Does anyone use this drug for nerve pain? I have just been prescribed it by the doctor and found it to be an anti depressant???? Confused!
Also it says take tablets at night... but does this help the pain throughout the day too?
~Also my blood pressure is really high my doctor said.. so thats another thing to add to my ever increasing list of problems...... hey ho!
When I hurt my back in 2000 the only thing that helped with the pain was elavil-an antidepressant. Apparently some of them work well on nerve pain!
Some types of anti-depressants DO work on nerve and muscle pain. When I FINALLY get to see my rheumie, I plan on asking for Cymbalta, for the pain!
I was prescribed Amytriptyline by my Neuro as l suffer with Hemiplegic Migraine and this drug is excellent & prescribed for neuropathic/nerve pain. Yes, you are right, it is also an anti-depressant but l didnt worry about that as l was so glad to be rid of the pain and right sided weakness. Neuro explained that migraine is more prevalent in people who have an auto-immune system syndrome.
I have come off it now as my migraines have not been so frequent, but l am suffering with lots of Neuropathic pain in my feet.... For me personally, l dont wish to go back on it as it caused my body to swell up (lots of sensitivities to meds) and gave me a ferocious appetite for sweet things... ::)
Fantastic for the pain though!
Thanks everyone. Just hope I dont get a craving for sweet things cos I am also pre-diabetic so need to watch my food. Will take first one tonight... does it work for 24 hours?
Fluffie,
I take Cymbalta for my neuropathy and it too is used as an antidepressant.
Fluffbunnie,
I took it's cousin Nortriptyline for migraines about 15 years ago and this was pre-Sjogrens. It is extremely drying and there is no way I could take now. This is another example of how so many with Sjogrens don't have to be as concerned about dryness. That is my first concern with any med, is how it will affect my dryness. It did help with my migraines. Also, will help you sleep.
Anna
I was given Prozac for pain and it helped tremendously. There must be something in anti-depressants that control pain somehow.
Fluffie - I take amitripyline at night. Only 10mg. I was given it for nerve pain in my neck and to help me get to sleep. Well - it helps my neck but doesn't help sleep. I was originally told to take 20mg and then to 'up it' to 25mg but it dried me out too much. It made my mouth even drier than before.
I stopped taking it and went back to the doc with neck pain. She said to try just taking 10mg. It helps.
Take care - Scottie :)
Hi there, I'm on ami's other cousin doxepin, more sleep inducing but also keeps IBS and some other overactive areas under control :) They are antidepressants by name, but at this low level (10-25mg) they're not for depression. As mentioned they're also prescribed for nerve related pain.
Cheers, Lesley (NZ)
My brother was dx with fibromyalgia about 25 years ago and he was put on this drug to help. This was before Cymbalta and Lyrica. I too was put on this drug for my fibro about 9 years ago. The doctor explained that years ago it was used to treat depression but the dosage given for depression was much higher. Since they now have newer and better drugs for depression, it is not really used to treat depression anymore.
Yes, it does help with the pain. I am told that it should also help me with sleeping better but I have yet to see that miracle happen. I started out on 10mg and went up to 25mg. Now I am on 50mg and he has thoughts of increasing it to 100mg. He hopes that my increasing it will help me to get off of taking Ambien CR which is the only thing that really helps me to sleep. I had tried cymbalta too and it really didn't do much for me but make my head feel floaty and my concentration was mush. I stayed on it for about 6 months and then was taken off because it wasn't helping.
I,M on 50 mg too. it helps so much with night time pain and the odd few times I have traded it in for a 2nd glass of wine, i have been disappointed! 50mg means I sleep within 3 hours of taking it. It nmakes my mouth dry but hey! what doesn't these days!?!
Hi there, I was on Doxepin ( tricyclic cousin to ami) for depression a few years ago as I cannot tolerate the newer SSRI's or SNRI's (they just make my head /brain buzz and I want to climb the walls) :-X Once I reached 75mgs Doxepin, I had to reduce quickly down to 25mgs, as the dryness to eyes and mouth was horrible :(
Cheers, Lesley (NZ)
Hi fluffie,
I have used Amytriptyline, it didn't seem to help with the pain (took a very low dose and only took it at night), and by did it cause some wild nightmares for me! I don't know which was worse for me, my normal don't sleep a whole lot anyway, or this drug - the nightmares were not to be believed. And I'm very thankful that most people that take don't have that kind of reaction!
I also tried Cymbalta, but it also caused more issues than it helped with me.
Take care -
Patze
I tried Effexor (sp?) and had trouble breathing. Went off of it real fast. I haven't noticed the dry mouth any more so but I've been on the drug longer than the dx with SjS.
I take Lyrica, nortriptyline and Cymbalta together and the Lyrica helps my nerve pain, the Cymbalta relaxes me at night and calms my anxiety, also take plaquinil, thyroid, ambien to sleep. I have Sjogrens and Fibromyalgia. Lesley
Well I took it last night and sleep was easier... pain is mostly gone ;D The only reason I woke was cos I had to use the loo three times!! (Think this is a symptom of high blood pressure and pre-diabetes and I am at the moment in these catergories too).
Thanks everyone for your comments...
Hi Fluffie
Glad it helped you. I've been taking 25 mgs for a couple of years for peripheral neuropathy, and it helps a lot. The bonus is also a good nights sleep, for which I'm truly thankful.
If anyone tries to take my Amytriptyline away, I think I will do them a serious michief :)
Kathyx
Quote from: Katybarstool on June 19, 2009, 01:53:04 PM
Hi Fluffie
Glad it helped you. I've been taking 25 mgs for a couple of years for peripheral neuropathy, and it helps a lot. The bonus is also a good nights sleep, for which I'm truly thankful.
If anyone tries to take my Amytriptyline away, I think I will do them a serious michief :)
Kathyx
My doctor has only given me 28 tablets.. do I need to take them forever now? I assumed when they ran out I would not need them?
Hi Fluffie :)
I have mine on repeat prescription now. Every so often I try going off them to see what happens and every time I end up wanting them again.
Take care - Scottie :)
Hi Fluffie
I was on 10 mg Amitriptyline but it didn't make much difference, except increasing the dryness issues. I switched to 10 mg Nortriptyline and it suits me better.
As Scottie says, you'll get a repeat prescription from your GP. They only dispense it a month at a time, which is the same with most meds. You'll get into the habit of emailing your GP for repeat prescriptions, or you could set up a system for your pharmacist to collect the repeats from your GP for you. It's worth organising anything that saves you energy in the long term.
Take care - Chickpea
Quote from: Chickpea on June 20, 2009, 12:48:31 PM
Hi Fluffie
I was on 10 mg Amitriptyline but it didn't make much difference, except increasing the dryness issues. I switched to 10 mg Nortriptyline and it suits me better.
As Scottie says, you'll get a repeat prescription from your GP. They only dispense it a month at a time, which is the same with most meds. You'll get into the habit of emailing your GP for repeat prescriptions, or you could set up a system for your pharmacist to collect the repeats from your GP for you. It's worth organising anything that saves you energy in the long term.
Take care - Chickpea
I have just started my first ever repeat prescription at the doctors... :D (such a big step for me LOL) I will speak to her soon no doubt and ask for Amitriptyline to be added if she says I can continue.
I am not sure the local chemists collect, but that is no issue as I post my repeat to the doctor with a stamped addressed envelope and they post it back to me.
Hi there, these tricyclics (ami, nortryp, dox etc) are non-addictive and can be safely taken long term in low doses. I get a script for 60 with 2 repeats. Each country may is different in the amounts they are allowed to supply in prescriptions.
Cheers, Lesley (NZ)
Years ago my endo prescribed them for me. They helped me and I had refills. Later on when I was taking Lyrica and Cymbalta I went off the medication. Partly because the doctor wanted to see if the newer drugs would benefit me more. I never stayed on the Cymbalta long and last year the lyrica quit helping. So after scratching his head, the doctor was reviewing and said that it helped me before and it may help again. I did/does and the I have three refills on a 90 day supply.
It's alot cheaper than other medications and if I wanted to go off, I think I would have to have the doctor taper me to lower doseage and go off. But if it works, it's a relief then. Yes?
Hi,
I have been taking Cymbalta now for 5 weeks. It was during the 3rd week that I woke up one day and my muscle pain was 90 percent gone! Really, this med has been great for me and I hope it continues. I was on Effexor before, and I do not like it even though it helped with anxiety better. I still hear the grinding in my neck joins, and things are still not quite right, but my muscle pain is back to normal.
I read that the lack of seratonin increases the pain sensation, and these meds increase seratonin. If that is true, then it makes sense for me. I don't know how it would work if you suffer pain from inflammation though.
Good luck :)
Kellie
I tried Amitriptyline and I didn't sleep for 3 days. I have trouble sleeping anyways, but don't want that stuff again. I take Restoril to help me sleep and Tramadol for pain along with my Plaquenil.
Get this.....I am on nortriptyline 75mg. at night for depression (a tricyclic antidepressant in the same family as your med,been taking it for 20 years) and Cymbalta 30mg. twice a day for pain, and Lyrica 150mg twice a day for pain. The Lyrica really helps my pain and the Cymbalta has helped my body to relax so that my sleep is not so fragmented and I do not toss and turn in the bed all night like I have for years after starting this medication 3 weeks ago. I also take ambien 10 mg. about half of the nights to sleep. I take full replacement thyroid as I have thyroid antibodies. I also started taking plaquinil 4 months ago and it is helping my joints and to a lesser extent my eyes. I would ask to be switched to Cymbalta. The Cymbalta also has a nice side effect of calming generilized anxiety as one of it's uses is generalized anxiety dissorder. Lyrica is also used in Europe for social anxiety dissorder. I love that we live in this day and age as I believe I would be dead without these meds. I really mean that as my pain is really bad and these medications help a lot. Lesley
Hi Lesley
Yes, we are lucky to ive in an age where there are meds to help almost all of our symptoms. I take a bucketful, and although I can't say I'm symptom free, I can live with the level things are at most of the time.
Hugs
Kathyx