Hey there, scoopy! I'm feeling a lot better. I've been on amitriptyline since August 25th - 25mg at bedtime (though I usually take it between 6 and 7 o'clock). Sure does help me to sleep! My neurologist told me to double that to 50mg per night after the first week. I tried over the holiday weekend, but was sleeping 12-13 hours per night and still not able to wake up in the morning without a one hour wrestle out from under the covers. I dropped it back to 25mg. I HAVE to get up in the morning and go to work! I'm an elementary level teacher and you just can't be semi-awake and do that job properly. It really took the better part of 2 weeks to feel an appreciable difference in the pain level. During the day I take a lorazepam 0.5mg at about 9am. That does not make me sleepy at all. I thought about trying to up the amitriptyline and take the second 25mg in the morning (and not take the lorazepam), but I was really afraid it would make me too sleepy to be an effective teacher. I'm waking up fine with just the 25mg at bedtime. However, the amitriptyline does cause some gastrointestinal issues as it slows the movement across the transverse colon. Not sure that I could handle the 50mg dosage....

Last week my pain started at a 3, went to 4 by noon, and was at a 5 or 6 by end of the work day. This week I've started at 1 and never gone past 3! I also started going to a chiropractor over the weekend. Oh, and I made my own homemade mini heating pad from a sock and some uncooked rice. Pop that puppy into the microwave for a minute or two and hold it over my teeth after I've eaten lunch. Yesterday I got home from work at 5:00 and realized that something did not feel right.....my pain level was a 1. As I said, the previous week it was much higher whenthe work day was through.

So I don't know exactly which to credit - the amitriptyline, the chiropractor, or just that I'm finally getting used to how 4 numb teeth and 5 that hurt all the time feel in my mouth. I am finally back among the living and not sitting around wishing that someone would euthanize me. I feel that I can still be an effective teacher and that is what is so very important to me. I was afraid that this nerve damage/pain would rob me of my identity. I'm just NOT gonna let it!!!

Now more importantly, how are you doing?