about amitriptyline
 

hi

I am on amitriptyline for two weeks. I take 10mg/days before bedtime in order to treat my headaches which started after a acceleration/deceleration movement one and half months ago (my only symptom is headache)

So far I can't see any improvement with headaches. They are quite debilitating because, all the time my head is aching. They come and go between top of the head or forehead.

I found this site about amitriptyline treatment of post-concussion headaches. http://www.headache-adviser.com/head-concussion.html
It says this kind of headaches do not respond to 10mg/days of dosage. However, many other online sources suggest that 10-20mg/days of dosage is sufficient.

After how many days of usage of this medicine, it comes into play and headaches go away?

Should I increase it to 20mg/days?

And finally, how amitriptyline and alcohol are doing together? Can mixing them cause complications? If so, what kind of complications do occur?

thanks.

Amitriptyline
 

Podcast,

I've been taking Amitriptyline for two months now. They started me on 25 mg and increased it to 50 mg after a week.

I noticed improvement a little each day. It's sedating so the first two to three weeks all I did was sleep. That was ok though...I needed it.

The Post Concussion Headache used to be with me 24/7. I found about a week after the headache wouldn't be there first thing in the morning. At the point where I was at I needed any break I could get.

I'm now at the two month mark on the medication. My sleep issues are back. My headaches aren't 24/7. I deal with them everyday. Some aren't so bad and are caused by over sensory issues. If I think to much my head lets me know. driving at night the headlights coming at me makes shooting pains cut through the back of my eyes.

Aaaah and good ole migranes that rear there ugly head just because....and it leaves me incapable of anything.

I also read drinking while on this medication can cause cardiac irregularities and it also increasesthe effects on both the alchohol and the amiriptyline.

I also know drinking while dealing with PCS isn't a good idea either.....your brain is injured and it needs all the best you can provide it so you get better.

I hope I've helped. I hope you feel better soon....

Many thanks Crystal.

I was a bright collage student and these headaches are driving me crazy!

I hope they subside soon otherwise all my career will be messed up.

Amitriptyline has helped me a lot. I started out at 25 mg and could not stay awake for about a week after I started.

Both the sedation and the headaches have improved since then. Give it a while for your body to get used to it.

Eowyn

Thank you for your reply.

For two days, I am taking 20mg of it before bedtime. In fact, I got used to it, because I don't experience side effects of it anymore. However, I didn't noticed any improvements concerning headaches. They are mild and 24/7. How much more do I need to wait to see them disappear? Will this happen?

Are you completely off this drug or still using it?

By the way, what kind of nutrition do you suggest to help headaches go away?

Best regards

My headaches have not disappeared completely, but after several weeks on amitriptyline, I found that I only got them intermittently instead of 24/7. You may want to talk to your doctor about raising your dose again, especially if you have larger body mass or are used to other chemicals such as alcohol. You might need more than I do to see benefit. But again, try to be patient for a couple of weeks. It took me at least two weeks to have headache relief.

As far as nutrition, these are the supplements I take:
- Algal DHA (900 mg)
- Acetyl-l-carnitine (500 mg)
- B-Complex 100
- D3 (2,000 IU)

I also found this article about Post Traumatic Headache to be very helpful:
http://www.braininjurymn.org/library...icHeadache.pdf

Another question: are you able to get complete brain rest? Have you been resting completely? If you are not, you may be inhibiting your brain's ability to recover, which could cause the headaches to persist in spite of medication.

If you were asking this question one month ago, I'd say 'yes' but for now not at all, because I am a collage student, I have lots of exams, labs, projects and I need my brain back.

I want to believe this headaches will go away completely but having them everyday makes me hopeless.

By the way, suppose that amitriptilyne worked for me and I got rid of headaches, how long do I need to use this drug? I have heard and read that this drug might be dangerous if it is used for a long-term.


And finally, Is there any evidence that amitriptilyne treats headaches for real? I heard that it only masks them? If so, will I need to use it forever?

Cheers

Well, I will just tell you that I gave myself a relapse grading end-of-semester papers and projects (I am an English teacher) and ended up missing the entire next semester. So you might want to look into getting an incomplete in some classes if you can so you can rest. All the brain work will not help your brain recover.

I have the same questions you do about long-term use of amitriptyline. I have been on it for four months now and wonder if I will ever be able to go without it again.