I was prescribed amitriptalyne last week and I think it is working, but I am not sure that I can tell 100%, except that my pain is under control, so that is great. I went to my doctor because the side effects from baclofen (10mg 3x a day) felt like too much for me and have been hard to bear with my job. I am also taking 2700mg of gabapentin a day), and the pain was reduced by taking both, although it took a while to work well, but I didn’t feel a significant lack of pain until amitriptalyne (10mg at night). Originally the amitriptalyne was meant to replace the baclofen because of the side effect, but I started feeling the pain coming back, and out of sheer terror of feeling the pain return, I returned on the baclofen. I feel that with all three it is working and I am following up with my doctor next week about it.
I am hoping that this helps, because it is working for me so far after an excruciating month of pain.
10mg amytriptilene is quite a low dose - I was told to start on 10 and increase by 10 each week until I found the right level, up to a maximum of 50mg. For some reason I decided in advance 30mg would be what I needed, but I actually had to go up to the full 50mg. Tried coming down again when things settled, but unless I take 50 I just can’t sleep. Hope you find the right dose for you.
Hi Pacey
What kind of drugs are you on now?
I find the nortryptiline seems to be working with the baclofen.Better than the amytriptiline.
Not out of pain but able to manage a bit better.
plus all the other drugs.
I swear.
I used to backpack and now just my pills would pill up the bag.
And I have drug insecurity so I end up with triples of stuff cause I am like-what if I drop some down a cliff.
I really hope something works for you.
I am taking 1500 mg of Gabapentin per day. It isn’t working so I’d like to wean off of it but am a little afraid that the pain might get worse. I’ve tried Tegretol, Trileptal, Lyrica, and Amitriptyline and they either didn’t work or I couldn’t tolerate the side effects. I also tried to up the Gabapentin but it didn’t help and made me dizzy and really foggy brained. My PCP won’t prescribe Baclofen or a benzo. The closest neurologist is about an hour and a half away and I don’t feel up to taking a trip that far. So right now I’m just trying to deal with it.
I’m glad you found something that is working but I know how you feel about too many meds. I also take meds for my thyroid, cholesterol, kidneys, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, a baby aspirin and a med for sleeping. I’m trying to wean off the sleep med - slowly.
Hi Pacey
Is there some over the counter muscle relaxant that you can try?
Like the Costco brand of Robaxacet?I found that because my family doctor would not prescribe the baclofen that until I get a neuro to prescribe it that they helped.Just watch the tylenol.
It is a mix of stuff that works a bit and then stops working and I am on the hunt again.For the past three weeks it was brutal with high doses of drugs-to knock me out so I could not feel the pain.When I decided to try a 10mg of the nortryptiline along with the baclofen the pain has gone down for about 5 days.
I wish you could go to your doctor and tell him or her that you just want a trial on it.Baclofen is not like vallium.It might not work for you.But maybe it will.
I hate it that doctors are being such ----- to you-when you are in pain and have a family to take care of.
I wish I could give you a gentle hug and tell you everything is going to be OK.You are gold girl.
Don’t give up.
Shoot girl-can’t you get someone to drive you to the neuro?Do I need to come take you?
Are you taking the 100mg gabapentin?
I found that the 300mg were too much for me during the day so now I have 100mg prescription for the day and I can take 200 mg every couple hours.300 at once during the day was too much for me.
It is not the perfect drug to stop the pain but it helps a bit.
I like to think of all these meds as an orchestra each playing their part.
I wish I needed none and was like that lucky one that had the tooth out-abscess found and all is well.
Until your pain settles down I would think about weaning off a sleeping med.It might be the only time your body can rest. Or make a deal with the doctor-trade you this for this.
You really gave me a laugh. Yes, I would like you to take me to the neurologist because I would like to meet you. Actually my husband can take me but I feel so bad all the time I just don’t feel I can make the trip. The added problem about the trip is we have to go over a bridge which is often up or in repair so we would have to add at least an additional hour to the time to account for that in order to make sure I’d make the appointment on time.
We don’t have children (plus I am 70 so would be way beyond that if we did) but we do have 8 cats (2 are feral) that we need to care for and I do manage that - some days in bed with the cats is as much as I can manage.
My Gabapentin are 300mg and my doctor wants me to stick with those. He wanted to give me 600mg if I went over the 1500mg per day. These meds are enough to drive us crazy. It seems it’s the dosage or side effects or something. I will look at the Robaxacet. To be honest I just want to stop taking everything. Nothing really takes the pain away anyway. I think what bothers me most is that I don’t get anything done. There’s a lot I would like to get done around the house and yard but I don’t feel well enough to do it. One positive thing is a do like to read and I can do that - it makes me forget the pain for awhile.
Hi Pacey
Wow
8 cats
I have one 17 year old and her meowing when I am hurting is so annoying-but she is like 90 years old.
I do not think I could handle 8-so that is something that is amazing about you.If the gabapentin is in capsules you can take some out.If pill you can shave some off,especially if you are trying to reduce.To go from 300 to 0 is stupid.Doctors are so weird.
I would really like to meet you ,too.
I just have this legal script for marijuana and don’t think I could go a night without the oil,so not sure how I can travel outside of Canada.
I wonder if ocean tape sounds would work as well as real waves.That is the best non medical thing that works for me.
Right now I have it in my basement.My whole basement needed to be gutted and drains put in.The guys are good.The lead guy is a Ukranian Catholic priest-so it is really wonderful.No drama,shouting,very good so far.Or dust.They have jack-hammered my entire basement with no dust!Miracle -really I detest concrete dust so am thrilled he did it with out dust.
I hope he blessed the water!
Please have fun with your cats
And please just make an appointment with the neuro so you can discuss the best way to get off the meds.You can always cancel if you don’t feel up to it.
I’m so sorry about your basement but glad that it is fixed now and was done without a problem.
One of our cats is 20 years old and still doing well. She has a thyroid problem easily fixed with a med twice a day. We have two that are really talkers but it doesn’t bother my ATN.