I have sciatic nerve pain.
I have been to see the nurse practitioner at the pain clinic to chat about medicines and making sure i have best combinations.
I filled in one of those forms about pain levels, coping levels etc. My scores were largely 6+, averaging 7. Clearly, emotionally pissed off.
Discussion with nurse, got to fill in a sheet outlining where my pain is, on a diagram.
Patronised a little. Asked a few questions about my sleep. Asked if I have ever been prescribed anything to help with my mood or with my sleep. No, I said, not directly for those reasons but have tried amytriptyline, very sensitive, couldn't cope with side effects so stopped. Brilliant said the nurse, in that case, we can try nortriptyline, as it's similar but more gentle than Amytriptyline.
Discussed possible side effects, taking with other medication. I asked if i should stop taking certain other meds as she was not happy with me taking anti-inflammatories over a long period, and she said (para) 'don't change your current dosing pattern now, wait for a little bit and when you start sleeping a bit better, and feeling a little bit better in yourself as the medication works, then you can think about changing those'.
She did say this was not because she thinks I am depressed, but it feels very much that this is what it's been prescribed for. As she spent more time talking about how my mood will feel better, not, as I had thought it was being prescribed for, that it will help my nerve pain.
Now, I am not necessarily adverse to a little mood enhancing as a side effect. I am certainly prepared to consider that I am little depressed. But, the reason for that depression is due to constant bloody pain, not due to issues with chemical imbalance, so the priority for me is to address the pain, and then the depression will do one. In fact, I would go so far as to say, rather than depressed, I am fed up with constant pain.
But, I would prefer that the nurse said to me 'Mrs Pavlov, this is an antidepressant. You are depressed, as indicated by my cursory glance at your scores without even discussing the answers with you I feel this will improve your mood and thus your ability to cope with the pain you feel accept your lot.
So, what I would like to know is really - have you been prescribed this for nerve pain, did it work, how well did it work compared to other nerve pain targeted drugs, have I been duped and this is fact a through-the-back-door way of prescribing me ADs. How does the pain relief compared to side effects, what side effects did you have, how bad, and anything else I should know about this drug (will it make me really constipated? As I had a horrific experience of this on amytriptyline, which i was taking with tramadol which I would prefer not to repeat shall I get the prune juice ready?)
I have taken one now. If it's at all like amytriptyline I will be goofed in 30 mins and unable to wake in the morning. Is this what I should expect?