runningshoe
09-16-2009, 04:01 PM
Hi all,
I am hoping that most of you are managing alright even though I know most of the time I am searching this site it is when I am in pain. In the hopes that this might be helpful I am posting my observations on my experience with 3 different drugs. I took elavil in the 80's when my ic began. I don't have a lot of memory about it but only took 10mg and I was able to sleep well and never gained weight on it. My symptoms dissapeared in the 90's when I had kids. No problems with ic at all until 2.5 years ago. Why it returned is not clear but probably a combo of surgery induced menopause and a dysautonomia illness that required I consume a ton of salt (don't even ask) which I foolishly obtained by drinking v8, gatorade and also salt water with crystal light. Bad bad and bad. So I started on elavil and stayed on for two years. I was up to 50 mg and could usually get about 4 of sleep uninterupted. My pain was not too bad but I did have flares. Because of the side effects (not good for my dysautonomia problem) I wanted to try one of the newer tricyclics. I went on Noretriptyline for about 40 weeks. I was taking 50mg and felt terrible. I was wired, irritated, stressed and could not sleep more than 2 hours at a time. Bladder was pretty happy but I wasn't! So we switched to doxepin. I am taking 20mg. I have more energy, my bladder has its moments but they don't last long. I have trouble falling asleep but once I am asleep I can get 6 hours straight (not every night but who's counting!). I think I might even be able to go to a lower dose. My dr says this drug is less studied for ic but has some good qualities and less side effects than elavil. I will keep you posted. Of course the irony is that 2 years ago someone mentioned doxepin to me and I remember thinking maybe I should try that but I was already on the elavil and scared to switch so you know how that goes.....
sending healing wishes!
I am hoping that most of you are managing alright even though I know most of the time I am searching this site it is when I am in pain. In the hopes that this might be helpful I am posting my observations on my experience with 3 different drugs. I took elavil in the 80's when my ic began. I don't have a lot of memory about it but only took 10mg and I was able to sleep well and never gained weight on it. My symptoms dissapeared in the 90's when I had kids. No problems with ic at all until 2.5 years ago. Why it returned is not clear but probably a combo of surgery induced menopause and a dysautonomia illness that required I consume a ton of salt (don't even ask) which I foolishly obtained by drinking v8, gatorade and also salt water with crystal light. Bad bad and bad. So I started on elavil and stayed on for two years. I was up to 50 mg and could usually get about 4 of sleep uninterupted. My pain was not too bad but I did have flares. Because of the side effects (not good for my dysautonomia problem) I wanted to try one of the newer tricyclics. I went on Noretriptyline for about 40 weeks. I was taking 50mg and felt terrible. I was wired, irritated, stressed and could not sleep more than 2 hours at a time. Bladder was pretty happy but I wasn't! So we switched to doxepin. I am taking 20mg. I have more energy, my bladder has its moments but they don't last long. I have trouble falling asleep but once I am asleep I can get 6 hours straight (not every night but who's counting!). I think I might even be able to go to a lower dose. My dr says this drug is less studied for ic but has some good qualities and less side effects than elavil. I will keep you posted. Of course the irony is that 2 years ago someone mentioned doxepin to me and I remember thinking maybe I should try that but I was already on the elavil and scared to switch so you know how that goes.....
sending healing wishes!