Doc wants me to start amitriptyline for depression?

[Guest [...]]

Had depression before Ativan. Psychologist believes that I was misdiagnosed as having anxiety when it was depression.Was put on Ativan.. Tapering now from 2 mgs daily, now down to 1.65 mgs daily, at night to sleep. Also take 900 mgs to of gabapentin, 300 mgs 3 times daily. Take 300 mgs with my Ativan to sleep. now my doctor wrote me a script to begin amitriptyline 50mgs before bed. Can you safely take all three of these together? I want off the Ativan and gabapentin.my body is so messed up. Amitriptyline, gabapentin, Ativan. Recipe for disaster? I am scared! Should mention I have tinnitus...

[Guest [...]]

Bump..anyone tried this?

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Hi Pumpkin, My doc also wanted to put me on Amitryptyline but I declined. I did a bit of research (wish I had done that before I started xanax) and it seems to have addictive properties of its own. I just didn't want yet another psych drug in my body that I would someday have to withdraw from. This current withdrawal is plenty for me. At this point I'm looking into alternate/ natural ways to deal with my issues; sleep being one of them. I thought I could not sleep without the xanax but after my CT I tried using an essential oil relaxation blend and it worked! It took some weeks before my sleep built up to an acceptable amount but now I sleep fine without using the oil at all. Sometimes I think that docs just want to throw another psych med at us when they don't know what else to do.

[Guest [...]]

Hi Pumpkin, My doc also wanted to put me on Amitryptyline but I declined. I did a bit of research (wish I had done that before I started xanax) and it seems to have addictive properties of its own. I just didn't want yet another psych drug in my body that I would someday have to withdraw from. This current withdrawal is plenty for me. At this point I'm looking into alternate/ natural ways to deal with my issues; sleep being one of them. I thought I could not sleep without the xanax but after my CT I tried using an essential oil relaxation blend and it worked! It took some weeks before my sleep built up to an acceptable amount but now I sleep fine without using the oil at all. Sometimes I think that docs just want to throw another psych med at us when they don't know what else to do.

I don't know if it's allowed here, but can you give me examples of the brand's one might use..And do you diffuse it?

[[bl...]]

Sure !  The brand I used is DoTerra Serenity blend. Sometimes I also used some lavender oil along with it.  The lavender oil brand is Eden's Garden that I got on Amazon.  I also got a Radha brand diffuser on Amazon to run at night.  I did a lot of research and chose this one because it runs for 8 hours.  Most other brands only run for 3 or 4 hours and then you have to refill or restart them.  I would put the oil on the bottoms of my feet, back of neck, lower and upper spine and pressure points.  At first I would reapply whenever I woke up during the night and eventually I stopped waking up so frequently.  It took several weeks for my sleep to improve to where it is now.  I might wake up once around 3 or 4am but most times I don't wake up until around 6am and usually fall back asleep.  I hope this is helpful! 

[[Lo...]]

Amitriptyline (Elavil) is an older style, tryciclic antidepressant. It's used for treatment of pain, as well, and it has sedating properties. The tryciclics are sometimes used in benzodiazeine withdrawal because some of them tend to be much more sedating then SSRI's However, tryciclics have numerous side effects and some doctors don't like them. I do believe that Nortyptiline is a safer medication in that class. Also, Nortryptiline does not affect the serotonin in a way that Amtriptyline does, so it is sometimes

preferred in alleviating benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms. All TCA's have side effects that are very dosage dependent, so working with the doctor to find the right dose is absolutely essential with these meds. Personally, I'd choose Nortryptiline over Amtriptyline any day, and try the lowest dose possible, and if it didn't work, I'd stop taking it. These meds are not habit-forming in a sense that Ativan is. It's more about looking at the benefits vs side effects. For some people, they can reduce the withdrawal symptoms, but in some people, they may speed up the heart rate, etc. etc. Your mileage may vary.

 

http://www.emedexpert.com/compare-meds/amitriptyline.shtml

[[Sy...]]

my Doc told me

i can take ANAFRANIL a Tricyclic

but with no BENZO or GABAPENTIN

[[Ca...]]

I took it for years in conjunction with Gabapentin to be able to sleep with neuropathic Lyme pain - I got off it slowly as I was tapering the Gabapentin and it was really tough to get off...I would try to find an alternative because it is just one more thing you are going to have to withdraw from...

[[Th...]]

Hi.

 

I am on Amytryptiline now and since seeing an addictions MD, I have decided to go off of it. The side effects are very similar to the w/d SX of benzos.

 

It is totally counterproductive and will prevent healing. We want pills to fix us but they F*** us instead.

 

All the best.

[Guest [...]]

Hi.

 

I am on Amytryptiline now and since seeing an addictions MD, I have decided to go off of it. The side effects are very similar to the w/d SX of benzos.

 

It is totally counterproductive and will prevent healing. We want pills to fix us but they F*** us instead.

 

All the best.

Very true. I am thrilled to say I bit the bullet and decided against any antidepressant.  I have been off Ativan for 7 weeks, and now down to 270 mgs of gabapentin. I have even dropped my diabetes med. I feel awesome compared to what I did a year ago when this mess started. The old me is making a slow return with diet and lifestyle changes. I am probably 60% healed.

[[Ca...]]

Had depression before Ativan. Psychologist believes that I was misdiagnosed as having anxiety when it was depression.Was put on Ativan.. Tapering now from 2 mgs daily, now down to 1.65 mgs daily, at night to sleep. Also take 900 mgs to of gabapentin, 300 mgs 3 times daily. Take 300 mgs with my Ativan to sleep. now my doctor wrote me a script to begin amitriptyline 50mgs before bed. Can you safely take all three of these together? I want off the Ativan and gabapentin.my body is so messed up. Amitriptyline, gabapentin, Ativan. Recipe for disaster? I am scared! Should mention I have tinnitus...

 

I did this but there was nothing safe about it. When it came time to get off of them, it was a nightmare, trying to decide which to start with and what was causing what. It took me 2 years. Unlike you, however, I had been taking a lot more Gabapentin for a lot longer, and that was the hardest. I am on this site because I ended up taking Valium to cover the Gaba withdrawal. That was over a year ago: I went from 2.5 to 1.8 mg V over that time. It is still hard: when I recently went from 1.83 to 1.8, I began to suffer all the old Gaba withdrawal symptoms: akasthesia, sleeplessness, anxiety, and weird neurological symptoms. Just trying to wait it out - waiting for (hopefully) my brain chemistry to catch up. My advice is don't add another drug to the mix.

[[Th...]]

Hi there,

 

Just thought I would drop you a line and see how you are doing?

 

I am just 4.5 months off everything and sleep has improved somewhat but I am still suffering from he withdrawal depression and bad cognitive issues. Cannot thing clearly. Ugh.

 

I remain off everything but I do take metformin for type 2 diabetes.

 

Write if you can. All the best. Thom.