Can a person lose weight on Amitriptyline?

[Suzie0156]

I need to lose 40 pounds, yeah I am a pudge ball. :shake: It really has me down too. So I started on my diet and on Amitriptyline on the same day 3 weeks ago. The first week, 8 pounds dropped off. Great I thought but no surprise as I can lose weight fairly easy by walking 4 miles and watching my diet. I am also on the IC diet or trying to follow it as best as I can. I take 10mg of the Amitriptyline and 10 mg of Hydroxyzine at night. Plus Cystoprotek and Aloe Vera too. But for 2 weeks now, the scale hasnt moved one iota. I googled this question and spent 2 days reading up on peoples experience on this drug. No one has stated they have lost weight while on this. In fact most gain 20-40 pounds. THAT is not an option for me. My blood pressure is up because my weight is up and yes, I am on blood pressure meds too. Fortunately I have my frequency and urgency pretty much under control now. I have never had pain. I am tempted to wean myself off of the Amitriptyline because I have a feeling it is hampering my weight loss. Who wouldnt lose weight rapidly if they were eating 1,000 calories a day plus walking 4 miles? That is what I do, every day. So anyone reading this, have you ever been on this medication while dieting? And did you lose weight? I am getting kind of worried because my IC is better now but the weight is not coming off. One website I read they said that its impossible to lose weight while on Amitriptyline. If this is the case, then I will have to go off of it. So just throwing this out to all of you to see what your experience has been. Does the pill actually cause you to gain or is it the increased appetite and giving in to it? I havent noticed any appetite increase. Just a dry mouth.

Ok thanks to anyone who responds!

Suzie

[VickiB]

One website I read they said that its impossible to lose weight while on Amitriptyline.
Then I did the impossible!

I took amitriptyline for two years. Right at the beginning I put on 17 pounds in record time and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the scale! I had been craving carbs which was unlike me, I knew it was due to the meds, and after seeing the scale, knew I couldn't continue down that road.

As soon as I started to pay attention to the junk I was eating, and quit eating it, I slowly returned to my original weight.

[kadi]

I gained a lot of weight (45 pounds) on it, but since then I have lost about half of it (20 pounds lost). So, it can be done. 10mg is a very low dose & you may not have weight gain at all on it. My mom takes 10mg and has not gained any weight, same with a friend of mine who also has IC. I did not gain any weight during the 7 months I was on 10mg. I gained the weight when I increased the dose to 20 mg. The main thing is to pay attention to how much you are eating. Most people who experience weight gain on this medicine find that it's because it increases appetite & sugar cravings. If I'd stayed aware of how much I was eating, I wouldn't have gained so much weight so fast.

Hope that helps. All that said, I'm staying on Elavil because it helps my IC so very much. I hope that if you do decide to keep taking it, that it helps your IC.
Good luck!

[Suzie0156]

Hi Kadi and Vicki

You both have given me great hope and bless you both for that. I have found this drug to be an appetite suppresant really, for me. Dieting, I am watching everything that goes into my mouth but because I am not hungry, I have to force myself to eat which is about 1,000 calories a day, because I know my body needs and deserves at least that amount to stay healthy. Maybe I am just at a plateau right now and any day, the dam will burst and the pounds will come off again. 8 pounds in 3 weeks isnt too bad but normally I lose about 15 pouds in one month, lol...thats just how my body is. But thats not going to happen I dont think now. I will stay on it because my IC is pretty much in remission for the most part.

Thanks to both of you for replying to me!

Suzie

[kadi]

Hi Suzie,
Eight pounds in 3 weeks is great progress (it's actually more than Weight Watchers recommends) & since you're losing weight at a moderate pace, you are more likely not to put it back on! IC in remission at only 10mg of Elavil is also a very good thing:) Hang in there,

[Suzie0156]

Hi Kadi

Well I am use to losing faster because I usually do a program called Medifast where you consume shakes, soups and suppliment meal bars. On that program, I lose about 18 pounds a month. But the shakes have soy in them and soy seems to trigger more frequency with me. Havent had the pain most of you seem to get, cant imagine how awful that must be.... I'll keep chuggin away and since my IC is mild, I think that is why I can get away with 10 mg of Amitriptyline. I have a question to toss out to you or anyone reading this though. Am I going to have to be on this for the rest of my life? I hate being on meds. Just wondering if anyone ever gradually weans themselves off to see how they would fare? Since my IC doesnt involve pain, it might be worth seeing how I would do after a certain amount of time. I am not under a URO's care....our URO's here dont see IC patients, IC patients are referred to a nurse practitioner here. She basically told me to increase or decrease my meds as I see fit. And I dont know if I can really call this remission. But I seem to be up to at least 4 normal days a week now...sometimes 5 and maybe after I go another few months, maybe I could slowly go off the Amitriptyline just to see how I do. If my flares increase, I can always go back on it. But I wont do it yet because I dont consider my IC 100% stable just yet.

Thanks for your reply Kadi!

Suzie

[ICNDonna]

It's not unusual when trying to lose weight to lose at first, then hit a plateau. Our doctor told me several years ago that when we go on a diet and begin to exercise regularly, we do lose fat tissue, but gain muscle tissue --- which is heavier than fat. He also said that if we don't get an adequate amount of food, our bodies will go into a "save" mode and actually burn less calories.

The dose of amitriptyline you are taking is low and is not likely to cause weight gain. At higher doses, I'm told it causes hunger, which causes the weight gain.

Donna

[Suzie0156]

Well having given this alot of thought, I am slowly going to wean myself off of this medication. I spoke with my pharmacist earlier who told me that basically Amitriptyline halts your metabolism, thus people cant lose weight or most likely, gain alot of weight. I spoke to my nurser practitioner today and she agreed and basically gave me a choice of getting thinner or being in remission, which one do I want more? Well, I would like to have both but the pharmacist laughed and told me I was asking for alot. In this 32 years of dealing with people on this medication, he has seen more people gain weight than lose weight. He said its a trade off, which is more important to me he asked. Good god, well no wonder the scale is stuck and is even now going up a half pound per day. It has stopped my metabolism. I walk 80-90 minutes a day and consume 1,000 calories a day. I lost 8 pounds the first week because the Amitriptyline hadnt had a chance to stop my metabolism. But now, 3 weeks later, it has. I am also on Hydroxyzine and wonder if that too isnt hindering me? But antidepressants are notorious for causing weight issues so I am betting its the Amitriptyline. Does anyone know if just the Hydroxyzine could help with urgency and frequency, once I get off the Amitriptyline? My nurse has told me its up to me in what I want to do here. She told me to just cut the 10mg in half at night and to wean off for about a month. Kadi, I know you said you lost weight wasnt it while on it? I think you are one of the lucky ones.

Anyone have luck on just Hydroxyzine?

Thankyou!

Suzie

[kadi]

I have lost about half the weight I gained from increasing to 20mg a night, but it is a far bigger struggle than it would be off it.

In my case, before amitryptiline, I was voiding 60x a day, completely unable to sleep more than 20 minutes at a time, wear pants (had to wear only loose skirts), attend church, travel or exercise, & was barely able to work. I won't stop the medicine in spite of being about 35 pounds overweight still. I was not able to tolerate hydroxyzine (gave me a pounding heartbeat) and elmiron made my IC worse, not better. I'm already maxxed out on other treatments (see below my name).

For me, since the amitryptiline is a major component of my treatment plan & having my life back, I'd rather be overweight than disabled. But, I also think I could be doing better managing my weight. I don't exercise nearly often enough & I'm just plain eating too much, sometimes due to stress.

I don't know if my answer helps, but that's my story on this...

[delfin]

Just want to throw in that I, too, lost weight while on the ami... and I wasn't overweight to begin with. I decided that I had too much sugar in my diet, after reading this book called the sugar solution. Well, deleting much of the sugar caused me to lose weight. Just my two cents.

[Suzie0156]

I have lost about half the weight I gained from increasing to 20mg a night, but it is a far bigger struggle than it would be off it.

In my case, before amitryptiline, I was voiding 60x a day, completely unable to sleep more than 20 minutes at a time, wear pants (had to wear only loose skirts), attend church, travel or exercise, & was barely able to work. I won't stop the medicine in spite of being about 35 pounds overweight still. I was not able to tolerate hydroxyzine (gave me a pounding heartbeat) and elmiron made my IC worse, not better. I'm already maxxed out on other treatments (see below my name).

For me, since the amitryptiline is a major component of my treatment plan & having my life back, I'd rather be overweight than disabled. But, I also think I could be doing better managing my weight. I don't exercise nearly often enough & I'm just plain eating too much, sometimes due to stress.

I don't know if my answer helps, but that's my story on this...


Hi Kadi

Yes, you had a pretty bad case of IC and I can see how you would be better off on the medication than off of it. So how are you losing weight now or how do you plan to do it now while on the Amitriptyline?

I have worked so hard on this diet, watching every calorie, working out every day, if I were not on this drug, I would have 20 pounds off by now. I cut my dose in half last night....I have to get off this because my blood pressure is too high, due to being 40 pounds overweight. It did help me with my frequency, I will sure give credit to that but I guess I will just have to live with the urgency and frequency because I need to lose weight and its not happening while on this.

Thanks for your reply Kadi!

Suzie

[astone0611]

I have gained weight while taking Elavil 25mg nightly. I'm with Kadi...I'm starting to monitor what I eat and how much of it, I'm noticing my clothes being baggier (I don't like scales they make me depressed). I've started to do yoga. I bought the Sketcher ShapeUps and started to walk...walking is so much more bareable with these shoes. Everything seems to be firming up. I'm going on a cruise in July, I want to look and feel my best, granted its to Alaska...not Jamaica or anything...but still a cruise. The key is really to stay committed.

[Suzie0156]

Just want to throw in that I, too, lost weight while on the ami... and I wasn't overweight to begin with. I decided that I had too much sugar in my diet, after reading this book called the sugar solution. Well, deleting much of the sugar caused me to lose weight. Just my two cents.



Hi Delfin

I am watching my sugar and sodium while dieting and still, nothing lost in over 2 weeks now. I know its due to the Amitrptyline and probably the Hydroxyzine I am on too. How much sugar are you taking in? Maybe I will cut out more sugar. What do you recommend for a daily sugar intake?

Thankyou!

Suzie

[Suzie0156]

I have gained weight while taking Elavil 25mg nightly. I'm with Kadi...I'm starting to monitor what I eat and how much of it, I'm noticing my clothes being baggier (I don't like scales they make me depressed). I've started to do yoga. I bought the Sketcher ShapeUps and started to walk...walking is so much more bareable with these shoes. Everything seems to be firming up. I'm going on a cruise in July, I want to look and feel my best, granted its to Alaska...not Jamaica or anything...but still a cruise. The key is really to stay committed.


Hi Ashley

Gosh everyone is doing so good on their diet while on Amitriptyline. I too am committed, walking 4 miles a day, eating 1,000 calories or less a day....watching sodium and sugar....dont know what else to do...very frustrating. I write down everything that goes into my mouth. I just think this drug, for me, is not good for my diet. I was on a low dose, only 10 mg, but last night cut that in half so maybe now that will help me drop weight.

Have fun on that cruise, I hear Alaska is beautiful!

Suzie

[astone0611]

I hope cutting it down works for you. I unfortunately have the symptom of pain so its very much needed for me. I'm also tempted to take water reducer pills. I learned that Hydroxyzine and Elavil can make you retain water also. I'm just afraid that if I take those reducers I will have to drink more water...which I hope doesn't cause more bathroom visits...but I know it will.

[Suzie0156]

I hope cutting it down works for you. I unfortunately have the symptom of pain so its very much needed for me. I'm also tempted to take water reducer pills. I learned that Hydroxyzine and Elavil can make you retain water also. I'm just afraid that if I take those reducers I will have to drink more water...which I hope doesn't cause more bathroom visits...but I know it will.



I dont think I am retaining water, nothing on me looks puffy....can a person retain water and not look like it? My fingers are fine, my ankles are fine...yeah with pain, I would deffinately just stay on it too. Luckily, in 22 years with this, I have never had the pain that most people have. I'm not even on a high does of Hydroxyzine either. Just 5mg. Sure seems hard to believe that a tiny dose like that could affect weight loss. So what I am doing now is drinking 2 Boost shakes a day plus eat a nice low calorie dinner at night followed by a piece of fruit then walking 4 miles on my tredmill along with cutting the Amitriptyline in half, down to 5mg....maybe that will kickstart my weight loss again? I hope my frequency doesnt flare up too much....I guess time will tell. (sigh)


Suzie

[kadi]

I really recommend working with a nutritionist on this:) 1,000 calories per day is usually not recommended for weight loss because the body can plateau easily, reacting as if it were starving & hanging on to every calorie, even without the amitryptiline. The Boost shakes or fruit may cause an increase in symptoms also, so drinking that while reducing the amitryptiline can make it hard to see how your IC is responding to the change.

I do well when I'm on Weight Watchers, adapting it to the foods I can eat with my IC-restricted diet:) I need to get back to it!!!

[Suzie0156]

I really recommend working with a nutritionist on this:) 1,000 calories per day is usually not recommended for weight loss because the body can plateau easily, reacting as if it were starving & hanging on to every calorie, even without the amitryptiline. The Boost shakes or fruit may cause an increase in symptoms also, so drinking that while reducing the amitryptiline can make it hard to see how your IC is responding to the change.

I do well when I'm on Weight Watchers, adapting it to the foods I can eat with my IC-restricted diet:) I need to get back to it!!!



Hi Kadi

I tolerate the Boost and fruit fine. No increase in symptoms. I might up my calories and up my workouts to see if that helps. I dont cook so rely on the diet dinners....I am findng that as long as there is no soy, I am fine. So I guess I am lucky there. Hoping something kicks in soon for me. Thanks for your reply and let me know how you are doing with your diet!

Suzie

[Mytita]

I have said and still say: I would rather be fat than be in pain!

[Suzie0156]

I have said and still say: I would rather be fat than be in pain!

Well I dont have the IC pain so I cant really say but I have the urgency and frequency and I am now coming off the meds because they halted my weight loss and in fact, as I am decreasing my doseage, my weight isnt even coming down. Speaking to a pharmacist, I was told those meds probably wrecked my metabolism for a while. I have over 40 pounds to lose with pretty high blood pressure so those meds were not for me but they sure did help alot with symptoms. Now symptoms coming back with vengence but will just live with them and try to do the IC diet as best as I can.


Suzie

[Mytita]

Suzie- I am so sorry to hear about your metabolism and bp problems. Then to add to all that IC!! I have worried about my wish a bit, but for now I really need the pain relief. I pray you find something that works for you. Don't give up! Martha

[Suzie0156]

I am so sorry you have the pain with your IC. I thank God each day that I dont have the pain. I have had IC for 22 years and I am hoping that I never get the pain.

I read online last night on another message board about a gal that is taking Librax for her IC. It does wonders for the pain and for her "mind boggeling" as she calls it, urgency and frequency.

Have you ever heard of Librax? It is an antispasmodic. I am going to look into it on Tuesday.

Please keep in touch with me if you would like and feel free to send me a private message. Maybe we could be email support buddies.

I just feel so alone right now and so lost.... but I know I am not alone..

Suzie

[Mytita]

I tried to send you a message, but don't know if it went. Do you face book? We can definitely help each other! Prayers! Martha

[Suzie0156]

You can find me through Suzie Peck...

Your message did go through!!!

[kadi]

Hi all,
I went to the grocery store tonight & bought a ton of vegetables:) It seems that when I eat a lot of vegetables, my weight is much easier to manage & I can eat a lot without feeling deprived.

I've also done some experimenting with fruits & have found that I can now eat pears, dates, honeydew melon, & blackberries pretty freely. I can also have small amounts of raisins & blueberries. So far, my experiments with apples & bananas have caused flares, so those are still off my diet for now.

I had a really big lunch today, so for dinner tonight I had 2/3c blackberries, a 4oz lowfat cottage cheese in a bowl with a 1/3 cup of Nature's Path MultiGrain Oatbran cereal--all mixed together. It was pretty satisfying & only about 3 Weight Watcher points.

Looking for more options like that & more recipes for vegetables so they don't always taste the same....

Hang in there,

[Mytita]

I like to put a little olive oil in a frying pan, cut up a clove or 2 of garlic and add frozen veggies. This seems to make up for no seasoning, at least partially. I loved hot and spicy food pre IC, so this is really hard for me.

[pinkdawn29]

I’ve been on amitriptyline (20mg) for six weeks for vulvar pain. Like Suzie, I have high BP and take medication for that. Making lifestyle changes and losing weight has greatly helped my BP over the past year, so I understand the concern of not wanting to gain weight. So far, I’ve been careful about my eating, but I slowed down on exercise a bit while my body was adjusting to the amitriptyline. I’m just now getting back into my normal exercise routine, so we’ll see what happens. I'm glad to hear others have lost weight on it. Unfortunately I’ve been craving ice cream this week, not sure if that’s the ami or the summery weather :lmao:

[Mytita]

Ice cream! Yes, something about it makes everything feel better! I have read other IC sufferers who got milkshakes after instills! My ice cream craving is less lately maybe as I have been on ami for a couple of months now. I went strawberry picking on labor day with my family which is an annual tradition we couldn't miss. I just had to taste one or two so I did and spit them out so as not to hurt! Is that desperate or what!??

[MusicMom]

I too, have gained about 25 pounds since I was diagnosed 3 years ago. I seem to keep gaining and losing the same 4 pounds. Lose it during the week, gain it back on the weekend. I am attributing the gain to my 10mg of ametriptiline and the fact that I eat sweets like there is no tomorrow. I am considering Weight Watchers, which I have never been on before - I was always able to keep my weight under control until now. I am going to be the Mother of the Groom next June and I WILL NOT BE FLUFFY!!!
I am considering weaning myself off the ami too, and just see if it makes a bit of difference.
On another note, all you who have IBS - could it really be colitis? I have just been diagnosed with Recto-sigmoid colitis and I really think it is due to my usage of Elmiron of ami - the only meds I take on a daily basis. Any thoughts??? None of the treatments I have tried since being diagnosed are giving me any relief and so I'm wondering if the meds are keeping me ulcerated.

[wagamama]

This is an interesting thread. Suzie, I wonder how you are doing with your weight loss. Did you end up going off of the Elavil?

I started Elavil about five months ago. I have gained some weight, although I attribute some of that to not running (I felt pretty bad for a few months and didn't exercise much), some of it to changing my diet, and some of it to drowning my self-pity in vanilla ice cream. :) I do get the sense that the drug sort of messes with my feeling of being hungry (I never get *really* hungry) and also with the feeling of being full (which I also never feel). Does anyone else experience that? I have found that the carb cravings have gotten better. I am also going to try to lose some weight now that things have stabilized.

Kadi, now that it's summer I grill vegetables a lot. My favorites are red bell pepper, corn on the cob, zucchini and sometimes asparagus. I cut them into largish pieces, brush them with olive oil, and put them on the grill. When they are done, I let them cool a bit and cut them into chunks. Then I toss them with garlic-flavored olive oil, salt and some fresh herbs like basil. I've done this a lot this year and everyone loves it. And it's sooo yummy.

Aaaand, now I know what I'm having for dinner. :)

[MusicMom]

I tried to wean myself off of Elavil. I had been taking 25 mg every night and so I cut them in half. I couldn't sleep and when I did I felt like I wasn't. Of course I was so crabby during the day that I would get anxious about whether I was going to be able to sleep that night or not. I kept it up for about a week and decided I needed to sleep more than I needed to see if going off would help me lose weight!
I had wanted to go off of Elmiron to see if it affected my healing of a colitis issue, but I have been having so many flares this summer that I think I'd better wait. Does anyone think that this terrible allergy season has been causing them to flare more than usual?

[Jereme]

I take pamelor and lyrica. Both increase my appetite. I had a physical yesterday and now I weigh over 200 pounds. I gained about 35 pounds in the last two years taking the medicine. I was at a perfect weight for me. I liked how I looked. I'm not so happy about it now. Taking a medicine you know is making you gain weight is a difficult decision.. I choose daily to take the meds since they definitely help me. Before Pamelor I was skinny but very, very depressed. I had significant, constant frequency and discomfort. I never had severe pain. I tried many antidepressants, but they all seemed to irritate the IC condition for me. At least I thought they did. The tricyclics seem to irritate me the least and work great for depression. However, they definitely slow my metabolism and increase my appetite. I packed on 25 pounds in a couple of months. I do exercise hard 4-5 days a week and have for many years. I usuaully do 50 minutes of cardio or circuit weight training along with 50 minutes of power yoga when I work out. That's nearly two hours of exercise 4-5 days per week. I still gain weight. However, we got to take the good with the bad. My depression is in remission. My anxiety is in remission. My IC is nearly in remission. I only have mild IC symptoms that wax and wane. Much better than in the past. It sucks to gain weight. However, looking around I'm not the only human on this planet to have weight issues. There is much in life that is outside my control. At this point my weight is one of those things. However, what I can control is eating healthier foods and staying active. It's better to be a bit overweight and active than thin and inactive. I discussed my issues with my doctor and he told me the weight isn't causing any medical problems so it is probably best to keep taking them inspite of the increase in weight. Weight gain isn't a reason to not take a medication. It's unfotunate that I've seen many women on this site stop taking a med that was totally working due to weight gain. In a way it's a shame that our society puts so much emphasis on looks. Many would prefer to suffer from pain and frequency than feel good and be over weight. That's not right. I certainly would liike to feel good and be skinny, but apparently that isn't possible. Sometime in the future maybe, but not now. It's also good to remember that looks are not all about how much you weigh. Being comfortable with your self is also important. Wearing cloths that flatter is a must too. Look around there are some overweight women that are still attractive. There are skinny ones that are not. I know i'm a guy so my perspective is different. Remember life isn't fair, but it goes on.

[shortstuff]

Hi Suzie,

I was on elavil for about 2 1/2 months and thought I was gaining weight. That was about 2 pounds and since I quit I gained about 7. I'm 5 feet tall so that is like 20+ for a taller person. :(

Anyway, even for someone as short as me 1000 calories a day is dangerously low. When you eat this little (probably with the intention of dropping some pounds) you actually slow your metabolism over time because your body realizes it is getting less calorically and does the opposite of what you want and stores the energy from the little that you do eat as fat to keep functioning.

I'm not a doc or dietitian but have been dealing with +/- 10 pounds for 25 years...there are tools online to help you determine the right amount of calories to eat for your weight/height/activity level that can help you acheive and maintain a healthy weight loss.

Best wishes!!!