Nortriptyline And Difficulty Swallowing

I have been taking 10mg of nortriptyline at night for migraine prevention for approximately 7 weeks. Shortly after starting this medication I began to have difficulty swallowing. After I eat I feel as though I have food stuck in my throat. Even the tiny, tiny nortriptyline pill taken with a glass of water sometimes feels stuck. Is difficulty swallowing a common side effect or should I be concerned?

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Hello, Sd26! How are you doing? I'm very sorry about the problem that you're having.

It sounds like you might be experiencing some acid reflux, many medications can cause it. Have you had this checked out by your doctor, yet? You may need to switch to a different medication, or take something that will help prevent the excess acid.

Nortriptyline is classified by the FDA as being a TCA, other typical side effects may possibly include nausea, dizziness, dry mouth and weight changes.

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Hi there.
I stopped taking the meds but have had no improvement after a week and a half so went back to the dr. She is sending me for a barium swallow to check that I have no growth or obstruction in my throat. Very worrying!!

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I hope everything turns out well, please post back and keep me updated!

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I am aslo expiriencing the same problem. They get stuck in my throat and chest. The won't even go down with water. Then the heartburn kicks in.

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Just an update... Went for barium swallow and it was all clear - phew! They suspected it was nasal drip and offered nasal spray. I decided to hold off and see if my symptoms improved after a longer period of time without the nortriptyline. Happy to say that after approx 3 months the difficulty swallowing disappeared. Unfortunately without the medication my migraines returned! So I went back on the nortriptyline and sure enough the swallowing issue has come back. I think my anxiety over it was making it worse when I didn't know what was causing it though, and in turn it made it even worse. But now that I know it's just the meds I'm not concerned about it and it's only mild and not all the time. Still, as I type this just after taking my tiny pill for the day, it feels like it's lodged in my throat! Worth it to be without the migraines though, and like I said above, it's very mild now and easy to live with. It's just my new 'normal' :)

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The first suggestion I'd make it to make sure you take it with a full 8 ounce glass of liquid.

In most cases, the feeling of it being stuck in your throat is due to it being to dry, when you swallow it and it causing some acid reflux.

You may find some relief with an antacid, if your doctor approves.

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I have the same problem. I also noticed that the capsule form, which is all I can find, feels like it releases the medication early and often causes heartburn unless I drink a good amount of water with it.

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Yes I am still having this problem. Sometimes it still feels stuck there in the morning even.

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I'm taken. The same pill just. Started NortriptylIn

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I'm taking this medication for migraine prevention as well and have had the same swallowing difficulties since starting this medication.

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I have been taking Nortriptyline for migraines as well now for about 3 months and tonight the capsule got stuck in my throat like always. This time I had to burp! It exploded and out came powder. My throat is burning. I just hope it doesn't have any bad side effects going into my system this fast.

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I've been taking Nortriptyline for about 3 years for neuropathic pain. It has worked wonders for me! I remember when I first started taking it I felt a strange feeling in my throat and chest area. I looked up the side effects and it said "may experience an uncomfortable feeling in your throat and chest". I started drinking a full glass of water with each pill and it went away

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Re: SD26 (# 5)

I take 50 mg Nortryptaline and sometimes experience up to an hour of extreme chest pain and the feeling of the pill getting stuck in my throat. As I take it before bed, this is very inconvenient. And now taking other pills is more difficult. Is there any explanation? Is it the capsule type or coating? It’s weird.

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Re: HeartburnFeelsLikeDeath (# 13)

I have the same issue. I also take it before bed and the heartburn I get from it sometimes is just unbearable. It’s keeping my up right now in fact. I also wonder why it does this and desperate to know what would help with the issue!

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