what tricyclics or anti depression meds for cp

metronycguy · 05-30-2004, 07:49 PM

i have tried amitriptyline(elavil). 10 to 20 mg, very good burning pain relief. however side effects were troublesome. and pain has receded a bit , for a couple weeks have been trying 25 mg of nortriptyline, i feel better over all. less anxiety , but i cant say for certain its working well for its intended pain use, i still have most of my pain in evening and during night .
anyone try the other tricyclics or newer anti depression meds with any pain reduction as with amitriptyline

alan · 05-31-2004, 05:58 PM

Desiprmaine is a tricyclic with allegedly fewer side effects than elavil. Perhaps it will help you, since elavil did. It might make your extremities cold.

Alan

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

calico · 06-02-2004, 08:24 AM

Wellbutrin slow-release, not a tricyclic, has been good for me. I think it has helped a bit with the pain, but I think it may have helped the most with my being able to think better through the pain.

Calico

metronycguy · 06-02-2004, 07:08 PM

i was thinking of trying wellbutrin, i hear it doesn't cause sexual side effects and weight gain. i will ask my pain doc about desiprmaine,
the wellbutrin i may have to ask a psychiatrist for, i try and only change 1 drug at a time.
my worst complaint with the elavil is not wanting to get out of bed in the AM, and also when i try to take it early in the evening , say at 8pm , i lose concentration abilities and mental focus ability.
the nortriptyline i feel well on but still need ambien to sleep, and do not think it works as well on the pain issues.
the amitripyline i sleep fine with and works well on low doses for my pain

calico · 06-03-2004, 08:56 AM

I have had no bad side-effects from Wellbutrin, though nothing is more particular to the individual than anti-depressants. I wish it weren't such a trial and error thing.

My husband took Elavil as a preventative for migraines and his doc told him not to take it in the morning because it was sedating.

My GP prescribed Wellbutrin for me after having tried nortryptaline, Elavil, Paxil and Effexor. Basically they either had no positive effects or I had side-effects from them.

Calico

alan · 07-15-2004, 06:25 PM

Does that cold extremity business caused by desipramine go away after taking it for a while?

Alan

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

metronycguy · 07-15-2004, 08:53 PM

i don't find the cold extremity to bad, my feet do get it a bit, but its been pretty warm, except at nite so far ..on 25 mg a day of desiprmaine...someone had asked awhile back about how long ot takes for the desperimine to take effect, i am not sure but i would say at least a week maybe two.. hard to say how effective it is unless i stop taking it too.
elavil i consider the benchmark for tricyclics,,definately works well on low doses for pain, except i can do without the sleeepiness the next day // as always the see saw effect.

zillazangel · 07-19-2004, 08:59 AM

Amongst the newer generation antidepressants, Effexor has a very good profile in reducing pain. The higher the dose, the better the pain reduction generally, but you need to start low because of the side effects of Effexor (dry mouth, etc) of Effexor. Lilly's new antidepressant, Cymbalta, to be launched this fall, is supposed to treat pain symptoms well too.

Good luck, Zillazangel

Zillazangel, I am an able bodied significant other of a C4/5 quadriplegic man

metronycguy · 07-20-2004, 09:55 PM

anyone else use effexor for the burning pain?
i have been using despiramine at 25 mg,
and now for the last couple weeks i have been awoken with pain at 2am, i usually take a ultram at 10pm, before sleep, seems as soon as the ultram wheresdown i wake up with pain, and need another ultram and now a ambien if i am going to return to sleep somewhat soon.

alan · 07-21-2004, 02:33 PM

One of the antidpressants I tried earlier this year made my penis shrink, so the externals always blew off. I think it was Effexor.

I still have the desipramine here, but I'm not taking it, because it makes my hands and feet ice cold (actually, not my perception.) I don't know if it's a circulation problem caused by the med, so I'm afraid to go to 25 mg. or more.

Alan

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

05-30-2004, 07:49 PM	#1
metronycguy Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: ny Posts: 5,118	what tricyclics or anti depression meds for cp i have tried amitriptyline(elavil). 10 to 20 mg, very good burning pain relief. however side effects were troublesome. and pain has receded a bit , for a couple weeks have been trying 25 mg of nortriptyline, i feel better over all. less anxiety , but i cant say for certain its working well for its intended pain use, i still have most of my pain in evening and during night . anyone try the other tricyclics or newer anti depression meds with any pain reduction as with amitriptyline

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05-31-2004, 05:58 PM	#2
alan Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 5,223	Desiprmaine is a tricyclic with allegedly fewer side effects than elavil. Perhaps it will help you, since elavil did. It might make your extremities cold. Alan "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

06-02-2004, 08:24 AM	#3
calico Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 272	Wellbutrin slow-release, not a tricyclic, has been good for me. I think it has helped a bit with the pain, but I think it may have helped the most with my being able to think better through the pain. Calico

06-02-2004, 07:08 PM	#4
metronycguy Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: ny Posts: 5,118	i was thinking of trying wellbutrin, i hear it doesn't cause sexual side effects and weight gain. i will ask my pain doc about desiprmaine, the wellbutrin i may have to ask a psychiatrist for, i try and only change 1 drug at a time. my worst complaint with the elavil is not wanting to get out of bed in the AM, and also when i try to take it early in the evening , say at 8pm , i lose concentration abilities and mental focus ability. the nortriptyline i feel well on but still need ambien to sleep, and do not think it works as well on the pain issues. the amitripyline i sleep fine with and works well on low doses for my pain

06-03-2004, 08:56 AM	#5
calico Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 272	I have had no bad side-effects from Wellbutrin, though nothing is more particular to the individual than anti-depressants. I wish it weren't such a trial and error thing. My husband took Elavil as a preventative for migraines and his doc told him not to take it in the morning because it was sedating. My GP prescribed Wellbutrin for me after having tried nortryptaline, Elavil, Paxil and Effexor. Basically they either had no positive effects or I had side-effects from them. Calico

07-15-2004, 06:25 PM	#6
alan Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 5,223	Does that cold extremity business caused by desipramine go away after taking it for a while? Alan "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

07-15-2004, 08:53 PM	#7
metronycguy Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: ny Posts: 5,118	i don't find the cold extremity to bad, my feet do get it a bit, but its been pretty warm, except at nite so far ..on 25 mg a day of desiprmaine...someone had asked awhile back about how long ot takes for the desperimine to take effect, i am not sure but i would say at least a week maybe two.. hard to say how effective it is unless i stop taking it too. elavil i consider the benchmark for tricyclics,,definately works well on low doses for pain, except i can do without the sleeepiness the next day // as always the see saw effect.

07-19-2004, 08:59 AM	#8
zillazangel Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: North Carolina, USA Posts: 2,005	Amongst the newer generation antidepressants, Effexor has a very good profile in reducing pain. The higher the dose, the better the pain reduction generally, but you need to start low because of the side effects of Effexor (dry mouth, etc) of Effexor. Lilly's new antidepressant, Cymbalta, to be launched this fall, is supposed to treat pain symptoms well too. Good luck, Zillazangel Zillazangel, I am an able bodied significant other of a C4/5 quadriplegic man

07-20-2004, 09:55 PM	#9
metronycguy Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: ny Posts: 5,118	anyone else use effexor for the burning pain? i have been using despiramine at 25 mg, and now for the last couple weeks i have been awoken with pain at 2am, i usually take a ultram at 10pm, before sleep, seems as soon as the ultram wheresdown i wake up with pain, and need another ultram and now a ambien if i am going to return to sleep somewhat soon.

07-21-2004, 02:33 PM	#10
alan Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 5,223	One of the antidpressants I tried earlier this year made my penis shrink, so the externals always blew off. I think it was Effexor. I still have the desipramine here, but I'm not taking it, because it makes my hands and feet ice cold (actually, not my perception.) I don't know if it's a circulation problem caused by the med, so I'm afraid to go to 25 mg. or more. Alan "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"