Driving myself mad again!! Are these side effects of Amitriptyline?

Doe anyone know anything about the side effects associated with Amitriptyline?

In order to help my chronic IBS pain (suffered for 5 years and all necessary tests came back normal) my GP prescribed 10 mg of Amitriptyline daily. She suggested I take it for 1 month initially to see how I go. I have to say that it worked wonders and after a couple of weeks I felt so much better. Went back to see the GP to tell her how marvellous it has been and the fact that I am now pain free after all this time - she then suggested taking it for a further 2 months and I have just short of 3 weeks left to take. The problem is however that I have got this awful dry mouth and tongue and a scratchy throat. I am also clearing my throat quite a bit as I seem to have an increase in mucus/catarrh which I think is coming from the back of my nose. By the end of the day, my voice is croaky and feels strained as a result. I am having lots of water but this doesn’t seem to help the dryness. Eating and drinking is not a problem at all.

I have been back the Docs twice about this and she prescribed Beconase nasal spray as she suspects it is due to my hay-fever which is always rife in June. Being an award winning anxiety sufferer, I am driving myself mad thinking I now have throat cancer!!! Knew I shouldn’t have “googled” a persistent sore throat/croaky voice. Have used the Beconase spray for 3 weeks and it really didn’t make a lot of difference. I have never had these symptons before with hayfever – I usually just sneeze and have itchy eyes but this year, probably due to all the rain, my hayfever has not been that bad and did not bother to take my antihistamines until now as Doc said take them.

Can someone tell me if this could be a possible side effect of the drug? I know it is common to have a dry mouth but what about the sore/scratchy throat, cough and voice strain/croakiness? I guess it could be that I have a post nasal drip as I am often “hoicking” up thick saliva (gross I know) that seems to gather at the back of my throat, or maybe it’s a combination of the two – could I be producing more mucus to compensate for the dry mouth – help please, I have spent hours deliberating!! Can a dry mouth lead to a dry/scratchy throat and cough? Problem is I can’t remember if I had the voice thing before starting the tablets or not. Definitely didn’t have the dry mouth and throat though.

I can’t believe I have given myself something else to worry about especially after I have got rid of the IBS and felt so great – Doc has referred me to a counsellor to try to deal with my health anxiety – roll on the appointment!! Am due to go on holiday on Friday but am feeling so anxious about all this I don’ t want to go now. I am a non-smoking 49 year old female (although I did smoke in my earlier years I haven’t smoked for the last 20 odd years) who is also going throught the menopause – but that’s another story.

I will move this to the relevant forum for you

Its possibly a side effect I've tried two anti deps in the same group as amit but not actually that one and both had good effects on the anxiety but gave me

such a dry mouth and sore tongue it was impossible to eat or drink and my tongue kept sticking to the roof of my mouth I had to pull it off!!!
So sadly I had to give them up

Sorry cant be much help re sore throat, I assume your GP had a look etc. You could ask to be referred to a ENT specialist if it continues.

Joy

Thanks for your response - am terrified of having to go to ENT clinic as have a thing about looking down throats and that is making me even more anxious, am hoping it will clear up when I stop taking them although not sure how long it takes for side effects to wear off.

I'm no expert but it does sound like side effects due to the amitrip - although you are on a rather low dose. Not sure what to suggest really. I suppose its just a case of treating the dry mouth as that is probably less problematic than the ibs symptoms.

I'm on imipramine - same group of drugs and the dry mouth is fairly problematic.

Dan

Hi.My 16 year old daughter started on 10mg Amitryptaline two weeks ago for migraines and she has EXACTLY the same side effects as you as well as feeling dizzy.Dr has given her Difflam spray for her throat and she smothers her lips in Vaseline when she goes to bed,as well as taking a drink with her.I would say it's definately a side effect and absolutely nothing for you to worry about.My sister has a health anxiety so I know exactly how you feel.All the best,hope you feel better soon.x

Hello, I noticed this post regarding your throat problems. I am having the exact same symptoms and am taking the same medicine. I am curious to know if your symptoms improved or went away after you stopped taking the Amitriptyline? Thank you so much for your response!

I'm so happy I found this thread... I'm having the exact same issues, I don't feel so alone. I've been taking Elavil for 9 weeks now and I'm having so many side effects :( the worse being the dry mouth n sore throat and extreme fatigue.I was advised to up the dose to 20 but can't function when I do cause of the fatigue n the lump in my throat :( . The side effects trigger my anxiety to high levels... I'd like to know if the side effects go away with time?

Not having side effects at 25mg. I weigh 180 lb. I have been on this a long time. I do have migraines, it does not do anything for mine.

I take 25mg at night...just been increased. I have the dry mouth but no other side effects that I have noticed. X

Hello, from what my doctor told me its a side effect of the Elavil and most likely anxiety as well. I have just been weaned off of it... starting therapy for anxiety, see if it stops. In the mean time lots of water, fishermen friend and mout wash biotene helps

Hi, I just wanted to say I'm currently on 70mg of amitriptyline prescribed due to insomnia and migraines, it hasn't helped with either but I have had a really dry throat that feels itchy, a blocked nose which I'm not sure if it's the medication or something else, does anyone else have these issues other than the dry throat which seems very common,:weep:

Im pleased someone is having same side effects as me. Ive been taking 10mg Amitriptyline for my anxiety which is really bad, nausea, tremors etc. I was on stelazine for 20 years then for some reason it was unavailable so I had to go through withdrawal which was unbearable, felt like I was dying! My anxiety came back so I was given Sertraline, Citalopram, Prozak all of which have terrible side effects so as last resort my Doctor gave me Amitriptyline which resulted in me having the best nights sleep for ages! I felt great on this apart from Constipation but controlled this with Lactulose. I have been on Amitrip.for about a year now and its only the last few weeks ive had sore tongue and mouth ulcers. I put it down to eating crisps and biscuits so ive cut these out and the ulcers have gone but my tongue is still sore and I have to cool my cuppa tea with milk or it stings my tongue. I started drinking ice cold water and milk. Im hoping it will clear up if I watch what I eat but every symptom you have eg. dry mouth, thick saliva especially when I wake, froggy throat, dry cough with catarrh and the rest I have also. I was beginning to worry that I had something serious wrong as you do when you have anxiety, you imagine the worst scenario! I hope I have helped and you're not alone. Apart from this I feel great, Gave me my confidence back.

I have had this medication before and the dry mouth thick spit was aweful but i did sleep well with them , it is a common side effect . I used to take some orange juice to bed with me and just take small sips which helped a lot .

I get a really dry mouth too even though it is gettingbbetter now but apartbfrom that no other side effects except for drowsiness. But that's why I asked for Ami, to make me sleep better. I am also on 30mg of Mirtazapine.

I have just been described amitriptyline for sleep in an initial dose of 10mg at night as trazadone didn't help and because of my health I am limited as to what I can take.
I was on a much higher dose 30 years ago mixed with parstelin (an MAORI) not prescribed these days as there as so many food restrictions.

I haven't started the amitriptylene as yet but I get a dry mouth especially if I wake up during the night or when I eventually wake up, without taking any AD. I believe it is also unfortunately just another side effect of anxiety.

I no longer have the dry mouth but it did last a about 4 weeks. I'm still full of anxiety though too and take mg and mg of Mirtazapine. But I do manage to sleep xxx

I was on the Amitriptylene for about 3 months in total (20mg) and had the terrible dry mouth, scratchy throat thing, so have weened myself off it. Strangely have been off it 2 weeks now and still have these symptoms. it is as if the meds have damaged my throat? Going to talk to doc about it next week!

I have been right up to 150mg but back down to 75mg now. Had dry mouth, would lose my voice and croak too, also constipation and weight gain but the dry mouth has vanished now. x

I am taking 10mg amitriptyline. I can take two at night, but I am sticking to one. I have had dry mouth, mouth ulcers and now cold sores.
I am putting up with the symptoms as I have been sleeping well and mood is better.
I am waiting to have a review with gp for meds beginning of next year so I will put up with side effects until then to see if there is an alternative medication.
I have tried many different antidepressants in the past and none of them worked for me.

I promise those side effects will pass Magic. They do come back for a few days if you higher your dose though. The dry mouth thing is the worst but it's more annoying than bothersome I found. 10mg is such a tiny dose so you should be ok in no time. do you ever get a blurred vision as that is another really bad side effect of Amitriptyline? It really helped my anxiety but have been up to as much as 150mg a night. Going through withdrawal at the mo as my GP cut me by 75mg 4 weeks ago and also took me off Lorazepam after 5 years. But doing ok mostly....but yer, promise the dry mouth will pass xx

Yes, it gave me a very dry mouth which was worse when waking up.

I took amitriptyline last year and dry mouth is a definite side effect. Amitriptyline is an "anti-cholingeric" medication and all meds in that class can cause the same group of side effects that includes things like dry mouth and fast heart rate. It was only bad for me for around a week or so after starting taking it but I imagine it could stick around longer and get worse if you up your dose.

Amitriptyline can give you these side affects, I’m on 20mg and started on 10 for 1 week going up to 20. I felt like a zombie, dizzy, Panicked, tired, dry mouth, sickly but I also suffer anxiety and panick and I think that made the symptoms worse! I started exercising more and using mints for the dry mouth, as I started to exercise I took the dose down to 15 and this took away all of the symptoms.