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[moonbeam121167]

I have made an appointment for this Thursday for the GP,  I know if I increase again my headaches will go but I will feel like a brain dead zombie, so I am going to continue to lower the dose and see if he will give me Nortriptyline to try or something else .

[Limpy]

The brain dead feeling seems to be an accepted side effect of amitriptyline.
Hopefully he will give something else.

And another thing - amitriptyline didn't actually remove my headaches, I was just too zonked to notice them or anything properly.

Good luck for next Thursday.

[Hattie]

I only took 10mg last night and for most of the day I have had a awful headache, I am having physio but isnt helping, just dont know what else to try, I know the pain is awful but I cant cope with the increase in weight, can anyone  or advise please 

you may have more of a headache today also from decreasing the dose by 50% - i have gone up and down on ami and nortrip and had headaches from decreasing - you could try cutting pills in half so you go to 15 then 10 then to 5mg to come off it - advise is to come off slowly on these drugs - i've done a week or two inbetween lowering.

If you are given Nortriptyline you can just go on it as a replacement for amitriptyline as they are very similar.

[moonbeam121167]

Hattie  thats a good point, I should of decrease it slowly, tonight should I take a tablet and half do think.
Limpy I thought the zombie feeling was a result of increasing but about a  month on I still felt like a zombie and always tired and its horrible, the GP did mention Gabapentin but looking at these I dont want to try them, I know Nortriptyline is a new version and supposedly less side effects so hopfully he will let me try it, thanks for your help 

[Hattie]

Hattie  thats a good point, I should of decrease it slowly, tonight should I take a tablet and half do think.

Not sure how long you have been on 20mg but yes i would try 15mg for a week or so and then go down to 10mg - GP may tell you otherwise but this is what i have done. It gives your brain and body time to adjust.

I have also been on Gabapentin - i found it a horrible drug which made me very tearful and i couldn't think straight at the higher doses so i titrated down off that drug to.

Hope that you find something that helps.

[moonbeam121167]

Hattie I have been on 20mg for around 3 weeks ish, I will try 15mg tonite and then see what the GP will say, I have read that Gabapentin is horrible so I will defo not using it, thanks for all your help xx

[Limpy]

Gabapentin does make you put on weight but it has helped with pain control, no other major problems. Well that's what's happened to me...........

[moonbeam121167]

Hi again, I still reducing the Amitriptyline but yesterday and today I have been having the headaches back plus a horrible taste in my mouth, I am defo not tired nor feel like a zombie but have a bad stiff neck and headache, can't seem to win, GP cancelled till the 2nd Sept but I have been looking into Nortitrptyline and people say they put on weight with that just dont know what to do, Physio isn't helping much,  . Any ladies on her have any help on this, GP mentioned Gabapentin but Limpy and other reviews do say that make you put on weight  , I know people say well to be headache free you will have to put up with some side effects but the weight gain and zombie feeling is something I do not want, there has to be something out there to help me 

[Limpy]

Hi - With the Gabapentin I was originally on 900mg a day. I have reduced this to 500mg a day this keeps the headaches (& podginess) to a manageable level. 400mg was brilliant for the weight aspect, not so good for pain control though 

It might be worth considering 300mg gabapentin a day (3 x 100)
that may help with pain control without too much in the way of zombie feelings or weight gain.

[moonbeam121167]

Hi again what about Nortiriptyline, could that be any good , as they say it isnt as sedating, I have struggle this last few years with my weight and I have struggle to stay a size 12 but this last month its gone up to a 14 and it has upset me big time, I know the headaches and neck ache is bad but there has to be something I can take without causing weight gain and feeling like a zombie

[Taz2]

I had good results with 10mg of amitryp but it took a month before the total zombie feeling disappeared. It only lasted for the first two hours or so anyway so I just got up earlier so that I could still drive to work.

It really does depend on how much you are bothered by the pain to be honest. There will be side effects from almost all drug treatments so you have to weigh up the pros and cons. Is it really so bad to be a little bit fatter if you are feeling better in yourself? Also, if you have less pain you will probably up your exercise which could very well get rid of the extra pounds.

I'm sorry but I've forgotten what you are taking it for 

Taz x

[moonbeam121167]

Taz2  I have been taking it for really bad headaches and neck pain, having Physio but doesnt seem to be helping, I knew the zombie feeling would happen but they said it would eventually go but after month I still felt like one and as I was off school I would be getting up at around 10.30am but by 3pm I would sit on the settee and fall asleep, just had no energy at all, once I reduced the dose I felt the zombie feeling subsided and not so tired but the headaches were coming back, people say to try Nortitrptyline as its less sedating but they still say you can gain weight and I know that may not bother some people if they are pain free but it depresses me ..

[Limpy]

Nortriptyline isn't entirely free of weight gain issues - found the following when I gogled it.

"Hi Jeanne, I hate to disagree, but nortriptyline is definitively known for it's side effect of weight gain
But if you are very careful you can keep the calories down. Nortrip does cause cravings of sugar and carbohydrates, as you've probably noticed.
Just try to exercise more and cut down on carbs and sugar."

I tried it for headaches, it worked for a little while then stopped, didn't get dopey though.
Stopped taking it because it worsened MS balance problems for me.

[Katy]

Hi moonbeam

I've been taking Amityiptyline and Gabapentin for some time now and I haven't put any weight on, infact I've lost a few pounds.  The zombie feeling does go after a while though, so it might be an idea to persevere for a little while.

Katy x

[moonbeam121167]

Hi  maybe it isnt the Amitriptyline that is causing the weight gain then, this last 3 years has been a bit of a nightmare, since I had my Hysterectomy at the end of  Dec '12 my stomach sticks out and I have what they call middle age spread, I have not pigged out cause I have stomach problems, the HRT  I am on has be great but my sex drive is very low plus my weight , no energy , I know when I went to the meno consultant he said he may give me testosterone, I have an appointment with him in Oct so hopefully he will give me some to try, I will stick with the 10mg Amitriptline for now and not go up to the 20mg dose, as I dont feel like a zombie on that dose as she how things go, thanks ladies for your help and advice x