Hello!
I am totally baffled. I'm gonna give you the long story so you can see my confusion and then, hopefully, help me understand!
I am a tendonitis sufferer. I was on Nabumetone (relafen)500mg for several months along with Ultram (tramadol)50mg. During most of that time I was on about 100mg of Neurontin a day. After about 4 months of this cocktail my gums began to bleed pretty bad. (Like any time I sucked on my teeth I could spit out 2 tablespoons of blood and saliva.) I thought maybe this was due to the anti inflammatory and shared this with my doctor. We switched it to Ibuprophen 600mg and got better results for a while. Two months later, my gums are back to bleeding badly.
During the time I've been on nuerontin, my main complaint is that I cannot pull myself out of bed unless I have had at least 10 hours wheras normally I can do fine on 5- 8 hours a night. Last time I was at the doctor's, he wanted me to try Lyrica in place of Neurontin to improve that situation. The WC insurance denied that drug so I am back to nuerontin (no huge biggie).
Today at the doctor's I asked to be taken off ibuprophen. If it is responsible for my gums, I would hate to see what its doing to my stomach and other organs!! Doctor asked about Lyrica- told him it was denied. Next is when I thought I was gonna get a script for a different anti-inflammatory but instead he told me to quit the neurontin and gave me a script for Elavil.
What? No anti-inflammatory? No nerve drug? A anti- depressant??!!? How does Elavil work?? What's it gonna do for my tendons? He didn't even MENTION that this was a AD. I had no idea what it was until I looked on rxlist.com . I am so confused!

Can somebody school me on this?? Please I just wanted to save my insides as I'm saving my arms from the pain of tendonitis.... god- I shouldn't have written so much. OW! But I had to get the story and question out
THANK YOU MUCHLY!!

Hi--
I have been taking Elavil for about the past year for nerve pain. Yes, its an older anti depressant, but like many other meds (ei pamelor, neurotin, depakote) it can be used for other purposes, including pain. The way my neuro explained it to me was that Elavil increases the chemical seratonin in your brain (which can have an impact on pain), along with effecting several other of the brain's neuro transmitters, therefor decreasing nerve/neurological type pain.

My only "concern" or other thought is why is your neuro giving it for tendonites, which, as I am sure you know is Orthopedic in nature. Elavil is NOT an anti inflamatory and tends to work only on nerve pain. I have never heard of it being used for tendonites or other non nerve type pain. So, that throws up a few caution signs. However, since you were also on Neurontin-- which is another drug used for nerve pain, I am wondering if your doctor thinks there might be a neurologic component to your pain. Personally, I would ask the doctor about why you are being prescribed a drug for nerve pain (vs an anti inflamatory) when, to your understanding, your pain is caused NOT by nerve pain; and if he thinks there might be, at least in part, a neurologic component to it.

As far as the drug itself goes, I've not had any major problems with it. It tends to excaberate the tremors I already have from my anti seizure meds, and tends to make me a bit sleepy (thats why its commonly taken at bed time). Another common side effect is weight gain--- I experienced about an
8 lb weight gain my first trial run on it (i tried pamelor and lyrica before ending back up on Elavil ), but have not experienced it this time.

In anycase, I think its time for your dr and you to have a serious chat about what he thinks is going vs you, and why.

Hang in there !
L2L

Thank you so much L2L!! These are exremely good questions. I am going to write them down so I can have them with me when I talk to the doctor
> Is it normal for doctors not to return their patients calls?

I am glad I was able to help you a little.....

As far doctors and call backs go, I would ask what the doctor or office's policy about phone calls is. My hospital's policy is to have dr(s) return phone calls within 48 hrs. My neuro usually returns my calls within 24 hours if he is in clinic, but my pcp has taken more 48 hrs to return my calls. Another thing to ask about is who will return the call--- some clinics prefer you go through the nurse (who in turn will ask the dr) and she will call u back, but others--such as with my neuro, will have the actual dr call you back.

Good Luck !

The answer is complicated, but elavil is a reuptake inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine. By increasing extracellular concentration of these neurotransmitters, certain changes begin to take place. It is thought that the pain relief mechanism with these drugs has to do with altering "gating" of pain in the spinal column.

It works good for pain if you want to gain weight.