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I want to go off amitritpyline 25 mg, now have diarrhea

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Posted 3/22/2016 12:28 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,

So I've been in Amitriptyline since last August. I started at 10mg and then moved up to 25. Originally went on it to get rid of these colon spasms I was having and some depression and anxiety. Upped the dose when I felt like it was working enough. Anyways fast forward to now and I feel better, but I feel like the 25 amitritpyline is making it harder for me to focus and remember things. Sometimes I even catch myself falling asleep at work. I take it at night and switched to mornings since I didn't notice a difference in when it made me tired and unfocused. I started taking the 25 mg back in November I think. My doctor told me to cut in half but I was reading articles that said I shouldn't cut the pill because it has a coating on it that protects my stomach. Well, I cut it anyway and took my first half dose this morning. Now I've had diarrhea and super bad colon spasms all day. Is this normal? How long will this last????? I asked my doctor for a lower dose so I don't have to cut the pills. And if this is withdrawal symptoms, would it start this fast? I've actually gone a whole day without taking my amitritpyline AT ALL and was fine before so I'm not sure if the diarrhea is from cutting the pill or what.
Posted 3/22/2016 12:26 PM (GMT 0)
Talk to the doc about a lesser milligram tablet.

I think that they go as low as 5mg. Not sure.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 3/22/2016 3:15 PM (GMT 0)
You could try some calcium supplements, they usually make me constipated
Posted 3/22/2016 4:46 PM (GMT 0)
The diarrhea could be unrelated. Definitely ask your doctor about a lower-dose pill. Stay hydrated. I doubt it would be withdrawal this quickly, which makes me think the diarrhea is unrelated to the dosage.
Posted 3/23/2016 7:34 PM (GMT 0)
Okay I just started 10mg of amitritpyline today. I hope to be off this stuff by the end of the month!! Any tips on how to wean off? Should I cut this pill? I don't see a coating. Or should I do the whole skip and day thing?
Posted 3/23/2016 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
I tried amitripteline for about 2 weeks. It made me act crazy (I must have liked it). My husband hid them all from me. So I had no weaning time. Now I am on trazodone. I'm beginning to think I should stop. I know I shouldn't just stop . Happens I always seem to drop drugs rapidly for one reason or another. Read my posts in hepatitis . I have been with healing well for 10 years, best forum I have found in all this time. But don't do as I do. Make sure you are in contact with your Dr. Good LUCK blush lavender
As for the diarreah I have battled with that for 10 years. I take xyfaxin. But I am not sure if your problem is anything like mine.

Post Edited (lavendar) : 3/23/2016 4:19:13 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/24/2016 1:29 AM (GMT 0)
When you stop them, do you notice any withdrawal symptoms? And as for the diarrhea do you have ibs?
Posted 3/24/2016 1:01 PM (GMT 0)
Go ahead and cut the pill. Wean slowly and you should be fine.

As you have an IBD--remember that medicine changes, even from medications that have no connection to the gut, will affect the body differently.

I took Amp. years ago--noticed no difference, either colon-wise or mentally. Eventually, I stopped it.
Posted 3/24/2016 6:49 PM (GMT 0)
Soooo my stomachs still being weird. I hate how I can't tell if I'm starting to flare or if it's from the medicine -__- sorry to be tmi but I've gone from having d Monday to being constipated for two days and then having a hard bm yesterday and then another hard bm this morning and now an upset stomach with mushy stools and some type of tenesmus feeling. I hate IBD
Posted 3/24/2016 6:54 PM (GMT 0)
Amitriptyline is a medication that has to build up in your body when a person is first put on it. Getting off of it too quickly can bring on some unpleasant side effects. Its best to do a slow wean to prevent this from happening. I too an not 100% convinced the diarrhea is a result of cutting the pill in half. You might want to call & talk to your pharmacist about this.

Good luck.
Posted 3/24/2016 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
Correlation does not always equal causation. Just because they are happening at the same time doesn't mean they are connected.

I haven't had a BM in 6 days now. Slow motility. Two colonoscopies this summer were called off due to my colon not emptying-one prep for the first and two days of prep for the second.

Taper down slowly and you ought to be just fine.
Posted 3/27/2016 12:11 PM (GMT 0)
I think you should be fine withdrawing from 25mg. I went down from 100-0 last year, from what I remember going 50 to 25 was the worst, but 25 to 0 went pretty easy.
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