Hi-
I have been on Trileptal for a couple of weeks and think I want to try switching to a tricyclic such as Amitriptyline as it seems to be more suited for the type of pain i'm having (mostly tooth pain, achy jaw burning, etc..).
I am wondering if I can do this though because I take a very low dose of Paxil (5mg) and don't know if this is contraindicated because it's a different type of anti-depressant. I am of course going to talk to my doctors about it but was just wondering if anyone takes both of these types of drugs simultaneously without any problem?
Thanks,
Jennifer
Yeah I've been on 150mg nortriptyline and 120mg cymbalta (SNRI) for a year and just switched off the Cymbalta to Effexor 300mg pretty smoothly.
I was on trileptal for a while, and oxcarbazapine (and gabapentin), but they didn't help nearly as much as the anti depressants. Constant burning stabbing pain.
i would ask pharmacist before doctor -
: )
thank you shindig! is the current combo working for you?
Shindig said:
Yeah I've been on 150mg nortriptyline and 120mg cymbalta (SNRI) for a year and just switched off the Cymbalta to Effexor 300mg pretty smoothly.
I was on trileptal for a while, and oxcarbazapine (and gabapentin), but they didn't help nearly as much as the anti depressants. Constant burning stabbing pain.
They help a lot, but nowhere near completely. I also take 2x 20mg oxycontin, and each of the drugs helps a bit. Nortriptyline has been the best for me, it's way better than opiates but I'm at the upper end of what they'll prescribe so they added the cymbalta, then oxycontin, then switched from cymbalta to effexor.
The effexor seems better than the cymbalta, but I've only been on it for 2 months so we'll see how long it lasts....they all seem to fade in effectiveness over time.
I'm going to go back to the first hospital I was at and try to get a PNS implant. The place I'm currently at doesn't do them and for a pain specialist he hasn't actually done anything...after 5 months seeing a pain specialist II still have to get all my meds filled through my neurologist, the pain specialist just did a bunch more $$$ worth of imaging only to say there's no reason for my pain, I have a follow up with his assistant, not even him, in a month. Waste of time.
The first place I went to was Swedish, but the neuro was terrible so I moved to University of WA here in Seattle, I'm going to try back at swedish with a pain specialist that was referred to me from here that does PNS units.
I also had an MVD a year ago next week, but it only helped for 8 weeks. But for around 6 of those weeks I was 100% better and had mountains of energy without pain. Switched careers from construction to a game developer and landed my dream job. Now I'm just trying to hang on.....
Congrats on landing your dream job and career switch!
From what I read, it seems like pain specialists actually run tests as opposed to dr.s just pushing scripts.