My doctor is keeps asking me to take amitriptyline for pain and I've always told him that last time I saw cardiologist, several years ago, he was very reluctant for me to take it, I was taking it to help me sleep. I was a chronic insomniac. His words were 'If you must'
Does anyone take it or is it a big no no for us AFibbers?
My GP prescribed it for me to take at night in order to get decent sleep whilst suffering from acute shoulder pain. I did try it but I found it triggered diahorrea from about any time from 6 hours after taking it onward into the next morning. I discussed it with her in (one of those now seemingly new concept) telephone consultations and her only comment was ' Oh I didn't know about that side effect' .... yet it is written in the English language on the bit of paper in the packet.
I then abandoned it. Bus drivers and diahorrea aren't a good mix
😢
John
Oops 🙄 I found I gained a pound for every pill I took 🥴I'm sure I've read somewhere people with AF shouldn't take it as it can trigger an episode
Here's the contraindication list for Amitriptyline as found at: bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/amitri... (Nice UK)
'Arrhythmias; during manic phase of bipolar disorder; heart block; immediate recovery period after myocardial infarction'.
Arrhythmias head the list as you can see.
As such I'm surprised your GP is actually urging you to take it, and I'd certainly be reminding him that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in UK, says so. Then he can explain his insistence on its being a good idea for you.
My GPs response to a question I put to him about a drug he prescribed was 'you don't want to take any notice of those instructions in the tablet box' 🤫
I think you are right to ask your doctor, but the doses used in pain relief are very small, if I recall.
For some nerve pain, I have found diazepam works quite well, but, again, doctors have reservations for some people on this as it can cause dependency and rebound anxiety.
Steve
I was prescribed Amatriptilyne in February 2019 for pain from a massive outbreak of shingles the previous month which has left me with PHN (post herpetic neuralgia) pain. I take 30mg about an hour before I go to bed and whilst it does nothing for the pain it does help me to get a decent night’s sleep which is wonderful as I have been a lifelong insomniac. My Cardiac GP at the time was not very happy about me taking it but didn’t say don’t so I am still taking it. I am in heart failure with permanent AF with CRT pacemaker implanted. I used to be someone who refused all medication and can’t believe the amount I take now and that I argued to stay on Amatriptilyne. How life changes. I am not aware of any adverse side effects and I probably wouldn’t know what was causing what anyway with all the various things I now take.
I suffered as an insomniac for years. 😭 a few months ago I read an article about caffeine. I've always drunk s lot of tea. After reading this, I stopped drinking tea/coffee after 1pm unless it was decaffeinated and since then, sleep has been more or less good.I know we're not all the same, but it may help
Yes, we are all different. I never drank either ordinary tea or coffee for years and I don't normally have more than one coffee a day in the morning now. I drink a range of herbal teas including one specifically to help you sleep but not having caffeine never worked for me. Very pleased to hear, though, that it did the trick for you.
I couldnt take it. One knocked me out for 24 hours!! I think taking it is crazy if you want to lead a normal life....and I have severe back pain but wouldnt ! Wonder if your doc could take them and still do his job, I often think, when they prescribe some things to us!
I could take 2 and still not get to sleep 😱
Just shows how different we all are!! Thats amazing!!
I was prescribed Amitriptyline by a Neurologist for nerve pain. As soon as I took it within a couple of hours I went into AF for a couple of hours. I tried again the day after and the same happened again so I discontinued. This occurred several years ago when I was on Flecainide and my AF was under control and not had an episode in 10 years Since then I’ve seen another Neurologist who advised that Amitriptyline should not be prescribed for patients with AF and prescribed Pregabalin with no Subsequent AF related issues
Hope this helps
In my experience, in the States, you get Gabapentin as a first line drug for 'nerve pain'. They start you at 100mg and move you up. The sky is literally the limit. I suffered severe join and tendon pain from a reaction to Cipro. I got Gabapentin before we settled on the drug reaction as the culprit. Since it was inappropriate for the actual pain I was experiencing, which was tendon damage owing to the Cipro, can't say anything about it's effectiveness for genuine 'nerve pain'.
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