Benefits of Elavil?

[psj]

Hi,

I was recently diagnosed with IC and have a million questions...

What are the benefits of Elavil? How is it helping you? Is mainly for pain relief (I don't have any pain associated with my IC, so should I take it?).

Thanks!
psj

[stef000]

Well i have found that i can actually get a full nights sleep having elavil (generic is amitriptyline) at night....
Its really great and it has numbed some of the area that i have pain and such...
But really i love gettin the whole nights rest.....really nice....with me i went from 10mgs to 75 mgs slowly and i love it....
I will put some links for you to read for ya....
its the antidepressants that help with pain....and its the generic names but you should give them a read....
just so you know that if you have bad side effects there are other ones you can take for example nortriptyline or effexor(i don't find effexor helps with pain only my depression)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricyclic_antidepressant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitriptyline
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nortriptyline
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imipramine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venlafaxine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duloxetine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin-norepinephrine_reuptake_inhibitor

there ya are.....that should explain it all to you and you can make your own decision on what you want to try and such....
oh yeah....i find that oxybutinin helps me too....its an overactive bladder med so heres a couple links on that.....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxybutynin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscarinic_antagonist

hope this helps ya....
you can check out at the bottom and see all the other meds....but this should help ya with figuring out if you want to try it or not....
well take it easy
:hi:

[lisabar36]

Hi, it also helped me to sleep all night, without waking up as much to urinate. I also have vulvodynia and it has greatly improved that as well. I started at 10mg at night for a month and then I went to 25mg at night. I stayed at 25mg everynight and thats what I take now. :)

[Jess82]

When you say you have no pain with your IC, what symptoms do you have?

I only ask because in the beginning of my bladder problems I would say the same thing- it didn't "hurt" it was just pressure, constant urge, and the panic of having to pee all the time. Most people classify that as pain. It just depends on your levels of tolerance for different feelings.

Personally I'm trying Elavil in hopes that it makes it less painful/uncomfortable for my bladder to fill up more, thus decreasing my urge and frequency.

[crkshnks79]

When you say you have no pain with your IC, what symptoms do you have?

I only ask because in the beginning of my bladder problems I would say the same thing- it didn't "hurt" it was just pressure, constant urge, and the panic of having to pee all the time. Most people classify that as pain. It just depends on your levels of tolerance for different feelings.

Personally I'm trying Elavil in hopes that it makes it less painful/uncomfortable for my bladder to fill up more, thus decreasing my urge and frequency.

Hi Jess ,
Just wanted to let you know your water bottle is too cute !!! Where'd you get him ??
Lauren

[psj]

Thanks everyone for the tips and info.

In response to Jess82 question about "pain": I really haven't thought about pain as pressure and urgency... then yes, I have pain (though only mildly unless my bladder is full). I guess this means I might benefit from some of the medications that reduce pain... It seems like there are so many kinds out there. Is it generally your doctors that recommend them to you, or do you go to the doctor yourself and ask for a specific medication?

Thanks again!

[lisabar36]

Hi, I would ask the doc to reccomend something based on your symptoms and also do some research on your own and see what you think would benefit you the most and ask the doc if you can try it. Elavil is good for frequency issues and vulvodynia to. Theres also Elmiron that is really good to try. Below is the link to the oral medications so you can look and see some different ones and what they do and you can even print them and take it to the doctor with you. I always try and bring info if I am requesting something. Hope this helps. :)
http://www.ic-network.com/treatments/#oral

[Briza]

Elavil 10 mg has helped me a lot w/ frequency and urgency (and I suppose pressure, b/c that always contributes to my frequency), sleeping thru the night, and possibly some with vulvodynia. If my symptoms increase while flaring, my dr has approved me to take 20 mg. I haven't had any problems with weight gain w/ Elavil....maybe b/c such a low dose is effective for me and maybe b/c I'm generally in the position where I need to gain weight, rather than lose, because when I'm feeling bad I don't eat very much. I take it around dinnertime rather than right b/f bed and that way I don't have the morning groggies. It doesn't knock me out as soon as I take it, but once I do go to bed I sleep thru the night w/out wee hour trips to the RR. There are a lot of ways to describe pain and a lot of different pains that we may suffer from...I do get what I feel as "real pain" pain in addition, but also would describe my pressure and frequency and urgency as pain b/c it usually involves burning and will put me into REAL pain if I dont relieve myself in a timely manner...
Many people get great relief w/ Elavil, whatever symptom(s) it helps with. It seems to be one of the main standard protocol IC treatments that helps so many of us, so your dr very well may bring it up and if not you can always ask about it. I don't know of many people who have wanted to try Elavil who have been denied it, unless there were health or med interaction problems involved.
Best wishes :)
Bri

[kuntrygurl78]

My doc wanted me on it because I also have a lot of pressure. I told him I thought a little gremlin was always sitting on my bladder. He said thats caused from nerve damage. Elavil helps with nerve damage. Many people with nerve issues (like fibromyalgia) are also on elavil. My mom has fibro and shes been on Elavil for years.

Its also helps me sleep, and I like that. I was a bed wetter as a kid, and Ive always had to get up and go to the bathroom a lot. Ever since I can remember. Its a great drug, and the dose Im on is also one of Walmart's $4 prescriptons. So if your doc recommends it, its not one of the expensive ones that you would feel bad wasting your money on if it doesnt work. This site has a lot of info on this drug. Good luck!:hi: