Amitriptyline for vaginal issues

[Imnotmeanymore3]

I posted a while back after suffering burning sensations below every month for 3 years. All swabs and bloods clear. I've tried creams, pessaries and changing lifestyle, such as changing washing powder, underwear, no bath products etc and nothing helped. My gyno has put me on amitriptyline 10mg for 4 months. Has anyone used this medication for a similar issue and did it work? Also what are the side affects? as my gyno said it can make you very tired, which isn't a bad thing as I suffer insomnia so a good night sleep sounds amazing.

@Imnotmeanymore3 The symptoms you describe seem more like loss of estrogen and the usual treatment is local, vaginal estrogen as a cream or a tiny pessary used twice a week.

When you say you have tried creams etc, were these prescribed and were they estrogen creams?

How old are you?

I've tried over counter creams, creams the doctor has prescribed too. I did a few months where I had to use pessaries and a cream. Not sure which creams they were to be honest I've been through so many. I've been out in the microgynon pill to help my hormones which has helped it die down a bit bit I still get it. Intercourse can flare it up aswell then I'm sore for days. I'm 34.

Is it worse at a particular point in your cycle?

I've had amitriptyline for different issues, did your doctor tell you to take it before bed? It is one of the only things that gives me a proper sleep, but o find it really difficult to wake up properly the next day - it takes a while.

I have it for other nerve pain and agree it knocks me out and can be hard to wake up. I was told to take it 12 hours before I want to be awake but now I’m used to it I can get away with taking it when I go to bed. I struggle to sleep when I haven’t taken it now though.

I take amitriptyline for a similar issue. Without it I feel like I have cystitis constantly. I had to increase the dose beyond the initial 10mg for it to work, but once I got the right dose, it definitely did and does work. Trying it seemed like a bit of a last resort, to see if it would work, but the proof was in its success. It doesn't make me sleepy during the day, but I do struggle to sleep properly if I forget it. I do tend to get a dry mouth at night. But generally, I'd say I don't really get lots of side effects. I think you're more likely to get side effects if you're looking out for them (nocebo), so I'd avoid dwelling on them.

I used to get the irratation a week before my period and it was sore, burning, itchy and I was so swollen I couldn't sit down. When I was put on the pill it calmed it down where it now feels a bit like a water infection starting is the only way I can describe it. I've only took 2 day's of the amitriptyline, arpund 9ish at night and haven't felt much of an affect yet but did sleep better than I normally would. The doctor wants me do take ot for 4-5 months but if this works I'm worried it'll start again when I come off it. The gyno will ring in 6 weeks to see how I'm getting on with it. I've seen people say 10mg won't have much of an effect but I've put up with it for ao long I just really hope it works.

Yes, life saver for vulvodynia. Took a month or so to get the dose right. Didn’t really get side effects apart from dry mouth and constipation. Didn’t make me feel drowsy, but I Couldn’t sleep for about 2 weeks when I came off. I was on it for a couple of years.

I was prescribed it for IBS. It made my blood
pressure drop and I fainted on a number of occasions so had to stop taking it.

@MortimerTheCat what dosage were you on? I swear what I jave is vulvodynia, all the symptoms point to that.

Hopefully i don't get too many sode effects

I went up to 60mg a day or so. It meant I went from being in pain 90% of the day to pretty much pain free, apart from the odd occasion when I had mild pain, rather than the constant burning I was having before

As it’s worse just before your period have they considered cytolytic vaginosis?

We did think that's a possibility but when put on the pill the irratation started at any point in my cycle rather than before my period. I've been bugging the gyno for 2 years but I just kept getting the answer ot may be this and that but we don't know. I told them creams weren't working and I needed something stronger but they just kept giving creams and pessaries. Its so hard to live with because once it starts I can be irritated for up to 2 weeks non stop, it really gets me down.

I am taking same drug for back pain. I was told to start on 10mg then after 1 week go up to 20mg after another week move up to 30mg. I was ok on this and to be fair back pain a lot better. I had funny taste in mouth and mouth a bit dry and I started feeling sleepy during day. I was worried as I have to drive DC with additional needs to college and collect him every day. I was too sleepy to drive safely so went back to 20mg and tiredness eased. Also taste in mouth and dry mouth a lot better. Pain a bit worse but still a lot better than before I took it. I think it was originally used as an antidepressant but in much higher doses. It does relieve nerve pain though. When I took higher 30mg dose I had very vivid dreams but less so on 20mg dose.

I am a pelvic health physio and see patients with similar symptoms to yours.
Have you seen a physio? The amitriptyline can be useful to break the cycle of pain and aid sleep. But the physio work can help you work out what is going on and get some self management techniques going. Definitely push for a referral if you haven’t already seen someone. Good luck

Thankyou, I will speak with my gyno when she calls me for a check in. Definitely feel more zombieish today too. I haven't got any itratation at the minute so can't comment on that yet but guessing it may take a while to work

My daughter had similar and air also increased before her period. She saw a Vulval dermatologist who said that though she had tested negative on swabs it was likely a fungal infection. It is not uncommon for fungal infections to be hormone dependent which is why symptoms increase pre periods or when on the pill. She was given oral fluconazole for 9 months and fingers crossed it has cleared.

It made me quite groggy, I didn't feel on the ball at work so I stopped taking it.

I did have some sort of treatment cream a while back for a few months along with a pessarie but I can't remember what it was called. I'm now on day 4 and felt OK when getting up this morning but have noticed for the past 2 days, I've been feeling drained at 1 in the afternoon and fallen asleep. Luckily my dd is off school unwell at the moment so means I can stay at home for a few days. As soon as she nods off I sit down with her and before I know it I'm waking up an hour or 2 later to either dd waking up or my phone going off so its definitely making me feel a bit whacked