Generic Name: Nortriptyline for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (nortriptyline)
Nortriptyline for Irritable Bowel Syndrome Reviews
"Honestly, this medication saved my life - it is a miracle. I have suffered with IBS for 10 years (am now 20) and it caused me to miss so much school. I started on 10mg of Amitriptyline in Dec 2019 and within a few weeks I had really terrible mental side effects. I became apathetic & had sustained low moods which were uncharacteristic. I switched to 10mg of Nortriptyline after 3 weeks and have been on the same dose since (it is now June 2020). It took exactly 3 weeks for me to start feeling a difference - but then after that, the improvement just got better and better. I now have almost no IBS issues! This medication won't, however, erase your food intolerances. If I go near dairy or fried chips, or have loads of large meals then I might still have a bit of trouble. But I went from having such a limited diet to now being able to eat almost anything, and it has made life so much easier. Alhamdulillah for this miracle drug, I seriously cannot recommend it highly enough :)"
"After years of suffering with IBS-D, I ended up seeing a brand new doctor at the Polyclinic. He started off treatment by eliminating all of the scary stuff - I had an endoscopy, colonoscopy, gastric emptying study, blood work, etc. When all results came back normal, he decided to treat the IBS symptoms with Nortriptyline (25 mg per night) and the low FODMAP diet. I am thrilled to say that my symptoms have finally subsided, at least enough to where I can live my life and eat comfortably. Although I wouldn’t say I’m completely symptom-free, I feel significantly better. I’m not sure if it was this medicine or the low FODMAP diet that worked best, however I will continue to do both and slowly add foods back in. Definitely try this out if it is recommended for you! This is coming from someone who suffered for 6+ years and has tried every diet, supplement, and medication known to man."
"I have had Irritable Bowel Syndrome for 30 years, and it has gradually gotten so bad that I told my doctor that I could no longer have a normal life, and I hated what Irritable Bowel Syndrome was doing to me. He prescribed 10mg of nortriptyline, and I highly doubted it would help. I was already on another antidepressant. However, it helped so much... it is a godsend! I can now enjoy life again. I can eat! I am not worrying about how I am going to get through the day with stomach pain. I can make plans to do things. I can enjoy my family and work again."
"One of the first reviews I've written regarding a treatment. My IBS-D got to a point where I was visiting the bathroom about 5-6 times a day. When I wasn't in the bathroom, the uneasiness associated with IBS stopped me from focusing on anything I tried to do. All I wanted to do was stay in bed and distract myself with movies and TV shows. I spent lots of time researching online and trying various treatments including elimination diets, supplements, various exercises, etc. My GP recommended I try Nortriptyline at nights starting at 10mg dosage and said that it'd take around a month to kick in. After about 3 weeks, I switched to taking it in the morning and it's been working wonders ever since. Pretty much IBS free and have my life back."
"Nortriptyline changed my life from the drama of IBS. I went from running to the toilet all the time and canceling days to maybe 4x/month diarrhea, and I actually feel hungry and not scared to eat!! Literally a new person. So glad my NP prescribed it."
"This medication has been a lifesaver. I am a 23-year-old female and was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome 10 years ago. It wasn't until 2 years ago that my primary care doctor suggested this medication after finding success with another patient. Only 10 mg a day at bedtime and I am IBS symptom-free. I used to have 5 bowel movements a day and now I am very regular. My life is so different now that I am on this medication. When I started the medication, I had extreme dry mouth that went away after a couple of months and now I sometimes become constipated (which is something I've never had in my life)."
"I HAD UNRELENTING DIARRHEA AND COULD NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT TAKING IMMODIUM. My doctor prescribed nortriptyline. I filled the prescription but did not take it because, well, I almost thought it was foolish. I was not depressed... But then I thought, what the heck. I started the 10 mg every night. In 3 days, the only side effect was no more running to the bathroom. OMG, for me, it is a miracle. I do have vivid dreams, but that is okay. Also, I sleep well and feel great when I wake up."
"Had stomach pain for years. When I ate, my stomach would hurt for hours. When it finally calmed down, it was time to eat again. Went to a gastroenterologist. Had a colonoscopy, endoscopy, and biopsies. Everything looked alright. Was having awful pain one day and called my gastro doctor for an appointment. He could not see me for weeks, but I was told his nurse could. I was hesitant, but did go in to see her the next day. She prescribed 10 mg of Pamelor at bedtime (name brand for nortriptyline). She said it was an antidepressant but had been found to help many issues. After taking it for 3 nights, I felt like a new person. When I went back for a follow-up, I hugged my nurse and said, 'You gave me back my life.'"
"I suffered with Irritable Bowel Syndrome for over 30 years beginning in my 30s after a severe gastrointestinal infection. I controlled it with OTC meds like Pepto-Bismol and Imodium. The condition worsened until I could no longer count on having a symptom-free day and my diet was severely limited. My doctor recommended Nortriptyline and the lowest dose of 10 mg immediately worked. I now can eat a diet that includes fruits and vegetables I have been unable to eat for years. I did have one troubling side effect at first - rapid heart rate. I was taking a low dosage of a beta-blocker for this condition prior to taking Nortriptyline. My doctor recommended increasing my beta blocker dosage, and the palpitations have discontinued. I am healthy and very active."
"I was having bad pain and discomfort in my abdominal area and testicle. This went on for 5 months. I saw several doctors and had an MRI, ultrasound, blood tests, you name it, I had it. Finally, after doing my own research, I asked my doctor to put me on 10 mg. After about 3 days, I started to notice a difference, and after a week, about 95% of my pain was gone. This med worked wonders for me and saved my life! I went from only being able to eat plain chicken, potatoes, and spinach to being able to eat anything I want. I have been on this med for about 2 months now. I do not have any side effects to speak of. Everyone is different and your results may vary. Give it a try, but try and stay at 10 mg if taking for pain."
"I suffered from debilitating IBS and was on the brink of having to leave my job on disability as a result. I also had developed severe anxiety. After over a year and many trips to a gastroenterologist, I went to a psychiatrist to treat my IBS-induced anxiety, who prescribed nortriptyline. It was a lifesaver. I have been on it for 2 years and am completely symptom-free. Truly a miracle drug for me. The only reason for a 9 is that on the two occasions when I forgot to take the medicine, I felt very sick. It must be taken EVERY day."
"I experienced abdominal pain due to IBS for years. These pains were present no matter what I ate. While these pains were at their peak, I could hear gurgling in my stomach area, therefore, I knew they were gas-related. Doctors tried every test known but couldn't find anything wrong. I had nearly given up hope. The only thing that seemed to help at all was activated charcoal. One day, a nurse practitioner prescribed me nortriptyline to trial. She told me that it wasn't for IBS, but it may help with some of its symptoms. Within a week, my pains went away and have been gone now for 2 years. I take one pill every night before bed. I am another who will say that nortriptyline has changed my life."
"This medicine has changed my life. I went a solid 10+ years living in pain and with constant diarrhea. My life revolved around going to the bathroom. I started taking nortriptyline and after a few days, the pain subsided. Then, after a few months and increasing to a max dose of 40 mg, I now have normal bowel movements. This medicine is a miracle. It also prevents my migraines, which were occurring up to several times a month. I only experienced side effects of dry mouth, fatigue, and brain fog for the first couple of months. I now have no negative effects. Thank you, nortriptyline, for giving me a normal life."
"Took about a month to kick in, but once it kicked in, it was like night and day! I was in a bad way, bad liver issues which just exacerbated my IBS. I can eat and drink what I want now, my sleeping patterns are better, I'm more relaxed, and just happier! Gastro doc put me on 50 mg a day at night. What a relief it is to not have to worry about IBS dominating my life!"
"The medication has changed my life!!! I can finally focus on my goals, and I feel great! No more pain, no more bathroom sneak attacks (thank you!!) and no more bloating! For the longest time, it looked like I had a belly, but it was all bloating! I can see a significant change in the decrease of bloating. The first couple of days after taking the medicine at night would result in a little fogginess in the morning and fatigue. Now that my body has gotten used to nortriptyline, I have much more energy and honestly a whole new outlook on life. I don't even want to think about how I felt every single day before nortriptyline. I owe my doctor big time!! :)"
"I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome two years ago in August 2008. It's been a long, lousy 2 years. I've been on many different medicines and none of them worked. Finally, nortriptyline (25mg) once a day before bed has FINALLY given me relief. It's only been one week since I started this drug but it's been a week where I can actually leave the house and not worry about my IBS (diarrhea) issues. I'm a 37-year-old male. Lomotil and Imodium have only worked partially for me. Nortriptyline worked right away (the next day I was issue-free - and I'm not exaggerating). I wish my doctor had me try this medicine earlier, although I do understand him wanting me to try other medicines first. HOWEVER, I still take a half Imodium every other day with this medicine."
"Well, it's been about 8 months now since being prescribed 10 mg Nortriptyline HCL. I take it once a day before bed. I also take Dicetel 50 mg up to 3x a day, although most days I don't even feel the need to take it. It does help though when I take it, before meals. I've had IBS for close to 20 years. I was always afraid to go out to eat. I'd always make reasons to get out of going out with friends. It literally ran my life. I've felt better since the start and wish I'd been given this years ago. This has 98% worked for me, and I would suggest it to anyone to try it! Good luck."
"I have had post-infectious IBS for about 9 months. I couldn't go to work, I couldn't eat, and I had severe abdominal cramping and diarrhea several times a day. I lost about 10 lbs (I'm underweight to begin with, so this was troublesome). My gastroenterologist prescribed nortriptyline and Bentyl (Bentyl for intestine cramping, which I was able to stop taking once the nortriptyline kicked in), and I was back to nearly normal within a week. After several months of thinking I was healed, I stopped taking nortriptyline, and my symptoms returned almost full-blown within a few days. Now I'm back on it, and I feel fine again. I have had no side effects, except a little drowsiness when I take it (though I take it before bed, so it's not a problem)!"
"I was actually homebound with post-infectious IBS. The pain in my upper abdomen wore me down. I couldn't do anything. This lasted from March of 2014 to March of 2015. I thought I was going to die. Finally, a doctor at U of M prescribed nortriptyline 10 mg at bedtime. It worked within a few days. My pain was gone. I am now working with a dietician and testing foods to see if there is a trigger to my IBS. But I can have a decent life now!"
"I was prescribed this for neuralgia. However, I noticed after a few weeks my irritable bowel syndrome was gone. GONE! When my doctor wanted to switch me to gabapentin for the nerve pain, I insisted on continuing nortriptyline. I would rather have the nerve pain than irritable bowel syndrome. Word of caution: when I was increased to ~60 mg a day, I became severely constipated with abdominal pain. This medicine can cause paralytic ileus, so be careful. I take 10-20 mg a day and seem to be okay."
"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."
"I was put on one 10mg Nortriptyline to see if it would help with severe bowel pain, it did seem to help a bit in that the pain stopped lasting the whole day, after a few weeks it was increased to 15grams and then to two 10 mg tablets making it 20mg. Unfortunately it made me very constipated and I had the worst headaches I've ever had in my life including Migraine that I suffered from for a couple of years. I have only been taking this drug for about 8 months and I was really hoping it would help the severe bowel pain that I have daily. I have stopped taking the 20 mg and have gone back trying just one tablet of 10 mg which I really hope will help. Another thing the drug causes is the most horrible taste in my mouth when I wake up in the morning that is there every morning and is difficult to get rid off I had big hopes for this drug. I do intend to try taking just 1 tablet of 10mg to see if I get any relief taking that dose"
"I was first put on this med because I suffer from migraines and the doctor wanted to see if it would help with them. As far as my IBS goes, I was put on Dicyclomine, which wasn't helping me at all. After being on Nortriptyline for my migraines, I started taking notice that it was helping me with my IBS. I wasn't having the sharp pains anymore and didn't have to worry about staying near a bathroom. Seeing that Nortriptyline wasn't helping me with my migraines, the doctor took me off of the meds. I've been off of it for a month, and since then, my IBS has been in full effect. So my family doctor put me back on them, which I will start tonight. Can't wait for it to get back into my system so it will get it back straight."
"I also took nortriptyline for irritable bowel syndrome. It did work within a couple of days, however, it also came with side effects. I would wake in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep. The worst side effect was a marked decrease in sexual performance. I discontinued the medication after two weeks. Within a few days, the IBS was back, but the side effects were gone."
"This drug has been life changing for me and I've been on it for about 3 years now. As soon as I stop taking it my symptoms come back full force. My only complaint is that I did break out in hives when I first started taking it but this eventually stopped."
More about nortriptyline
- Check interactions
- Compare alternatives
- Pricing & coupons
- Reviews (559)
- Drug images
- Side effects
- Dosage information
- Patient tips
- During pregnancy
- Support group
- Drug class: tricyclic antidepressants
- Breastfeeding
- En español
Patient resources
- Nortriptyline drug information
- Nortriptyline Capsules
- Nortriptyline Solution
Other brands
Pamelor, Aventyl Hydrochloride
Professional resources
- Nortriptyline monograph
- Nortriptyline (FDA)
- Nortriptyline Oral Solution (FDA)
Other brands
Pamelor
Related treatment guides
- Chronic Pain
- Burning Mouth Syndrome
- Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
- Depression
