NEED HELP!

I am very scared because my doctor prescribed me Amitriptyline (Elavil) for my fibromyalgia and when I told my mom what i was on she freaked out and said that if i skip even one pill that it could have seizures. Has anyone taken this med for fibro? Please get back to me soon!

 

Thanks!

Hi 23~~

And I'm very glad you came and joined our Fibro Family. First off...relax and try to let go of the fear. Everyone reacts differently to medications. What may work wonderful for you with no side effects will not for the next person.

I hope your doctor explained why he/she prescribed this medications but in case you aren't familiar with it here's the deal. One of the most common things to prescribe for Fibro patients is a very low dose of an antidepressant. We seem to have low serotonin and dopamine so by taking antidepressant it can help with sleep (which we are always short on) and our tolerance of pain. Here's paragraph from the University of Maryland Medical Center. The link follows and has a good article included.

Tricyclics. Tricyclic antidepressants were the first drugs to be well-studied for fibromyalgia. They cause drowsiness and can be helpful for improving sleep. The tricyclic drug most commonly used for fibromyalgia is amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep), which produces modest benefits with pain, but can lose effectiveness over time.

www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_medical_treatments_fibromyalgia_000076_10.htm

As to the safety, I don't doubt that your mother has some serious concerns about you taking this medication. I would suggest she go with you and talk to your doctor about the side effects of taking it. Or she can talk to your pharmacist since he/she will be well educated in how it works and how you reduce the medications. Her concern about missing just one pill I personally think is a bit too much worry. When you are given amitrip for fibro it's almost always at a very low dose. This medication is even prescribed for children who are in need of an antidepressant. Yes, depression and the medications surrounding it are something to never take lightly but if you want to try some type of medication that could possibly give you back some quality of live and reduce your pain then this particular one is one of the most studied and probably safest. Antidepressants are serious medications but used properly are very effective.

That said...it is YOUR body. I don't mean to be rude but you, not mom, are the one to make the choice. I personally made the mistake of telling my mother about a medication I was going to have to take and she freaked out! That medication was insulin! Withing a couple of days every relative across the entire country knew the sorted details of me becoming diabetic...lol.

Sit down and talk to mom if you choose, get the facts, talk to your health care team and make your decision on the facts, not on scary things that might have happened to 1% of the people taking it. I've been on them for many years and have missed doses without ever feeling any sort of side effect.

Others will come along with their opinions too. And please do remember that these are our opinions only and our own experiences. We're not medical professionals but people who suffer with fibro just like you do and we try most reasonable methods to help live a more normal life.

Warm hugs,
Chutz

ps...invite mom to join us and/or read the forum for herself. It might help her not be so frightened and by learning more about fibro it will help her to help you.

Elavil can cause dry mouth...I used it many years ago and was unaware of what dry mouth can potentially do and ended up losing four teeth because dry mouth can cause severe tooth decay. It also can cause substantial weight gain, which also happened. As others have said, just be aware before going on a medication.