Exploring amitriptyline alternatives provides a counter-balance to what appears to be a rampant overuse of medications commonly prescribed for depression and other symptoms.
Antidepressants like amitriptyline may have helped for a short time. However, using safer alternatives to amitriptyline can prevent a lifetime of being medicated.
Do Your Symptoms Require Amitriptyline?
We love to share the tremendous antidepressant alternatives successes at Alternative to Meds that have been offered to our clients for over 15 years. We have published evidence that tracks our success in using alternatives to amitriptyline and alternatives to other drugs in safe and healthy treatment protocols.
15 Years Experience by Professionals Who Understand Your Journey.
Sometimes a physician completely misdiagnoses a patient by missing factors like underlying medical, physical, or lifestyle conditions that were not explored. Many unknown factors may have contributed to depression and other symptoms. Compounding the problem, universities do not train physicians on how to properly withdraw a patient from antidepressants, should they prove ineffective or problematic because of the side effects. At the same time, schools do not train or encourage physicians to use alternatives to amitriptyline or other drugs. This practice prevents the resolution of symptoms like depression in a healthy way, without drugs. We can help. We seek to discover what these contributing factors were, and resolve them safely in less toxic ways than simply drugging the patient.
The brand name for amitriptyline, Elavil, has been discontinued in the U.S. However, generic versions of the drug are still sold. This drug is probably best known for having ranked at or near the top spot for death by suicide. Nonetheless, the generic drug is now prescribed for pain, or as a “muscle relaxant,” or in a compound drug containing a benzodiazepine such as Limbitrol®.
Originally marketed as a tricyclic antidepressant, generic amitriptyline is still prescribed for depression accompanied by the standard black box warning for suicidality and unusual behavioral changes, especially in the under 25 age range. Amitriptyline is also prescribed off-label for anxiety, PTSD, chronic pain, hiccups, bedwetting, eating disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, insomnia, and many other conditions.
The reported side effects include myocardial infarction, stroke, coma, seizures, hallucinations, disorientation, tremors, tardive dyskinesia, hostility, akathisia, headache, dizziness, rash, swollen face and tongue, constipation, sleepiness, weight gain, dry mouth, aggressiveness, impulsivity, agitation, worsened depression, worsened psychosis in schizophrenic patients, increased or decreased blood sugar levels, insomnia, nightmares, alopecia, increased or decreased libido, allergic reactions, panic attacks, hypomania or mixed manic episodes, and numerous others. The FDA cautions that suicidality is especially likely in the first few months of beginning treatment.5-7
What Alternatives to Amitriptyline Are There?
Each case presents unique circumstances, a scenario unto itself. Truly, there are many non-drug-based solutions that effectively relieve depression. These holistic solutions don’t create toxic reactions, suicidality, or addiction/dependence. Examples can include checking for deficiencies and correcting them, or correcting diet and other lifestyle factors that could contribute to a depressed state. Here are some examples of alternatives to amitriptyline that deserve consideration, followed by expanded descriptions further below.
Choose real food without chemicals and pesticides14,15
Test for nutritional deficiencies and correct with supplementation3,13.14,16
Test for food allergies, mycotoxins, and other allergies20,27
Therapeutic massage22
Foot Reflexology25
Yoga21
Acupuncture23
Support/repair microbiome12
Lifestyle Interventions — Better Strategies for Effective Amitriptyline Alternatives
One can analyze and change personal and social circumstances to create a more positive and balanced life experience. We sometimes overlook impacts from a stressful workplace, marital and familial interactions, and so on. One can, with guidance, sort out and resolve trouble spots.
Social networking can have profound effects on mood. A good ratio of positive social contacts can actually reduce depression. One may have to educate oneself about crafting and caring for relationships, but it is possible to do so.
Have you neglected some past hobbies? Are there new interests that you want to pursue? Gardeners know that “digging in the dirt” is a true source of happiness and satisfaction. It may not be just because the harvest is bountiful or the flowers are beautiful, though the pleasure of creating something lovely is therapeutic all in itself.11 But in addition to that, studies have shown how contact with microbes in healthy soil can generate a brighter mood and a happier outlook. It’s being called a natural antidepressant, but without the side effects! 2
Physical therapies can help bridge the gap when recovering from medication use, including Foot Reflexology, therapeutic massage, craniosacral massage, learned relaxation techniques, chiropractic, yoga, Qi Gong, acupuncture, and other physical therapies that can be applied to markedly reduce mental and physical discomfort and unwanted symptoms such as insomnia.21-23,25
Quality of life is precious. One can carve out a better quality of life, and we provide the guidance to help you do that. Alternative to Meds Center’s Life Coaches and art therapists can assist with positive lifestyle interventions. Counseling is highly ranked as an effective strategy and support while other therapies available at Alternative Meds Center are blended together for a successful approach. Please find more detailed descriptions of the benefits of counseling as well as diet, supplementation, and other helpful strategies further in this article.
Talk Therapy
After reviewing hundreds of meta-analyses on the efficacy of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) for the treatment of chronic depression and other troubling symptoms, authors Hoffman et al found that talk therapy had comparable efficacy to SSRIs and other antidepressant medications.10 Interestingly, stopping smoking with CBT had even greater success than nicotine replacement therapies.
CBT can be considered a family of therapies, having developed many styles and forms of delivery to accommodate a growing number of individuals seeking non-pharmacological interventions. According to research published in the Journal of Psychology and Medicine, the relief of symptoms after CBT is long-lasting, as opposed to when a drug wears off and any relief quickly fades.26 Alternative to Meds Center offers various genres of talk therapy with our licensed, compassionate therapists. Please call us for more information on options to consider that resonate best with your mental wellness goals.
Toxin Overload and Mental Health
Toxic exposures are often overlooked when assessing and treating psychiatric symptoms, yet these can play havoc with mental health. Here is where the proverbial ounce of prevention should be stressed. Daily exposure to neurotoxic compounds can occur with the use of household cleaners, cosmetic products, heavy metals as in dental amalgam, pesticides, and other endocrine disruptors and all of these should be avoided wherever possible.18
Alternative to Meds Center provides a cleansing regimen based on environmental medicine consisting of sauna and natural supplements that convert fat-soluble toxins to a water-soluble form that can be excreted through the sweat and normal channels. Other cleansing methods include colon hydrotherapy, nebulized glutathione, mineral baths, and other strategies. Lab testing demonstrates the presence of such toxic elements so that these can be purged from the body, gently and safely.
Benefits of Exercise, Fresh Air and Sunshine
Have you ever wondered if doctors prescribe outdoor exercise and exposure to the sun or bright light therapy, especially in the darker months of winter? Well, this trend is becoming more and more mainstream according to the research of Penckhofer et al. The authors’ research found that after a prescription of a daily walk, exposure to sunshine, and supplementing with vitamin D, B vitamins, selenium, and folic acid, all participants had significant positive increases in mood, general well-being, self-esteem, and happiness.16
Alternative to Meds Center’s location, nestled just steps away from Sedona’s majestic red rocks, is highly conducive to outdoor walks and hiking and, of course, plenty of sunshine for replenishing vitamin D. A fascinating study published in the Indian Journal of Psychology and Medicine reported that depressed persons had lower levels of vitamin D than the controls in the studies, and those with the lowest Vitamin D levels had the most pronounced depressive symptoms.3
Our equine therapy programs provide a highly popular way to enhance the recovery process. A person recovering from deficiencies or desiring to balance natural neurochemistry may benefit greatly from these therapies and some simple adjustments to their daily regimen without the liabilities of drug-based treatments for depression.
How Important is Nutrition as an Alternative Treatment for Depression?
Diet can be tremendously effective to improve hormonal health. Research by Ryan and Seely suggests that food itself might be best considered as a sort of cocktail of hormones, supplying micronutrients that the body uses to perform vast numbers of regulatory and other functions for good health. Since hormones and mood are intimately connected, it would be wise to test for hormone irregularities, such as low thyroid or adrenals, and choose foods that provide the necessary raw materials for optimized hormone function. Low functioning thyroid and adrenal glands can contribute to low mood, and thus better food choices can be life-changing in no small part because of the direct impact of hormones on mood.8,9
Food allergies as well as mycotoxins from molds and other types of allergies also can disrupt mental wellness and are often overlooked. These can be tested for and the diet and environment can be modified to avoid exposure to these elements.20,27
Supplementation Plays a Key Role
Supplementation plays an important role in mental wellness. Support for the digestive microbiome is essential, as is reported in the 2017 Journal of Clinical Practice, in the treatment and prevention of depression and anxiety. A healthy gut is linked to a healthy CNS which is needed so that neurotransmitters and hormones are operating at top form.12
Certain supplements have been shown to be helpful in treating depression and other symptoms, for example, Omega-3 fatty acids, St. John’s Wort, passionflower, and many others with proven efficacy according to scientific research and clinical trials.13-15
We tailor nutrition therapy to each individual’s actual needs. As a result, we give our clients proven foundations for success. We offer holistic, proven orthomolecular nutrition-based protocols for depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other symptoms that can be treated with safe and effective alternatives to amitriptyline and other drugs.
Find Out More About the Amitriptyline Alternatives Offered at Alternative to Meds Center
Thankfully, the protocols used during ATMC treatment programs provide relief to clients using alternatives to amitriptyline or other drugs. Our programs are based on neurotransmitter rehabilitation to restore natural mental health while a person recovers. In many ways, it could be said that drugs, incorrect diet, a toxic environment, and poor lifestyle choices can rob the very elements needed to support robust health. Please contact us directly to find out more about how we can ease your or your loved one’s road to recovery. Find out more about transitioning to a drug-free life using amitriptyline alternatives.
14. David Mischoulon, MD, PhD Update and Critique of Natural Remedies as Antidepressant Treatments Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 Dec 1. Published in final edited form as: Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2009 Dec; 36(4): 789–807. [cited 2022 June 15]
21. Ledetra Bridges, LMSW and Manoj Sharma, MBBS, MCHES, PhD . The Efficacy of Yoga as a Form of Treatment for Depression J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017 Oct; 22(4): 1017–1028.Published online 2017 Jun 30. [cited 2022 June 15]
This content has been reviewed and approved by a licensed physician.
Dr. Samuel Lee
Dr. Samuel Lee is a board-certified psychiatrist, specializing in a spiritually-based mental health discipline and integrative approaches. He graduated with an MD at Loma Linda University School of Medicine and did a residency in psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He has also been an inpatient adult psychiatrist at Kaweah Delta Mental Health Hospital and the primary attending geriatric psychiatrist at the Auerbach Inpatient Psychiatric Jewish Home Hospital. In addition, he served as the general adult outpatient psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente. He is board-certified in psychiatry and neurology and has a B.A. Magna Cum Laude in Religion from Pacific Union College. His specialty is in natural healing techniques that promote the body’s innate ability to heal itself.
Diane is an avid supporter and researcher of natural mental health strategies. Diane received her medical writing and science communication certification through Stanford University and has published over 3 million words on the topics of holistic health, addiction, recovery, and alternative medicine. She has proudly worked with the Alternative to Meds Center since its inception and is grateful for the opportunity to help the founding members develop this world-class center that has helped so many thousands regain natural mental health.
Medical Disclaimer: Nothing on this Website is intended to be taken as medical advice. The information provided on the website is intended to encourage, not replace, direct patient-health professional relationships. Always consult with your doctor before altering your medications. Adding nutritional supplements may alter the effect of medication. Any medication changes should be done only after proper evaluation and under medical supervision.
Our Success Stories
Medication Withdrawal Success Stories
Can you imagine being free from medications, addictive drugs, and alcohol? This is our goal and we are proving it is possible every day!
This practice prevents the resolution of symptoms like depression in a healthy way, without drugs. We can help. We seek to discover what these contributing factors were, and resolve them safely in less toxic ways than simply drugging the patient.
Lifestyle interventions — gardening, art, music, life coaching, hobbies, volunteer work 2,11,24,28
Have you neglected some past hobbies? Are there new interests that you want to pursue? Gardeners know that “digging in the dirt” is a true source of happiness and satisfaction. It may not be just because the harvest is bountiful or the flowers are beautiful, though the pleasure of creating something lovely is therapeutic all in itself.11 But in addition to that, studies have shown how contact with microbes in healthy soil can generate a brighter mood and a happier outlook. It’s being called a natural antidepressant, but without the side effects! 2
After reviewing hundreds of meta-analyses on the efficacy of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) for the treatment of chronic depression and other troubling symptoms, authors Hoffman et al found that talk therapy had comparable efficacy to SSRIs and other antidepressant medications.10 Interestingly, stopping smoking with CBT had even greater success than nicotine replacement therapies.
Have you ever wondered if doctors prescribe outdoor exercise and exposure to the sun or bright light therapy, especially in the darker months of winter? Well, this trend is becoming more and more mainstream according to the research of Penckhofer et al. The authors’ research found that after a prescription of a daily walk, exposure to sunshine, and supplementing with vitamin D, B vitamins, selenium, and folic acid, all participants had significant positive increases in mood, general well-being, self-esteem, and happiness.16
Diet can be tremendously effective to improve hormonal health. Research by Ryan and Seely suggests that food itself might be best considered as a sort of cocktail of hormones, supplying micronutrients that the body uses to perform vast numbers of regulatory and other functions for good health. Since hormones and mood are intimately connected, it would be wise to test for hormone irregularities, such as low thyroid or adrenals, and choose foods that provide the necessary raw materials for optimized hormone function. Low functioning thyroid and adrenal glands can contribute to low mood, and thus 
Supplementation plays an important role in mental wellness. Support for the digestive microbiome is essential, as is reported in the 2017 Journal of Clinical Practice, in the treatment and prevention of depression and anxiety. A healthy gut is linked to a healthy CNS which is needed so that neurotransmitters and hormones are operating at top form.12
