Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: moonbeam121167 on February 10, 2014, 07:57:55 PM
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Hi doctor has given me amitriptyline 10mg to try as my neck pain and headaches are not going away, I am not sleeping properly either, he thought they could help but I am afraid of the side affects, I came off prozac last yr and dont want to be dependent on these, anyone one here taking them and have any advice
xxxx
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10mg is a very low dose.
It didn't work for me to stop headaches and other pain but it may for you.
It will help you sleep, if it doesn't help for other pain relief you can stop easily.
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It can be useful in the correct dosage. When do you go back for a review? It is used for neuralgic pain and for those suffering epilepsy: other relaxants are Valium-type drugs for short term use.
How is your pillow?
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I take 10mg for sleep and works for me. Haven't really had any side effects.
Lesley x
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I have got to give it 4 weeks and he said if it dont work go back, just worried about the side affects i.e weight gain, I have put on enough weight since going through the menopause without putting any more on , but I hope they work as this neck ache is horrible , the GP said he wasnt sure what it is and said its not hormonal , tried methocarbamol a muscle relaxant and it helped a bit but when I run out it came back hense going back to GP, hopefully these will help x
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Hi
Amitriptyline is often used for nerve pain at that low dose, it can also aid sleep so that should help you.
10 mg is a low dose and, although we are all different, the dose is low so side effects should not be a major issue
If your neck pain is "mechanical" rather than pure "nerve" pain the suggestions to review your sleeping position and pillow are well worth looking into.
Good luck
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I bought a neck pill, trying to stop using my laptop to much but no help, I think alot is tension headaches but I am no doctor,I will give them a go and touch wood xx
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Can your dr refer you for physio?
It would seem the sensible thing to do for something like this.
Often the cause of the pain is not where you might expect.
I was suffering with RSI in my wrists and the physio said it was actually starting in my neck and arm, due to how I was sitting at the pc.
Or you can see a physio yourself without a referral- most offer clinics although costs vary.
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I was on it years back for neuralgia, 10mg, didn't put on weight with it.
It's used for helping with sleep too. Only side effect I had was a dry mouth.
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Hi all I can handle the dry mouth , thanks for all your advice xx
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Hi woke up this morning and I feel really spaced out, totally weird is this normal because I need to drive to work at 12, will it wear off and will it always be like this, can anyone help please xx
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You may feel spaced out because you slept 'better' ;) .... it will wear off during the day. What time did you take the med.?
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Moonbeam - That happened to me too.
Not sure if it will wear off by 12, try some strong coffee for a caffeine boost, that helped me with the spaced out feeling.
Apparently the spaced out bit stops happening after a few weeks.
I didn't give it a chance, I stopped after a week, it wasn't helping with my pain but I was brain dead as well.
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I dont want to rely on pills, I want to know why or what is causing the problem,
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Don't think anybody wants to rely on pills, ever, especially when they don't work.
Good luck with identifying the cause of your problem.
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why does your dr not refer you to a physio?
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Hi Moonbeam - I'm also on amitriptyline for back pain. My GP put me on it and told me to take it at night as it can cause drowsiness but as that was what I needed it was fine. About 4 months ago I upped my dose to 20mg nightly but other than the dry mouth don't really have much in the way of side effects and certainly haven't put weight on through it. The spaced out feeling should start to wear off after a week or so but I also found that a good strong cup of coffee would get rid of it.
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Grounghoundgal, I took it around 10.15pm last night but was told to take it at least 3 hrs before bed but I couldnt cause I had to drive but do you think taking it alot earlier will help, an y advice is very much appreciated xxx
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I used to take it about 9 at night, so that I wasn't so dopey first thing. Of course it depends on what you're doing in an evening. It did get easier after a while though.
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I spent 10 yearish on Prozac and it took months to come off it, which has been around 5 months since I have been off it, I was never spaced out on Prozac and to be honest I never thought it was all that good but I was wondering if this neck pain I have been getting this last few months is tension headaches and its all down to stress but I thought that the HRT, Estradot 50, would be helping but I only started them on the 11th Jan 14 prior to that I was on Climaval 2mg and I am not seeing the Meno clinic till 28th March, do you think I should continue taking them for the 4 weeks and see how it goes xx
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If you have been advised to take the drug 3 hours before bed, then over the weekend when you don't have to drive, do so ? :-\ ………
Also, sit relaxed in the evening. Feet in a bath of warm water and sit. Gentle movement of the neck to ease any tension. Yoga is good too!
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Hi Moonbeam, I am on 30mg amitrip for facial neuralgia. At one time I was on 50mg. Like everyone says it certainly helps with sleep and in my case eases the pain sufficient to cope with. I have been on it for a few years and am not aware of weight gain with it. I have actually lost nearly 2 stone in the last 8 months! Also, I found it quite easy to reduce the dose to 30mg over a period of a few weeks with no withdrawal or other problems. Like you I don't like taking tablets unless absolutely necessary but do seem to need these to keep pain under control. I tried to drop to 20mg but pain developed too much. I take mine at 7.30pm ish as I tend to go to bed at 10pm. Doesn't affect my ability to drive in the morning. Hope it works out for you.
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:thankyou: Cherylks - does it help the neuralgia? It never touched the awful stabbing pains I had in the 1990s. There is surgery available you know?
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Cherlyks, amitriptyline was useless when I had neuralgia. GP had to Gabapentin. Still took a while to eventually go. How long have you had it for?
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I tried Gabapentin & something else but they just knocked me out flat! To be honest docs don't really know what I have! Originally was told it was TN as I had some electric shock like pains across face but that has all but gone now. You may have read my threads a long time ago about a tooth infection that spread across side of face. Lost hearing & had nerve damage done. Pain comes & goes as quick stabbing pains, sometimes like tooth ache but get regular dental check ups and nothing ever showed up despite months of check ups. Pain anywhere across one side. Amitrip takes the edge off it so most of the time it is livable with.
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I sympathise, it was very painful especially at night. If I turned on my right side it was like someone sticking a red hot poker in my cheek & eye.
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True nueralgia is in one place in the face - the nerve becomes trapped by a blood vessel which flows over the top and surgical intervention to cut and tie the vessel can ease symptoms
Referred pain can 'act' in a similar way so it is difficult to diagnose. When I had dental surgery 3 years ago it upset the nerve so the pain was at first constant, when it became similar to the neuralgia we realised ::) and fortunately it did settle with Nurofen.
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Grounghoundgal, I took it around 10.15pm last night but was told to take it at least 3 hrs before bed but I couldnt cause I had to drive but do you think taking it alot earlier will help, an y advice is very much appreciated xxx
Not sure what time you usually go to bed Moonbeam but I take mine about half an hour before I go upstairs. I don't usually have much trouble getting to sleep but this works through the night and makes the back pain bearable enough that I can usually go through the night as well. My GP advised me to take it approx an hour before bed as the side-effect of possible drowsiness was one of the effects he was aiming for ;)
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I agree with you CLKD. It does seem however that unexplained facial pain is also called neuralgia due to lack of any other name to give it! I had numerous dental appointments and even had a tooth extracted before they realised it wasn't a dental problem! Unfortunately it seems that all three nerves that go across side of face were damaged at one point. Obviously some healing has taken place but not completely.
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Nerves grow back 1cm each month …………. or something really tiny.
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I have also been given that drug today for the migraines. I think I will take mine at 10pm. Mine is also 10mg and I go back in 4 weeks to see how I am getting on.
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Hi all been on amitriptyline for a week and god it makes me feel weird the next day, is this usual and will it go as I drive alot and today I felt pretty funny and if it continues I am going to stop as driving is important to me , can anyone please help as my GP told me to try for 4 weeks but if this continues for much longer I will have to stop them, :-\ :-\ :-\
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The effect of amitriptyline can take a while to kick in and can last into the next day if you take it at bedtime.
Try taking it much earlier in the evening - when you don't have to drive until the next day. Or ask your GP for a lower dose.
Lubylou
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What dose are you on moonbeam? I was only on 5mg but found for the first couple of weeks it did make me feel a little bit drunk in the mornings. I took mine at around 10 at night and made sure I didn't have to drive until at least 10 the next morning. After two weeks that feeling disappeared and I felt fine when I woke up.
Taz x
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Hi Taz2, 10mg, I woke up this morning with a headache, my head feels woozy, I still have a neck ache who which I am taking them for, I know its only been 1 week but I am afraid that these side affects will last , shall I battle on for a bit longer or shall I try half a tablet, not sure what to do xx
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It can take up to three weeks to really take effect Moonbeam. Do you know what your neck pain is caused by?
Taz x
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Hi noop they never said anything, just to try the amitriptyline for 4 weeks and we go from there, but I am not sure how long these side effect are suppose to last xx
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Have you altered your pillow? Have you seen a physiotherapist about your neck? If the aim is to relax the muscles then Valium is fasting acting.
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Yes bought a new neck pillow which never helped, GP said it could be tension headaches but that was all, but to be honest he was not sure, I will keep on trying for a while longer as it is half term and my hubby is off as well so I dont need drive much this week xx
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Relaxation therapy then. Sitting quietly. No heavy lifting. Are you drinking enough, headaches can be caused by dehydration!