diarrhoea after stopping low dose amitriptyline?

Hi all,

I am having a minor flare at the moment, or at least I was, which started with suspected gastroenteritis 3 weeks ago which quickly set off the colitis. I have only been going to the toilet about three times a day in the morning and not the rest of the day so nothing like a standard flare. I have been taking amitriptayline at a low dose of 10mg a day until last night. I felt constipated with the flare and so didn't take amitriptyline last night because it is thought to cause constipation. I have gone from what was narrow stool to suddenly watery colitis type diarrhoea this morning and then eventually skinny stool on the third trip. Has anyone experience of stopping amitriptayline causing diarrhoea? Maybe I should go back on it until this flare has gone and even though the dose was low it is affecting me because of the minor flare…..or maybe the flare is getting worse anyway. I have had very slight blood today but did before every four or five days, not much though whereas normally this would be a main feature in a flare. I am using Salofalk 2g enema every night and have been for three weeks and a 1g suppository in the day but I already take the maximum does of Asacol tablets so can't increase those. I don't really want to change my meds as I had been planning with my partner to stop taking the contraceptive pill in a few months.

Thanks

Hi Quincy,

Thanks for replying to my post.

The hospital say they want me to do a stool sample test which tells them how much inflammation I have. They say it is a new test at my hospital but not new in the medical world. The nurse didn't mention testing for infections of any kind but I will ask given that this flare is suspected to have started with viral gastroenteritis two days after meeting with someone who said they had been ill with gastro for around two months which sounds a long time. The person knew I had UC but thought it was okay to meet me and tell me afterwards which was annoying!

My symptoms aren't like any other flare because they are limited to the morning and I keep getting short sharp cramps for the rest of the day but nothing major.

I have only taken amitriptyline for about three weeks. I started a few days into the flare as I didn't want my anxiety over flaring to make me more ill and I am on the verge of losing my job because I was ill last year and I didn't want that stress to add to things.

I hadn't used enemas since around January but was using 1g salofalk suppositories at night and another 1g in the day. The consultants didn't want me to continue using the enemas once the worst of my flare last year was over (it had lasted May to October). When I was more ill last year I asked the consultant for the 4g enema and he seemed annoyed and said it wasn't necessary. I am not sure why he thought that as I don't agree and would gladly use it. If he says no again, do you think I could use an enema in the day and an enema at night for a while? Not ideal I know as hard to retain the day but I am not working at the moment so I could do this for a couple of weeks if the hospital are no help. From discussions last year, he will be keen to put me on steroids. He would not entertain steroid enemas when I suggested them as an alternative to tablets. I didn't have to take them in the end but if I had been ill for much longer that was the only option I was given.

I agree about the pill, it is annoying as I read somewhere that you shouldn't get pregnant within 3 months of a flare ending and another article recommended waiting six months otherwise the risk of flaring during pregnancy is much higher.

Thanks for your help and I hope you are well.