Re: amitriptylene and its side effects

From: Colette (Luckylady379@msn.com)
Fri Jan 3 08:06:46 2003


Dear Helen, I know I have'nt posted for awhile. I'm sorry about that but I figure i'd check and see whats new hereLOL! I'm on amtripyline at night 25 mgs! it does help but I'v noticed my dose needs to be upped. Anyways i went to the dr. cause of the amount of pain i'm in and irregular heartbeat he said it was the amtripyline so he took me off! Boy was that the wrong move I was back to not sleeping elavated cramping and pain! Although at the time i was off my heartbeat became regular again! But I put myself back on the amtripyline again. I do have an up comming dr.'s appointment but this dr. does'nt get it LOL! i need that amtripyline to function! just want to let you know what happened to me on this drug and yes i've been on it for like 8months go figure! tons of hugs Colette At Thu, 2 Jan 2003, Helen Dynda wrote: >
>Dear Cherryl,
>I have been taking Amitriptyline ever since September 1976!! The only really bothersome side-effect I noticed was that this drug caused me to have a dry mouth; but chewing sugarless gum took care of that problem!!
>
>I may have put on weight; but I have never had trouble with constipation as a result of taking this medication.
>
>My doctor recognized that I was experiencing a very severe clinical depression. When he started me on this drug, he started by prescribing the lowest dose of Amitriptyline (10mgs - I think) - and he kept me at this low dose for a week or more - before prescribing 25mgs....another week or more - up to 50mgs - etc. I believe that it was my doctor's careful and gradual titration of the dose of Amitriptyline - over several weeks - that spared me from other side effects!! (I currently take 100mgs at bedtime.)
>
>Within a few days I began to notice a reduction in my level of pain - not a very big reduction - but at that time, any reduction was welcome to me!! And for the very first time in a very long time, Amitriptyline enabled me to be able to sleep through the night - without being kept awake by severe pain!! Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant that has been found to have this dual effect - helping with both sleep and chronic pain.
>
>The best medical professionals to prescribe anti-depressants are PSYCHIATRISTS - and in January 1998 I sought the help of a psychiatrist for pain management. After my very first appointment, she gave me a presciption - to give to my doctor - for a blood-level to be drawn to check the level of Amitriptyline in my blood. My Amitriptyline level was: 525mgs - a very toxic level!! So over several week's time she had to very gradually decrease the mgs until I was getting 100mgs, which is my current level.
>
>The best medical professionals to prescribe pain medications are PAIN SPECIALISTS (anesthesiologists, who have a specialization in treating chronic pain. Pain specialists have received very intensive training - regarding the treatment of chronic pain - in medical school... considerably more training than medical doctors have!! These are the professionals, who will help you find a medication that will be agree with you and will be tailored to your particular pain problem and pain level.
>
>It is MY belief that medical schools failed to train medical doctors (MDs) sufficiently in the treatment of chronic pain - so MD's would be able to prescribe pain medications. I believe this may be one of the reasons medical doctors resist prescribing narcotic pain medications - and may also explain why some MD's tell patients, " Adhesions do not cause pain." If a patient is in pain - and the doctor says "Adhesions do not cause pain", it is predictable that eventually the patient will start shopping around for a doctor, who will believe him/her. This happened to me - MANY, MANY times!!
>
>Keep in mind that treating chronic pain involves more than taking medications!! There are other many other ways to reduce the level of pain!! Searching for a pain clinic or pain management program is a beginning!!
>
>To recapituate: There are blood-level tests that can be done for many different kinds of drugs - to check the level of a particular drug so it will not become toxic. Perhaps there is a blood level test available to check your level of Tylenol 3. Ask!! If you don't ask, you will never know.
>
>Helen D.

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