Nortriptyline and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Jan...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 26, 2019

For Panic Disorder "This medicine, nortriptyline, saved my life. Back in 2013, I woke up with panic attacks and anxiety through the roof. I had to end up going on disability twice, and none of the regular depressants/anxiety medications would help. Found an amazing psychiatrist who put me on this life-changing medication. I am on 125 mg a day, and it completely got rid of my anxiety and depression. No more panic attacks. I do take Ativan just in case I feel the anxiety coming on strong, however, the nortriptyline really helps control it. I recommend this medication to anybody with anxiety/panic/depression. You do need to give it time. The first time I was on it, within two months, I was cured. I did get off it for a while to see if I needed it, and I sure did. When I got back on it the second time, it took six months to work. Be patient."

• cam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 20, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "I've struggled with migraines since I was a child and have managed mostly on Excedrin until age 30 when I first tried Imitrex. The combination helps me, but the frequency of my migraines (2-3x) made me seek out a neurologist for preventative medication. I've been on Pamelor for only a week and stopped taking it last night because I couldn't take the side effects anymore: fast heart rate, major heartburn (a burning feeling that reaches up my chest, throat, and head), nausea, constipation, blurred vision, anxiety, fatigue, ringing ears. In that week, I had only 1 migraine and had 5 headaches. For me, any potential mitigation of future migraines isn't worth dealing with these side effects. I'm miserable and it's interfering with work and life."

• Ian...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 6, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "I suffer from depression, social anxiety, and migraines. I was prescribed nortriptyline at just 20 mg daily to reduce migraine frequency, but I noticed it seemed to make my anxiety much worse. I plowed on because the migraines were dreadful, and it did reduce their frequency and severity. I have stopped taking it after three years because I can no longer tolerate the side effects of dry mouth, general spaciness, difficulty finding words and speaking, and heightened anxiety. These side effects disappeared completely within forty-eight hours, and my anxiety is much more bearable. I’ll find another medication for the migraines because this one is just too troublesome."

• Mel...
• May 10, 2016

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "Started taking nortriptyline for chronic pain and noticed all my IBS with diarrhea symptoms were gone! Bonus! It was so debilitating and painful, I was miserable. Constant pain, bloating, cramping. This drug has saved my life! It also treated my chronic fatigue. For most people, it makes them tired, but for me, it was the opposite. So very thankful. Three problems fixed with one medication! However, it has increased my heart rate and worsened my anxiety. And also squashed my sex drive. That sucks! But the benefits outweigh the negative."

• KLM...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 1, 2019

For Depression "I've been on nortriptyline (10 mg) for over 10 years and had experienced relief from my depression. I'm now asking myself if it's time to increase my dosage or perhaps try some other med (Trintellix?). Feeling some symptoms like anxiety, some loss of appetite, and just really not 'happy.' Anyone else experiencing this after being on it for this long?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 26, 2017

For Migraine Prevention "I was given this medicine to take daily to prevent migraines, and I don't know if it worked because it threw me into the worst depression I've ever dealt with in my life. At the peak of this, I had a panic attack so bad I was considering dropping out of college! Luckily, I realized that the pill was making me feel this way, and as soon as I stopped it, the depressive episodes and anxiety went away. I was on a small dose too. Terrible. Be careful with it if you have a history/predisposition to depression/anxiety."

• Spi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2019

For Depression "Felt horrible on nortriptyline during the 5 weeks I took it and never took more than 25 mg. Had depression, anxiety, fatigue, dizziness, and it sent my BP up. I tapered off, and I am day 16 off of it. My headaches are horrible. Does anything help with these side effects? I’ve been to the doctor twice this week, and he says it’s out of my system."

• Hea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2018

For Migraine Prevention "I was put on 10 mg initially for migraine and insomnia. After two weeks, my doc upped it to 25 mg, which I've been on for four weeks. I've had a number of side effects: blurry vision, dizziness, dry mouth, froggy voice, continuous migraine. After six weeks, I've started to taper off of nortriptyline, and it isn't going well. I still have my migraine, but add in chills, anxiousness, burning/tinglings arms and fingers. It was definitely not worth starting this medication."

• no ...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 25, 2019

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "I'm 23 years old, have had IBS-C since I had my gallbladder removed at 18, and have been in extreme pain on a regular basis. A doctor switched me from a 10 mg dose of Amitriptyline (made me too sleepy) to 10 mg of Nortriptyline, saying the side effects would help with my IBS symptoms. Within two weeks, I had developed agoraphobia. I was scared of the door of my apartment, physically terrified, had no idea why. I wasn't able to change medications until I returned to my home country over a year later. It did help immensely with my IBS symptoms, it didn't cure everything, but I could survive daily life. If you have a history of anxiety or depression, even if you have resolved it through psychotherapy as I did, be cautious of any mental changes after starting Nortriptyline. I wouldn't recommend starting it if you live an isolated life and don't have a loved one to monitor your changes in behavior. It took me two months to realize it was the medication and I wasn't just going insane."

• Nom...
• October 5, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "Being treated for vestibular migraines. I was very worried about taking this (side effects), so I waited a week before deciding to try it. Only took 10mg at night. I could not get to sleep, and in the morning, I experienced sadness, anxiety, increased heart rate, irritability, dizziness, and brain fog. One time was enough. I have a family and can't ride these symptoms out (if they ever actually would decrease). The negative effects outweighed any benefits."

• Nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 2, 2019

For Vulvodynia "I started taking nortriptyline at only 10 mg for vulvodynia. As soon as I started, I noticed difficulty in urinating. After a week, I saw my GP, who told me to increase the dose to 20 mg. The pain was getting considerably worse, and when sitting, I was getting shooting pains. My mood has changed dramatically: dark thoughts, severe depression, and anxiety. I now have panic attacks, and my nerve pain has skyrocketed! I was told to tolerate the side effects, but they have become so severe that I am now unable to sit without a toilet seat! I saw a consultant who diagnosed me with pudendal neuralgia. I never had these symptoms before taking nortriptyline! This medication has ruined my life! There is no one out there that can offer me an explanation? I only took this medication for four weeks. I have been off this now for 6 1/2 weeks, and there has been no improvement whatsoever, the nerve pain is so bad! I wish I’d never heard of this dreaded medication!"

• Fra...
• July 16, 2015

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "This drug worked great. I was about to lose my job. At first, I had very little side effects that didn't bother me. It stopped the loose bowel movements and the stomach pain every time I would eat. Had hard, lumpy poops, still no pain, and a lot better than worrying if I was going to make it to a bathroom. After a year and a half, not sure if it was the cause of PMS (which I never had a problem with, a little crabby, nothing more), I had a severe panic, anxiety, could not think, almost psychotic. So, cut my dose in half for a week and then stopped taking it, and four days later, IBS is back. The doctor is going to try something else, but if it doesn't work, I'm going to go back and risk the mental issues."

• the...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 8, 2017

Nortriptyline for Depression "I was tried on this for major depression. After 2 weeks on 50 mg per night, I couldn't handle it anymore. I ended up going to the ER because my heart was racing. I was at 125/130 beats per minute. I'd only been getting a few hours of sleep each night in those 2 weeks, and experienced the heart racing, brain short circuits, insomnia, anxiety, severe constipation, extreme thirst, and an overall feeling of disconnect from aliveness. As a teenager, I took Doxepin and Elavil too, and they were slightly better, but not much. These TCAs should be a last resort, like Thorazine and Lithium. Seroquel is much better. Good luck to my fellow sufferers!"

• Mis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 1, 2015

For Migraine Prevention "I was so hoping this was going to be the answer to my prayers like it has been for many of you. I still think this is definitely worth a try. It's either a hit or miss, it seems. It's obviously working for so many. For me, I needed an exorcism. LOL I was extremely irritable, yelling, rage, crazy. Extreme insomnia. Heart palpitations, severe anxiety, and night terrors to top it off. Ugh, I have Sjögren's, so treatment options are limited for me, plus I'm freakishly sensitive. I barely made it three days. Good luck to you."

• Zzz...
• March 21, 2017

For Depression "I was prescribed this stuff for insomnia, and the first and only night I took it, I had a massive nervous breakdown. About two hours after taking it and still not able to sleep, I began to feel slightly nervous and sad. I couldn't stop thinking about killing myself. I had to wake up my husband at 2 AM to help snap me out of it, and I never did get to sleep that night. Needless to say, I will never take this garbage again."

• goo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2016

For Depression "I used to take quetiapine to fall asleep at night, but when I started to take nortriptyline, I had to stop using it because these two meds interact. The doctors told me that nortriptyline would help me sleep at night, too. It doesn't. I have to wake up at 7 every morning for work, and I honestly can't remember the last time I fell asleep before 2:00 in the morning. The side effects of this medication are way more intense than any other meds I've tried. It does help a little bit with anxiety, but my depression hasn't improved."

• Lil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2023

For Pain "Worst experience ever! I took the lowest dose (10 mg) to treat nerve pain. After 6 days, I woke up in the middle of the night with the loudest tinnitus you can possibly imagine. I stopped immediately and had the worst anxiety/sleepless nights I have ever had in my life. Now, after a week, my tinnitus has gone down 50% in volume and it is tolerable. However, I really hope this stupid drug didn't cause my ears to ring permanently!"

• Fra...
• May 17, 2016

For Depression "So far, so good. I've been on medication for anxiety and depression since December 2000, and after a few years, it seems that the medication stops working. Newly diagnosed with epilepsy. Hence, the increase in anxiety and depression. I will admit that I was having a really bad day, and out of desperation, I took this (had it but never took it) -- and it squashed the anxiety. (I know clinically better.) Epilepsy and estrogen don't mix well. I'm not thrilled with another pill, but so goes the old...'do you want to be right or happy?' I'll take the latter."

• bun...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 23, 2021

For Pain "Nortriptyline is not for me! I take it for both cervical radiculopathy and sciatica. Although it helps with some of the pain, for such a low dose of 20 mg, I have so many side effects! Ever since I've been on it, I've been having severe mood shifts between anxiety and depression, uncontrollable panic attacks, insomnia, nightmares, a very dry mouth with excessive thirst, dizziness, nausea, and constipation. I can't get off of it because I'll be in unbearable, screaming pain without it. I let my doctor know that this was happening, and she didn't believe the nortriptyline was causing my mood problems. Someone else told me to wait out the side effects for a couple of months, and it will get better, but it only got worse. Gabapentin made me gain too much weight, causing the sciatica and causing mood problems, so I don't want to get back on that. I'm caught between a rock and a hard place because I've talked to about seven doctors, and no one seems to know what to do."

• Anonymous
• June 3, 2010

Nortriptyline for Smoking Cessation "Stopped smoking 6 days ago without the anxiety I usually get while trying to quit."