Elavil
#165465 - 03/30/05 03:40 PM
|
|
|
|
Linz
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 8242
Loc: England
|
|
|
I'm on Elavil (amitriptyline) to help my sleep with Fibro and it doesn't seem to be working!  I've just upped my dose to 20mg and it seems to be keeping me awake.  I'm more insomiac than I've been for ages. Has anyone else experienced this?
Or if you got a sedative effect, what dose was that? I've stopped taking my Valerian while I try and figure out if a higher dose of Elavil will help but I need some sleep so I'm not sure how long I can cope with this! 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Re: Elavil
#165469 - 03/30/05 04:05 PM
|
|
|
|
LauraSue
Reged: 01/14/04
Posts: 4812
Loc: New York City
|
|
|
Linz,
I'm at 150mg (3 tablets of 50 each). My good doc started me at 100mg, then when I got caught up on my sleep and wasn't sleeping as soundly, raised it to 150. Beware of wicked dry mouth -- see if you can find the UK version of dry mouth products such as Biotene.
In the meantime an over the counter antihistamine of the old fashioned drowsy kind could help. Diphenhydramine
is the generic name, sold here as Benadryl or Nytol.
Having said that I just looked up on rxlist.com and insomnia is listed as a side effect! Wouldn't you know!
Good luck, sweetie!
--------------------
Laura
Keep it simple!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Thanks LS!
#165471 - 03/30/05 04:08 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Linz
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 8242
Loc: England
|
|
|
The antihistamines knock me out but give me even less stage 4 sleep than normal! 
My doc warned me of the dry mouth. Uck. Well I've got a way to go till I get to that dose! Jeez I wish she'd give me Ambien. I'm fine with just the valerian most of the time, but I need something really good for the occasional nights when I'm not.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I didn't start getting the sleepy head thing till about 50mg! By the time I weened off I was at 150mg! Here is hoping you get some good ZZZZ tonight! I am going to email you in a min!!
HUGS
--------------------
Heather7476
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
The last two nights (since I upped my dose to 20mg) I've had really bad insomnia...didn't get to sleep till gone 1am last night and normally I'm dead to the world by 10.30pm.  I know I need to keep doing this to give the Elavil a chance, but I'm not sure how long I can cope without a good night's sleep!
Btw...I've stopped taking the Valerian so that I can tell if the Elavil works...you don't suppose you can get rebound insomnia from that do you?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I haven't taken Elavil but I do take Ambien. Why won't your dr prescribe Ambien for you? It works miracles, I can't even begin to tell you how much better I feel now that I am sleeping!!!
I think the Valerian is pretty mild so if you did get any rebound insominia, it shouldn't last more than a day or two. I hope you get some good sleep soon!! Life is hard enough, we don't need to go through it exhauseted all the time! Hugs!!
--------------------
Taking it one day at a time.....
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
My doc...
#165847 - 03/31/05 01:47 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Linz
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 8242
Loc: England
|
|
|
...is very anti-Ambien b/c of the addiction risks! Last time I even pointed out twice that I only wanted it for intermittent use so that shouldn't be a problem, but she still won't! Well I'm gonna give the higher Elavil dose a good chance and then if my GP won't give me Ambien for my bad days, I'll get my lovely new specialist to prescribe it for me!
But I'm so fed up. Night 3 with insomnia and it just sends my Fibro off the scale. I'm less sleepy after taking the pills than I was before. Oh well, I guess I had to have a rare reaction to SOMETHING.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Posts
