I can't handle it....

[arizona223456]

I’ve suffered from aura migraines most of my life. At 21, I just got a prescription for a preventative medication from my new neurologist.  He Chose Elavil 25mg. I am also on a list of medications, one of which being Paxil 40mg. The first night I started taking Elavil, I felt different. I slept for 3 days straight, couldn’t go to work because of the dizziness and sleepiness as well. Here is my problem.


I suffer from panic disorder, OCD, severe anxiety, and am just an extreme over thinker.

I live with my girlfriend. I’ve lived with her for almost two years. Right when I started taking Elavil, I started to feel “numb”. I feel like I can’t connect to anyone, but my girlfriend specifically. I can’t feel love. Whether its me loving her, or her loving me. I can’t feel it now. I called my neurologist right away and told him to lower my dose. So he now has me on 10mg. And I am still tired. Not as much, but still tired.


My main concern is that I am very scared about not being able to express my love right now. There are moments in the day where I think to myself “C’mon, stop being stupid, of course you love her.” Literally last week I was so deeply in love. I have been for two years now. And coincidently, right when I started Elavil, I am severely paranoid, Scared, stressed, and my biggest fear of all, Losing love.


I know deep down that I love her with all my heart. I am feeling so much guilt that I am going crazy. I feel like I can’t recognize her. I have other thought this so much, that when I look at her, I think to myself  “who’ she?”  All day I stress about whether I feel love or not.  I cant even think straight anymore. I just want to be normal again.

I will take any panic attack, aura migraine, or anything else but this. Can someone shed some light onto my situation?


My therapist seems to think it’s probably from the medication, and because I over thought it to the point where I put up a wall.


Please help me.


I can’t take this gut wrenching, wanting to kill myself pain anymore.


Am I just overthinking it to death?

Or could it be from being on the two medications?

[nursegirl6572]

It's very difficult sometimes to distinguish between our anxiety symptoms and manifestations versus issues with medications.  If the majority of these symptoms are new and have started after starting the Elavil, then you really need to discuss with your doc the possibility that the Elavil is problematic.  You may do better on something else.

I suggest you have a frank discussion with your doctor about what's going on to see if maybe you should consider something different.  Even a trial run of stopping the Elavil may help you and your doc sort out what exactly the culprit is here.

You mentioned briefly thoughts of suicide.  It goes without saying that those kinds of thoughts should not be taken lightly.  If at any point you feel you are in a dangerous situation and may harm yourself, seek help immediately.  What you're going through is rough, but with some time and work, it can be fixed.  Suicide is permanent..no do-overs.  While you may be having trouble connecting to your feelings of love for your GF right now, I'm sure you realize just how destroyed she would be if something ever happened and she lost you.

Please let us know how you're doing, we care!

[msloa]

I hope this will post, but I believe what you are going through is from your medication.  You may want to talk with your pharmacist and doctor about this.  This was tagged on drugs.com as "major", which means avoid if at all possible.  I hope all works out for you.


amitriptyline ↔ paroxetine
Applies to: Elavil (amitriptyline), Paxil (paroxetine)

GENERALLY AVOID: Coadministration with paroxetine may significantly increase the plasma concentrations of some tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). The proposed mechanism is paroxetine inhibition of CYP450 2D6, the isoenzyme responsible for the metabolic clearance of many antidepressant and psychotropic drugs. Several-fold increases in plasma levels and decreases in metabolic clearance have been reported for desipramine and nortriptyline, while smaller changes have been reported for amitriptyline and imipramine, presumably because other CYP450 isoenzymes are also involved in their metabolism. Pharmacodynamically, the combination of paroxetine (or any other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and a TCA may potentiate the risk of serotonin syndrome, which is a rare but serious and potentially fatal condition thought to result from hyperstimulation of brainstem 5HT1A receptors.

MANAGEMENT: In general, the use of paroxetine (or other SSRIs) with TCAs should be avoided if possible, or otherwise approached with caution if potential benefit is deemed to outweigh the risk. Pharmacologic response and plasma TCA levels should be monitored more closely whenever paroxetine is added to or withdrawn from therapy in patients stabilized on their existing antidepressant regimen, and the TCA dosage adjusted as necessary. Patients should be monitored closely for signs and symptoms of TCA toxicity (e.g., sedation, dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, urinary retention) and/or excessive serotonergic activity (e.g., CNS irritability, altered consciousness, confusion, myoclonus, ataxia, abdominal cramping, hyperpyrexia, shivering, pupillary dilation, diaphoresis, hypertension, and tachycardia).