Nervous about Elavil

[ashmc]

Well, I just read some postings about Elavil and am terrified now. I am only 19, am 5'2", and weigh 92 pounds. I don't mean to brag, but I have a pretty nice figure and have killed to keep it that way, and now there is talk I may gain weight because of this medication. What am I going to do?? Please someone tell me I am not going to gain weight, I am freaking out!!!!

[vm]

Hi. :) I have been on 25mg per day of Elavil for a couple of years. I gained no weight on it and when I was real serious about exercise and eating right I lost about 10 pounds. Now, I gained weight when I started Lexapro, but that is recent - it wasn't from the Elavil.

It seems like the weight gain usually comes when people are on the higher doses. :)

[ICB]

Dear Ashmc:

Elavil can cause weight gain in some patients. The higher the dosage, the higher the risk of weight gain. I would suggest that you try Elavil and see what happens. If you gain weight, you can stop the medication and try others that don't have that side-effect. For example, Effexor and Topamax have been known for the opposite effect. You may actually loose weight with those medications.

It is important to put the side-effect into perspective. In my personal opinion, it's better to be fat and happy than skinny and miserable. However, you have many options before you make a final decision. There are MANY other medications that are in the same family as Elavil and don't have the weight-gain side-effects.

I suggest that you consult with your healthcare provider if you believe that the information above may be helpful; your healthcare provider will determine the appropriate treatment regimen for you.

The contents in this post are provided for informational purposes only. The contents are not intended in any way to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition.

Good luck,

ICB

[tillysav]

hi Ashmc,

I am concerned about the same thing. :( Hope someone on this board has a response that will put your mind at ease. :rolleyes: Tilly :)

[ICNDonna]

One thing you can to is to try taking it --- then if you do gain any weight, you can change meds. My husband takes 10 mg for pain control with no weight gain.

Sending healing thoughts,
Donna

[vm]

Are you on Elavil for depression or for pain relief? I was assuming it was for IC pain - just wanted to make sure.

[Pain_Man]

Elavil works for some people with nerve pain. It may help.

One important thing: it is very constipating so, especially if you take narcotics, you may need vastly increase the old fiber intake.

Of all the anti-depressants I've taken, and I've taken quite a few, it's probably the mildest I've found in re: side-effects. The others have had side-effects ranging from annoyance to majorly painful--and I'll spare that description.

As always, talk to the doc first.

If it works for you, great! Just remember TCAs (the type of anti-depressant this is) tend to cause drowsiness. So, if taking with other sleepy inducing meds, make sure you can function before driving or doing brain surgery or flying the space shuttle, that kind of thing.

[ashmc]

The drowsiness part gives me a concern because I am also on lexapro.

[jjmowen]

I gained around 10 pounds in 3 months. When I complained to my doctor, she changed me to imipramine. I lost the 10 pounds quickly and have stayed at the same weight for over a year.

[lotsofgirls]

My pain doctor said it often causes weight gain so we went with neurotin.
Cath

[vm]

ashmc: I am on Lexapro and Elavil. I had some initial drowsiness with each, but it has gone away. :) Keep in mind, though, that I rarely have med side effects...

[mayray518]

I am 5'2 and weigh 105 and, unfortunately, aint young anymore. The elavil did cause cravings but I did not give into then. It literally saved my life. I work out now as I am pain free but you just have to watch it if you get the cravings.

[kadi]

Hello,
The Elavil (10mg) meant the difference between sleeping or not, so it's been a lifesaver for me. I've monitored my weight daily for the five months I've been on it & not gained a pound. (In spite of no exercise) Nor have I had cravings, (In the past I had huge sweet cravings while on Ovcon35 & on Lexapro) - I've had nothing like that with Elavil. (Thank God)
My dr. said that cravings & weight gain come at the higher doses...

[Marigold]

Hi I am 35 years old, 5'4 and weight 120 and just recently worked HARD to lose 35 pounds well remaining inactive due to vertigo problems and now just starting elavil for FMS and IC too.

I started to take it once before a while back and got scared about the weight thing, also I hate the "sluggish stomach" feeling I get from it, however my body wide FMS pain is getting to be too much so I am trying it again. I a surpirsed at how fast it helps my neck pain when almost nothing else does! :D

I took it in my early 20s for IC pain for over a year and I was always 105 pounds back then and I never gained any weight while on it. It did not help my bladder pain as much then, but I was not on the IC diet or carbonate back then. Now that I am on the diet and take forms of carbonate it really does help.

LOL I am nervous too. It feels great to be thin after being overweight for a few years and I know it is healthier for me personally as well.

I have noticed after starting Elavil that it actually is killing my desire to eat because well, the only way to put it is my stomach feels "too sleepy" for a lot of food.

I am inactive lot of the time because of really bad neck pain, vertigo/nausea and IC stuff.

I hope I can keep taking Elavil because it helps my neck pain so much and also helps the IC.

I won't however keep taking it if I gain weight. There is a lot of diabetes in my family and my older siblings and parents have had so many bad complications from it and both parents died from diabetic complications. That makes me afraid to allow myself to carry that much weight again.

[summermuffin]

Hi everyone!
I was recently diagnosed by a urogynecologist on 3/18/04. She prescribed me with 10 mg. of amitryptiline. And, I'm very nervous about taking it. I'm 25 and very short. Gaining weight is not something I can stand happening to me on top of everything already.

My problems started in Nov. with a UTI. Soooo...I am really scared about gaining weight on this drug. I've read tons on the internet and I've just made myself nuts reading all the horror stories.

I think I'm just going to have to dive in and try it soon. I tried just changing my diet, but isn't completely helping everything. It's very nice to hear all about the people who have not gained weight on it. I'm sure I have the willpower to deny sugar craving since I know about them.

Plus, I spoke to a doctor, not my urogyn, about the weight gain and he really tried to assure me not to worry about it until I tried it. I don't know...still very very nervous about it.

Well...I guess that's what I have to contribute for now.
Thanks for listening.
Summermuffin

[ICNDonna]

The dose ordered for you is very small. It's what is frequently given for pain control. You may find it doesn't effect your weight at all.

Sending an encouraging hug,
Donna

[SharonA]

Hi...

I have been on Elavil 25mg since January 2002. Yes, I have gained a few pounds... lack of self discipline is my problem... but I will gladly take on those extra pounds in place of the pain I suffered through before Elavil. It has given me back my life. :dance: :D

[Bea]

Hi hon,

I could completely understand your concern for weight gain.. I too have kept a great figure always, and wouldn't want to gain too much weight..

My doc put me on imipramine 25 mg at night.. i have been on it for just two weeks now, and I haven't gained any weight yet, but I am feeling a bit better with pain...

just me less pain is great..

hugs

[ICchell]

That is true.The smaller doses shouldnt make you gain weight.Like Donna said,if you feel like it is making you,then you can always go off of it.
My mom is diabetic and has neuropathy in her legs and it helps her nerve pain alot.It might really help you
good luck
Michelle

[summermuffin]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for all of your support and feedback. I've been on 10mg of Amitryptiline for 13 days now. I've monitored my weight every day and have found no weight gain. :)

However, I'm not feeling too much better with it. I'm still feel frequency...I don't have to go 60 times a day...but, the inkling of having to pee is still there. I am trying to eat IC good foods...but maybe I'm missing something...or maybe I need to up my dose to 20 mg.

Is 20mg still considered a relatively low dose. I'm concerned about the weight gain on the higher doses. Is 20 mg considered high? Or relatively low? I'm about 4 feet 10.5 inches tall and weigh 90 lbs, soo I don't know how my body will react to 20mg. I'm also on birth control pills, Ovcon 35.

I've heard that if you take birth control you need more of the medication to feel it's effects. Is that true?

Anywho...I'm just very very concerned about the weight gain...can anyone out there help me with some info?

Thanks,
summermuffin

[poetgirl]

Summermuffin,

I've been taking 25 mg of Elavil since last June and haven't gained any weight. In fact, when I first started taking it, I had no appetite at all. I found some of the short-term side effects, like dry mouth, kind of annoying, but over time those went away. Elavil helped me a lot; I would recommend trying it and see what happens. :thumbsup:

[kelly McC]

I have been taking Elavil for almost 60 days and I have lost 10 lbs. In my case I am very very food sensitive and can not eat much so that may be why the weight loss. Best wishes and good luck:)

[summermuffin]

Kelly McC
What dosage have of Elavil have you been taking?

[kelly McC]

25mg.

[poetgirl]

Summermuffin,

I also take Ovcon-35, in addition to the 25 mg of Elavil. (I also take 200 mg of Elmiron, 4mg of Detrol LA, and 25 mg of Zoloft.) I am 5'6" and 118 lbs. I started at 25 mg and have stayed there since last June. I don't think 20mg is very high at all and may help your symptoms more because it helps calm the neuropathic pain response.

PoetGirl

[summermuffin]

Thank you all for the support. It really helps. :)

I am going to see my uro gyn tomorrow to discuss it further. I haven't been feeling well this past week and will probably go up to 20mg. I hope I don't have to go any higher than that.

Smiles,
Summermuffin

[summermuffin]

Hi all,
I went to the UroGyn. I saw a different doctor from the one I saw on my last visit. I didn't like the one I saw today...but that's a different issue. :(

Anyway...I was told to increase my dose by 10mg each week until I felt better. And, I am not supposed to go above 40mg. I am still very very concerned about the weight gain...especially if I have to go up to 30 or 40mg.

Does anyone know what is considered a high dose? Is 30 or 40mg generally considered moderate or still relatively low? I know these are the same questions I keep asking...it's just that I've been dealing with soo much pain and unhappiness for sooo long that to have weight gain be a problem is too much for me to handle. I know that I'll just get even more depressed.

I guess I just need some more comforting words and success stories to get me through this...I'm soo stressed out and soo anxious about sooo many things right now.

Thanks all

[amaris]

Summermuffin,
I checked in the Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychopharmacology (editor Green) for elavil doses. It states that the maintenance dose for adults for treating depression is 50mg or 100mg per day. Then there's some information about using it for treating ADHD and depression in children and in some of those studies they used up to 300mg per day. So I think that you are in the relatively low range if you don't use more than 40mg a day.

It didn't have any information about birth control pills. However I did find that oral contraceptives could interfere with Elavil's action in the body (http://www.patientcenters.com/bipolar/news/tricyclic.html#Elavil). I'm guessing that's why your doc said you could increase the dose up to 40mg a day without being concerned that it's too high.

Amaris

[summermuffin]

Thanks again everyone for all the support. It's great being able to come here and ask questions and to just share. :D

I'm currently on my 4th day of taking 20mg. My next question is how will I know when and if it's working. Should I expect to feel 100% better. Will I feel 100% better with the Elavil even if I've eaten bad food for IC patients?
I'm a bit confused by that...because I haven't yet figured out if I've eliminated everything I could to keep me from having flares.

For example...yesterday...I think I ate well in terms of avoiding bad IC food. But today...I didn't feel soo good. I'm just confused...and I want to know of other people's success stories on Elavil. How do you feel? Is the sense of frequency completely gone? How long did it take for you to realize that the meds were working?

A week to test out doses just seems sooo short to me. I dunno...just confused by everything going on in my body I suppose. :(

Again...I'm super grateful for all the feedback.
Summermuffin

[creatingkarma]

I started with 25mg of Elavil, but have been on 50mg for a few months now. The only way that I could tell a difference was when I had my period. It cut my period cramping in half. I haven't noticed that it helps with my bladder symptoms, though. I am one who has gained weight. I don't know exactly how much I have gained, but last summer I had this favorite pair of jeans. They were old & baggy & comfortable. They were almost falling completely off of me & I didn't even have to unbutton them when I went potty. Now I can't even button them if I do the lay down on the bed thing. :( I only have one pair of pants that still fit me & I can't afford to go buy new ones. I keep telling myself that I need to watch my food intake, but always give in (no willpower here). Next time I see the doc, I'm going to ask for something else to take. I hope that you can get some relief & also keep your figure!

Karma

[Lmarks33]

My Doctor has wanted me to try Elavil as well and I have the same concerns about weight gain. Also, are you guys on it for pain related to IC? i do not have pain persay, I only have pressure and frequency/urgency. Will the Elavil even help with that?

I have a hard enough time as it is staying in shape due to my IC and a bad back. I can't afford to gain weight but on the other hand, I can't deal with how MANY times I am going to the bathroom.

[amaris]

I found the following at: http://www.ichelp.org/TreatmentAndSelfHelp/TricyclicAntidepressants.html

The beneficial incidental effects of tricyclic antidepressants are:
anticholinergic effects, meaning that these medications relax the bladder and decrease the intensity of bladder contractions, diminishing frequency by delaying the desire to urinate
* sedative effects, caused by their antihistamine properties
* the blockage or re-absorption of certain neurotransmitters (serotonin and noradrenaline) which cause the brain to misinterpret or ignore pain impulses

I've been taking imiprimine (50mg) for a little over a week and I've notice that I have a decreased sense of urgency and frequency, so maybe it will help you with your symptoms.

Karma, I'm sorry about your fav. pair of jeans. I can't wear them because of the PAIN they cause me. Maybe you can try a different antidepressant and not have the weight gain side effects?

Amaris

[Bea]

Amaris,

You say your are on 50mg of imipramine.. have you noticed weight gain side effects on it.. what were you on before.. i to am on imipramine...25 mg.. I am afraid to take 50

[amaris]

Bea,
My doc started me on 50mg, so I've never had a lower dose. I haven't noticed anything with weight gain, but don't know if that would take longer to show up (I've only been taking it for 1 and 1/2 weeks)? I guess I should step on the scale. Before I started the imipramine, I was only taking Elmiron.
I was looking at the drug info that the pharmacy printed out for the imipramine and it says that weight loss may be a side effect, nothing about weight gain. I don't know if this is something unique to imipramine?
I'm a small gal (5' 90lbs.), but don't feel that the 50mg is too much for me. Based on some reading I've done, I know that this dose is lower than what is given to children to help with bed wetting. So for now I'm not going to worry too much about weight gain side effect because I am definitely noticing an improvement in symptoms (frequency and urgency).
I'll keep you posted, though.

Amaris

[Bea]

Amaris,

Thanks so much for the info.. I am not to concerned about gaining some weight, I just don't want to gain a whole lot you know...

I will talk to my doc about going on 50mg... so far I don't think the 25 is doing enough...

Are you still on elmiron.?

[amaris]

still on elmiron 2 100mg twice a day.
amaris

[codyryonwoodward]

Hi guys. I started on elvail back in 2001 I took it for about a year I went from 120 to 165 pounds during that time. I took it for IC and for migraines. I quit it because I was totally miserable with my weight, I guess a vane thing to say...After I quit It has taken until the last 6 months for the weight to start finally falling off. I am down to around 138. this medicine I can for sure live with out. Not only do I have IC, migraines allergies and numerous other things to deal with I had a self image problem. I for one do not like this medicine. SORRY guys that it has helped. But everyone is different.:kiss: Best of luck

[Walela]

Hello Everyone!
My Uro prescribed 50mg doses of Elavil. I have been on it for 6 days. It does control the pain, but when I get near the end of the dose, late in the evening some of my pain returns. I found that keeping still and using Aloe Vera gel is helpful.
I can't address the weight gain issue since I haven't been on it for very long. I hope I don't gain weight!
I feel very groggy in the morning and its hard to get up, but I do
get up and go to work. I feel dopey until around 1pm when the Elavil starts to wear off a bit. I wonder if my dosage is too high??
:dizzy:

[peiti]

I have tried both imipramine and Elavil. I was started 25 imipramine a day and increased to 50 mg a day. It helped a lot with the pain and frequency. However, I was not able to tolerate the side effects which meant dizziness, heart palpitation and sensitivity to light. I didn't gain any weight on it. I remembered one time, I was sitting on the subway and stood up too quickly and I almost fainted. I told my dr and he switched me to Elavil.

I only tried Elavil for 3 months. I was able to tolerate Elavil better than imipramine. I was on 25mg Elavil and it helped so good on my pain and fequency. However, the constipation was awful so I needed to take stool softner. Besides, I didn't have the will power to control my food intake and gained around 10 pounds in 3 months. I think it is possible to monitor the weight while on Elavil, but one has to be very conscious. I could tell the craving for sweet was coming, but still gave in. :(

I didn't eat more than before while on Elavil, but didn't cut my junk food intake either. My dr said Elavil slowed down my metabolism and that was why I put on weight.

Good luck to those who want to try Elavil. It may be the answer.:pray:

[Lyn40]

I have been on Elavil for over 2 years now. I take 10mg a day, and 20mg once in a while when in a flare. I am also on BC pills and have not gained any weight.

Good luck to you,
Lyn
:grouphug:

[classics]

I'm happy to report that I FINALLY got something for this pain and I hope it works. Dr. prescribed 25 mg of Elavil.

What was very weird is that when I told him I really needed something for pain, he asked ME what I wanted? It was as though he really didn't know what to prescribe. The last time he had me try lidocaine 2 percent, and that was because I asked if I could try it. It didn't do much for the burning, however.

My symptom is primarily burning which feels both inside and outside., with some lower pelvic pressure. I had him check me for vulvodynia too and he really didn't seem to know about that either, but I knew from reading that Elavil can be used to help both problems.

After reading here, it seems that everyone is at a different mg amount. Should I try cutting the 25mg in half first to see how it works? I also get constipated easily, so I suppose I need to get something for that. Maybe double my flaxseeds!

[Walela]

I am happy that you are getting some meds! My Uro gave me 50mg and I asked if it was too much. He said that I could experiment with it and take 25mg if I want to ease my way into the medication, but he recommended to stay on 50mg. After about 2 weeks now, the drowsiness is only in the morning when I get up. And I am starting to get my life back!!!

:D

[summermuffin]

I just started taking 40 mg yesterday. I still hope I don't gain any weight from it. But...because of avoiding IC bad foods I don't drink anything but water...and don't eat junk foody things anymore. No more chocolate and if I start eating something sweet...I wonder if it's the drugs or just me. I've been weighing myself everday for since I've started taking the 10mg of Elavil. So far soo good. I should still eat much more vegetables.

Now I'm just worried about the 40mg. :(

Haven't yet started my exercise program...gonna buy a video today. But...I have noticed I've been able to go out much more than before. I'm also taking Ovcon 35 and some Prelief tablets...at least 2 a day. That seems to help.
As for being constipated...I get that sometimes. I just make sure I have some bran cereal in the morning. That helps me.

[Babs RN]

In my experience 40 mg is still a pretty low dose--and while everyone is different and should follow the prescribing doctor's advice I don't think you'll blimp up within days. I would caution you about weighing yourself everyday. Your weight can fluctuate based on water retention, the weather, etc and could start a bad trend for ya. I would go by how your clothes fit and maybe(if you need to) weigh yourself every week or two. Not meant to be from a soap box, just my two cents from a few years around nursing.

Hugs and a:kiss:
Barb

[summermuffin]

Hi everyone!
I am going to see my Uro Gyn this week for a follow up to how my meds are going and I had a few questions for everyone.
I'm currently on the 5th day of taking 40mg of Amitriptyline and am still feeling some discomfort...like frequency. Especially yesterday. I certainly don't feel like I was when I didn't have IC.
But, my question is are you supposed to feel that good. As good as if you never even had IC? I'm not sure if I'm feeling frequency because the meds aren't working for me or if I'm just feeling discomfort because I've eating bad IC food. Which I know that I did.
Can anyone give me any feedback? I don't know if I need to ask the doctor to increase my dose or to change my meds. Plus...I don't know if feeling like I did when I didn't have IC is even a realistic feeling. I am able to do more things and feel a bit better. But, I know I don't feel 100%. There's still an inkling of frequency.
Do you still feel good on your meds even if you've eaten something bad?
I hope to hear back from you all.
Thanks

[classics]

Summermuffin,

I just started taking Amitriptyiline too, since last Tuesday. My uro told me itwould take two to three weeks for this drug to kick in and that I shouldn't expect to feel anything till then. But over this weekend I noticed that my freguency has cut back quite a bit and the burning too.

Today I made poor choices on eating, ate pizza and lemonade and an hour later I feel the pressure on my lower pelvis like urine still is in there and also burning. So what I'm eating is definately having an impact . I'm sure that a combination of both diet and medication would be a better choice for me to not feel the effects of IC, even though I most likely have a very mild case.

[amaris]

Summermuffin,
After a month of imimpramine (50mg) and 5 months of Elmiron (200mg 2X a day) I'm finally feeling more like I used to before IC. I have less frequency, urgency and pain. I can do more physical activity and feel less sensitive to some foods--I ate a chocolate truffle with some prelief the other day and didn't have a flare. However, I try to stick to the IC diet and haven't tried to push my luck to see whether I will feel "normal" after making a lot of bad food choices in one day. I'm not sure that the meds are supposed to work that way. Maybe someone else knows...

What I do know is that in the past month I've had way more good days than bad. Some days, I've even felt "normal" aside from some morning frequency. I think it's a combination of the meds, IC diet and IC friendly clothes.

I hope your doc visit goes well.

Amaris

[Iris]

Hi, I seem to be able to handle more foods, being on my meds, than I did before, I know they are really helping me out. I am on Elavil, and Effexor-XR and Ultram for pain, and so far my urologist said I am doing well and am stable for now. Keeping my prayers going, and my fingers crossed, it stays this way, hugs Iris.:hi: :thumbsup: :grouphug: :flower:

[Walela]

I am fairly religious about taking my Prelief at mealtime. That usually keeps the food related symptoms at bay for me. My uro says different meds work differently for everyone and that it is
a case of finding what works for you. I am also doing the AloeVera regimen and find that it has helped a great deal with
my frequency issues, but it has taken about a month for it to
work.
I hope this assists you in some way!
:grouphug: :kissing: