Amitriptyline and Weight Loss

I've had a little weight gain, but I was at the peak of fitness & nutrition when I started. That has went to Hell lol I've been NOT exercising at all and eating tons of sweets BUT it could be like alcohol or anything else with me. My metabolism always sucks so if I'm not balls to the wall with diet & exercise (and staying away from any alcohol or drug/OTC or otherwise, I will get fat). I'm really glad for the benefits though. It's the best drug I've tried for anything really. Everything else has left me really tired all day (btw I ONLY take this at night,nothing in the daytime) and there are MUCH WORSE drugs that will make you gain weight and turn you into a nervous wreck/make you suicidal and all kinds of stuff, believe me. I usually hate antidepressants, but this one is good. I might go off it and see if I can get back in shape though. I'm not as motivated to exercise, but I almost don't even care because I'm pain free & can concentrate better than I have in years.

I suffered with chronic pain for about seven years. Went to many specialist who told me either nothing was wrong or I had fibromyalgia. I tried all medications out there for pain, muscle relaxers, anti-depressants and medication for epilepsy. As well as meds for fibro. Nothing helped. Finally I found a new Nerologist who put me on a combo of Amitriptyline and Prozac. I am on both the smallest doses. It has been a miracle for my pain. I wish I would have known about this 7 years ago. My biggest problem with it is weight gain like 13 pounds.

I suffered with chronic pain for about seven years. Went to many specialist who told me either nothing was wrong or I had fibromyalgia. I tried all medications out there for pain, muscle relaxers, anti-depressants and medication for epilepsy. As well as meds for fibro. Nothing helped. Finally I found a new Nerologist who put me on a combo of Amitriptyline and Prozac. I am on both the smallest doses. It has been a miracle for my pain. I wish I would have known about this 7 years ago. My biggest problem with it is weight gain like 13 pounds. Want to know more side effects visit here http://www.internationaldrugmart.com/amitriptyline.shtml

Wow, so glad you found something that worked for you! :flowerforyou:

I was on Amitriptyline twice for Nerve Damage and I it definitely put weight on me - I hadn't realized the first time, I put it down to being a new mum and irregular eating habits, but the second time I was prescribed it I realized the link. I have since changed my meds (3rd attempt got it ok)

When I used to suffer from regular migraines years ago I was advised by an alternative therapist to try taking Feverfew each day and it worked a treat. I stopped taking these while trying to get pregnant with my son over 7 years ago and the migraines definitely haven't come back to the extreme I used to get them. I suffered for over 20 years from the age of about 9 so for me this is a major thing.

Just something to think about, could your headaches be caused by something you're eating? My mam suffered migraines for years thinking they were hormone related and it was only in the last 10 years or so she has realized its connected to eating anything orange related, even an orange sweet or dessert with a smattering of orange in it!!

Good luck ;0)

I have been on Ami for around a year, gained weight and have now been dieting and exercising like a loon and nothing is coming off. The Ami was prescribed for better sleep patterns and to aid my back which is essentially a bit knackered!! I asked my rheumatologist about whether or not it could be the Amitryptaline that is slowing my weight loss to a stop and she said that it most likely is. Side effects suck!

I was on amitripyline for over a year for migraines and lost weight on it - however, I took topirimate which is supposed to help weight loss and gained weight so I seem to have had the opposite experience to most people.

I'd advise caution if you do choose to stop taking the amtrip - I had terrible side-effects as I came off it and it seems to be common for people to struggle for a while when they stop taking it. I would suggest reducing the dose gradually and with the supervision of your doctor.

Topirimate caused me to lose the central vision in one eye - another known side-effect. My vision is mostly back to where it was prior to taking the topirimate but for some the effects are longer lasting. I would advise caution initially and to stop taking it if you do try it if there is any doubt about your vision at all. Aside from that topirimate may well be a good option especially as most people experience weight loss with it.

I hope the right medication can be found for you.

Sara

I was also on amitriptyline for migraines. I ramped up to 100mg over a month, was on it for about two or three weeks, and when it wasn't helping ramped down over about two weeks. In that time I lost 4 pounds.

However, that was not easy as it does cause weight gain and it's hard to fight.

The big problem is the cravings, which most people experience. I got them within three days on just 25mg. They were their worst when I was at 50mg and faded as my dosage increased, but that could just be that I got used to the feeling of always wanting to eat something and learned to separate craving from truly being hungry. Either way, that second week was torture.

I lost weight by radically changing what I was eating: drastically cutting back on empty carbs and sugars by having sodas only a night or two a week when we were eating out, no sweets and desserts after meals, reducing or eliminating breads and crackers and chips and such. Not quite Atkins but certainly in the spirit of less carbs, less processed & packaged, and more "real" food. I have a terrible sweet tooth and always have, so I ate high-fiber fruits like apples and pears to manage the cravings, as many as 2 to 3 per day. And it worked.

Of course, these are good dietary changes in general, so when I went off ami I kept the dietary changes. And 4 more pounds fell off in less than two weeks. So with ami it was more than just the cravings. There is just something about it that makes you gain and hold on to weight.

A few people mentioned topomax. The brain fog that comes from that should not be underestimated as it can be very severe. It is not nicknamed "dope-amax" for nothing. If you can get migraine relief at moderate dosages with no side effects, then OK, but I personally would not want to put up with the mental fog. There are other drugs in the same class, such as zonisamide, that are newer and have fewer and less severe side effects. And in particular, no hit to your mental functioning. However, topomax is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, and this makes carbonated drinks taste flat. If you are a person who has weight trouble and are addicted to sugary sodas, topamax will certainly put a stop to that because soda will taste absolutely terrible while you are on it, which might help you lose weight. As long as you don't substitute soda with something equally sugary, of course.

I take amitriptyline as an antispasmodic in combination with synthetic opioid and NSAIDS for spinal damage.

I find that the fatigue from the amitriptyline affects my actvity levels, so when I take it I am less active, and unless I adjust my calorie intake to my reduced activity level, then I gain weight.

Like many such drugs, I don't think it's the meds that make me gain weight, but more how they affect either my mood, my appetite, or my activity.Once I noticed this, I found it a lot easier to manage, expecially with mfp, to help track my net calories.

There are a few herbal supplements proven to help with migraines/tension headaches they are: Feverview and Butterbur. I take Butterbur when I feel a migraine coming, and it seems to stave it off. I've also done acupuncture to help with tension headaches and I use a TENS unit which helps immensely. Here's a link to information on Butterbur and Feverview (clinical study results etc as well for some empirical evidence). Good luck to you! Chronic headaches are evil!