Hello house.
I have been taking amitriptyline medication for some time now.
I started on 75mg but got limited improvement. So I titrated till 225mg before I discontinued treatment Jan 2018.
I got maximum improvement in symptoms at 225mg(but no further improvement after 3 months). So I thought I may have reached the limit of the drug as the drug has no effect after 300mg. After withdrawal I experienced Discontinuation syndrome for 2 weeks but my mental state went back to post 225mg levels and I have been on that level for a year now without drugs.
I plan to resume medications, and have been wondering if I should restart at 75mg or continue at 300mg. Would 75mg cause any further improvement or do I start at 300mg since I stopped medications at 225mg and have been on 225mg levels for a year now?
Thanks.

Evangkatsoulis:
Hello house.
I have been taking amitriptyline medication for some time now.
I started on 75mg but got limited improvement. So I titrated till 225mg before I discontinued treatment Jan 2018.
I got maximum improvement in symptoms at 225mg(but no further improvement after 3 months). So I thought I may have reached the limit of the drug as the drug has no effect after 300mg. After withdrawal I experienced Discontinuation syndrome for 2 weeks but I mental state went back to post 225mg levels and I have been on that level for a year now without drugs.
I plan to resume medications, and have been wondering if I should restart at 75mg or continue at 300. Would 75mg cause any further improvement or do start at 300mg since I stopped medications at 225mg and have been on 225-level for a year now?
Thanks.

Depression??

Prettyuche:
Depression??

Yea.

Evangkatsoulis:

Yea.

Since you have stopped before. Do you think it will work again as before?.....it might take a long time to start working. Why not try diff med like sertraline.I ve used it.was the best thing that has happened to me or you visit the hospital. Pls I hope you didn't stop the previous one by urself. The Dr should tell you when to stop, then you taper slowly

Prettyuche:

Since you have stopped before. Do you think it will work again as before?.....it might take a long time to start working. Why not try diff med like sertraline.I ve used it.was the best thing that has happened to me or you visit the hospital. Pls I hope you didn't stop the previous one by urself. The Dr should tell you when to stop, then you taper slowly

I actually started with Zoloft 50mg which didn't work till I used 200mg(max dose) per day. Again Sertraline reached its max effect so my med was changed to fluoxetine 20mg which worked immediately before not as much as 200mg sertraline, although with less side effects. Even when I increased to 60mg(max dose) there was no significant, that's why my doc changed it again to amitriptyine 75mg which worked better than fluoxetine but not at 200mg sertraline. I had to double to 150mg before I got better effects than sertraline. Although after some weeks there was no further improvement so I up'ed the dose to 225mg. But after 2 months there was no further improvement in symptoms. I couldn't increase to 300mg(max dose) as wouldn't have financial capacity to sustain the dose, and since there was no further improvement after months, I had to stop.
I suffered withdrawal symptoms for a month or so before my body went back to normal(225mg levels). Fortunately, I have been on that level since april 2018. There has no been no relapse of symptoms. Many symptoms have remained tho.
I kinda feel I have reached the limit of this new generation antidepressants. My target now is otomoxetine(MAO inbitor) but I want to try again with the tricyclic to see if there will be any further improvement.

Evangkatsoulis:

I actually started with Zoloft 50mg which didn't work till I used 200mg(max dose) per day. Again Sertraline reached its max effect so my med was changed to fluoxetine 20mg which worked immediately before not as much as 200mg sertraline, although with less side effects. Even when I increased to 60mg(max dose) there was no significant, that's why my doc changed it again to amitriptyine 75mg which worked better than fluoxetine but not at 200mg sertraline. I had to double to 150mg before I got better effects than sertraline. Although after some weeks there was no further improvement so I up'ed the dose to 225mg. But after 2 months there was no further improvement in symptoms. I couldn't increase to 300mg(max dose) as wouldn't have financial capacity to sustain the dose, and since there was no further improvement after months, I had to stop.
I suffered withdrawal symptoms for a month or so before my body went back to normal(225mg levels). Fortunately, I have been on that level since april 2018. There has no been no relapse of symptoms. Many symptoms have remained tho.
I kinda feel I have reached the limit of this new generation antidepressants. My target now is otomoxetine(MAO inbitor) but I want to try again with the tricyclic to see if there will be any further improvement.

What's your symptoms like?.....are you suicidal?.

Prettyuche:

What's your symptoms like?.....are you suicidal?.

All kinds of symptoms. It was as if all parts of the brain were malfunctioning. A new symptom was popping up every other week.
ADHD-like syptoms: inability to block external/unwanted stimuli, inability to focus/ control attention, impulsive behaviour.
Sensory/sensitivity issues like hyperacusis(little sounds become too loud, piercing pain in the 'ear' due to the sounds). Couldn't read because I could no longer steady my 'eyes'. My 'eyes' were wandering about the pages.
Eating pepper or anything that caused a sensation of heat caused confusion. I actually kinda went insane whenever I ate anything chilly.
Apophelia greatly increased. In fact, this is my most decapacitating symptom(it has subsided at all). My mind constantly find patterns in external sounds(since brain can't block external sound) and reproduces it in my 'head'. E.g old generators, fans and air conditioners that produces irregular sound patterns. This pattern my mind reproduces occupies my inner voice. Which means I can't think in my head(as the sound pattern replaces my inner voice). So it causes me to speak to myself always. It also means I can barely read as my subvocalization is replaced by the sound pattern, thus I read without subvocalizing and thus no phonological loop and rapid decay of my short term verbal memory.
It means I can't a read a text with strong verbal loading i.e technical materials etc. And I am an engineering student!
I also lost the ability to recreat any the five senses in my head: can't visualize, no inner sounds(just subvocalization), can't recreate taste, smell or touch.

Prettyuche:

What's your symptoms like?.....are you suicidal?.

All kinds of symptoms. It was as if all parts of the brain were malfunctioning. A new symptom was popping up every other week.
ADHD-like syptoms: inability to block external/unwanted stimuli, inability to focus/ control attention, impulsive behaviour.
Sensory/sensitivity issues like hyperacusis(little sounds become too loud, piercing pain in the 'ear' due to the sounds). Couldn't read because I could no longer steady my 'eyes'. My 'eyes' were wandering about the pages.
Eating pepper or anything that caused a sensation of heat caused confusion. I actually kinda went insane whenever I ate anything chilly.
Apophelia greatly increased. In fact, this is my most decapacitating symptom(it has subsided at all). My mind constantly find patterns in external sounds(since brain can't block external sound) and reproduces it in my 'head'. E.g old generators, fans and air conditioners that produces irregular sound patterns. This pattern my mind reproduces occupies my inner voice. Which means I can't think in my head(as the sound pattern replaces my inner voice). So it causes me to speak to myself always. It also means I can barely read as my subvocalization is replaced by the sound pattern, thus I read without subvocalizing and thus no phonological loop and rapid decay of my short term verbal memory.
It means I can't a read a text with strong verbal loading i.e technical materials etc. And I am an engineering student!
I also lost the ability to recreat any the five senses in my head: can't visualize, no inner sounds(just subvocalization), can't recreate taste, smell or touch.
I can't say depression caused the symptoms or if a general cause caused all this symptoms including depression.

Evangkatsoulis:


All kinds of symptoms. It was as if all parts of the brain were malfunctioning. A new symptom was popping up every other week.
ADHD-like syptoms: inability to block external/unwanted stimuli, inability to focus/ control attention, impulsive behaviour.
Sensory/sensitivity issues like hyperacusis(little sounds become too loud, piercing pain in the 'ear' due to the sounds). Couldn't read because I could no longer steady my 'eyes'. My 'eyes' were wandering about the pages.
Eating pepper or anything that caused a sensation of heat caused confusion. I actually kinda went insane whenever I ate anything chilly.
Apophelia greatly increased. In fact, this is my most decapacitating symptom(it has subsided at all). My mind constantly find patterns in external sounds(since brain can't block external sound) and reproduces it in my 'head'. E.g old generators, fans and air conditioners that produces irregular sound patterns. This pattern my mind reproduces occupies my inner voice. Which means I can't think in my head(as the sound pattern replaces my inner voice). So it causes me to speak to myself always. It also means I can barely read as my subvocalization is replaced by the sound pattern, thus I read without subvocalizing and thus no phonological loop and rapid decay of my short term verbal memory.
It means I can't a read a text with strong verbal loading i.e technical materials etc. And I am an engineering student!
I also lost the ability to recreat any the five senses in my head: can't visualize, no inner sounds(just subvocalization), can't recreate taste, smell or touch.

I don't think you need only that amitrypline.can you go back to your Doc.are u using teaching hospital??....are u in Lagos?.if yes use luth annex yaba.mine is postpartum anxiety.2 years postpartum ,am still going through it.i was recently prescribed fluxetine.but am preggy with twins.scared to take it before it will harm d babies.did have any side effects with fluxetine?

Evangkatsoulis:


All kinds of symptoms. It was as if all parts of the brain were malfunctioning. A new symptom was popping up every other week.
ADHD-like syptoms: inability to block external/unwanted stimuli, inability to focus/ control attention, impulsive behaviour.
Sensory/sensitivity issues like hyperacusis(little sounds become too loud, piercing pain in the 'ear' due to the sounds). Couldn't read because I could no longer steady my 'eyes'. My 'eyes' were wandering about the pages.
Eating pepper or anything that caused a sensation of heat caused confusion. I actually kinda went insane whenever I ate anything chilly.
Apophelia greatly increased. In fact, this is my most decapacitating symptom(it has subsided at all). My mind constantly find patterns in external sounds(since brain can't block external sound) and reproduces it in my 'head'. E.g old generators, fans and air conditioners that produces irregular sound patterns. This pattern my mind reproduces occupies my inner voice. Which means I can't think in my head(as the sound pattern replaces my inner voice). So it causes me to speak to myself always. It also means I can barely read as my subvocalization is replaced by the sound pattern, thus I read without subvocalizing and thus no phonological loop and rapid decay of my short term verbal memory.
It means I can't a read a text with strong verbal loading i.e technical materials etc. And I am an engineering student!
I also lost the ability to recreat any the five senses in my head: can't visualize, no inner sounds(just subvocalization), can't recreate taste, smell or touch.
I can't say depression caused the symptoms or if a general cause caused all this symptoms including depression.

So sorry u are going through all these.we may not have same symptoms.but trust me,I understand how u feel.its hell

Prettyuche:

I don't think you need only that amitrypline.can you go back to your Doc.are u using teaching hospital??....are u in Lagos?.if yes use luth annex yaba.mine is postpartum anxiety.2 years postpartum ,am still going through it.i was recently prescribed fluxetine.but am preggy with twins.scared to take it before it will harm d babies.did have any side effects with fluxetine?

ehya, sorry about that.
The only side effect of fluoxetine for me was loss of sexual appetite/delayed ejaculation.
I read that fluoxetine is ineffective for treating anxiety disorders.