Posted by Deb (206.45.78.95) on December 19, 2001 at 15:06:30:
In Reply to: , ..warnings signs returning! posted by Rob on December 19, 2001 at 11:53:16:
Hi Bob: My name is Deb, I've been around the board for a couple of years but haven't been posting etc in the last year or so because I was off line, just got reconnected, Christmas present to me ;-) Anyway I thought it best to address the Elavil thing here in your email because it was already so far down the board I wasn't sure if you would see it or not.
I have very successfully been using Amitriptylene sp? for the last couple of cycles. At first it wasn't very successful because my dosage was low, after a lot of discussion w/ my doc it was decided that she would prescribe in various dosages, eg., 50mg pills, 25 mg pills and 10 mg pills, this way I could up my dosage as necessary. Initially she had started me at 30 mg, not very successful, but I upped it by 10 until I hit what seems to be the magic dosage for me which is between 60 and 75 mg a night.
This is a preventative!! It must be started as quickly as possible at the start of a cycle and adhered to each night. Yes, I was sleepy in the morning but soon realized that if I took it a little earlier in the evening instead of right at bedtime it would be effective during the night and not leave me so groggy. Bottom line, I take it around 9:30, 10:00 and get up around 8, not too bad. For me, being a little groggy in the morning after having a sound sleep as opposed to being groggy from no sleep battling the demon half the night is a far better tradeoff.
Also, I find when I am on this med I crave chocolate and coffee big time, I just go with it, eat lots of chocolate and drink lots of coffee, I don't know if this helps to balance things out or not, i.e., caffeine helps to knock out the grogginess etc., or what, but I do know it gets me through a cycle!! I can even have a drink or two during cycle and not get thrown into a CH, but watch it though cause drinking/drug can be a dangerous thing if not done moderately.
If, and when a CH does break through, I deal w/ it with Oxygen and up my meds for the next night.
I do gain a little weight on this drug but maybe not as much as others because I'm probably burning off a lot on a caffeine high LOL When I go off this drug -- and it's sometimes hard to tell when I am out of cycle because it is such an effective treatment for me, I start to wean myself off, just drop the dosage a little each night. If I am not out of cycle I will know fairly quickly, not because I will neccesarily get a full blown CH, but I can feel signs of it like the knotty thing on the back of my neck etc will be evident and I will feel pressure etc., throughout my face, etc., but when you can continue weaning and not get these effects (for you, of course, it may be different effects) it is probably safe to say you are out of cycle. I am just starting to wean off now from my present cycle, hope it's over.
In all, I can say I have been managing the last three cycles VERY EFFECTIVELY with this drug, a combo of chocolate and caffeine, and the oxygen when necessary.
If there is anything else I can help you with I would be happy to do so. I will be back on the board sometime soon to say hi to everyone, but in the meantime please feel free to Email me anytime. Good luck and Happy Holidays !!
Cheers,
Deb from Winnipeg