Amitriptyline and Chronic headache - Headaches & Migraines Message Board

Shortstuff2 · 04-17-2009, 12:33 PM

Hi,

I have been dealing with chronic constant headache for over 15 years. I have had every medical test done that my doctor could think of to try and diagnose my pain with no luck. I even tried countless medications. Well for the last 10 years I have been on amitriptyline 10 mg at night and I feel it helped me a lot although it takes a long while before it starts to work so have to be patient.

Anyways I am soon to be married next month and my fiance and I have started to try for a baby. Now I was told by my current doctor that when we started trying for children it was just a matter of me going off the amitriptyline because I was on the lowest dose. Well I think either I am a rare case or my doctor isn't educated enough in this medication but I have felt horrible since coming off it. Sick to the stomache and the headache has returned full force. Now when I was on amitriptyline I still got the odd bad headache but not the constant pain I had before it. What make me really sad is because we have tried to start a family it's not like I can just go back on my medication because it causes harm in pregnancy. Plus I can't test for prengancy until the end of the month or begining of next month, just too early to detect. I have also been dealing with bad gastrentestal flu which by the way I am almost convinced I got it from going off the medication. I have done research on withdrawl of amitriptyline and it's very likely with the symptoms I have.

I just don't feel good at all, headache so bad and I got to continue with plans of my wedding which is also stressful due to my headache! What I am wondering if anyone else has ever taken amitriptyline and gone off it what is your story, how did you deal with it, easy, hard? Also looking for any ideas of what I can do to help my headaches without using medication. I would love to be medication free forever but for now I have no choice cause may be pregnant! Even supportive comments are welcome.

Thank you for reading and to anyone that responds.

wvyoung · 04-21-2009, 07:29 AM

You may try taking 200 Mg of Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) daily. I have suffered all of my life from chronic migraines. I have found a doctor that is willing to work with me. I take Topomax now. But before going on the Topomax he put me on the vitamin and wow, what a difference it made. Didn't stop them completely or i wouldn't be on the Topomax, but for somone that is having headaches of your nature I would give it a shot. I also went off of my amitrityline and had a similar reaction with my nerves. You will have to bear it or go on to something else. I would think about the B2. I also take a high dose of vitamin D. We can't get enough sunlight to keep our bodies stored up so I was very defecient also. Now I am feeling much better with also. Who would have thought that a vitamin could have done so much.

Shortstuff2 · 04-22-2009, 07:16 AM

Dear wyoung,

Thank you for your response. I will have to look into the vitamins you mentioned because I am one that will try almost anything to help my chronic headache. I am glad the vitamins etc are helping you and making you feeling better. I got intouch with a chronic pain clinic that is in Toronto Ontario which is a couple hours from where I live. They deal with all kinds of chronic pain including migrains and headaches. I have a consultation appointment Monday morning and am looking forward to seeing what they have in the way of treatments and tests. When I went on amitriptyline many, many years ago it evencually started working enough that I came to cope with my Chronic headache and so I stopped looking for the cause of my headache. But now that my fiance and I are wanting to start a family I have to go off the amitriptyline and so back with the bad headache and thrus back with looking for some answers and treatments without medication.

I hope you keep feeling well and thanks for your suggestions and sharing your experince with your migrains.