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tamanddave	Oct-01-04, 09:15 PM (CMT)
"Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
Just wondering if anyone else is taking this. I am currently on Verapamil (90 MG) and Cyproheptadine (4MG) I am a little concerned because its mostly an anti-depressant. Which he kept asking if I was anxious, depressed, or stressed. He really kept trying to link my migraines to one of those. I have found out today that my thyroid meds need to be adjusted and I feel this could be a cause of a good majority of my migraines. I am tempted to hold off taking it until I see how changing the thyroid meds works out. He was also concerned about combining the Elavil and Cyphroheptadine. He said it may make me VERY VERY sleepy. He thought it would be okay because they are both at such low doses. Does anyone know about these combos? Taking it as a preventative? Little worried and confused.
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RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., lovecats, Oct-01-04, (1) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., tamanddave, Oct-01-04, (2) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., jenfryer, Oct-01-04, (3) Amitryptiline, annec, Oct-02-04, (4) RE: Amitryptiline, lesherb1, Oct-02-04, (5) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., mom22, Oct-02-04, (6) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., jrgood27, Oct-02-04, (7) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., tamanddave, Oct-02-04, (8) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., AngelZoo, Oct-02-04, (9) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., Mattie, Oct-04-04, (10) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., charmed quark, Oct-04-04, (11) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., diane, Oct-04-04, (12) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., charmed quark, Oct-04-04, (13) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., Jimboha, Oct-04-04, (14) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., honeyb, Oct-06-04, (15) RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) ..., elmesquite, Oct-06-04, (16) Elavil, tree6199, Oct-06-04, (17)

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Messages in this topic

lovecats	Oct-01-04, 09:31 PM (CMT)
1. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
I take Amitriptyline as a preventative. I take 20mg and have had no problems. It does make me tired so I take it at night. Good luck. Tammi
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	tamanddave	Oct-01-04, 09:35 PM (CMT)
	2. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
	Thanks for replying, I will give it a whirl then. I was just a little concerned because he kept pushing the depressed/stressed cause for my migraines. This is a new doctor for me and I honestly don't totally trust him. I hope to, and hope he is on the right track by adjusting my thyroid meds. But just a little leary. I will take one and see what happens. If I wake up in the morning then we will consider this a good sign! LOL
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	jenfryer	Oct-01-04, 10:36 PM (CMT)
	3. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
	I was on Nortriptyline (similar to Elavil) for years and it worked pretty well. It is used for neuropathic pain of many varieties, probably as much if not more so than it is used for depression. The neuropathic pain dose is lower than the anti-depressant dose. I didn't get too groggy - but I ultimately had to come off when they increased the dose and it dried my mouth out so much that I developed sores. I would go back on it - I have since found a mouthwash for dry mouth that will prevent the sores - but my neurologists have been hesitant. It can cause weight gain (as can the Cyproheptadine) - so watch what you eat. Good luck, Jen
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annec	Oct-02-04, 07:34 AM (CMT)
4. "Amitryptiline"
Anti-depressants whether tricyclics like Amitriptyline or SSRIs like Zoloft are often prescribed in the treatment of chronic pain. The former not only did not touch the Ms but it didn't even stop me from wanting to kill myself to escape the pain while the latter did at least cheer me up. There is no one size fits all, what suits one does not suit another. I wish you luck with this latest drug.
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	lesherb1	Oct-02-04, 09:07 AM (CMT)
	5. "RE: Amitryptiline"
	Try not to be too concerned with a medication called "antidepressant". You do not have to be depressed to garner benefit from it. I was under the impression that Elavil was the first med most neuros try for migraine prevention. I was prescribed it 8 or 9 years ago in NY. It didn't help but that doesn't mean it won't for you. Łeslie
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mom22	Oct-02-04, 09:29 AM (CMT)
6. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
My 9 yr old son takes topamax and elavil as his preventatives. He is now on 20mg of elavil. The headache specialist said only take the elavil at night because it makes you sleepy. I knew that from when Ds first started it, it knocked him out in no time and we had to give it early enough that he slept it off by morning. We found that giving it at 8pm he was fine by 630AM. When we doubled his dosage 10 days ago, it made him sleepy again for a few days, but he adjusted. We also noticed when he first started it that after a week or so, he was getting the benefits, but the side effect of knocking him out went away. We really like it. With just the topamax there was a big improvement, but adding the elavil, it was even better. Now that we have increased to 20mg he is doing super. The specialist said we could go to 30mg after 2 weeks if we want, but right now we are happy and so is DS.
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jrgood27	Oct-02-04, 10:22 AM (CMT)
7. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
I'm currently taking Elavil - I started it originally as a preventative and made it up to 25 mg, with no effect. Now I'm down to 10 mg because it is the best thing I've found to help me sleep that doesn't stop working over time. The dehydrating side effects are a challenge for me, unfortunately. I have a (male) cousin who had great success with it as a migraine preventative, though, so I think it's worth a try. The 'depression dose' of Elavil is nowhere near 10 mg. (more like 100) You wouldn't expect 10 mg to help with depression much - unless your depression was worsened by not sleeping well, in which case it'll help quite a bit! Good luck. Jenny
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tamanddave	Oct-02-04, 12:01 PM (CMT)
8. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
I was a little groggy this morning but that has since worn off. The doctor was concerned because of the Cyproheptadine makes you sleepy and adding Elavil to it, would make that symptom worse. He said to try it over the weekend so it didn't affect me at work. It seems very doable so I will keep trying this. I feel better today, my head isn't so foggy (except when first waking up this morning) so I am hoping adjusting my thyroid meds might really be the ticket to all these migraines. I don't think I can explain them all away as related to my thyroid. But the ones that go on and on unrelenting that the abortives don't help maybe thyroid related. It will be great if I can get off of some of these meds eventually. I swear I look like a drug store right here on my desk! Thanks for the reply's I do feel better knowing that others take this. Just a little leary of a new doctor and since he kept pushing the depression/anxiety angle as the answer to all of my migraines.
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AngelZoo	Oct-02-04, 01:03 PM (CMT)
9. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
I was indeed on Elavil for many months. The doctor kept on upping my dosage, I started on something small like 10mgs I got up to like 50 or 60mgs per day and it did nothing to help the pain at all. It made me very sleepy for the first few days that I upped the med, but that was about it. I do suffer from depression anxiety and a large handfull of other issues. It didn't help for that either. I have been on treatment for such emotional problems and some did help, so having a neuro try to put me on yet another depression/pain med because they "think" I'm depressed... just doesn't work that way guys! I really think now adays I am beyond help of any anxiety/depression meds. I have too much of a deep hatred for this world for some chemical to over come it. Maybe I don't have a chemical imbalance, perhaps I'm just able to see the world for what it really is. But um... yeah apparently I'm rambling now. =)
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Mattie	Oct-04-04, 07:58 AM (CMT)
10. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
I tried it but it made my M's worse. Everytime I took my med. I always had a M in a few min. However, most meds effect me that way. Neurontin is the only thing that has helped me. LOL!
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	charmed quark	Oct-04-04, 08:54 AM (CMT)
	11. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
	The sleepyness may let up a bit as you get used to the drug. I used the 10mg dose for my migraines. When I first went on it I felt like someone had given me knockout drops. I was afraid that I wouldn't wake up if the house was burning around me. And I felt very groogy the next day. But after a week or so it just made me sleepy at night. I actually liked that effect as it made my sleep very sound. I think I got the best response to this of all the conventional migraine drugs I've used. Unfortunately, I had to give it up after a few years due to side effects. But most people don't have too much trouble at this low a dose. -Pete
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	diane	Oct-04-04, 12:24 PM (CMT)
	12. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
	Has anyone noticed weight gain as a side effect at doses as low as 10mg or 25mg? Diane
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	charmed quark	Oct-04-04, 01:26 PM (CMT)
	13. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
	Yes, I gained quite a bit of weight on it. -Pete
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Jimboha	Oct-04-04, 03:28 PM (CMT)
14. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
I was on it {I forget the dosage} for about two months as preventative. It did work somewhat in reducing the migs, but it made me sleep 14+ hours per day. I decided that it didn't really give me back my life so I changed to another. Which sadly keeps me from sleeping well... Sigh, why can't we get both. YMMV. Jim near Boise
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honeyb	Oct-06-04, 00:31 AM (CMT)
15. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
I take 200mg and have no problem with it. Bonnita
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elmesquite	Oct-06-04, 05:49 PM (CMT)
16. "RE: Amitriptyline (Elavil) (10 MG) as a preventative?"
LAST EDITED ON Oct-06-04 AT 05:50 PM (CMT) I take 25mg's every night to reduce the occurance and severity of migraines. I had been doing pretty good a year ago and my doctor was trying to gradually take me off of it but I began to have strong migraines nearly every day so I went back to the amitriptyline. My doctor wants to take me off Imitrex because of my age but it is the only thing that works. I was thinking about botox treatments since I read that BC/BS of Texas now accepts it. Jim (elMesquite)
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tree6199	Oct-06-04, 09:11 PM (CMT)
17. "Elavil"
I would wait until I see what the result is changing the thyroid medication because 1. If you change two things at once, you don't really know what caused the change if there is one. 2. I did try Elavil once for a short time and it made me extremely sleepy and I'm not one that is effected by medication once. Just my two cents. Good luck. Theresa
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