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Laker 
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Joined: 01 April 2007
Location: United States
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Posts: 531
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 Topic: Elavil/amytriptyline questions
Posted: 22 July 2008 at 2:54pm |
My nurse called today and said my rheum wants to double my prednisone and for me to consider starting elavil as I am having a lot of pain problems and ESR was up. So I looked it up and am not sure what to do. the elavil sounds like would help with nerve pain, fibro, sleeping, interstitial cystitis etc etc.so could help with many of my issues, but I see it can cause "extreme weight gain" - just what I need - and that it is an anti-depressant. I already take nortriptyline for nerve pain and it is an anti-depressant as well.
If youv'e been on elavil have you found it effective for pain? Has it caused weight gain?
Thanks in advance for any input. I am already on 9 rx and hate to add another, but hate being so miserable too.
Laker
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dx 2/2007 RA,OA, Vasculitis,Raynauds, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
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KatieG
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Joined: 25 March 2008
Location: Southern US
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Posts: 1071
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Posted: 22 July 2008 at 5:21pm |
Back when I was having unexplained fatigue (dx chronic fatigue--but probably early ra) as well as other stressful life events, a psych that I liked prescribed elavil hoping it would reduce my fatigue by making me sleep better. It made my fatigue much worse. But I don't know that I was really having quality of sleep issues because I wasn't all that depressed, just tired. So I can't add much except that I didn't really give it a chance to work, because it made me super sleepy (and--at that time--I didn't think I was depressed and objected to being on an antidepressant. I really wasn't that depressed and I could tell this time that I was.)
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31/f RA or Reactive Arthritis? Mobic/Humira/Aciphex/Ritalin
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mab52
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Joined: 08 March 2008
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Posted: 22 July 2008 at 8:23pm |
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I'm on it for Fibro and it is very effective for me. I can't say it's better than nortryptaline but it's definitely better just for sleeping--really a night time medicine. As to the weight gain, I haven't noticed any added weight. You shouldn't be taking it with the nortryptaline--you probably would roll down the nortryptaline and then work up the dose of amitryptaline. It can help you sleep with as little as 10mg and work up to maybe 50mg. No reason to take more unless you need it for depression but everyone is different.
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O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.
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Bird Girrl
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Joined: 08 November 2007
Location: United States
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Posted: 22 July 2008 at 8:26pm |
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Long ago a doctor prescribed it to me for fibro. I started packing on the pounds within 2 weeks. I soon stopped it because it did nothing for my pain just made it more obvious that it was joint pain and not muscle pain. He did have me move up to a high dose, so maybe the weight wouldn't be so much at a lower dose.
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Pam S
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Joined: 22 April 2005
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Posted: 22 July 2008 at 9:41pm |
Hi Laker,
I was given elevil for fibro. It is an antidepressant but given in a low dose it has a different function. I stopped taking it after about a year or so because although it helped me get right to sleep, I still would wake up during the night with pain and I was groggy the next day until about noon from it. Some people do really well with it though. So maybe it is worth a try.
I agree with bird girl that the weight gain would probably not be an issue at a low dose  .
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owiemom
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Joined: 26 January 2007
Location: United States
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Posts: 551
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Posted: 23 July 2008 at 1:36am |
A few years ago I was on it for sleep/pain issues. I was taken off because it also causes dry mouth and I have sjogren's - not a good combo. I was only on 10mg for about a year and gained a little weight, maybe 5-10lbs. and I also woke up groggy.
I'm on Lyrica now and love it. No side effects at all and has been great for my nerve pain. I take ambien cr for sleep now, and Lexapro for depression...
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RA, Lupus, Sjogren's, Raynaud's, peripheral neuropathy, fibro, fentanyl,ambien cr, ativan, lyrica, plaquenil, salagen,
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reader
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Joined: 01 January 2008
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Posted: 23 July 2008 at 7:24am |
I took it for about six months and it did help, just not enough. I am now on Lyrica and like it better. As for weight gain, I didn't really gain any weight but it did make it a lot harder to shed those extra pred. pounds, course the Lyrica does too. Good luck with whatever you decide.
jamie
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I'd rather be at the beach
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lorster
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Joined: 10 February 2006
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Posted: 23 July 2008 at 8:13am |
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I gained 65 pounds on this med. It turned me into a slug. All I wanted to do was lay around and eat. I went from walking and hiking daily to doing nothing. I did sleep better than I have in my entire life. I went off it 2 years ago...weaned down, never looked back. I still have not lost all the weight but am working on it. I took it for chronic daily headaches. It never helped them (beta blockers did though) so it was 4 years of my life that I really did not need them. Live and learn.
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"You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith."
Mary Manin Morrissey
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