Friend of mine was put on Amitriptiline for IBS? Has anyone had any experience with this? Ever heard of it?

Wen

Hi, Wendy. See my reply to your post on the Bowel Disorders board.

Katie G

I've been on Elavil for about 7 mo. It has helped tremendously with the frequency and urgency issues I had. I've found that you have to sort of 'tinker' with the dosage though..as it can constipate quite easily..even if your IBS-D....and going to the other extreme of the scale isn't much fun either! Im taking about 12mg. at this point. Even at half of that dosage I was having decent results..but other medication has made it necessary to stay at the higher 12mg.

It can cause you to be quite groggy in the morning..especially when you first start out with it. And it does have a tendency to cause some weight gain..even if you watch your diet and exercise. I believe what I've heard is that it causes you to crave more carbohydrates than you normally would. I did notice this weight gain, and thats another reason why I tried cutting back on the dosage. You also have to be extremely careful if you decide to quit taking it at any point. Wean yourself off slowly..not cold turkey. Some people have had trouble stopping it too quickly...sleeping problems, diarrhea attacks, etc.

Oh...I should add, I have never slept this good in years until I started the Elavil...another good side effect in my personal situation.

Hope this info helps a little.