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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies >> TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
        
(Message started by: Langa on Jun 30^th, 2007, 10:38pm)

Title: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by Langa on Jun 30^th, 2007, 10:38pm

Forgive me if i'm being redundant, but just wanted to share something...

I've been getting hit pretty heavy lately. The beast has even managed to overpower trex, 02 and Melatonin at times. Going on end of 3rd month of this. In either case, because of the constant hits, the lack of sleep has been horrible. So my husband who takes Amitryptiline for Insomnia decided to give me some, very low dose, to see if it would help as I was starting to get affected really bad from lack of sleep (some of you understand). Well, on 50 mgs, 3 days ago, not only did I sleep the first 6 hours straight in weeks, I didn't get hit either. The day after, I took 25 mgs and slept 7 hours straight, no hits. Yesterday, I took none and I slept 2 hours and am shadowing heavily. And to be honest, i'm staying off the drug because I don't know enough about it or it's kind.

So I checked the medical info on here again, found nothing on Tricyclic/Anti-Depressants for treatment (or did I miss it?) and decided to look up cluster headache treatment in 2 new medical books I just received. Wouldn't you figure they put Tricyclic/Anti-Depressant as the first form of treatment???

I have a call in to a Neurologist to see if this is one form of treatment he may use, but I was wondering (long-winded way to ask my question)...has anyone had any similar experience, is this known to help clusterheads, but affect us negatively in other ways (no side effects on my end that I could see btw), etc.? Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Langa

Title: Re: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by starlight on Jun 30^th, 2007, 10:50pm

I know that they can be effective with certain migraine conditions. But I don't know if they can help clusters. If it helped you though, it's definitely worth telling a doctor to get their input.

Title: Re: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by taraann on Jun 30^th, 2007, 11:17pm

I have been prescribed that same anti depressant for ch/sleep related issues but unfortunately it didn't work for me. I'm so happy to hear you got some rest.

Recently I was prescribed Prozac to try at bedtime. I tried it and was close to a zombie for half the day, the doc said it would take some time for my body to adjust to it but with this move to Florida I could not afford that. I'm going to try it again soon when we get settled in our house.

Title: Re: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by E-Double on Jul 1^st, 2007, 12:06am

people here have taken elavil ( which is the brand name of what you took) and nortriptaline another tricyclic.

Most find it inaffective as does the research

BUT..............

go you!!!!!!!!!

Title: Re: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by lionsound on Jul 1^st, 2007, 1:00am

I took nortriptyline, in the same family as a prevent a while ago. It usually is a first line of defense for Headache in general. I don't remmeber it doing much for my noggin, but it did help my sleep which was why I took it at night.

I also rememeber taking it becuase my docs thought it would enhance the abilities some of the other meds i was taking.

So it may be working well with something else you are taking.

YAY for PF sleep and you!!!

Title: Re: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by jckgales on Jul 1^st, 2007, 8:12am

I just got off elivil (amitriptaline) started with 25 mg worked up to 125 mg didnt help headaches but did make me extremely hyper, dry mouth, and my heart was flip floping all the time( which is why I am off now. Sounds like it might be worth checking into for you. Gool luck

Title: Re: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by UN solved on Jul 1^st, 2007, 11:27am

I also took this drug for CH/Sleep porblems but it did little good. I take Ambien CR for help sleeping now and it does seem to help (but the clusters still seem to break through it)

Goodluck & Hope it continues to help !

PF Wishes

UNsolved

Title: Re: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by cat1955 on Jul 3^rd, 2007, 7:57pm

Elavil is a tricyclic antidepressant that is also used to treat neuropathic pain. It is used for any type of nerve pain and also has the side effect of making you very sleepy. It is taken at bedtime for that reason. If nothing else, you will sleep better. My Dr. had prescribed it for me at 100mg taken at bedtime. I took it for about 4yrs and it didn't help. It just made me so extremely thirsty that it was unbearable. The only good thing I can say about it is that it is very inexpensive. Like any preventative, you have to take it on a regular basis. It may be worth trying...what doesn't work for some, may work for others.

Title: Re: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by UN solved on Jul 3^rd, 2007, 8:38pm

I just wanted to add that sometimes, taking drugs that 'help' you sleep can backfire !! Dreamland is the beasts' playground !!!

UNsolved

Title: Re: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by Corax on Jul 6^th, 2007, 2:46am

Elavil in combination with Periactin (anti-histamine) worked for me when I was a kid. I started having them at 8 and that combo worked until I was 16. At that point my Dr told me to start increasing the dose until it started working again since I had grown a bit since the last cycle. When I hit 300mg a day and 16 of the Periactin a day I called him again and he couldn't believe I was conscious, lol. Apparently 300mg a day is the max adult dose and I weighed about 120lb at the time. I was sleeping about 13-16 hours a day. I’m still amazed I didn’t flunk out of school that quarter. Biggest side effects I ever had from it was a dry mouth, constipation and a serous sweet tooth, and of course very sleepy especially for the first week or so. I always had to take it for about 2 weeks before it stopped the headaches. The scary thing is you are supposed to taper off any anti-depressant you are taking. I didn’t find out about that until much later. When the Doc said quit taking it it’s not going to work I stopped it all cold turkey.

I hope it works for you! It's a relatively mild drug especially compared to many of the things clusterheads take :)

Corax

Title: Re: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by Bob_Johnson on Jul 6^th, 2007, 11:31am

http://www.headachedrugs.com

Use the search box to look for information. Dr. Robbins tends to have focused/specific data which is useful.

Title: Re: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by southwalessunshine on Jul 9^th, 2007, 2:27pm

Hi there,
Here in the uk (or is it just my docotr surgery?)we don't seem to have as much medical help as I've read some of you guys from USA etc have. I've been prescribed amiltriptaline as the last form of help from my Gp ( the very last is beta blockers apparently and I'm asthmatic so cannot take them). i hoped these wouldwork as i didn't want to have to go to a consultant. they didn't work at all. i tried for about 12 months and my doses were upped a few times. But to let you know, they're definately prescribed by doctors as a preventative at least over here in the Uk. good luck, i hope they work for you.

Title: Re: TRICYCLIC/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS???
Post by spanish on Jul 11^th, 2007, 2:58pm

Hi langa
My husband is a CH sufferer and he has just started taking amitryptaline as a preventative, he has been on it a few weeks, at the moment he's taking 30mg's just at night(he started on 10mg's), so far it seems to be working, his "hits" are less frequent, and on monday he went all day and night pain free ;;D.

Spanish