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.