Amitryptiline as pain relief

I'm just back from the GP, and he has prescribed amitryptiline to help with the pain that I get pretty much nightly. He decided that given the pain I have been getting, to go right in at 25mg and not mess about starting at 10mg, however has told me that I have to go back if I get any bad side effects.

Anyone here got any experience of this medicine, hints, tips or otherwise?

 

Nah, I've had bouts of moderate to severe pain for 12 years now, with a number of suggested causes including osteoarthritis and sero-negative rheumatoid arthritis - none of which have been confirmed however. MRI scans revealed prolapsed discs, but nothing that they could or would operate on, X-rays revealed nothing, and blood tests time and again come back clear - each time, this has led to me either giving up pursuing things and just getting on with it, or in some cases doctors basically arguing with me that I am even feeling pain in the first place. And although there are prolapsed discs, the pain is not exclusively in my back - I get it in my elbows, feet, hands, knees and even my fingers.

The goon slamming into me only exacerbated things for a couple of weeks thereafter. The current visit to the GP (a new GP for me as we only joined the practice recently following moving house) was spurred on by a conversation with a colleague when I arrived at an early morning meeting like a half shut knife - - we got talking, and he told me that his wife had similar problems and nobody could help, despite the fact that she was a nurse; for her, it was one of the consultants in the hospital where she worked that spotted something or other, and diagnosed fibromyalgia; once on the right medicine, she essentially got her life back, so he went home and spoke with her regarding my symptoms and she was utterly convinced that it was at least a highly likely diagnosis, and that I shouldn't just give up and struggle on.

The GP this morning was fantastic, listened properly to everything (one of the few that have), and decided to try the amitryptiline to see if it helps with a view to sending me to a rheumatologist thereafter to get a finer diagnosis and treatment plan (that hasn't even been mentioned before, let alone offered)

I'll just be happy if I can get a whole night's sleep without pain, as I couldn't tell you the last time I had that.

 

Thanks all To be honest, I will give anything a shot to be free of the pain, so if it wants to bend my mind, fair play to it. Looking at that Wiki article, anything up to 50mg is classed as a 'lower' dosage that is given for pain - - presumably it is a much higher dose if its being used as an anti-depressant?

Even if it has got something of the effects of anti-depressant, it surely can't be a bad thing?

I'm not going to start taking it until Monday night, simply because I am intending on having a few jars this weekend as a belated Christmas break, and apparently it might not get on too well with alcohol especially in the first few weeks of taking it.

Has anyone heard from Nick? Do we know if he is OK?

 

I was prescribed tramadol some years back - did nothing for me at all. The doctor I was seeing at the time simply kept doubling the dose until I got to the point that the stuff was making me ill (hungover and nauseous mainly), whilst still not helping with the pain. The doc couldn't understand that I wasn't prepared to take it just for the sake of it, as it wasn't helping, and even inferred at one stage that I was after 'something stronger for the wrong reasons' - - suffice to say, the box with majority of tablets remaining in it was returned to one of his colleagues at the surgery, and said colleague apologised.

I think part of the problem in getting this sorted out is the fact that I am a young man - there is almost a disbelief from many doctors that a young man can have something like this going on - either attitudes are gradually changing, or there is less disbelief now that I am getting older, but more recently I am finally starting to feel as though I am being taken seriously

 

I took them for quite a few years after an accident for a few years FC as has my S in L who has Chronic back pain & sleep is hard for him.. They help/helped us both.. They are a mild muscle relaxant, but their main purpose is to work on the nerve receptors & cells in the brain which where they are trying to control your pain from as well... They made us a bit drowsie to start with but we both soon adjusted to them & they gradually started working which took about 3 weeks or so, but both of us have found them excellent since.. He still takes them but I don't & I suppose it took few weeks to stop them, but very very good in my opinion... I hope you get some descent sleep now...

 

Thanks Java&Me This is the first time I have been to this particular doctors surgery, and the difference in the way both Mrs C and I have been getting treated by them is quite remarkable.

Over the years, we have slowly moved further and further out and this latest move has taken us over the London boundary and into Surrey - each change of surgery along the way has seen an improvement in they way we are being dealt with not only by the doctors themselves, but even by the receptionists. The people that we have encountered in this latest surgery, as well as on subsequent hospital visits have been nothing short of excellent. I firmly believe that half of the trouble was the areas were living in previously, all the doctors were attached to West Middlesex Hospital - neither I, my family or even anyone I know has ever had a positive experience from the place; in fact, I can't say I've ever heard a good word about it.

Mrs C has had loads sorted out since moving (hence the recent knee op), and speaking with the new doctor this morning he seems to be listening and keen to find suitable relief, even if it then takes a while thereafter to give a complete diagnosis. Fingers crossed that this might be the surgery to get me sorted.

Marley - its good to hear that they have worked well for you and your son in law. I think the doctor was slightly surprised this morning when I said that I wasn't looking for time off work, nor anything spectacular - I just wanted to be free enough of pain to let me sleep.

I do wonder how many people will go to doctors purely to get time off work, or to try and have themselves declared not fit to work to get onto benefits?