[wtrpk]

My neuro gave me a presc for elavil at night (20 mg) which I took 2x a while back when I felt really bad...couldn't get out of bed..I stopped taking it as I felt worse. I think I need to start it again as anxiety is at its highest now.

Anyone have any experiences w elavail good or bad??

Will it help me sleep? Will I be zonked still in the morning?

Anything else you can say I'm all ears

[mrsD]

Usually the sedative aspect dwindles with time as you get used to it. You could do 10mg for a while and then increase to 20.

[Mark in Idaho]

The common dose for Elavil for PCS is just 10 mgs. You might try 10 mgs and see how you do with the smaller dose.

I swear by Neurontin/gabapentin. Occasionally, I will forget to take it and after struggling to get to sleep, finally take it at 3:00 AM and get to sleep 30 minutes later. Sometimes, I take the gabapentin with some Tylenol to help my legs settle down.

[wtrpk]

I've been taking benedryl to sleep..so if I take the elavil 10 mg at night and I wake up at 3 (not uncommon for me) can I take another 10 mg or a benedryl. I'm a mess without sleep

[mrsD]

You need to discuss that with your doctor, I think.

[MarileeG]

i've had lots of trouble with sleep. i take elavil 30mg + 700mg gabapentin + 3mg of Lunesta. this usually will keep me asleep until around 4ish. after that I'm restless. i agree with MRs. D check with your dr on the dosage. when i started the elavil i began with 10 mg and gradually went up to 30mg per my neurologist instruction.

hope you get some relief soon. i can totally relate to being a mess without sleep...

[Mark in Idaho]

Marilee,

Have you tried any of the three individually?

Also, have you discussed the Lunesta and gabapentin mix with the pharmacist? The literature says they need to be carefully watched when mixed.

I take 900 mgs of gabapentin 90 minutes before my body starts settling down. If I forget to take it, I am wide awake for hours until I realize why I cannot get to sleep. I usually wake after about 6 hours of sleep.

I also need some protein and/or complex carbs before I can sleep.

[andi]

Elavil has been wonderful for me. Helps me sleep and helps with my headaches. I have only had a handful since September when I started on it. I take 10mg at night, every night even if I think I don't need it that night. Check with your doc.

[MarileeG]

Hi Mark,

i've tried elavil without the others and didn't sleep at all until i added the lunesta back in (multiple nights worth of trying). I could try them on their own but am concerned to not get the elavil or gabpentin b/c of the pain relief I expect they are providing.

I asked my pharmacist about the combo of those 2 and she didn't see a concnern with the lunesta and gabapentin when i asked about it.

I'm in the process of moving up the dosage on gabapentin as i decided to stop the meloxicam (too many stomach aches). My new dosage max on gabapentin is 3600mg per day. hoepfully that covers what the meloxicam was doing.

I'm looking forward to when I'm starting to go off medicine instead of increasing...

[Concussed Scientist]

Hi Aireyden,

I have been taking amitriptyline (Elavil) for over a year now.

I think that the answer to your questions probably depends on the dose. It won't help you sleep if you don't take enough, and you will be zonked if you take too much.

I tried 10mg nightly and gradually increased it (after informing my doctor) till it seemed to be having an effect. I found that if I took 25 mg I did feel zonked out the next day, so I reduced it until I found a dose that I could function at (not too zonked) but seemed to be controlling some of the pain from my headaches. In the UK, it is dispensed in 10mg or 25mg tablets but you can make up intermediate doses by cutting the tables into halves or quarters. You can buy a tablet cutter which might be a bit easier than a knife. My doctor was quite happy for me to do this.

I have found that if I stop taking it the symptoms soon come back. I have been gradually reducing the dose. Now I have got it right down to 7.5 mg. That is as low as I can go at the moment without feeling terrible.

I am taking it for headaches rather than to make me sleep. I have noticed a slight effect on sleeping but perhaps not that much at a lower dosage. I am sure that the effects depends on the person, but a higher dose might be needed to help you sleep.

I think you should ask your doctor to try a higher dose and then, if that makes you sleep better but zonks you out, you just need to reduce the dose till you find the right point for you.

You should ask your doctor about how to adjust the dose. You may need to adjust the dose gradually. I don't think that you can just take two pills one night when you think that you need it and then not take any if you feel you don't. The all or nothing method is more likely to give side-effects sometimes and no benefit at other times. If you want to find out if it can work for you, you need to find the right dose that you can take every night.

I hope that helps.

All the best,
CS

Originally Posted by aireyden

My neuro gave me a presc for elavil at night (20 mg) which I took 2x a while back when I felt really bad...couldn't get out of bed..I stopped taking it as I felt worse. I think I need to start it again as anxiety is at its highest now.

Anyone have any experiences w elavail good or bad??

Will it help me sleep? Will I be zonked still in the morning?

Anything else you can say I'm all ears