Posted by Brainbeard on May 25, 2010, at 12:40:47
In reply to Re: olanzapine vs. amitriptyline » Brainbeard, posted by Bob on May 25, 2010, at 11:41:05
> I tried amitriptyline and within 2 days the brain fog, constipation and fatigue were becoming quite troublesome. Then I began to get irritable and more depressed. I'm guessing that for you this drug is pretty tolerable?
Well, the secret is to go up in tiny steps. The first time I took 25mg without titrating up, I felt like a zombie, and like you, I was irritable and depressed. Then I began taking about 6mg at first, raising the dose in 6mg increments every two to three days. If I go up faster, I will usually be irritable and moody for at least a day.
When titrating up slowly, I find 25mg a very tolerable dose, yet it has significant therapeutic effects. It deepens sleep, counters pain and lessens anxiety. When I go higher, I have to tread carefully. I was on 50mg a short while ago but felt paralyzed and depressed. I think I went up too fast.
I suffer from no constipation since I also take sertraline (original brand name Zoloft). That's one of the benefits of combining a TCA with an SSRI...
Current meds: 10mg melitracene + 0.5mg flupentixol; sertraline 100mg; amitriptyline 25mg; gabapentin (Neurontin) 300mg; melatonin 0.3mg. PRN: diazepam (Valium) 2.5-5mg.
poster:Brainbeard
thread:948075
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/neuro/20100223/msgs/948799.html