Karen - how is the pamelor working for you? How much do you take, does it make you as drowsy as elavil? (After all, I tried switching at your suggestion and now have huge stockpile of it:)

Joanne

My house is looking like a pharmacy too. Comes with the territory. Saw a new Dr. the other day - chatted with him @ meds like we were old college buddies. Surreal.
Karen K

I recently started taking Amitriptyline. My dr started me on 10 mg a night for a week. Then I went up to 20 mg a night for a week. Then 30 mg and finally remain at 40 mg per night. I started taking it on a Thursday and every time I increased the dosage Friday and Saturday I was in a "zombie" type state. I drank a lot of coffee and pop with caffeine to be more alert during the day. But I also remember being easily irritated during those 2 days.

I've been on 40 mg a day for several weeks now and occasionally I feel dizzy but that's the only side effect I notice. In the beginning I slept real good at night but now that my body is used to it I have started to wake up in the middle of the night.

For me, the burning is still there. I do think it has helped lower the intensity of the burning feeling.

Good luck.

Thanks everyone for their replies. Sorry I havent posted in a while.. I am just trying to cope with everyday. The dentist who did this to me still is in total denial of what happened/what was said and "apparently" cannot agree that this injury has effected my quality of life in anyway (ok everybody shall we all just laugh at this point or cry?). I am still so amazed at this situation we are all in - This is whats happened since I last posted.

I gave up the Amitripthyline as I just couldnt work while taking this drug. My doc said to try Gabbapentin so I had been on that for about 3 months, and kept uping the dose. It was great for the burning, but didnt hit the pain at anytime. My doc refered me to a pain clinic and while I was waiting for the appointment I slowley came of the Gabbapentin as my memory loss was unbeliveable and it was thought it would give the pain clinic a "clean" start. For a week then I wanted to rip my tongue out and dig out my teeth - so I was on the ceiling along with a migraine from hell!

The Doc at the clinic is one of our top pain consultants and is huge in researching pain. He explained how the drugs work and said I should have be taking both Amitripthyline and Gabbapentin. So that where I am at.. back to the zombie drug and the Gab. But wait (!) they had run out of the Gab and will post it to me.. so I have cuting the Amitripthyline for now in 4 and taking oly 1/4 to start with then on to 2/4 and so on.. to try and get used to it over a longer period of time and build up - otherwise I will lose my job.

I have been told there is a new drug coming in UK - based on Gab, but will stay in the blood for longer and therefore no need to take so often - so when it comes I will be able to have that - o joy!

I am taking part in pain research this afternoon - they want to know how it effects our emotions - imagine that hahahah.

Enough of my bable - will let you know how I get on if the zombie drug lets me

Hugs and healing to all.
Sue

I still take amitryptiline (will I ever get the spelling right?), but 9 weeks ago started on Trileptal.

While I have had a couple of bad pain episodes, the Trileptal has salvaged a big part of my summer (and life), after 2 years of this. I couldn't handle the gabapentin/neurontin. I find the side effects of Trileptal minimal, esp in terms of concentration. Yesterday I read a book for 6 hours straight (yes, it was a good one obviously).

But Trileptal allows me to do this. Before I was limited in my reading, reserving all strength for work. 3 weeks on neurontin my memory, my balance (I was falling down on subways and escalators - not pretty).

The current meds have definitely affected my ST memory, and I think we all have to live with that compromise - but I just wanted to let you know my experience with Trileptal - others have had bad experiences, but you don't know until you try.

Sorry, this thought turned into a long one.

Good luck,
Joanne

Tripletal worked wonders for me too. For the antidepressent I used Effexor. I also us Gab (Neurontin) without much problems at the lower doses.

There are more meds then just Gab and Amitripthyline. I did find it important to ramp up the meds very slowly. Sometime slower then what the docs wanted me to go.

Good luck with the meds.

"T"

If you haven't taken it before, and since you haven't filled it yet, I would ask the pharmacist if they can fill it in 10mg or 25mg tablets - just because it will make you drowsy (only take at night time). If you have the smaller dose pills, you can stagger your dose and gradually go up.

I would definitely try it - it got me through the early horrible days.

It is also known as elavil, it is a tricyclic antidepressant - but it is rarely prescribed for depression, since it isn't very effective for that (it's an older one); but it is fairly effective for chronic pain, so mostly that's what it's prescribed for.

Check it at rxlist.com

Good luck
Joanne

I'm guessing you are at home right now, so go right ahead and pop the 50mg when your husband gets home, but be prepared to be very drowsy and likely go to bed. hopefully you can get some relief and rest at the same time.

Good luck,
Joanne

When I had my injury I needed more then just one medication to get me through the day. It is important to start them at low doses so your body can adjust to them. I also believe it is important to sleep as much as you can so you can heal. Give into the sleep if you can.

I started with:

Anti-depressant; Anti-seizure (Neurontin); Pain (Ultraset); Zanex (Anxiety)

and added:

Trileptal; Topamax (both Anti-seizure)

Don't be afraid to ask for more meds to help you if you need them, especially to help you sleep. My meds knocked me out during the first few months as I adjusted to their side effects. I did get use to them and now function fine. It is a trade off I chose to help with my injury. I had to decide to deal with the med side effects to numb the pain or live with the pain. I chose the meds. Others on this site can deal with less meds then I did, but each person is different. You know your body the best, so follow what it is telling you.

I started with a lot of meds and I am now starting to lower them. Have faith that you will see that day too. Nerves are slow to heal and I never thought I would see this day. Especially when I was first injured. I cried everyday, but you will get past these hardest first moments. Take it one day at a time and try not to look out beyond that.

To good healing and a good nights sleep

"T"

Just found this site after referencing Amitriptelene.

My story is different to others on this site, so excuse me, but I am looking for information please about Amitriptelene and other information on relieving pain of damaged nerves.

My foot was run over by a car 13 months ago. No bones were broken but I have been in serious pain and have been given a large list of different painkillers to try over this period - none of which have worked.

After a recommendation to a physio, I finally got diagnosed as having compressed nerves and got Amitriptelene prescribed upon the physios recommendation before she would do anything for me.

My first dose was 3 x 10mg a day. It was amazing, the pain started to calm down and physio could proceed. The only side effect was having trouble getting up in the morning and a dry mouth - enter sugar free gum

Everything was going fine until an event put me though some major stress. Suddenly I was back where I was at the beginning and my body felt as if it had become accustomed to the drug and so didn’t seem to work anymore.

From 2 x 20mg does through the day with 1 x 30mg dose at night, I am now on 3 x 40mg a day to try and nip the pain in the bud again.

I live in the UK by the way, so some drug names may be different but I am looking for help and recommendations of any sort to help me combat the pain.

Other details: I am a 43 year old male, at present unable to walk more than half steps. I previously was a gardener who worked outside with the job involving lifting and walking a lot. I am in constant pain of varying degrees and so have to sometimes take a sleeping tablet at night which makes me even more drowsy in the morning. At the moment, I have to be driven everywhere, and meals made for me. I have physio at weekly intervals which help to a degree but now for very short lengths of time.

Any help or advice gratefully received. Thanks.

Im sorry for your pain. I know at times of stress it feels to me that I am on no medication at all and I am on the ceiling in pain and burning - which I guess kindda backs up the idea that these "nerve" pains are totally contriolled by signals sent to my brain constantly.

Are you under a pain clinic? Im in UK too by the way! I suggest if you are not you asked to be refered to one, they are able to prescribe different drugs, or should I say combinations of drugs than your run of the mill gp.

Currently I am on 25mg Amitrip plus 900mg of Gabapentin which comntinues to be increased. I have heard from my pain Dr. that the same makers of Gabapentin have launched a new drug which you have to take less often as it stays in the blood stream longer - which is great because I have servere memroy loss from taking these drugs that I dont know if I have taken the pill or not (not funny).

Let us know how you go?
Keep in touch.
Suzie

Thanks for replying.

Yes, I'm on the waiting list to see the pain clinic, so fingers crossed hopefully an appointment soon.

Interesting to read your mention of Gabapentin, it seems to be mentioned a lot on the forum, especially how well people seem to tolorate it.

Did you get this prescribed to you by the pain clinic or by your GP?

I ask as the general feeling I get is that GP's hate the internet in that they now have patients coming in enquiring about different drugs by name

Anyway, have a good christmas.

Terry

Pssst if you read the whole of this thread I am actually Sue1 who started it *laughs.. my login wont work

Yes I started on Amitrip but I could function on it I was a zombie for about 3 weeks so I stopped taking it, then gp suggested Gabapentin so Ive been on that for ages - my GP has been really good to me.. she is quite shocked as to what has happened.

The Pain clinic increased the Gab and introduced Amitrip again - but I cheated I used a pill cutter that time and it took me about 2 weeks to get up to 25mg and still be awake lol

My gp didnt have the authority to combine the drugs but pain Dr. said its all trial and error where nerves are concerned (you can say that again!) My pain slightly better - still not great and the burning I have hasnt changed at all on these drugs.... ho hum

Terry - I have learnt in this situation to push and push - you will not get heard otherwise - keep chasing the referal

Good luck and healing to you - keep in touch and shout and scream here when ever you feel like it! We all know how some days can be!

Merry Christmas!

Suzie