Elavil question

[starrynite]

My doctor confirmed my IC with a Cysto a few days ago. We talked about possible treatments and he said Elavil was one of them. The question is I am already on an anti-depressent(Lexapro). Do you think taking Elavil in combination would be bad? How many have had good results with this medication?

[leelee88]

i have had very good results with elavil, i started taking it 3 years ago and last year for some dumb reason i stopped, BIG MISTAKE, it does cause some weight gain, but i have decided i would rather be a little fat than be in pain.. it also helped my migrains, but please ask your dr about mixing meds..also if u decide to try it start with low doses like 10mg and then increase them..

[meme]

I'm on Elavil and Elmiron right now and I have had great results. My urgency and frequency has cut back so much. I haven't noticed any weight gain on it either, actually my appetite has decreased! Would definetly make sure your doc knows that you are already on another antidepressent though. Good luck!

[bunnykinb]

I am worried about the weight gain affects of Elavil. I asked my uro for it though because I have been having continuous burning without any infection. I have tried heparin instills given at monthly intervals, Elmiron instills given at 2 week intervals and now DMSO. I told my uro that maybe the DMSO was making me feel worse and he felt it wasn't. That is why I asked for Elavil which was given at 10 mg which the uro said was a pediatric dose once a night. I am 5'2" at 107-108 lbs. I have heard people at this website talking about weight gain with Elavil. I did read that Elavil can cause weight gain or loss. Is it really Elavil that causes weight gain or does it increase the appetite which causes people to eat more? I want to feel better but don't want to get past 110 pounds.

Thanks a bunch.

[Kara29]

If I were you, I would call your doctor immediately before taking the two togehter to see if it's ok. They like to check out your blood pressure and things before prescribing medication and if they did this but didn't know you were already taking something then this could drastically change the outcome of things. I would call the doctor or nurse and ask first thing before you decide to take it. You could also call the pharmacist who precibes both of them to you. Some people take many antidepressants at the same time it's just good to to know for your general health if this is ok.

As far as the weight gain goes some people just put on weight with it and the weight stays on but if you continuosly snack and snack then maybe that is something you could watch out for. There are other meds out there for this if the Elavil causes you to gain unwanted weight. But if it is helpful to you and you don't gain that much then I would consider trying to take it for awhile because you feel better would be better than gaining a few extra pounds. If you gained a LOT I would understand.

I would talk to your doctor about the weight issue as well.

Kara

[Briza]

Starrynite
Kara is right, interactions can occur between Elavil and and other types of antidepressants. I am only on 10 mg Elavil, at that low dose my dr said it was ok to take it with the 40 mg Prozac I also take. I would definitely talk to your dr or pharmacist just to be sure.
Best wishes

Bunnykinb
I have started and remained on 10 mg Elavil and have gotten good results, mostly with frequency, sleeping thru the night, and vulvodynia symptoms. I am 5'6" and weigh 123 lbs. It did not increase my appetite and I did not gain weight. I did gain just a few pounds in the beginning, but that was good, because I was underweight from all the pain and such before dx and treatment, I was hardly eating at all. The weight gain was due to my feeling and eating better, not the Elavil. Hope it works for you:)

[bunnykinb]

What symptom is Elavil mainly taken for? I have lots of burning all the time. I had another DMSO on Wednesday. I had really achy pelvic pain when I went in, and after the DMSO, the pain stopped. I had just told my uro that I have been having continuous urethral pain. He doesn't feel that the DMSO is causing it. He asked if I had more stress than usual and I don't think so. Anyway, back to the Elavil. I asked the uro for Elavil since I have read people take it for the burning. My burning has temporarily stopped since last Tuesday, yippee, but it has been replaced by pelvic pain again. Would Elavil help with that too?

The pharmacist did say not to take Elavil with other antidepressants unless authorized by the doctor but it wouldn't interact with any other med I take. I was also told not to take Elavil with diet pills.

I still haven't filled my prescription yet.

[Briza]

Bunnykinb
Yes, I have found that Elavil and Pyrdium work more for me for IC and vulvdonyia burning, in addiiton to frequency, urgency
,sleeping thru the night than for pelvic/ bladder and back pain. For those symptoms I need my pain med, Tyelonol 3, but usually not than 1 pill a day. Many of us are helped with Elavil, so it worth a shot. My only other advice is to start with low dose like 10 mg and see how you do. I know that Elavil does help some people very well for pain, just not me.
I have never had intills, but can imagine that being cathed could cause urethtral pain. I just don't know, because that has never been one of my symptoms of IC, but when I have been cathed it did cause irritation, burning, spasms. :(
Best wishes

[bunnykinb]

Thank you for the information. I have been temporarily relieved from my burning just to be replaced with pelvic pain. I felt so awful last night with the cramps that I woke up at 1:00 am and saw 2, 3, 4 and 5 am. I took half a vicadin at 1:00 am so I wouldn't be that tired in the morning but I should have taken the whole tablet since I still couldn't sleep.

Here I am at work like a zombie.

[glassd18]

Bunnykinb,

I know how you feel at work after not sleeping. I started a temp job Monday, and didn't sleep all night, and then was in so much pain the next day I had to leave the job, and tell them I wasn't coming back. I also have Elavil here to take, but haven't started it yet because I fear the side effects, but I've heard such good things about it. I was given Cymbalta as well, but I didn't get past the first pill. How I wish I wasn't so sensitive to meds.

[leelee88]

hey glassd, i have been on elavil, it is working great.. but only take it at night it will help u sleep.. to me it has more good effects than bad..but only start out on a low dose like 10mg..only side effects i had with it ,was cravings for sweets and i did gain some weight, because i ate the sweets..lol. i was on it for 2 years and not once did i have a flare.. but as soon as i got off of it, within 6 months bammmm it was bk... so yes im back on it.. hopefully it will start kicking in a help me again..

[glassd18]

When you say you didn't have a flare do you mean you didn't feel like you had IC or did you still have some symptoms? Thanks for the info. You are all giving me courage day by day, but it's taking a while.

[leelee88]

all i had was burning, but that was not often, but i ate alot of spicy things so thats prob why..honestly i had no other symtoms of IC..until i got off the elavil..it also helped with my vulvadynia...

[micheleconfused]

well i don't know much about the first drug you mentioned but i have been on elavil for 16 yrs now, and i have IC symptoms, but not diagnosed yet, but big time symptoms to where it is THAT or ENDO...no doubt.

as far as weight gain, i have always been thin, and elavil never changed that at ALL. i was 15 when i started, iam 31 now, and weigh 113 pouns, 5'6'', so don't worry about that ladies, lol.

i just don't see how anti-depressants can affect IC and symptoms of it?

hugs, michele

[bunnykinb]

Michelle,

Wow, 113 and 5'6", you are thin. I weigh 106-108 at 5'2" and people say I am too thin. I was feeling better from no burning for over a week and here the burning started again. Was your Elavil given to you for depression since you said that you haven't been diagnosed yet with IC? I had taken Paxil 4 mg for depression at one time way before any IC symptoms. I felt like a zombie while on it and felt nauseated. How do you feel on Elavil?

[bunnykinb]

Glassd18,

I managed to take my son to one of the after Thanksgiving day sales at 4:30 am and didn't have to use the restroom for 2 hours later, but we were still in line at that rate until my son decided that it was taking too long. By then, I had to gooooooooooooooooooo.

I had a good period without any burning or pelvic pain, but today, on the 4th day after starting, my burning has come back slightly. I guess I need to try Elavil after asking for it. I am just not sure if it will make me feel all funny in the head like Paxil did.