Re: Palpitation concern
Originally Posted by
Belleblue
Some years back I was prescribed Amitriptyline by a gastroenterologist for stomach issues. He was aware that as well as reflux I suffered from anxiety. I started on 10mg but got palpitations which worried me so I came off it. I would like to give it another go but am worried.
So my question is are palpitations a side effect that will go away after one has been on the medication for a while?
Belle
Palpitations are normal, Belle. Which is a good thing because the heart is a chaotic organ. Everyone experiences them, but many of us tend to notice them more because we tend to be hyper vigilant on physical symptoms, plus anxiety can also exacerbate them and this can be especially the case when first taking ADs as heightened anxiety is then quite common. That said, most ADs list palpitations as a side-effect with incidents of 1-10%, but how much of this is a direct effect of the AD and how much the above factors is hard to say.
Amitriptyline 10mg is a very small dose. The recommenced dose for anxiety and depression is 75-150mg/day (up to 300mg as a hospital inpatient) so I'd be surprised if it had a significant impact on the heart. Certainly, discuss this with your GP, but unless you have significant cardio-vascular disease amitriptyline is unlikely to harm.
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The opinions expressed above are based on my observations and, where applicable, interpretation of cited data and are general in nature. Consult your physician before acting on anything stated.