the Amitryp or not, but I can't imagine it helped. She was up around 250mg at one stage when her back pain was really bad. She is now on 75. She was also taking 10mg of Diazepam daily. Thankfully she is off that.

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Hi, I am 48 and started taking amitriptyline for daily migraines...... dose of 12 mg has worked wonders for me so far, good sleep and better functional performance ..... I am not sure of memory as yet, and have no side effects other than I hate to have intercourse at night due to sedation effects....

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I've been having issues with my heart. I've had the event monitors and testing these past couple months. My cardiologist was leaning towards Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia and referred me to an Electrophysiologist who I saw today..7/15/15 he believes that my Amitriptyline is the cause of my fast palpitations. I have been on this medicine since 2007. It was given to me to try to prevent my migraines. So now I need to stop taking it to see if it's causing my heart issues...

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Yes I am the same,but they treat belemik suffers with it as after taking them your hungry but as I only take them at night I get hungry at night so that's when the weight piles on. And my back muscles are so weak with 150gm a night. But I don't sleep if I don't take them I tried 3 days I was awake I caved in.
Lynora x

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Hiya I really want to come off them I take 150gm a night and so fed up of all the weight gAin't and the drinking all the time as the dry mouth is horrid

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I had open heart surgery 2 years ago, and many side effects & drug interactions with amitriptaline. I am down to 10 mg from 100 after 30 years and already losing weight and feeling better. Sooner you stop the better off you will be

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But have you ever tried stopping?

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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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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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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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