Nortriptyline and Depression: What Users Say

• Joe...
• January 4, 2013

For Pain "So I read some of these experiences and was doubtful it could help my lower back pain. I tried painkillers and months of physical therapy to no avail. My primary finally sent me to a neurologist. I already had x-rays and went through that tube, in agony I may add because I could not lay flat. They quickly put me on Nortriptyline at a 10mg dose. One week, I did not feel any relief. They upped my dose to 25mg and the same thing, not much relief at all. I went to 50mg and felt better, it really dulled the shooting pains down my left leg and foot. I went to 100mg with better results. Now I'm at 125mg and life is much better. I can walk in a mall, drive my car, and get back to a normal life again. This is supposed to break my pain cycle and so far so good."

• Hel...
• August 31, 2015

For Depression "I was the person who had all kinds of problems and none of them could be linked together. So, I saw many doctors and I tried many drugs. I had major depression, which all the usual antidepressants made worse. Debilitating migraines, moderate to severe muscle and joint pain, severe insomnia, and panic attacks. I was on many medications and in high doses, but they didn't help. It was very frustrating because no one believed what I experienced was real. Until a friend in college said maybe it's just in your head and encouraged me to see a counselor who then sent me to the psychiatrist. He took me off everything I was on and put me on nortriptyline within 3 weeks. I did a 180, except for the panic attacks for which I started taking lorazepam. I'm doing great."

• ell...
• April 14, 2013

For Pain "Was diagnosed with somatic pain. Prescribed 10mg nortriptyline to start. Took one pill and it made me feel like I could jump off a building and fly. When I laid down, it felt like I was floating. Went to sleep, woke up feeling like a zombie, very depressed, could barely lift my arms. It has been three days and I still feel spaced out."

• Anonymous
• March 28, 2012

For Depression "I suffer from depression, back pain, and anxiety that has been gradually getting worse. I started taking nortriptyline and noticed a number of changes within 24 hours. I finally slept through the night. My back pain dramatically improved, and my anxiety lessened. Sounds amazing, right? Well, yes, but I was also crying all the time and felt even more depressed. I also began having bad thoughts about hurting myself. I have had bad thoughts in the past, but always had control of them. These felt very different, I had no control of them. For some people, this medicine is a miracle, but if you start to have thoughts that don't feel right when you start taking this medication, go to your doctor immediately."

• maf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 5, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "I titrated up over two months, 10 mg at a time until I reached 50 mg. The side effects for me were: bad dreams, increased appetite, tiredness, heartburn, decreased sex drive, and sadness. I began taking the medicine at 7 PM, and that eliminated the bad dreams. However, the medicine made me feel depressed. I would feel sad and start crying for no reason. This was all in the first 2 months, and then the side effects went away. I have been at 50 mg for almost 3 months now, and I feel normal! While it was hard for me in the first few months, I stuck with it, and sure enough, the side effects went away. Unfortunately, I’ve been getting more migraines recently, and so I’m instructed to titrate up to 90 mg... So I'm not sure if it works yet."

• 2dr...
• July 8, 2016

For Migraine Prevention "I have a love/hate relationship with this drug. When I take it, I am headache-free, but if I forget to take it just one time, I have the worst headache imaginable the next day. Like a hangover headache with nausea and dizziness. It is worse than the headaches I had before I started taking the medication. I've also noticed my energy levels are way lower, and I am super constipated every day. The doctor did advise me about the constipation but not the lack of interest in doing things. I am super slow and have literally no energy to do anything. So I am not sure if it is related. I want to try to get off the medicine, but the doctor advises against this. I am not sure what to do."

• Pen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2019

For Pain "I was prescribed nortriptyline for chronic back pain after an injury. Unlike most here, I was given 5 mg at night, meant to go up to 10 mg after 5 days. I’m on day 5 and I’m stopping. Immediately I’ve experienced excessive sweating, dry mouth, slight weight gain, nausea, sadness, headaches, and the worst is the insomnia! I am not sleeping at all. I can see this going downhill and am getting married in a few weeks, so don’t need to be all messed up. Do your research, I wouldn’t recommend though."

• jul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 10, 2016

For Neuralgia "Quick background about me - Female, 23, 5'8", 122 lbs. Started Nortriptyline for fibromyalgia and chronic pain. I started off at a low dose, 10 mg, increasing by 10 mg weekly. When I first started it, I was jolted with energy throughout the whole day (which was great because fibro has been causing so much fatigue), and I had a super dry mouth. The first couple of weeks... no other side effects, also was mildly helpful but not entirely. By the time I got to 60 mg, I was disassociating from my body, felt like I was going to crash my car when I drove it, dropped things, couldn't focus, couldn't speak without slurring my words, and I was extremely depressed... so I dropped down to 50 mg, and everything is great now. I am also starting Lyrica."

• Nik...
• July 28, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "It definitely helps with the migraine, but I can’t stay on it because it makes me dizzy, causes low blood pressure, fatigue, and foggy-headedness. I might take it occasionally. Oh yeah! And it made me feel depressed."

• 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."

• Nic...
• April 20, 2011

For Migraine Prevention "Started taking nortriptyline for migraine prevention after 10 years of going to 6 different neurologists and taking countless medications. The first 3 weeks were great because I had gone from 2-3 days a week of migraines to not a single episode. It was very hard to deal with the daytime fatigue, and this was only on a 25 mg dose, but two cups of coffee took care of that. I stopped taking it suddenly after 1.5 months due to a change in mood/angry/depressed feelings which I've never experienced, and sure enough, I was in bed for 3 days with a migraine. So, I'm back on the medicine, have been almost migraine-free for 3 months, the fatigue has gone away, and as long as I remember to read my 'positive thoughts/positive things in my life' when I feel a little depressed (this medicine or at least 25 mg a day hasn't helped depression), I'm fine. I'm 31 years old, healthy, and now I can finally live my life not worrying about migraines! Thank you to my neurologist for finally finding an answer to my pain, and thank you nortriptyline."

• 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."

• Eri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 21, 2020

For Depression "I was getting ECT treatment for depression when my doctor told me nortriptyline pairs well with the ECT therapy. I once had a bad reaction to Trintellix. Without having much recollection of why I decided to start this new med, I did. I felt ECT was starting to heal my depression. As a few weeks passed, I noticed major daytime fatigue. Also, every night I would experience irrational fear and panic, I also had a few panic attacks at night, which had not happened for me in years. Constipation, vomiting, worsening depression, thoughts of self-harm. It took me way too long to figure out nortriptyline was the culprit of all this. I was on this medicine for about two months and am in the process of weaning off. If you notice similar symptoms, speak up to your doctor ASAP."

• 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!"

• Ang...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2018

For Depression "This medication absolutely killed my mood and motivation. It also triggered severe acid reflux. I have GERD and hadn't had this bad of a flare-up in 10 years. I suffered through it for 10 days and took Zantac, but when I was dry heaving by the end of every meal and continuously had heartburn so painful I cried, I gave up. No more tricyclics for me."

• JHa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2021

For Depression "I have been on Wellbutrin since 2014, and buspirone was added in 2019 for my depression/anxiety/OCD. I also have an autoimmune disease that causes severe neuropathy and migraines. I take other medications for that, but they have been insufficient. My neurologist prescribed this to help further treat my neuropathy, and it DID work. I had no idea how bad my migraines were until nortriptyline reduced them almost down to nothing, unfortunately, it made my depression much, much worse, and I also spent several days very, very angry. We tried both the 25 mg and 10 mg dose. After stopping the medication, it took about 2-3 days to be back to my previous “normal.” I wish the negative effects hadn’t been so severe because it worked great for pain."

• 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."

• Ska...
• May 24, 2012

For Migraine Prevention "I started taking nortriptyline to prevent my headaches and migraines. The first month, it seemed to work pretty well, and I didn't have any headaches. But I started feeling depressed (which I never am), extreme irritability, and a low to no sex drive. I stopped taking the medicine after two months and gave myself a 3-month break. I just started taking them again, and all the side effects came racing back! I would much rather have headaches than deal with the side effects. The depression feeling is so horrible."

• And...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2021

For Dysautonomia "At first, it seemed like the medication was helping only because it was making me drowsy enough to actually get sleep, but the longer I took the medication, the more apparent it was how wrong this drug was for me. After about a month of taking the medication, most of my dysautonomia symptoms got worse and worse, and I even developed severe depression, which I never had. By the time the Dr. took me off the drug, it had made me much more symptomatic than I was before I started it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2015

For Migraine Prevention "I started taking it 4 weeks ago to prevent migraines. It seemed to work at first, but I noticed severe mood changes and major depression. I had felt okay mentally before taking the medicine. It was a very sudden change in mood and depression. The migraines started to come back as well. I have since been taken off the medicine."

• 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."

• Dee...
• March 31, 2021

For Vulvodynia "This medication took the pain away completely, however, I started having dark thoughts and felt depressed, and my heart rate elevated dramatically. I had suicidal thoughts. Such a shame, as it worked, but I had to come off it. Still trying to find a medication without unbearable side effects."

• 209...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2015

For Pain "Very bad. Was given for pain by doctor. Doctor told me it would make me sleepy, it does the opposite. Gave me anger and made me depressed. Kind of mad at the doctor. Maybe it's a side effect."