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  #1   ^
Old Wed, Mar-17-04, 13:50
sunnywey sunnywey is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 321
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 191/177/148 Female 5ft. 6.5 inches
BF:40.40%/38.10/?
Progress: 33%
Location: Canada's West Coast
Default Amitriptyline

My Dr. gave me Amitriptyline 25mg a few years ago. I never go to bed til about 2-3AM That is part of my problem. I only have ever slept for 5 hours, and that is normal for me, but I never get into a deep sleep - so my muscles never relax + unkink. He said everyone with Fibromyalgia has a sleep problem. I didn't think I did, because I fall asleep as soon as I hit the sheets. Anyway - 25mg helped me get into a deep sleep, and helped with my pain the next day, but - I also was a zombie, and couldn't keep my eyes open.
S0 - I cut it in 1/2, then took it at around 8PM, and kept playing with it, as it did help my pain.
I get very constipated, have puffy eyes, + generally hold fluid. I still feel groggy the next day, and that leads me to eating sweets for energy. So - I have stopped taking it.
I am going to see a Rheumatologist the end of April. She specializes in Fibromyalgia, and I have waited 9 mo. to see her. I can't wait to see what she will say.
My body aches all the time. I live on Ibuprofen, as it doesn't make me tired, and does help the pain, altho, now when I get a hang nail, I bleed for hours.
I wish I knew what to do for the pain. I am always aching + stiff.
I have found that Curves helps. It's only 1/2 an hour, then I stretch well after, and it does help, a bit.
Thanks for listening. I'll let you all know what the Dr. says after I see her.
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  #2   ^
Old Tue, May-25-04, 08:57
LisaAC's Avatar
LisaAC LisaAC is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 814
 
Plan: Mostly General
Stats: 235/235/170 Female 5 ft 4
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Default

I was on Amitriptyline for a pinched nerve a few months ago, but have gone off it. I'm finding that it stalls my weight loss, plus the fact PT has greatly helped. Not to mention a low carb diet helps to ease up the muscle pain. I was on 10mg dose, but I could take up to 3 a night.

I am a single parent of an Autistic child, so I need to be alert and easy to wake up. When I was on the Amitriptyline my son would tell me I was hard to wake up, that I was sleeping to much. Plus I also had no energy, felt weak a lot.

My mother has Fibromyalgia and a crippling type of arthritus. She said when she was on the Atkins diet that she would wake up without being stiff. She was even able to stop her arthritus medication. Unfortunately, she went off the diet and is once again back in pain and on expensive medicaiton.

Anyways, I hope you find something to help you feel better.
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  #3   ^
Old Tue, May-25-04, 10:53
sunnywey sunnywey is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 321
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 191/177/148 Female 5ft. 6.5 inches
BF:40.40%/38.10/?
Progress: 33%
Location: Canada's West Coast
Default

LisaAC -
What is PT ??
I take Zopiclone(1/4 of a 7.5mg pill) for sleep. I fall asleep in 15 min. with no side affects. My Dr. wanted me to take a whole pill, but I don't like feeling like I am in a coma, + tired the next morning.
I also take cyclobenzaprine 10mg (It's called Flexeril here in Canada) Muscle relaxant.
These are helping.
My Dr. has tried several drugs on me, and said I need to experiment til I find one that works, as we are all different.
Good luck to you all!
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  #4   ^
Old Tue, May-25-04, 11:31
LisaAC's Avatar
LisaAC LisaAC is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 814
 
Plan: Mostly General
Stats: 235/235/170 Female 5 ft 4
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Default

PT=Physical Therapy. Seems my vertabra were just a fraction out of alignment, but enough to cause a great deal of pain. So my Physical Therapist gave me some exercises to aid in that and put things back into place.
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  #5   ^
Old Tue, May-25-04, 11:42
sunnywey sunnywey is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 321
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 191/177/148 Female 5ft. 6.5 inches
BF:40.40%/38.10/?
Progress: 33%
Location: Canada's West Coast
Default

Thanks for the quick reply - It was driving me nuts (PT) Ha!

ya - I was in a really bad car accident in 1999, and I go to PT every 3 weeks, still. I always feel better after.
I also go to curves, and that really loosens me up. It's only 30 min.
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  #6   ^
Old Tue, May-25-04, 15:14
LisaAC's Avatar
LisaAC LisaAC is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 814
 
Plan: Mostly General
Stats: 235/235/170 Female 5 ft 4
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Default

I've thought about trying curves, but never have.

That sucks, about the accident, they can really do some damage. Hopefully not too much damage.

Yeah, I know what you mean, when I can't figure out something right away it drives me nuts till I do. LMAO.
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  #7   ^
Old Sat, Aug-21-04, 21:19
carrottop carrottop is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 390
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 200/190/150 Female 66 inches
BF:
Progress:
Default It causes weight gain

I am taking amitriptyline (AKA Elavil) on occasion. I was taking it regularly. Then I read it caused weight gain in 85 % of the people who take it. I thought SSRIs were the worst. Guess not. I get a little depressed from not sleeping as well as dealing with the pain.
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  #8   ^
Old Fri, Sep-24-04, 21:24
kykapoo's Avatar
kykapoo kykapoo is offline
New Member
Posts: 24
 
Plan: adkins
Stats: 187/169/130 Female 62
BF:30%
Progress: 32%
Location: Northern Minnesota, USA
Default Newbie here

I have fibro too and dr did the same with the amitrip but a nurse today I was talking to said to ask for flexerol instead- Your like us and are sensitive to drugs. I have Rheumatoid too-Keep a journal of your pain- and your life so you can see what might cause the flareups worse.
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  #9   ^
Old Sat, Sep-25-04, 09:37
carrottop carrottop is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 390
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 200/190/150 Female 66 inches
BF:
Progress:
Default

Actually, I found solution to my falling asleep problems that seems to be working well for me. I am off all prescription meds. Here are the supplements I am taking instead:

6 pm: 1 5-HTP (50mg) from Vitamin World & 1 GABA Complex (200mg) from Vitamin World.

10 am: same as above except if I am feeling wired I take 2 of the GABA.

11 am: (my bedtime) I tak two-three Valerian (1,605mg) Spring Valley which is cheap at Wal-Mart.

What I am finding out is this: The 5-HTP has taken the place of an SSRI which I had been on for years to little effect for depression. It makes serotonin available to the brain. The GABA has taken the place of the lorazepam, an anti-anxiety med that can be addictive. The GABA is fabulous for anxiety. I cannot say enough good things about it. The Valerian takes the place of the amitryptiline.

Since then I have lost some weight and have found it is not such a struggle to keep from gaining. I sleep eight full hours a night (only waking to urinate one time) and best of all I have no drugged feeling in the morning.

Here is how I think it works: The 5HTP is helping me not feel depressed and anxious so I don't have all those worries on my mind in the evening. The GABA sets up a feeling of relaxation. By the time I am ready to go to bed, I sometimes do not even need the Valerian to fall right to sleep.

Now I do not recommend that any one go off prescription medication without the supervision of a doctor (especially SSRIs which can cause serious withdrawal) but I tapered off the prescription meds very very very gradually and substituted the supplements as I was tapering.

Here is what it is like to go off an SSRI without tapering: (Yes I tried this in the past), a long gradual slide into depression and anxiety until the drug is out of your system and then your CRASH. I was quite suicidal and took months to recover from the breakdown. (Symptoms can be physical in some people.) I had the shakes and I wept uncontrollably several times a day. I was completely irrational and impervious to reason. I actually heard a voice telling me to kill myself. Don't ever do it this way.

This time by tapering off: I had some mood swings from hypomanic to depressed but the duration of each mood was short enough not to be as dangerous. I had the supervision of a psychologist throughout. Over this two month period, even though it was stressful, I began to reclaim someone I had lost years ago -- myself.

Lately I have had the strangest feeling on several occasions: Happiness.
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  #10   ^
Old Mon, Sep-27-04, 08:15
quietone quietone is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,271
 
Plan: original 72 Atkins
Stats: 201/177/142 Female 65 inches
BF:44/44/25
Progress: 41%
Location: Northern Virginia
Default

Hi, sunneywey. A fibro sufferer here also. Just wanted to let you know that going to sleep that fast is usually a sign that you aren't getting restful sleep. I don't have trouble going to sleep, I have trouble staying asleep. Was up this morning at 3:00 or so.

My daughter, whom I believe has CFS (not confirmed yet), has the opposite problem. She can't go to sleep until after 1:00 am.

I have tried everything, and found nothing that works for me that doesn't have side effects. (Ambien helps a lot, but I get diarrhea the morning after). The only thing that works by any measure is a low carb way of life. Which I am having a dreadful time getting back to. ho-hum

If you look at an earlier post, you will find that I have found out that I have fasting hyperglycemia. Which means I make too much insulin when I'm sleeping. I believe that accounts for a lot of what I am dealing with and have often wondered if other fibromytes may have it also.

Hope you find something that works for you. I really get tired of drs. giving antidepressants for sleep. I often wonder if it were prevalent among men more so than women, if there wouldn't be more studies, etc.
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