[jenvan]

If you have any experience with elavil for sleep or pain...I'd love to hear about it... Thanks!

[DingoGirl]

Jen...I"m stalking you

A good friend takes Elavil for her spastic bowels, can you believe it? She's NOT Celiac - went at my suggestion to my own wonderful GI - she really has spastic bowels due to nerves - he did every test. She has a lot of stress in her past and in her life, so he put her on a low dose of this, and it slows down her pooping and D urges.

I know she doesn't have any trouble sleeping, BUT this does make her feel a little tired in the morning...I think it's quite sedating and good for sleep if you're having troubles....you COULD just drink lots and lots of beer, you know.....

[chrissy]

the doc gave it to me to help with the poor sleep caused by my fibromyalgia----it did help for awhile. i tried it again later, but it left me too sleepy in the day.

[celiacgirls]

My 8 year old takes it for migraine prevention. It works for that and it helps her to calm down to go to sleep at night.

[jenvan]

Thanks for the input ladies... Good to have a warning of extended sleepiness. My doc really would like me to try a very small doze for pain and sleep but I really hesitate. I've had the prescription for months vacillating over it ! Susan--Yeah, beer is always a good option Although a few shots would have less carbs

[Judyin Philly]

Hi Jen
Just saw this. Gosh i don't know anything about this drug..but can send hugs
love ya
judy

[ravenwoodglass]

jenvan, on Sep 26 2006, 12:33 PM, said:

If you have any experience with elavil for sleep or pain...I'd love to hear about it... Thanks!

I will answer the low dose of something else part of this, I used to take a very low dose of amytriplimine I don't think I spelled that right, but it was prescribed prediagnosis before my fibro and arthritis went into remission (with the gluten-free diet). I was told it had a low risk of side effects and was not addictive, I had no problems stopping it, so I chose that over a sleeping pill because at the time I was on enough addictive meds. Don't know if this info is any help but figured I would throw it in there.

[whitball]

I have taken elavil for pain for about 3 years. It helps me sleep through the night. It also stops me from staying awake to worry about life stuff. The only thing that I have noticed is when I forget to take it, I have very vivid, strange, off the wall dreams.

[jenvan]

ravenwoodglass, on Sep 28 2006, 09:34 AM, said:

I will answer the low dose of something else part of this, I used to take a very low dose of amytriplimine I don't think I spelled that right, but it was prescribed prediagnosis before my fibro and arthritis went into remission (with the gluten-free diet). I was told it had a low risk of side effects and was not addictive, I had no problems stopping it, so I chose that over a sleeping pill because at the time I was on enough addictive meds. Don't know if this info is any help but figured I would throw it in there.

No, that is helpful !

Whitball--
That's interesting...b/c I have those kinds of crazy dreams all night. I wonder if mine would go away ?

[ravenwoodglass]

jenvan, on Sep 28 2006, 09:35 AM, said:

--
That's interesting...b/c I have those kinds of crazy dreams all night. I wonder if mine would go away ?

If you are aware of dreaming for a large part of the night you are not getting enough of the deeper levels of sleep. Human sleep patterns have a number of levels and all of them need to be reached for a certain amount of time in a cycle that goes on all night. Once you are able to sleep soundly the crazy dreams should lessen. Vivid dreams can also be a side effect of some meds, I don't know what you may be taking so I don't know if this might be a possibility.

[jenvan]

ravenwoodglass, on Sep 29 2006, 09:50 AM, said:

If you are aware of dreaming for a large part of the night you are not getting enough of the deeper levels of sleep. Human sleep patterns have a number of levels and all of them need to be reached for a certain amount of time in a cycle that goes on all night. Once you are able to sleep soundly the crazy dreams should lessen. Vivid dreams can also be a side effect of some meds, I don't know what you may be taking so I don't know if this might be a possibility.

I actually don't take anything now. Just birth control and allergy meds. I have thought that I probably don't get to all those levels. Yes--lots of dreams, pretty much every night, vivid and I usually remember most of them. Gives me this feeling that when I wake up in the morning, I feel like I was "working" all night in my sleep.

Just thought of two questions for you--how long did you take it and did you get a sleep hangover during the day ? I know some people get that effect initially...

[loraleena]

Birth control pills can cause candida overgrowth wich can in turn cause fibro symptoms. I got off that stuff a few years ago and just deal with plain old condoms now.

[ravenwoodglass]

jenvan, on Sep 29 2006, 07:59 AM, said:

I actually don't take anything now. Just birth control and allergy meds. I have thought that I probably don't get to all those levels. Yes--lots of dreams, pretty much every night, vivid and I usually remember most of them. Gives me this feeling that when I wake up in the morning, I feel like I was "working" all night in my sleep.

Just thought of two questions for you--how long did you take it and did you get a sleep hangover during the day ? I know some people get that effect initially...

When I was still taking the amytriplimine I did not notice any 'hangover' effect at all. I took it for over a year prediagnosis. When I did the elimination diet with my allergist I weaned off all my meds during the first couple of weeks. I had no withdrawl symptoms from this drug at all, not the case with many of the 'mood elevators', sleeping pills or other psychotropics I have taken over the years. I am of course only speaking from my experience but if I needed something again Amy would be what I would ask for.

One additional note, is there a possiblity that your allergy meds may be causing your sleep problems? Have you brought the issue up with your allergist? I ask because when my allergies were real bad prediagnosis one of the meds they gave me kept me up for 2 full days from just the first days dosage. I was literally bouncing off the walls. If you haven't mentioned it to your doctor you may want to, you may just need a different allergy med.