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798548 tn?1237503653

amitriptyline for pain

my neurologist wants me to take Amitriptyline for my neck, shoulder, back pain, my nerve pain and for the headaches all associated with Chairi and cervical disc problems.  has anyone been on this and has it helped?
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I have been on Amitriptyline for 6 yrs now for chiari nerve pain I have had surgery twice and have tryed so many different meds for the pain and to sleep and didn't ever think it gave me any side effects at all I just felt normal again but was experiencing forgetfulness and anxiety  so decided to ask my doctor to put me back on Neurontin because u had felt so much more alert and energetic on that one because I had taken that after my first chiari surgery and it had worked great. So he slowly transitioned me off the amitriptyline and back to the neurontin and I feel so much more alert and focused and more energy again which feels great but at bed time or anytime I want to lay down or sit for to long that sharp nerve pan is all back and makes me extremely nauseous which is why I'm sharing my experience with you because I know the pain to well and have heard so many countless stories off people with chiari and have had surgeries or haven't yet but all suffer with the same symptoms and I had literally felt so blessed on my out come from my last surgery and that I did not have those symptoms anymore.  I now realize that it 100% that it was the amitriptaline that was helping with all that pain and nausea and I slept so good. I know individuals who have had such bad pain that it is so unbearable they have been suicidal and I couldn't believe that they felt that there was no hope . The reason why I got on it was because I had done so much research in trying to find out what worked best for chiarians and on the Chiari institut in New York where they specialize in Chiari they found that that was the one medicine that had been helping so many chiarians so I asked my doctor if I could try it and it definitely worked.like I said I was on it for 6 yrs in till about 3 months ago because some of the side effects it has I had realized I was experiencing likea forgetfulness and anxiety which can also be do to other things which I am currently looking into. I am going for testing today and next week with a neuropsychologist to be tested for ADD and other memory testing and have had tests done with the cardiologist to out rule any cardiac issues. I believe that if the pain is so bad and nothing else works I would strongly recommend it,there are side effects with all medications but I think if it can improve you're wellbeing and help you live painter I'd rather have a little forgetfulness and find things to help my anxiety and focus better then I'm all for it. Also not everyone experiences the same side effects hopefully if you try it you won't have any. I hope this helped you in anyway.  
    Lea
Helpful - 1
798548 tn?1237503653
thank you both for sharing your experiences on Amitriptyline...i appreciate it...i meet with my pain specialist next week and am going to talk it over with her, i am afraid to start taking it...i am already on Tramadol for pain, ibuprophen for osteoarthritis, levoxl for hypothyroidism, estradiol because i had total hysterectomy & flexeral at bedtime so my muscles relax so i can sleep.  My Neurologist said i can try to stop taking the flexeral at bedtime while i am on the amitriptyline because it relaxes your muscles and helps you sleep.  so i asked him what about the tramadol, should i keep taking it or wean off it and he said well you should try to wean off it if you can but would not have told me that if i had not brought it up...so when i meet with pain specialist next week i am talking it all over with her...
seems like everytime you go in with symptoms they add another drug cause they do not know what else to do...
Helpful - 0
1451338 tn?1413475023
I was on the amitriptyline for a couple of months and it did help, but then I would build up a tolerance to the dose and they would increase the dose because I would continue to get headaches after a while. After a while I stared noticing weight gain so my doctors took me off of it and switched me to Topamax, which I actually like better.
Helpful - 0
1401215 tn?1376423242
I was also prescribed amitriptyline as a prophylatic for headaches.  I really havent been able to tell if it helps the headaches or not, but I typically get a good nights rest when I take it.  The only side effect I have had is a MAJOR dry mouth.  Other than that I really haven't experienced any other side effect.
Helpful - 0
798548 tn?1237503653
thank you both for your response.  when i saw my neurologist yesterday to tell him about the symptoms i have been having that could be symptoms of intracranial hypertension he did his quick work up - which chiarians usually always pass, and of course i passed the little test as usual so he said he was not worried about the intracranial hypertension because problems would have shown up on the little tests he did that took maybe 2 minutes at the most.  which is not true of what i have read about IH.  so because i am waking with horrible pounding headaches and have pulsatile tinnitus all the time and because i am on tramodol for neck pain shoulder pain, and because i have tons of nerve pain he wants me to try the ametriptyline, but i read about all the horrible side affects you can have taking them i am afraid to take them.  i was on neurontin before and had very bad reaction to it.  

i appreciate you both writing to me and your experiences.

Cathy
Helpful - 0
1388357 tn?1280189493
I was prescribed amitriptyline for my headaches about 8 years ago.  I was told it was a prophylactic for the headaches.  Take it every night to ward them off...  It seemed to help then, and this was before my dx of chiari (and before the acceleration of other symptoms).  

Makes you crave sweets!  Which can lead to weight gain.  Other than that, I didn't seem to have side effects for me.

Lisa
Helpful - 0
620923 tn?1452915648
COMMUNITY LEADER

  Hi Cathy...I have not tried this med....u will have to let me know how it works for u and if u have ne side effects from it.

Good luck I hope it helps u : )

  "selma"
Helpful - 0
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