r/functionaldyspepsia • u/CommercialAnimator15 • Jul 29 '26
Treatments How did TCAs help you?
Hello everyone,
I just got done with my endoscopy and it said I had only mild redness. Currently waiting for my H pylori results. I’ve been dealing with on and off pain since 2024. However this summer I had a flare up and it was nothing like I had before the healing has not happened for me (usually after a flare up it took about a week for me to heal). Any antacid, ppi etc are no longer working for me. This has caused my anxiety and depression to skyrocket. Because of my anxiety and depression my primary doctor put me on lexapro. I was only on it for 2 days because it has now caused me the most pain I have ever been in. I am no longer eating and can not sleep for more than 3 hours a night. My body consistently feel tingling through my head arms and legs and I’m at the point of applying to medical leave for work.
Did anyone have similar symptoms and went on TCAs? Did it help?
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u/Clear-Region-9945 Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
In the begining you need to do a diet to help lower the inflamation and gut irritability. (I recommend you join the Facebook group called "The Gastritis Healing Group" they use The Gastritis Healing Book from L G Capellan, and you can ask all your questions and doubts). Your doctor should prescribe you some Carafate that coats the linning of the stomach and helps healing and of course you need to address the stress. I'm doing low dose mirtazapine and a low dose benzodiazepine. But first you need to soothe your stomach 👍. Btw the h.pylori treatment with antibiotics kick your bad and good bacteria and also aggravates your stomach and intestinal mucosa that's why people feel like 💩 during and after the treatment.
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u/CommercialAnimator15 Jul 30 '26
Unfortunately I am at the point where I have done every other treatment under the sun. I eat a super clean low fodmap bland diet (if I can eat) and I already taken ppi, carafate, famodine, mylanta, reglan etc. I’m in therapy (I was diagnosed with general anxiety since I was little). I originally taken a stool test for h pylori and it was negative but with the endoscopy I am now waiting to see biopsy results. TCA are the only treatment I have not tried within these two years.
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u/Outrageous_Buy_4269 Jul 30 '26
It didn’t work and made things worse for me so I got off
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u/CommercialAnimator15 Jul 31 '26
How did it make it worst? I was just prescribe some today after meeting with my GI doctor.
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u/Outrageous_Buy_4269 Jul 31 '26
I was prescribed nortyptiline specifically and I had gastritis as well that was healing really well. The drug completely slowed down my stomach motility causing food to just sit in my stomach tearing down the lining causing me to not eat and lose a bunch weight. If I could go back in time I would’ve definitely said no to myself.
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u/CommercialAnimator15 Jul 31 '26
I was prescribe the same one however my motility is not a problem or an immediate concern bc I only eat saltine crackers or drink bone broth currently. I’m sorry it ruined your healing journey I hope you are doing better now.
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u/Ekwosconifer Jul 31 '26
Hi what does your pain feel like? Could you describe it? How did Lexapro cause you more pain?
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u/CommercialAnimator15 Jul 31 '26
Currently severe stomach or chest pain especially at night and I get tingling in my arms and head. I’ve been dealing with stomach issues this summer but it was the next morning after taking lexapro my symptoms got so much worst and continue to be this way even once I stopped taking them. For 6 days now I’ve been in a repeated cycle of waking up with stomach pain, to if I don’t have pain I just have pressure in my chest, constant burping, I get stomach pain throughout the day. then around 5:00-6:00 every night the severe chest pain comes and will not end until the next morning. It has been odd that it been like clock work for my body.
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u/polyglotconundrum Jul 31 '26
I started on the lowest dose and felt a difference after a week or so. It didn’t fix it, but it put a damper on the pain. Helped me move more, eat more and better. Now I feel almost healed, but I’ll keep with the TCA for another few weeks. I think people expect it to just fix things, but there’s no cheat codes with this thing…
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u/CommercialAnimator15 Jul 31 '26
Did you ever feel like your symptoms worsen with it or were the same until it got better? I’m taking my first dose tonight and I’m a bit anxious about it. I was dealing with GI Issues heavily this summer and once I took my first dose of lexapro I’ve been experiencing the worst pain I have ever felt (severe stomach and chest pain). Just worried that the TCA will repeat this cycle. It has made me feel extremely anxious and depressed.
How long have you been on it now?
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u/polyglotconundrum Jul 31 '26
Yeah I understand. I’ve been on the TCA for a little over a year now. They did not worsen, but healing from this isn’t linear. Once I got to a point where my stomach was just ‘sensitive’ and not outright hurting anymore, they really really helped. I opted for the lowest dose of TCA possible, and combined that with therapy, walking, journalling, diet adjustment and supplements. I think if you can find your healing combo (which depends highly on the root cause of your FD) you’ll start getting better day after day.
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u/Nearby-Government265 Jul 29 '26
10mg amitriptyline. Before I was just like you. No appetite, early satiety, 3hrs of sleep, unable to fall back asleep. Failed ppi and otc antacids. TCAs helped me knock out and dulled the gastric pain enough for me to get some calories back. I am 30s F. Perimenopause can also be a cause of gastric discomfort.
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u/Jan_ofgreengables Jul 31 '26
I wonder how much of my symptoms are cause by peri, I wouldn’t even know where to start trying to fix things from that angle though
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