Elavil & 'severe' fatigue

[~*~Christine~*~]

Does anyone else who is/tried Elavil found that they become very fatigued?
I tried it twice, once several weeks ago and once last night. I took it, prior to going to bed, but when I woke up (like the first time I tried it) my body was so tired it was almost numb. Even moving my arms or speaking took a lot out of me and the effects are only starting to wean off.
What's even stranger is that I searched "Amitriptyline + chronic fatigue" to see if maybe the meds just increased my chronic fatigue but it actually was noted as a drug to help it
The sad thing is that it did help with my pain but I can't take it again since it drains all of my energy :shake:

[Ginny]

This is exactly how Elavil makes you feel at the beginning. It takes a good month for it to wear off.
Two things you can do to help. One is take less. The other is take it closer to supper time so the effect wears off sooner. You might end up falling asleep to early though.
Good luck. What you are feeling is completely normal for elavil.

Ginny

[ICNDonna]

What dosage did you take? Sometimes it only takes 5 mg to help.

Donna

[Moby]

This is kind of a weird approach to fatigue... but I tried wellbutrin for my IC and even tho it didn't help it keeps me really alert and awake!!!! I take 1/2 of 1 wellbutrin pill and 25 mg elavil daily and this works really well. I need to be really focused for my job and the wellbutrin really helps a lot!!! :) Dianne

[~*~Christine~*~]

Thank you everyone for the replies

Donna, I was given 25mg, I guess that's too high a dose

[kadi]

I started out at 10mg of Elavil per night. I took it fairly early in the evening, around 7:30pm. I'd be zonked out fast asleep by 8:30pm. I found it hard to get going in the morning, but got up an extra half hour early for the mental fog to clear, so I could drive. This side effect gradually went away & I'm now up to 20mg & have no problems with energy or wake up.

I did try 30mg, but became weirdly hungry so went back down to 20mg. Yeah, my third day at 30mg, I ate 2 potroast dinners, 3-12oz glasses of milk, 2 desserts, and was still awake all night, almost crying, because I was so hungry. The pharmacist said that it stimulated the appetite center in my brain...

If you decide to stay on it, do monitor how much you're eating. At 10mg I did not gain any weight, but did gain 30 pounds at the 20mg dose... I've lost 10 so far, 20 more to go....

Overall, it's a very helpful medicine for me in reducing pain & frequency.

Hope you find something that helps soon!

[JaniceB]

I'm in the study for this - started out at 10mg the first week, went to 25mg, then to 50mg, and am now at the maximum - 75mg, over the course of 4 weeks. I did notice at each increase in dosage, I was really knocked out for awhile as far as being tired during the day. Though it only seemed to last about 3 days each time I increased the dose, and then the fatigue tapered off.

I was also told to try taking it a little earlier in the evening (I was taking it a few minutes before going to bed) and that has helped.

As far as pain management goes, I still had bad pain days at 10mg and 25mg, did very well as far as not having pain at 50mg, am trying the 75mg mainly to see if it helps me any with frequency.

I know at one point, I really wanted to say to heck with it, but I think this is one drug you really have to stick with and give it time, your body can probably adjust to it and the tiredness will level off. At least it did for me. But it truly has been a miracle drug for me as far as pain, I was having what I would rate as nearly severe pain daily - now I have pain free days! Good luck!

Janice

[corena]

I am relatively new to the IC board but have had IC for several years,just recently got diagnosed, now on 5-10 mg daily of Nortriptyline, starting one of the IC herbal glochomine (spell) herbal meds that I found on the IC Network page. Wanted to share with all of you that I have read some very good self help IC books. "To Wake In Tears",
"Interstitial Cystitis Survival Guide" by Dr. R. Goldwin, "You Don't Have to Live with Cystitis" written by a LA.Calif. woman Urogynchelogist Larrian Gillespie, Along the Healing Path by Catherine ******. Some really good, helpful and informative reading if any of you feel up to it. I know how difficult it is to find time between pain and side affects of meds to want to read. I am learning a lot about IC since I became aware of the IC message board. Thanks for sharing a part of you with me. Boston IC friend

[emilyrose197377]

Elavil made me feel that way when I first started taking it now that my body adjusted to the medication it doesn't bother me at all.

[jensue973]

I dont' take Elavil, but I suffer from severe fatigue at times and I thought it was just a symptom of me dealing with the IC..

jen

[mayray518]

I started at 50 mg of elavil. I was dog tired all day. I didnt give up tho because I was so desperate. It took 3 months and it was like a miracle. Now (5 years later) I have gotten down to 5 mg and it is still working and there are no side effects. Maybe you will be able to go down on it.

[ICPrincess]

I really like what the Elavil is doing for me. I stopped and started Elavil 3 times. It was crazy. I hated the fatigue but stuck with it finally. Personally, 10MG is working just beautifully for me and I don't feel the need to go higher. I am also finally getting used to it, so the fatigue is better (although it is tough to get up in the morning). It takes awhile but you get adjusted to it. 10MG is my magical dsoe for now (been almost two months now). At this lower dose, I am not extra hungry nor am I at risk for some of the other things that can happen at higher dosages so I would just as soon stay here at this level as long as I can and only SLOWLY go up.

[mayray518]

Yeah it does increase the appetite. I just didnt give into it. But I did notice at the higher levels in caused sweet cravings. I am glad I started at 50 though because had I started at the lower levels it may not have worked and it turned out to be my wonder drug. I have been remission free for 7 years.

[poetgirl]

Elavil will make you very groggy in the beginning, but as the other posters have indicated, the worst of the side effects should wear off after a few weeks. And it does help to take it earlier in the day.

What other meds are you taking? There are some drugs, especially SSRIs, that interfere with your body's ability to properly metabolize Elavil.