amitriptyline for pain

[Cocolepew]

Any experience? I have a lot of joint and nerve pain, and was considering asking my gp for this.

[TheFuzz]

Didn't work with me. Tried Ami twice and is just made me fuzzy and unable to concentrait - not good when you have a job that requires mental concentration. Tried Gabapentin and that was horrid. It's the 'fuzzy effect' it gives you.

Might be OK if you aren't working/not required to think clearly but there are too many side effects to outweigh the pain benefit (which I found didn't relieve the pain).

GP's do like to dole this shite out to folk. I'd rather take the pain than be 'off my head'. The side effects lists are long and not nice.

[IsabelleAdjani]

I have just been put on amitriptyline for trigeminal neuralgia, after several trips to the dentist who couldn't find anything wrong, went to the doctor who diagnosed this and put me on ami, have been on it for a week and the pain is better but not gone (am taking 30mg a night) - how long should it take to kick in? It is totally knocking me out at night and the next day feel drained and really really tired. Also, does it make you gain weight? I have just got back to my pre-DD weight (after 5.5 years :)) so much as I dont want to be in pain dont want to put it back on either!

[sideshowbob2]

i had bells palsy in 2009 and was given amitriptyline for post pain in my face, but it is a highly additive drug and i took me 3 times to come off it completely and the the only reason i am off it now is because i am starting ivf treatment, but it is the best thing i did, as it stops you from dreaming and also stops natural sleep patterns, at the time i needed it as the pain in my face was severe but if there's something else you can take i would recommend it!

[textbook]

I took amitriptiline for 3 years for interstitial cystitis. It did make me v hungry and groggy, and I've struggled to lose weight. However, I've just switched to nortriptiline (a newer similar drug) and I've been able to half my dose to 10mg with better results, less fuggy head in the morning and appetite back to normal. I would recommend!

[Cocolepew]

I'd love to not dream, I have very vivid dreams every night.

[Pollaidh]

It's quite good, but doesn't do much for sharp referred pain I've found. Best is in helping you to sleep, always a problem with pain. Take it no later than 9 (I wasn't told this for ages), as it takes a couple of hours to kick in properly and it can leave you feeling too muzzy in the morning (driving difficult/dangerous).

I've recently been put on gabapentin although not taken it yet.

[RahRahRasputin]

I did take it for several months, and increased the dose, but I only had drowsiness the first night.

[TheFuzz]

As everyone mentiones, the problems with these drugs is they make you feel 'foggy' or 'muzzy'. When I explained to my GP and specialist that these drugs interfere with your ability to think straight, and how was I supposed to hold down a job, they just shrugged.

I'd not recommend them if you need to drive in the morning, or indeed need to go to a job. I very nearly ended up on a disiplinary when taking Ami after 3 months I wasn't thinking straight. I went cold turkey on the tablets but was violently sick, so took about another month to come off them.

[Starrr123]

@IsabelleAdjani Hi! I saw your post about tn. Just wondering did the amatriptyline work? If so how long did it take for it to work? X
I hope this gets to youx