Amitriptyline. Can it be worse.....

[Olga]

Hi,
Originally I am from Europe but have been living in USA for almost 10 years. I have IC for many years.
I was very glad to discover this site about IC. My doctor recently gave me a prescription of Amitriptyline 25mg. I have pain, frequency, painful urination, and urinary retention. I read on Internet that one of the side effects of this drug that it can cause difficulty to pee (retention). DID SOMEBODY HAVE THIS SIDE EFFECT FROM THIS DRUG? hi I have read all your posts about Amitriptyline and thougt that it would be so great to have good night sleep.
Olga

[radstudent]

I take 50mg of Elavil every night at bedtime. I have never had retention from this.

[vm]

I take 25mg at bedtime with no retention, but it seems like I read somewhere that it can cause that in some people.

[tigger_gal]

When i took it I don't recall retention but it caused me other problems I called it e_v_i_l elavil... lmao I am not able to take any anti-depressants....
Brat

[kadi]

I do sometimes have difficulty urinating, but it's usually when I've not had enough water that day. If I drink about 60oz of fluids per day - I don't have to strain to urinate. (I don't drink much after 5 or 6pm so it won't interfere with sleep). I take 10mg of Elavil at night, which helps with pain and sleep! (before Elavil, I couldn't sleep more than 20 min at a time)

[Mackie]

Hi Olga,

Yes, Elavil can definitely cause retention! Here's how I experienced it...

The uro had me on Elavil (I think I had worked up to 25 mgs). I was on it for several years with no problem. But then, my neurologist wanted to increase that doasge, as Elavil also works well for headache pain. He upped it to 75 mgs. I think I was on that for about 3 days or so. Looking back, it was getting increasingly more difficult to "go". Finally, I ended up unable to urinate at all and was speeding up the highway in a snowstorm to my uro's office to get catheterized. It was awful. I had to go home wearing a leg bag for 24 hours, after which time it was hoped the medication would be out of my system. After 48 hours, I went on a maintenance dose of Elavil -- I think 10 mgs -- until I decided to discontinue it completely.

Elavil is an anticholinergic drug, so high doses can cause people to retain. You may just need to find the dose that's right for you.

Hope this helps a little..

Good luck,
Mackie

[Iris]

Hi Olga, I am on 25 mgm Elavil at night, and so far no retention problem, I have been on it about a year and a half. I know it can cause that problem, it has helped me a lot with getting a good night's sleep. Take care and let us know how yu are doing, hugs Iris. hi grouphug

[peiti]

Hi, Olga

Just want to say that everyone responds to the meds differently. I had mild retention problem when was given 25mg a day. I found my urine flow was slower and I had to wait for a few senconds before letting it out. But it was not a big problem, cause the side effect went away in a few days.

Don't feel scared if you hear some negative responses here. You will never know if Elavil will help you or not unless you try it. My ic pain is gone now and frequency is helped by Elavil, too. I am very happy I tried it and stick with it. :p

[Lyn40]

Olga,
I have been on Elavil for nearly 2 years now, without any side effects. I take 10mg. I take it early in the evening, which is better for sleeping and not feeling tired the next day.

Hopefully, you will have good luck with it and not need a larger dose that can cause some retention. Your body may need some time to adjust to it.

Good luck,
Lyn
grouphug

[ChrissyH]

At what time at night do you take Elavil? And when do you normally wake up? Does the morning fatigue go away after you've been taking it for awhile?

[Olga]

To CrissyH!!!
I take Amitriptyline (Elavil) at bed time, usually at 10 pm. Yes, I feel tired and sleepy all afternoon. Hope it will go away. I have retention (difficulty to go), hope it will go away also.
Olga

[Olga]

Hi CryssyH again,
I forgot to answer that I awake at 8 am and I wish I would sleep more. :)
Olga

[photomom]

I started with 25mg and was having problems not feeling hung over the next day. I asked my dr for a new antidepressant but he insisted I try to take half a pill and see how it works.

So far it seems to be fine at about 10mg an evening. I too take it at about 8pm (don't go to bed until 10pm or later) and i am up at 7am with out any groggyness.

This is my second month on this, clariatin and Emriol 600mg..... I have seen major improvements.

[Olga]

To Photomom! hi
I will try to break my pill in half and see how I feel next day. This pill makes me sleepy and tired all the time.
Olga

[DanaW]

Another option for sleep is the antihistamine Atarax. I have been taking 50mg. for over a month and I sleep really good. What I like about it is you don't get the sleep hangover like you do with Elavil. It seems to wear off sooner. (around 5-6 hours) Good luck

[ChrissyH]

Thanks for all the replies. My doctor talked about starting me on Elavil and I'm just trying to learn as much as I can before I start taking it.

[peiti]

At first, I was on 25mg Elavil a day. I took it around 10pm (two hours before my bed time). Elavil started to work after about one and half hour so I went to bed at 12, but didn't wake up at my usual 8AM. After about 3-4 days, I didn't feel sleepy that quickly after taking Elavil, and was able to wake up at 8AM.
Now I am on 12.5mg Elavil. I take it around 7pm, go to bed around 12AM and wake up around 8am. I found 12.5mg works as fine as 25mg for me.

[Ginny]

I have been on 50mgs for about 15 years with no retention.

Ginny

[Olga]

hi
Thank you so much to all of you. I just needed your support. Actually, I was scared to start taking this Pill.
My hugs to all of you, :) :) :)
Olga

[dpnstark]

I would like to know if anyone out there has tryed a regimen of trazodone(desyrel) and effexor
for ic and fibro problems. I have not been able to sleep for more than 3 hours for months, while taking elavil, ambien, vistaril. IC seems to be somewhat better, my fibro is at its worst from lack of sleep. I am just hoping someone will have success stories with sleep. Help. thankyou.

[Iris]

Hi, I am on Effexor XR, and Ambien and Elavil at night, I used to have problems with sleep, but this regimen seems to be working for me. I do have Ultram for flares. Hope that you can find the right combination to help you out, I know that not getting enough sleep is the worst, I really had a bad time with bad flare-ups, and made worse by lack of sleep, and stress from lack of sleep, so I can really feel for you right now.Hope that you can get some relief soon. Please let us knowhow you are doing, hugs Iris. hi grouphug

[Marigold]

I am currently only taking 5 mg a day and it helps with sleep and muscle as well as bladder pain. I started at 10 mg but that wiped me out so I backed it up. I am so far pleasantly surprised at getting some pain relief from it when nothing else was really helping.

[Zipper]

I just started the cystoprotek and have even noticed a small improvement--I've only been taking it for three days. So I'm very hopeful that this supplement will help!

Any insight?