# About to start Amitryptiline



## Wishing&Hoping (Feb 7, 2011)

Hi guysI'm about to start amitryptiline for IBS-D with my worse symptom being pain. I'm starting on 10mg for one month. Anyway, I am scared of the side affects. Firstly I'm worried about feeling sleepy. I need to be able to go to work. Did anyone starting on this dose find it difficult to work? Also, I'm very worried about weight gain. I've seen some people say they put on 14pounds. That would upset me a lot. I plan to watch my weight when I start.


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## Rowe2 (Sep 26, 2002)

Wishing&Hoping said:


> Hi guysI'm about to start amitryptiline for IBS-D with my worse symptom being pain. I'm starting on 10mg for one month. Anyway, I am scared of the side affects. Firstly I'm worried about feeling sleepy. I need to be able to go to work. Did anyone starting on this dose find it difficult to work? Also, I'm very worried about weight gain. I've seen some people say they put on 14pounds. That would upset me a lot. I plan to watch my weight when I start.


Hope it works for you! I was started on Nortriptyline (Pamalor) after a massive bout of depression when my husband died of suicide, and it caused me to have constipation and I did gain weight. Bear in mind though everyone's body chemistry is different. I actually prefer the older antidepressants.


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

Wishing&Hoping said:


> Hi guysI'm about to start amitryptiline for IBS-D with my worse symptom being pain. I'm starting on 10mg for one month. Anyway, I am scared of the side affects. Firstly I'm worried about feeling sleepy. I need to be able to go to work. Did anyone starting on this dose find it difficult to work? Also, I'm very worried about weight gain. I've seen some people say they put on 14pounds. That would upset me a lot. I plan to watch my weight when I start.


How's it going? Elavil was the only thing my GI doctor offered me and I refused because I was afraid of the side effects.


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## backtonature (Jul 15, 2011)

I've taken amitriptyline for a few years for depression and anxiety. I find it constipating and it does make you tired, which is the sedative effect. You can experiment with the timing to reduce this effect though. I take it a couple of hours before I go to bed so that I can function properly in the morning.


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## Tallgirl (Nov 14, 2007)

Hi Wishing&Hoping.I have been on and off amitriptyline for a couple of years now. The highest dose I went to was 50mg but I put on 21 pounds, so decided to come off it. I have since gone back on it but only 20mg and my weight has been OK with that dose.I take it at night, usually a couple of hours before bed - initially it made me feel quite sleepy but I was always OK by the next morning.Main side effect was dry mouth, but it was never too bad.I am going back to my GP next week though as I am getting symptoms and I'm not sure if they are caused by the amitriptyline or not.I would definitely give it a try as it seems to help me







Good luck Tallgirl.


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

I tried it once,it made me very tired and did nothing for my IBS D.


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## Damien6 (Oct 28, 2011)

Several years ago when I was in my 20s I was having gi problems,along with headaches,and anxiety.My M.D finally prescribed a drug called Triavil which contain 10mg amitriptyline and 4mg perhphazine.It was like magic for me. One day I was having IBS and within a couple days taking it 4 times a dayI was completely symptom free. An early phycopharmacologist said in an interview that sometimes todaysdrug side effect may be tomorrows treatment. In this case I was taking an anitdeppressant /antianxietymedication and because of the side effects my IBS was controlled.


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## ibscurious (Mar 11, 2012)

I'm just starting myself on 10 mg a day and yes, it made me very tired and have terrible cotton mouth the first morning but the best advice I've heard is what Tallgirl says, take it a couple of hours before bedtime but also give your body time to adjust. I'm told it may be a month or they may have to up me to 20 mg a day for it to produce a noticeable difference in my IBS. Other than those two things, I haven't heard any negatives. I'm actually hoping it will help me gain back the weight I lost. Today is only day four and I wasn't as tired. Hang in there and good luck!


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## Jonlechef (Mar 8, 2012)

ibscurious said:


> I'm just starting myself on 10 mg a day and yes, it made me very tired and have terrible cotton mouth the first morning but the best advice I've heard is what Tallgirl says, take it a couple of hours before bedtime but also give your body time to adjust. I'm told it may be a month or they may have to up me to 20 mg a day for it to produce a noticeable difference in my IBS. Other than those two things, I haven't heard any negatives. I'm actually hoping it will help me gain back the weight I lost. Today is only day four and I wasn't as tired. Hang in there and good luck!


How are you getting on with the amitriptyline?? My GP started me on 10mg a month ago and told me to up it by 10mg if it was not helping and then continue up to 40mg.. So far it has helped a little with the ibs-d but not greatly!! I still rely quite heavily on Imodium... I'm going back to the GP Monday to see if there is anything else I can try or whether I need to up it a bit more!! I'm currently on 30mg but don't want to up it anymore without seeing the GP first! Let me know how you are getting on? I'm quite lucky in a way as I suffer no pain, just real bad bloating(due to the Imodium) and the constant urge/need to go to the toilet!! By constant I mean all the bloody time!! I'm thinking of asking for something better than Imodium, if there is such a thing... Anyhow I take 30mg at night and I feel fine in the mornings but with a little bit of dry mouth.. Dry mouth I can cope with!!!







Look forward to hearing how your getting on?Jon


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