cardinal
12-30-2003, 03:05 PM
Happy New Year everyone! I am starting elavil tonight, after numerous drugs to help my nerve and back pain. My doc sd it is good for pain? I am also depressed and taking zoloft. Should I get off the zoloft? I'm thinking so due to both are of the same class? I would love for it to help the nerve issues and a bonus would be the depression :bouncing:
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carol632
12-31-2003, 06:29 PM
I take elavil at night to help me sleep better. I have not noticed that it helps with pain, but it does help me achieve a restful nights sleep. That, of course, is beneficial to the whole body and mind.
Carol
Carol
twisten
12-31-2003, 06:57 PM
Hi Cardinal. I was on elavil for over a year and it did nothing for me for the pain. My GI had put me on it for chronic pain. I started out at 25 mg and when I stopped taking it I was up to 125 mg. It did help me sleep better once in awhile but not consistently. Possibly with me it didn't help because sometimes I don't absorb things properly because of my crohns so maybe you will have better luck than I did. I would speak with your doc about stopping the other one but yes they are similar so I wouldn't think you would need both. Good luck.
jenny1973
01-01-2004, 11:35 AM
My doctor just prescribed that for me and when I read up on it I said forget it. I never even got it filled. No..I am almost positive I read that you should not take any seratonin inhibitors while on this (for instannce you said you were on zoloft). Definitely research this. If most people say it doesn't work for pain then why bother. I take ultam instead and it works wonders for me. Good Luck! I actually read that this drug is used for major psychotic issues like bi-polar, skysophrenia (sp?). There are also lots of side effect to this stuff. It just freaked me out so I stick to ultram.
Jenny
Jenny
Mara
01-08-2004, 05:27 PM
Make sure your doctor is aware of the medications you take daily and occasionally. I take the generic version of Elavil for the frequent headaches and sleep problems. I have been taking it for about 2 yrs, it helps and is affordable. For pain it helps but when something is happening, when I go into a flare, or hurt myself, I take something more like, 8hrty*lenol or an anti inflammatory if it is tissue swelling, nerve pain this type of thing or Celebrex if it is worse. As far as it helping depression it helps a bit. It evens out mood swings but does not eliminate them. Dosage is flexible with Elavil and that's a good thing. If you have tried Zoloft for a while and don't think it's helping tell the doctor and ask him/her what you should do. Stopping meds abruptly is not good for the body. If he wants you to come off it, ask him/her the step-down dosage you should follow and if you should wait until you are off the Zoloft to take the Elavil.
cardinal
01-08-2004, 07:00 PM
Thanks for the help! I stopped the elavil. It made me too sleepy, all morning even though I took it at night. I am tapering the zoloft. I have weaned off hydrocodone, and my estrogen patch, climara is done too! I feel, mentally, so much better!!! I don't tolerate drugs well at all. All these yrs of anti d's and hydro, I really messed my mind up. The estrogen, I think, was the worst! So, getting rid of meds and feel good about it. Pain, I am use to that, so just gotta live with it, but atleast I will have my sanity! These drugs just add to the problem, side effects yuk! The commercials are a joke, may cause.... dah, thats what were trying to get rid of! Drug free and happy. :bouncing:
momofsix
01-10-2004, 04:16 PM
elavil didn't help me at all for nerve pain.
NeedANewJaw
01-15-2004, 03:20 PM
elavil was the only headache preventative that I tried (out of dozen's) that worked. But I had to get up to 150 mgs to get real relief. It worked for about 9 months then slowly stopped so i got off of it. i am back to taking 50 mgs at night with 50 mgs of trazadone to help me sleep. it works well for that but I doubt i get any relief from the pain at that dosage. nothing seems to help with the pain except narcotics. It took me 4 years to find a doc that was willing to give me long acting narcs.
Ive had HA's for 5+ years and severe TMJ for a year now. No real help in the future. Ive been told I need surgery but ins. wont pay for TMJ surgery. I would also like to try some different mouth splints but they are very expensive and again ins. wont pay.
good luck to you.
PS I never noticed with helping with depression at all. I take 20 mgs of Lexapro along with the elavil. Never had anyone say to me that I shouldnt take them together. The same doc prescribes all my meds. I would ask though. I hope it helps!! Definately worth a try...not many side effects except for sleepiness. Some people cant handle 10 mgs, makes them too sleepy.
Ive had HA's for 5+ years and severe TMJ for a year now. No real help in the future. Ive been told I need surgery but ins. wont pay for TMJ surgery. I would also like to try some different mouth splints but they are very expensive and again ins. wont pay.
good luck to you.
PS I never noticed with helping with depression at all. I take 20 mgs of Lexapro along with the elavil. Never had anyone say to me that I shouldnt take them together. The same doc prescribes all my meds. I would ask though. I hope it helps!! Definately worth a try...not many side effects except for sleepiness. Some people cant handle 10 mgs, makes them too sleepy.
Mara
01-29-2004, 03:09 PM
ps-I recently stepped down & tapered off the Elavil because of the nasty side effects. It's no longer worth the trade off. The headaches have returned. The medication did take the bite out of sharp pains and dulled them.
tzty
02-03-2004, 12:36 AM
Cardinal......be careful just stopping it. I used to take mine around 5 at night so that I was awake the next day....it does help....but wean off of it if you must. ^..^)))~~~
cardinal
02-03-2004, 10:40 AM
Cardinal......be careful just stopping it. I used to take mine around 5 at night so that I was awake the next day....it does help....but wean off of it if you must. ^..^)))~~~
Thanks! I am off it!! I am almost off zoloft too! slowly...even the hydro ony take as needed. I quit smoking now 7 days!!! I am taking charge of my body! so fed up with doctors and meds. My very good friend died Sunday, he was 59. He smoked heavily and did not have health ins so did not get checked out. He was trying to stop smoking a few months ago. This was a shock to me. Life is too short, we have little control over so many things but the things we do have control over we must address! Smoking, drinking, and putting foreing objects into our bodies and our thoughts we do have control over!! so many pills could be avoided that end up killing us if we would only take charge of ourselves! People look for a quick fix... when the only fix is within ourselves!!! When I die atleast I'll know I did all I could to live well :bouncing:
Thanks! I am off it!! I am almost off zoloft too! slowly...even the hydro ony take as needed. I quit smoking now 7 days!!! I am taking charge of my body! so fed up with doctors and meds. My very good friend died Sunday, he was 59. He smoked heavily and did not have health ins so did not get checked out. He was trying to stop smoking a few months ago. This was a shock to me. Life is too short, we have little control over so many things but the things we do have control over we must address! Smoking, drinking, and putting foreing objects into our bodies and our thoughts we do have control over!! so many pills could be avoided that end up killing us if we would only take charge of ourselves! People look for a quick fix... when the only fix is within ourselves!!! When I die atleast I'll know I did all I could to live well :bouncing:
tzty
02-03-2004, 07:19 PM
:wave: :D
I am so proud of you.....you made it 7 days....That is wonderful. I really need to quit since I am having surgery later this month. Plus hubby promised me a nice gift that I want if I quit. ....a little more incentive for me.. ;) I know it is best. I try to do the health thing...by walking on the treadmill every other day but I also manage to keep messing up my right foot and can't stand a shoe on it for long. Now if I could just stop that and smoking I would also be headed in the right direction.
I am so sorry about your friend dying. I know it is hard but he is pain free and safe in God's hands... :angel: ....watching you and helping you quit.
Take care, ^..^)))~~~ :bouncing:
I am so proud of you.....you made it 7 days....That is wonderful. I really need to quit since I am having surgery later this month. Plus hubby promised me a nice gift that I want if I quit. ....a little more incentive for me.. ;) I know it is best. I try to do the health thing...by walking on the treadmill every other day but I also manage to keep messing up my right foot and can't stand a shoe on it for long. Now if I could just stop that and smoking I would also be headed in the right direction.
I am so sorry about your friend dying. I know it is hard but he is pain free and safe in God's hands... :angel: ....watching you and helping you quit.
Take care, ^..^)))~~~ :bouncing: