Adverse reaction to Elavil?

[Snowden1]

My doctor started me on 10mg of Elavil (amatrityline). However, I am feeling jittery, heart fluttering, and anxious. Has anyone had any of these side effects?
Teresa

[ICNDonna]

I reacted severely to a small dose as well. My blood pressure soared --- I stopped taking it and called my doctor the following morning. It's an unusual reaction, but definitely possible.

Donna

[Snowden1]

Thanks, Donna I didn't think I was crazy, but wasn't sure such a small dose would cause a reaction.

Teresa

[justice4j]

I wish I could take it, but I got horrible headaches....All of us react so differently to treatments and that must make the doctors nuts right along with us, trying to find treatments.

[Skynard]

I took 1/2 of a 25mg tablet and had extremely fast heartbeat, tingling in the arms and passed out. They took me off it immediately.

Wishing you well on your journey.

God Bless.

[some_guy]

I had same type of reaction, speedy anxious feeling, heart fast, very uncomfortable mentally- feeling like I was not me almost a crazed feeling.

[Snowden1]

That's exactly how I felt too. You wouldn't think 10 mg would do that, but it did for me.
Teresa

[justice4j]

Anyone else have this? Could you stop the h/a's or did you have to stop Elavil? TIA.

[mary124]

I just posted somewhere else - but I take Elavil for headaches, if I don't take it one night no big deal, but if I skip 2 nights my headaches come roaring back so its not worth it. It does help me at nighttime as well, I still get up once maybe twice a night.

[Glenda2]

I was given this medication in 1983 when my sister died suddenly , I went to the doctor due to alot of stress and he wrote me a Rx. for 25 mg's of Amitryptaline.
He said take 1 , 30 minutes before bed , so I did.
Within about 30 minutes I was in the bathroom vomiting non stop for 2 hours.
Then the REAL Side effect hit me.
I lost all memory for 10 (Ten) days.

I did not know my name , I did not know who my husband and son were , I knew none of my family.
I did not know where I was at , or how I got there.
I was literally a Catatonic zombee for 10 days.
My husband had to take 2 weeks off of work to care for me and a toddler.

I could not eat or drink. He had to force feed me.
I did not know how to use a bathroom. I went in my pants.

This was a catastrophic reaction to Amitryptaline (Elavil).
I would never take another Anti Depressant again.

My husband called the doctor and the doctor just said it was a bad reaction that occured.

All this from one 25 Mg. pill. 10 days worth.

Scared the heck out of me afterwards , and my husband was panic striken.
He thought I'd had a stroke and that is why I was so messed up.

[carolynyeo]

my side effect is lactation...Strange I know, but it is a rare side effect of elavil. When I was taking it nightly - 10mg for a few weeks, I started lactating. I had enough milk to be the town wetnurse...lol.

I guess there are worse side effects, but it is abit annoying.

[Glenda2]

www.bipolar.about.com

Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Dizziness; drowsiness; dryness of mouth; headache; increased appetite (may include craving for sweets); nausea; tiredness or weakness (mild) ; unpleasant taste; weight gain

Less Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Diarrhea; heartburn; increased sweating; trouble in sleeping (more common with protriptyline, especially when taken late in the day); vomiting

Always Notify Doctor:

Less Common: Blurred vision; confusion or delirium; constipation (especially in the elderly); decreased sexual ability (more common with amoxapine and clomipramine); difficulty in speaking or swallowing; eye pain; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat (pounding, racing, skipping); hallucinations; loss of balance control; mask-like face; nervousness or restlessness; problems in urinating; shakiness or trembling; shuffling walk; slowed movements; stiffness of arms and legs

Rare: Anxiety; breast enlargement in both males and females; hair loss; inappropriate secretion of milk - in females; increased sensitivity to sunlight; irritability; muscle twitching; red or brownish spots on skin; ringing, buzzing, or other unexplained sounds in the ears; seizures (more common with clomipramine); skin rash and itching; sore throat and fever; swelling of face and tongue; swelling of testicles (more common with amoxapine); trouble with teeth or gums (more common with clomipramine); weakness; yellow eyes or skin

Withdrawal Effects - Notify Doctor:

Headache; irritability; nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea; restlessness; trouble in sleeping, with vivid dreams; unusual excitement

Overdose Effects - Notify Doctor:

Confusion; convulsions (seizures) ; disturbed concentration; drowsiness (severe); enlarged pupils; fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat; fever; hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there); restlessness and agitation; shortness of breath or troubled breathing; unusual tiredness or weakness (severe); vomiting

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor

[dawnja]

Wow, these are some major scary side effects all of you have gone through. I also tried it and it made me very much out of it. I would not have been able to function at work after taking even a tiny dose of this. It really messed with my thinking processes.

[Glenda2]

One 25 mg' pill messed my head up for Ten Days.

So it Does have the Potential to have Bad reactions on people.
But NOT everyone will have these effects.

I was just an UnLucky one. :tsk: :tsk:

[Cathyp20]

I had taken Prozac before and I was so sick at my stomach that I couldn't eat. On Zoloft I had to pee every 5 minutes. So when my urologist gave me a prescription for 100 mg generic Elavil and I knew the usual dosage on this board was 10 mg I was worried so I cut it into quarters. I'm taking 1/2 (50 mg now at about 8 pm but the Elavil and Atarax are making me so sleepy it is hard to function and I am so thirsty. But I have noticed that I go less often and the volume is larger. Cathyp0

[Glenda2]

Cathy , he put you on 100 mg's of this stuff ? Wow , if I would have taken that , I'd be dead.
25 mg's destroyed my mind for 10 days.
100 mg's would have made me a complete vegetable never to come out of it ever again.

I am glad you broke it down smaller.

Be carefull with this med. I don't trust it.

[BOARDWORKER]

I don't like the side effects of Elavil, either. I feel real jittery and I know my heart is runnin faster than normal. I have a hard time writing anything because my hands shake and I have a constant start of a headache. The ringing in the ears is probably the worst, though. I'm doing 25 mg at bedtime.

On the plus side, my pain is less as is my frequency. I only have to get up maybe four or five times a night verses the 12 times before I started Elavil. I forgot what it felt to sleep so much more at night. I only wish I wasn't so tired all day. Pee intervals have also increased during the daytime, which is nice. What does everyone else do to combat the terrible dry mouth/awful taste?

Glenda, your experience scares the hell out of . Makes me even more worried about my side effects. Must have been a real panic for you!!!

Keith

[Glenda2]

Dear Keith , I am Not trying to Scare anyone , just make them aware of what it did to Me personally.

As for Pain awareness , you could have Slammed My hand in a Car door and I wouldn't have felt it , Or , Cared that you slammed it in the door.

I was literally Catatonic and felt nothing.

Did it Scare me ? Ten days later when I came out of it and my husband told me what happened sent me into a stage of Horror.

All this from One 25 mg's Capsule !!

Had it have been a higher dose , I might be a vegetable into a mental Institution or Dead.

But , again , this was my adverese reaction to it Only*

This may Never happen to anyone else.

But , it Did Happen to me.

That's why I flat out refuse Andi Dep's.

[vm]

Just for anyone new reading along - whose doctor might be thinking of prescribing this med.... Most people who take low doses of Elavil do just fine. Some obviously do have unsettling side effects, but most are fine or have minimal side effects.

I took Elavil for probably 5 years at a 25 mg dose and was fine. I was sleepy the first few days, but then that side effect left as I adjusted to the medication.

Please don't worry if this is a medication your doctor wants you to try. If you have a side effect that bothers you or scares you follow Donna's advice.

[ICNDonna]

My husband regularly takes a 10 mg tablet for arthritis pain and it has never been a problem for him.

The best advice I can think of for anyone who has a reaction to this medication is to call your physician's office before taking another pill.

Donna

[Glenda2]

When this happened to me , my hubby called the doctor the next morning and told him I was sick , and he said Not to take any more , and it would wear off soon , and was just a reaction to it.

But > That Reaction Lasted : Ten Days !
It did Not wear off fast like the doctor said it would.

I would sure like to find out WHY it Fried My Brain like it did !

Just be very carefull with this med. :tsk:

[jdsong1]

My mother tried it per Dr Hanno's advice at 10mgs and she was just too dizzy and could not function on it. My quesiton is there another drug that we could try?? Surely there are more then just Elival???

[Cathyp20]

There are other Tricyclic Antidepressants that she could try.
Imipramine is one other people use. Some people are also on different kinds of antidepressants. Cathyp20

[ICNDonna]

Elavil comes in as small as a 5 mg dose --- which might be a good idea for anyone who is first trying it.

Donna

[Cathyp20]

My urologist didn't say anything about withdrawal but I think that anyone trying to come off them needs to ask their doctor how to wean themselves off antidepressants. My son took prozac which is a different class of antidepressants and had a hard time getting off them. Cathyp20

[hoping4acure]

I could not take it either. speak to your doctor. there are so many other things out there.

Good luck!

[Glenda2]

I am not surprised that some folks can't take it and have side effects from it.

I think mine should have gone in the Guiness record books.

It sure fried my head. :bonk::bonk:

[dawnja]

BoardWorker,
My urologist told me about a special toothpaste, mouthwash and gum that is specifically for dry mouth. She didn't know the exact name, but if you ask at the pharmacy, they should know. Hopefully it will help!
Dawn

[ICNDonna]

Anyone who has been on any medication for a month or more should talk with a physician before stopping it. Some will require a weaning period.

Donna