Doing as I'm told for once

[mistymeana]

Hi All. Well, following all your kind advice, I went and picked my amitryptiline script up yesterday like a good girl. The rheumy assured me it was too low a dose to make me drowsy the next day but was high enough to help me get a good night sleep and help with the pain. Result? - no improvement in sleep, pain levels the same as ever but I have been wandering round like a zombie all day! Luckily I work in a GP surgery so they understood why. Been assured by GP friend that I should get improvement with side effects and positive benefits in time so watch this space ..........

[justlizz]

I felt like a zombie when I first started taking them and that was only 10 mg now on 20mg they do help I managed to get off them for a few months but had another flare up they were the first thing I went back on you will get used to them in a few days hope they help

lizz

[11shirls11 in reply to justlizz]

they dont help when you get flare up am on 50mg they dont help me

[shirlthegirl]

Hi I started 10mg and then went up to 20, But that didn't work that well for me,With all the pain killers i am on anyway', i am like a zombie especially the way i used to walk in the morning, Sliding my feet across the floor and making the noises to, But the stiffness has subsided a bit at the moment, But i am now on 50mg the hight dose, And they really work well for me, I am not working at the moment, But if i was i think i would be ok, As i am still up during the day, But everyone is different,

Take care hope you have a good nites sleep tonite xx

[creekybones]

a woman doing as shes told ??? I DONT BELIEVE IT

is amitriptyline the antidepressant drug ?? is 10mg one tablet ? i think i was given some of these ..

steve

[shirlthegirl in reply to creekybones]

yes steve, they are a antl depressant, but they now use them 4 pain relief, u can get them in 10mg, but also in 25 which i take 2, they really help me i don,t no what i would do with out them, take care x

[minka in reply to creekybones]

yes it is steve but its used for other stuff to ease pain.

didnt do much for me so i stopped them

[creekybones]

help with pain ? i thought , i was given them for help sleeping .. still got them . will try them tonight n let you know .. x

[shirlthegirl in reply to creekybones]

Yes that's what i was given to help me sleep to, As i was only getting a couple of hours sleep, as the pain would wake me up, So that's why my GP told me they will help with the pain to, I'm not a lover of taking a lot of pills but believe me i needed them.

Hope they work for you,

We all need a good nites sleep to deal with this Decease.

Shirley x

[earthwitch]

Recommendation: That no doctor or nurse should ever say how something is going to affect you unless they have tried it themselves! Ask 100 patients how the first week or two of amitryptilline affected them the next morning (even at the lowest possible dose) and I guarantee that almost all would say they felt at least a bit knocked out, some a lot. Ask 100 GPs whether 10 mg of amitryptylline is going to have any negative effects and I guarantee almost all of them would say it will be fine and you wont have any zombie like effects at that dose.

Good news - if you persist with it, that zombie feeling will probably wear off after a week or two (until you get told to increase the dose again of course). Also if you take it a bit earlier in the evening (i.e. at least 12 hours before you want to get up) then it might reduce it a bit as well. It may also contribute to dropping pain a notch or two on the scale.

Bad news - it isn't a miracle drug, it will only "modify" pain, not get rid of it completely, it works best on "neuropathic" pain, which isn't always what is the problem in RA, and it can have other side effects.

[mistymeana in reply to earthwitch]

The GP at work actually laughed when I said the rheumy had told me there'd be no lasting sedative effects if I took it an hour or two before going to bed so hopefully some doctors out there area bit clued up.

[Hidden]

I can speak from having taking it myself and from my own medical knowedge so here goes

Yes originally and still some times now amitriypyline at high doses( ie greater than 50mg )can be used for depression, other the years they found that it has a beneficial side effect of being good for pain( neuopathic or nerve pain) it can also help with sleep, every one has different tolerances/side effects from drugs, I personally when I need to take it take it at 9pm to avoid the hungover/ can get of bed feeling and only taken 10mg ( when first diagnosed and not at work I took 25mg). Most common side effect dry mouth and " hungover" sensation this can be avoided by taking not later than 9pm and keeping glass of water handy especially by bed.

[mistymeana in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Summer. I seem to be getting slightly less zombified as the days progress but still no discernable reduction of pain or improvement in sleep but will keep at it for a while. Often get dry mouth anyway so used to keeping water handy at all times. Have been told by people that should know better that I'm a bit of a dozey mare :0 so hopefully nobody will really notice any difference!