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Amitriptyline increased anxiety??
Hi everyone,
I started Amitriptyline (Elavil) 11 days ago due to the chronic daily headache/migraines that I have been having for three weeks straight. So far, not too much pain relief. What I am concerned about is it seems to have increased my anxiety and heart rate. Especially in the mornings, as soon as I wake up I feel my heart pounding fast (palpitations) and then I start to panic. I started on 10mg for the first 7 days and moved up to 20mg on the 7th day.
Does anyone know if Amitriptyline increases anxiety? Or does it increase anxiety at the beginning until it settles? I spoke to my family doctor about this and his response was I am on too low a dose for it to affect my anxiety. Should I ask for an additional med (like Xanax?) to combat my anxiety? Keep taking Amit. longer to see if it settles?
I started Amitriptyline (Elavil) 11 days ago due to the chronic daily headache/migraines that I have been having for three weeks straight. So far, not too much pain relief. What I am concerned about is it seems to have increased my anxiety and heart rate. Especially in the mornings, as soon as I wake up I feel my heart pounding fast (palpitations) and then I start to panic. I started on 10mg for the first 7 days and moved up to 20mg on the 7th day.
Does anyone know if Amitriptyline increases anxiety? Or does it increase anxiety at the beginning until it settles? I spoke to my family doctor about this and his response was I am on too low a dose for it to affect my anxiety. Should I ask for an additional med (like Xanax?) to combat my anxiety? Keep taking Amit. longer to see if it settles?
I am now on 60 mg and my target is 75 mg for anxiety/ depression
I started at 5 mg and noticed an increase in heart rate when I hit about 10 mg. It must have settled otherwise im not sure I would have increased and got to what im on now.....however I have noticed an increase in feeling more jittery again and more anxious, my heart rate is around 97 a min now so im going to see if it settles again. I sure hope it does because like you Jkysmom I need it to work too.
I started at 5 mg and noticed an increase in heart rate when I hit about 10 mg. It must have settled otherwise im not sure I would have increased and got to what im on now.....however I have noticed an increase in feeling more jittery again and more anxious, my heart rate is around 97 a min now so im going to see if it settles again. I sure hope it does because like you Jkysmom I need it to work too.
Did the heart rate settle down for any of you? I'm on week 3 of amitriptyline for migraines. It is helping me so much but my heart rate seems to jump up every time I increase my dose. I just increased to 20 yesterday. 20-30 is my target. It had settled down at 15 but it hasn't been this bad about making me jittery and my heart racing before. I hope it settles down. I have a bit of dry mouth but otherwise I'm doing fine with side effects for the most part. I NEED this to work.
This is a question I was going to ask....... Some experience heightened anxiety when first starting antidepressants??
As anxiety is also on the leaflet that comes with the med. Im hoping it goes away.
I am taking it to help with sleep aswell as anxiety/ depression. I understand that it starts at 50 mg for depression and am trying to slowly increase the dose to this but my anxiety is that bad ( reason for the slow increase) I cannot tolerate ssris at all they increase my anxiety farrr to much!
Trixx does the sedation side effect go the longer you take it? I dont feel with it most days either.
As anxiety is also on the leaflet that comes with the med. Im hoping it goes away.
I am taking it to help with sleep aswell as anxiety/ depression. I understand that it starts at 50 mg for depression and am trying to slowly increase the dose to this but my anxiety is that bad ( reason for the slow increase) I cannot tolerate ssris at all they increase my anxiety farrr to much!
Trixx does the sedation side effect go the longer you take it? I dont feel with it most days either.
Scallyal- My heart rate never settled (or lowered) and I've been on it for over a year. I also experienced drowsiness, dry mouth, dry eyes, blurred vision and mild urinary retention when I was titrating up the dose. However, most of that went away a few weeks after I settled on 30mg (except the dry eyes and heart rate).
I remember when I first started on the med, I would wake in a panic, feeling my heart pounding away. The panicky feeling went away as well, after a few weeks, but the heart rate remained high.
Are you taking this for sleep or as an anti-depressant? The therapeutic dose as an anti-depressant begins at 50mg.
Birdie- I think what she meant was that feeling her heart racing causes her to panic. Though she's not sure if the heart rate is caused by anxiety to begin with... sort of a chicken and egg conundrum.
As for her "personal theory... second guessing the experts" thing, tachycardia IS a side effect of amitriptyline. I've spoken to a few people who've experienced the same thing when on amitriptyline. I have a friend on nortriptyline (cousin of amitriptyline) and she is tachycardic as well. But, since it's helping to reduce her migraines, her doctor now has her on a beta blocker as well. I would be on a beta blocker if I did not have a history of asthma.
Not to mention, is it not true that some people experience anxiety initially when going on an anti-depressant?
I remember when I first started on the med, I would wake in a panic, feeling my heart pounding away. The panicky feeling went away as well, after a few weeks, but the heart rate remained high.
Are you taking this for sleep or as an anti-depressant? The therapeutic dose as an anti-depressant begins at 50mg.
Birdie- I think what she meant was that feeling her heart racing causes her to panic. Though she's not sure if the heart rate is caused by anxiety to begin with... sort of a chicken and egg conundrum.
As for her "personal theory... second guessing the experts" thing, tachycardia IS a side effect of amitriptyline. I've spoken to a few people who've experienced the same thing when on amitriptyline. I have a friend on nortriptyline (cousin of amitriptyline) and she is tachycardic as well. But, since it's helping to reduce her migraines, her doctor now has her on a beta blocker as well. I would be on a beta blocker if I did not have a history of asthma.
Not to mention, is it not true that some people experience anxiety initially when going on an anti-depressant?
" I personally think its both contributing to it as my heart starts racing so then I start to panic"
I am not sure of your meaning, but are you saying you are worrying because of your personal theory that differs from doc's? If so, anxiety will never go away if you are second guessing the experts. It is not easy for some people to deal with anx, however lots have accepted the doc's diagnosis that anx is the culprit behind their heartbeat increasing - at which time the heartbeat will go back to normal. Good luck.
I am not sure of your meaning, but are you saying you are worrying because of your personal theory that differs from doc's? If so, anxiety will never go away if you are second guessing the experts. It is not easy for some people to deal with anx, however lots have accepted the doc's diagnosis that anx is the culprit behind their heartbeat increasing - at which time the heartbeat will go back to normal. Good luck.
So has your neurologist said that your heart rate will settle? I have increased to 20 mg 2 days ago and its beating like yours 90-100 beats. I hope it settles because apart from that and the increased drowsiness its one of the antidepressants I feel I may be able to stay on. My gp and psych have said they think its the anxiety causing it but I personally think its both contributing to it as my heart starts racing so then I start to panic! Hopefully will settle because I feel like ive been on a treadmill without doing anything ha ha.
It is true that we sometimes cannot tell the difference between anxiety or meds when it comes to heart rate.
However, my resting heart rate before amitriptyline was in the 70s bpm. After I went on it, it shot up to 96-100 bpm. I did a 48 hour Holter monitor 3 months after being on amitriptyline and even in my sleep it was in the upper 90s.
I've also shot up to 120 bpm when I increased to 40mg and I had palpitations (flip flop feeling) 8 times per hour. After a couple of days, I called my neurologist and he told me to go back down to 30 mg and it lowered back to 100 bmp (and no more flip flop feeling). He thinks it's the amitriptyline causing the increased heart rate because he's seen it happen to a few patients.
However, my resting heart rate before amitriptyline was in the 70s bpm. After I went on it, it shot up to 96-100 bpm. I did a 48 hour Holter monitor 3 months after being on amitriptyline and even in my sleep it was in the upper 90s.
I've also shot up to 120 bpm when I increased to 40mg and I had palpitations (flip flop feeling) 8 times per hour. After a couple of days, I called my neurologist and he told me to go back down to 30 mg and it lowered back to 100 bmp (and no more flip flop feeling). He thinks it's the amitriptyline causing the increased heart rate because he's seen it happen to a few patients.
I was reading this and realized that one of the reasons I can't sleep is my heart feels like it's beating out of my chest. I'm on Sertraline and Zanex. Now I'm wondering if this is due to the Sertraline. I take 1/2 the pill at dinner and 1/2 in the am. Otherwise I don't sleep. Also, it took three months before I stopped feeling sick to my stomach from it. Hang in there!
Most side effects go away with time, and yours seems to be that way, if indeed the heart beats are due to the med. Anxiety can make your heart beat faster because you get adrenaline rushes as you go into flight or fight mode, so it is not possible to determine which is the cause.
Hi scallyali,
Yes I did get a notification when you posted. I think it could be a combination of both the med and our baseline anxiety. It did settle down about 2-3 weeks after my last dose increase which was to 30 mg. With each dose increase, I would experience the same side effects again. I am still on amitriptyline, 30mg, the anxiety is a bit better (back to baseline) but heart rate is elevated. It sits around 95-100 on most days. When I get anxious, it goes above 100. :S Hope the anxiety settles down for you soon!
Yes I did get a notification when you posted. I think it could be a combination of both the med and our baseline anxiety. It did settle down about 2-3 weeks after my last dose increase which was to 30 mg. With each dose increase, I would experience the same side effects again. I am still on amitriptyline, 30mg, the anxiety is a bit better (back to baseline) but heart rate is elevated. It sits around 95-100 on most days. When I get anxious, it goes above 100. :S Hope the anxiety settles down for you soon!
Hi Trixx123
I know this is an old post. Im hoping on the off chance you may get notified that I have posted. I am wondering how you got on, hoping the aaqqqqthat those side effects went for you. I am experiencing exactly the same side effects and im not sure whether it is me or the drug, if it is the med, im praying that it settles because its the only thing that has helped me to sleep! I wasnt sleeping at all some nights without it where as now I can sleep 6 hrs straight if not woken.
I am quite sensitive to meds ( again this could be because of my anxiety disorder) dont seem to need high doses. A Dr told me that 10 mg of Amitriptyline can affect mood. Fingers crossed.
I know this is an old post. Im hoping on the off chance you may get notified that I have posted. I am wondering how you got on, hoping the aaqqqqthat those side effects went for you. I am experiencing exactly the same side effects and im not sure whether it is me or the drug, if it is the med, im praying that it settles because its the only thing that has helped me to sleep! I wasnt sleeping at all some nights without it where as now I can sleep 6 hrs straight if not woken.
I am quite sensitive to meds ( again this could be because of my anxiety disorder) dont seem to need high doses. A Dr told me that 10 mg of Amitriptyline can affect mood. Fingers crossed.
Thank you for your replies. I went back to my doctor last night and he suggested that I keep trying it until I at least reach the third week to see if it settles. He is still convinced that it is my own anxiety causing the rapid heart rate as opposed to the meds (even though it is listed as possible side effect). I was also adviced to take Ativan (lorazepam) in the mornings on a as needed basis for my anxiety.....
The side effects that you mention, pounding heart and anxiety, are possible with this medication. As far as the dose not being high enough is rather cavalier of your doctor. You could be super sensitive to the medication--obviously. If you are having trouble with the medication, tell your doctor you are having too much trouble with it and what is the way to withdraw from it. A pounding heart would drive me crazy. And there are plenty of other daily preventative migraine medications that you could try instead. If your doctor does not listen to you, I would find another one.
You can also consult your pharmacist if you want to double-check your doc's advice.
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