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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rculater on May 23, 2011, at 4:20:47
I realise if anyone has had success they are probably not on here and living a normal life.
I sleep like a baby on 10mg which is good but so far my mood is unchanged. only 3 weeks in but I dont want to increase dosage as i know its going to knock me for 6 and increase the chance of weight gain.
I know 10mg is a low dose and for depression it should be 50 - 100mg but I was wondering if maybe after time 10mg might hit the spot ?
If not I may as well just be taking a antihistamine or benzo for sleep.
Posted by Peter Heuer on May 23, 2011, at 8:15:12
In reply to Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline, posted by rculater on May 23, 2011, at 4:20:47
Hi,
I think that amitriptyline is a great drug except for the side effects.
I'm surprised that you don't feel better since you sleep well.
I began on 30 mg of amitriptyline back in 1972.
I was a cripple at the time, but this medicine certainly made a difference.Now I'm on a combo of mirtazapine and bupropion, which are modern drugs with less side effects.
Best regards,
Peter Heuer
Posted by Phillipa on May 23, 2011, at 11:23:31
In reply to Re: Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline, posted by Peter Heuer on May 23, 2011, at 8:15:12
I don't know how they make you feel but I volunteered in a psych unit before nursing and that's when TCA's were the used the most and saw lots of weight gain. No idea which were being taken or at what doses though. Phillipa
Posted by floatingbridge on May 23, 2011, at 14:36:06
In reply to Re: Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline, posted by Peter Heuer on May 23, 2011, at 8:15:12
Peter, that's quite an affirmative post. So originally 30mg kept you afloat?
Can I congratulate you on your success?
fb
Hi,
>
> I think that amitriptyline is a great drug except for the side effects.
>
> I'm surprised that you don't feel better since you sleep well.
>
> I began on 30 mg of amitriptyline back in 1972.
> I was a cripple at the time, but this medicine certainly made a difference.
>
> Now I'm on a combo of mirtazapine and bupropion, which are modern drugs with less side effects.
>
> Best regards,
> Peter Heuer
Posted by floatingbridge on May 23, 2011, at 14:40:20
In reply to Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline, posted by rculater on May 23, 2011, at 4:20:47
Rculater,
Are you two weeks in yet?
Could you bump it up on a weekend by 5mg?
I'm watching your threads and hoping,
fb
Posted by rculater on May 23, 2011, at 17:21:39
In reply to Re: Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline » rculater, posted by floatingbridge on May 23, 2011, at 14:40:20
Im coming up to 3 weeks. I had a few beers at the weekend - I was Ok but maybe a bit groggy Sunday. I have no serious S/Es like any SSRI i trialed. No sexual problems. Slight dry mouth. My IBS pain has completely gone and I sleep better. If I do wake up at 3 or 4 am I go right back to sleep. ( I used to be unable to get back and lie there listening to my pounding pulsatile tinitus till 6-7am)
My mood is still flat. I have bursts of positivity like tonight......maybe I don't seem so miserable however upon waking im at war with the world and its inhabitants (thats nothing new though)
I think ill stick at 10mg until 1 month - very scared of weight gain as ive struggled with weight most my life. My appetite is definitely up. I have a buffer of +7 pounds im willing to trade a few pounds to feel well but not pile them on.
Good luck...hows the reduced dosage marplan doing ? When do you plan starting Ami ?
Posted by floatingbridge on May 23, 2011, at 17:27:46
In reply to Re: Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline, posted by rculater on May 23, 2011, at 17:21:39
Sensible to last a month. I don't know if there is a pill for Monday morning. Too bad.
What's marlpan? And now ami on board yet. Current knock out drops are Valium.
Posted by jms600 on May 23, 2011, at 17:38:24
In reply to Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline, posted by rculater on May 23, 2011, at 4:20:47
> I realise if anyone has had success they are probably not on here and living a normal life.
>
> I sleep like a baby on 10mg which is good but so far my mood is unchanged. only 3 weeks in but I dont want to increase dosage as i know its going to knock me for 6 and increase the chance of weight gain.
>
> I know 10mg is a low dose and for depression it should be 50 - 100mg but I was wondering if maybe after time 10mg might hit the spot ?
>
> If not I may as well just be taking a antihistamine or benzo for sleep.
I never had an effective response from amitriptyline at such a low dose. I ended up on 150mg where the anticholinergenic side effects really kicked in. It was partially helpful for my depression but did little to help my anxiety.
Posted by Phillipa on May 23, 2011, at 21:28:18
In reply to Re: Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline » rculater, posted by floatingbridge on May 23, 2011, at 17:27:46
Marplan I think is another maoi not often used. If wrong correct. Thanks Phillipa
Posted by rculater on May 24, 2011, at 5:06:10
In reply to Re: Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline » rculater, posted by floatingbridge on May 23, 2011, at 17:27:46
> Sensible to last a month. I don't know if there is a pill for Monday morning. Too bad.
>
> What's marlpan? And now ami on board yet. Current knock out drops are Valium.
>
>
Floatingbridge > sorry i meant Emsam not marplan and i got you mixed up with another poster.!!
PS i woke up in the night with chest pains which gave me oanick as i thought i was going to have a heart attack or something..might just be indegestion.
Posted by floatingbridge on May 24, 2011, at 8:42:02
In reply to Re: Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline » floatingbridge, posted by rculater on May 24, 2011, at 5:06:10
How are you this morning?
Posted by rculater on May 24, 2011, at 9:24:27
In reply to Re: Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline » rculater, posted by floatingbridge on May 24, 2011, at 8:42:02
thanks for asking - not good, its unbelievable last night i was writing on here how I didn't have any bad S/Es then I wake up in night with chest pains and today, well I feel terrible, light headed, not with it, tired, unsure of what to do with myself, lethargic, still getting chest pains occasionally which make me panic especially when i learn a S/E of TCAs is cardio problems. I'm seeing doc tomorrow not sure if ill take one tonight. very angry and upset this as happened.
Posted by floatingbridge on May 24, 2011, at 9:45:00
In reply to Re: Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline » floatingbridge, posted by rculater on May 24, 2011, at 9:24:27
Rculator,
What will you do till tomorrow? Have you timed your heartbeat--are you having tacchardia (sp?)? I am not a nurse. Is it uncomfortable enough to go to an urgent care facility today (If you are in the US)?
I can't recall if you have health issues. I
do. I react to all sorts of stuff. If ami is the culprit, well, *pooh*! But there are
other agents for you. Hang in there, okay?Post when you know more, if you don't mind, or just if you feel like it :-)
fb
Fingers crossed. If not this med, then you will find another to work. Sorry you're experiencing distress!
Posted by rculater on May 25, 2011, at 10:42:36
In reply to Re: Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline » rculater, posted by floatingbridge on May 24, 2011, at 9:45:00
> Rculator,
>
> What will you do till tomorrow? Have you timed your heartbeat--are you having tacchardia (sp?)? I am not a nurse. Is it uncomfortable enough to go to an urgent care facility today (If you are in the US)?
>
> I can't recall if you have health issues. I
> do. I react to all sorts of stuff. If ami is the culprit, well, *pooh*! But there are
> other agents for you. Hang in there, okay?
>
> Post when you know more, if you don't mind, or just if you feel like it :-)
>
> fb
>
> Fingers crossed. If not this med, then you will find another to work. Sorry you're experiencing distress!
hi - doctor said it probably wasn't the ami - heart rate is ok, gave me something for acid reflux, pain has subsided now. Having ECG next week to be sure. Docs here are not that good with pyscopharmacy but ill take her word for it. Anyway the problem im now faced with is that I dint take one last night and today, I feel more with it - alive, woke up normally not groggy. So I don't know what to do now, continue or taper.
Posted by floatingbridge on May 25, 2011, at 13:31:24
In reply to Re: Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline » floatingbridge, posted by rculater on May 25, 2011, at 10:42:36
Hmmm. That is a dilemma. Ami is from Your gp or a pdoc?
I know the feeling too well, having felt drugged from doxepin, which I stopped. I now take 5mg Valium for sleep. Neither my gp or pdoc are thrilled because it isn't therapeutic and is harder on sleep architecture :(
You take ami for sleep and pain? Or just sleep?
fb
Did you sleep w/out it?
Posted by hyperfocus on May 27, 2011, at 10:34:48
In reply to Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline, posted by rculater on May 23, 2011, at 4:20:47
What other meds you are taking - non-psych and otherwise? Are you any diabetes drugs like metformin or glimepiride, or NSAID or opiate painkillers, or benzos? The presence of these drugs could interfere with the amitriptyline in your body and significantly increase the knock-out effect. I haven't read here about positive mood effects at that dosage. But it may take your body a while to get accustomed to the amitrip and then you might be able to raise the dosage without kicking up the SEs. For me amitriptyline has a narrow theraputic range: 150mg - 200mg. Any higher or lower and I feel much wore and the SEs are also worse.
We're all different in our response to the same meds - that's one of the things that makes med studies so flawed. You might not need to get as high as 150mg to get a theraputic response. Amitriptyline seems to be a very effective med for a number of things, and it's the only AD so far studied that has been shown to stimulate BDNF production that could be critical to repairing atrophied areas like the hippocamus in the brains of people with depression and anxiety. If you can tolerate the harsh SEs it's worth a trial for a few weeks at 75 or 100mg, or even at 50 or 30.
Posted by jono_in_adelaide on May 29, 2011, at 17:33:56
In reply to Re: Anyone had mood success on low dose Amitriptyline » rculater, posted by hyperfocus on May 27, 2011, at 10:34:48
It might be worth switching to nortriptyline 75mg at night. This will give about the same sedative effect (nortriptyline is about 1/6 as sedating as amitriptyline) but it is a full antidepressant dose that will help ease anxiety and depression within 2-3 weeks.
Other option is to keep taking amitriptyline at bedtime for sleep, and add a second med (Zoloft, Welbutrin, Effexor) in the morning for depression
This is the end of the thread.
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