My neuro prescribed Elavil for me at my last appt. in April for depression. He told me the most common side effect for it was urinary retention. ( Well. after I pressed him on it. At first, he told me it didn't have side effects.) I haven't taken it for that reason ( I have bladder symptomms related to neurogenic bladder already) and because I usually am real sensitive to side effects and the side effects are usually worse than what I'm taking it for.

Erin, do you think you weren't emptying fully thereby causing you to have to urinate more often?

Thanks Laura for listing the side effects. I've been having hair loss too and have been on Copaxone 9 years next month so, I definitely don't want to take any other meds with that as a side effect.

I really think it all depends. Each medication we take has side effects. Some people get lucky and don't experience them. Others do. But you have to weigh the good with the bad in most cases.

Take for example, Clonazepam. It's done what no other drug has done for me, to date. Dulled the pain of my burning mouth. It also dulled the heck out of the burning pain I experience elsewhere with MS, and has actually made me 'headache free' as a result.

Clonazepam carries a list of side effects: http://bipolar.about.com/cs/sfx/a/sfx_klonopin.htm

It can also be habit forming. Thing is, this is the risk versus return for me. It's made me feel as a person "Without MS" (my symptoms are mild, mainly sensory which includes a pain aspect). For me so far at a very small amount, it's honestly a wonder drug. I take a very tiny amount at night, and it also helps me sleep peacefully.

Is it for everyone? Certainly not. It's wonderful in my case. I haven't experienced side effects thus far, thankfully.

Oh we would have been a GREAT pair together if we'd been on it at the same time and out somewhere. Add that to my forgetting to eat, which makes my blood sugar dip, and


I used to drink about a 2 litre bottle of water during an 8 hour work day because I had cotton mouth so badly from the Elavil. Believe me, I urinated much more often because of all the liquid. You could say my bladder wasn't emptying fully--each time I gave it a little more space, more went INTO it! But maybe Erin's experience is different.

YOU TOO??

I forgot about this! In fact, there were a couple days I ate once while on La Evil, because I flat out FORGOT to eat! I had no appetite at all, and when you're eating extremely low fat to begin with, missing meals like that is not a good thing!

Actually, I forget to eat routinely but it was worse on the Elavil.

And I get like that on roids too. I'm strange and have a weird experience on IVSM--I get really fatigued and lose my appetite. I think that I lost 10 lbs the last time I was on roids. Ok, maybe that's NOT such a great weight loss strategy but.... well....it works for me.

I'm not going to lie, I eat and eat and EAT on IVSM, or prednisone taper off.

I'm a little piggie, and I can't sleep on steroids either. Oh, and I can clean my house 10 times a day as well LOL!

Too bad you live so far away from me.

Yeah Gaztastic. You can sleep for me while I clean your house. Deal? =)