Still in pain 3 months after first lap. GP has prescribed amytriptiline for pain management. Has anyone else tried this?

[Aridia]

I'm actually feeling a bit fobbed off and ignored. Since my lap in November I've had fairly constant lower back pain when lying down. I used to only get it during my period, which was apparently due to having endo on both uterosacral ligaments which was excised. I've also recently started getting pain in my ovary again. Today I coughed and I had a severe sharp pain in my right ovary, along with a strange warm, wet sensation in my thigh. Ever since it's ached and all down my right leg ached.

When I saw my gp about it she didn't seem at all bothered about what was causing the pain, only that it was affecting my sleep. So she's prescribed me 10mg amytriptiline. I'm a psychiatric nurse so I know amytriptiline as an antidepressant, but I know it's also used in management of chronic pain, specifically nerve pain. I know it also causes drowsiness, which as a community nurse who drives at least 50 miles per day, concerns me.

I don't know whether to take it and see what happens or if I should push it? I do feel there's more going on here and I'm not being listened to, but I don't want to be thought of as a malingerer or hypochondriac.

Has anyone else ever tried amytriptiline for pain?

Has anyone else had pain from endo 3 months after surgery?

Thank you

[Fancydress-girl]

Hi yes i was given it but i then became a zombie with pain. Not effective for me but it is worth a try. I understand about the driving though. I have had a full hysterectomy due to endo but i still suffer every day with pain. I have tried everything . I am pushing for another laperoscopy as i think a cyst grew back and burst. Can you imagine the replies of the GPs and consultants?? Its a battle every day! Good luck to you but keep pushing for answers. Endometropolis is a good place for information. Or google Dr David Redwine xx

[Aridia]

Thank you yes I'm on endometropolis on Facebook so maybe I'll ask there too.

It's such a shame that doctors don't listen to us about our own bodies. I really hope you're able to get some answers about your pain and hopefully some treatment & relief.

Thank you for your reply

[Cat247]

Hi I've had amitryptiline before for the pain. For me it didn't help the pain but then not much does. The first time I ever took it I was really drowsy and felt like a zombie and even had a panic attack (which I never had before). It scared me so I stopped taking them for a few days. I did try it again and after a while didn't suffer too bad with the side effects but still it didn't help the pain. I have oromorph at home now for when the pains really bad but again that's not really something you can take and then drive on. Unfortunately that's the case with most of the strong pain relief. It's so frustrating. If you are still really suffering you need to push for a referral back to an endo specialist or gynaecologist as they may not have removed all the endo. What type of person operated on you? If it was just a surgeon or gynaecologist then they are not specialised enough in removing endo. I too had my lap in nob but the surgeon wouldn't do anything as I have severe stage 4 endo and frozen pelvis so in April I am being operated on by an endo speacialist and a bowel surgeon.xx

[Shelly92 in reply to Cat247]

I'm wondering if you had the surgery and what happened ?

[Cat247]

Oh my go how bad was the predictive text there. Nov not nob! Lol.x

[Abbs]

Hello am so sorry you are having a bad time, I was prescribed amitripline in 2005 after I had a nerve damage in my tigh caused my injections and to say the truth it made me drowsy but it worked and I am still on it. 10mg is a very pretty low dose but since you haven't taken any strong medication before it might affect you. I only take mine at night and I would advice you to do the same thing so by the time you wake up in the morning the drowsy effect would be over. Pls don't take the meds during the day cos it would be a mistake especially when you are driving. Amitripline works cos it is also muscle relaxant

[Beau83]

I get a very similar pain to you too- I get a build up of pain near my right ovary which seems to 'explode' and the pain travels into my right groin/labia and down the front of my right thigh. It can feel warm/wet or even cold sometimes- and I think it is nerve pain/damage or endo on or near to a pelvic nerve.

I have a prescription for Amitrypitline (sp?) 10mg per day to increase to 30mg per day as I am suffering with the groin/leg pain, uterosacral endo/ lower back pain and insomnia (generally caused by tramadol). I am due to start this tomorrow.

[Shelly92 in reply to Beau83]

There is a Med specifically for nerve pain and it's not an anti depressant

[wedding2002]

Hi I had a hysterectomy 7 years ago due to severe endometriosis on all my lower organs and pelvis. I was warned that microscopic bits could remain and grow but on the whole my quality of life improved greatly after the op. Then 18 months ago I started to experience lower back pain and then burning across my bum, right hip and leg. It can be so painful I can not sleep and now I have spasms and struggle to sit or stand for long periods. I was told it was sciatica and had physio but the physio thought it was an underlying problem and sent me back to the Doctors. I have been to see a bowel specialist and they said due to previous history I should go back to Gynaecology they do not seem to believe my hip and leg pain are related. Has anyone experienced a similar thing after an op? This is so frustrating!

[Shelly92]

They gave you an anti depressant to treat endo .

Let me tell you what I know about that .

My daughter got DX with endo at 20 .

They told her that some studies show that a small dose of Prozac 10 mg has been showing promising results .

She took it for a year .

I was put on Prozac for depression.

At the time I did notice less pain but did not put it together until what happened to my daughter .

So if I were you

I would ask the Dr exactly why he prescribed what he did ? And what results does he hope to achieve ?

Make sure he's not a dr who thinks all women's issues are mental and thus his treatments .

It may help but I'd sure like to know his line of reasoning

[Shelly92]

I'm sorry I'm not a dr

There is other things for nerve pain

If anything I try 10 mg Prozac before the one they put you on

Like I said

I'm not a dr

I do know lots about those meds though

And I question a dr who only thinks of that for endo