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[Sarah2]

why does your dr not refer you to a physio?

[Greyhoundgal]

Hi Moonbeam - I'm also on amitriptyline for back pain.  My GP put me on it and told me to take it at night as it can cause drowsiness but as that was what I needed it was fine.  About 4 months ago I upped my dose to 20mg nightly but other than the dry mouth don't really have much in the way of side effects and certainly haven't put weight on through it.  The spaced out feeling should start to wear off after a week or so but I also found that a good strong cup of coffee would get rid of it.

[moonbeam121167]

Grounghoundgal,  I took it around 10.15pm last night but was told to take it at least 3 hrs before bed but I couldnt cause I had to drive but do you think taking it alot earlier will help, an y advice is very much appreciated xxx

[Joyce]

I used to take it about 9 at night, so that I wasn't so dopey first thing. Of course it depends on what you're doing in an evening. It did get easier after a while though.

[moonbeam121167]

I spent 10 yearish on Prozac and it took months to come off it,  which has been around 5 months since I have been off it,  I was never spaced out on Prozac and to be honest I never thought it was all that good but I was wondering if this neck pain I have been getting this last few months is tension headaches and its all down to stress but I thought that the HRT, Estradot 50, would be helping but I only started them on the 11th Jan 14 prior to that I was on Climaval 2mg and I am not seeing the Meno clinic till 28th March, do you think I should continue taking them for the 4 weeks and see how it goes xx

[CLKD]

If you have been advised to take the drug 3 hours before bed, then over the weekend when you don't have to drive, do so ?  ………

Also, sit relaxed in the evening.  Feet in a bath of warm water and sit.  Gentle movement of the neck to ease any tension.  Yoga is good too!

[cherylks]

Hi Moonbeam, I am on 30mg amitrip for facial neuralgia.  At one time I was on 50mg.  Like everyone says it certainly helps with sleep and in my case eases the pain sufficient to cope with.  I have been on it for a few years and am not aware of weight gain with it.  I have actually lost nearly 2 stone in the last 8 months!  Also, I found it quite easy to reduce the dose to 30mg over a period of a few weeks with no withdrawal or other problems.  Like you I don't like taking tablets unless absolutely necessary but do seem to need these to keep pain under control.  I tried to drop to 20mg but pain developed too much.  I take mine at 7.30pm ish as I tend to go to bed at 10pm.  Doesn't affect my ability to drive in the morning.  Hope it works out for you.

[CLKD]

  Cherylks - does it help the neuralgia?  It never touched the awful stabbing pains I had in the 1990s.  There is surgery available you know?

[Joyce]

Cherlyks, amitriptyline was useless when I had neuralgia. GP had to Gabapentin. Still took a while to eventually go. How long have you had it for?

[cherylks]

I tried Gabapentin & something else but they just knocked me out flat!  To be honest docs don't really know what I have!  Originally was told it was TN as I had some electric shock like pains across face but that has all but gone now.  You may have read my threads a long time ago about a tooth infection that spread across side of face.  Lost hearing & had nerve damage done.  Pain comes & goes as quick stabbing pains, sometimes like tooth ache but get regular dental check ups and nothing ever showed up despite months of check ups.  Pain anywhere across one side.  Amitrip takes the edge off it so most of the time it is livable with.

[Joyce]

I sympathise, it was very painful especially at night. If I turned on my right side it was like someone sticking a red hot poker in my cheek & eye.

[CLKD]

True nueralgia is in one place in the face - the nerve becomes trapped by a blood vessel which flows over the top and surgical intervention to cut and tie the vessel can ease symptoms

Referred pain can 'act' in a similar way so it is difficult to diagnose.  When I had dental surgery 3 years ago it upset the nerve so the pain was at first constant, when it became similar to the neuralgia we realised  and fortunately it did settle with Nurofen.

[Greyhoundgal]

Grounghoundgal,  I took it around 10.15pm last night but was told to take it at least 3 hrs before bed but I couldnt cause I had to drive but do you think taking it alot earlier will help, an y advice is very much appreciated xxx

Not sure what time you usually go to bed Moonbeam but I take mine about half an hour before I go upstairs.  I don't usually have much trouble getting to sleep but this works through the night and makes the back pain bearable enough that I can usually go through the night as well.  My GP advised me to take it approx an hour before bed as the side-effect of possible drowsiness was one of the effects he was aiming for

[cherylks]

I agree with you CLKD.  It does seem however that unexplained facial pain is also called neuralgia due to lack of any other name to give it!  I had numerous dental appointments and even had a tooth extracted before they realised it wasn't a dental problem!  Unfortunately it seems that all three nerves that go across side of face were damaged at one point.  Obviously some healing has taken place but not completely. 

[CLKD]

Nerves grow back 1cm each month …………. or something really tiny.