Elavil and weight gain????

[IBNPAIN]

Hi,
I saw my doctor today and he put me on a new prescription for the drug Elavil. Is this the drug that makes you gain so much weight when you start taking it? If it is, then I don't want to get the prescription filled because I just got off Zoloft and Remeron and gained almost 60 pounds with those. My heart and my self esteem can't take another pound. The doctor said it would help with my sleeping, but I sleep fine because I already take 2mgs of Xanax a night that my shrink prescribes for me. Is Elavil for something other than depression and sleep aid? I go to my shrink on Friday and will see what he thinks about it. If all Elavil does it help me sleep then I don't really see a need to spend the money on it and risk any more weight gain.

Any thoughts or experiences with this drug will be so grealy appreciated.

[kadi]

Elavil has been a lifesaver for me, it's reduced my pain & nocturia to only getting up 1-2 times a night most nights. (Before that I was having to pee every 15 minutes all day & all night)

I really recommend getting a copy of the Interstitial Cystitis Survival Guide by Dr. Moldwin. It answers so many questions about the different treatments out there... It says this about Elavil...

Elavil's benefits are:
1. causes sleepiness (good at night)
2. blocks transmission of pain
3. relaxes the bladder
4. has a mild antihistamine effect

At the 10-20mg I take, I have not had any weight gain, though I did crave more sugar when I upped it to 20mg. I think the increase in clothing sizes (I'm 2 sizes above my usual) is because I haven't exercised this year because of IC. Because I haven't gained a pound on it (have been on it 10 months)

Hope that info helps you.

[ICLori]

I'm so glad they finally have you on Elavil, thank goodness! If you can tolerate Elavil, you could very well be one of the 60% of IC'ers who gets good pain relief from it. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Blessings, Lori

[IBNPAIN]

Thanks to those of you who answered my Elavil questions. I really have no problem sleeping at night, but it it help that much with the pain then I should probably give it a try. I am so tired of gaining weight that the thought of gaining more just scared me to death. I have gone from a size 9/10 to a size 16 in a little over a year.:mad:

Thanks,
Carol

[Iris]

Hi, I am on Elavil, and must admit I have gained weight, but the med has helped me so much to get the much needed rest through the night, that I needed. It does give me a sweet tooth, which at times I give in to, but I am so glad I am on a med like Elavil, that has helped me so much with my IC, and bladder pain. Hugs Iris.:hi: :thumbsup: :flower:

[Hedy]

Anyone every go off.... I have been on it for 7 years and my doc is taking me off. Well I was weened and now that I have stopped I feel very strange. I was sick to my stomache, headaches, sweating, dizzy and fatigue. I couldn't sleep for a while, now I'm ok and the nausea is better. But my question for you guys is, has anyone every gone off and one, lost the weight they gained or had an easier time working it off and two, did you loose your appitite. I don't feel nearly and hungry and my sugar cravings are way low.

Just some words of experiance would help. :)

[Ginny]

Yes, Elavil will cause you to gain weight.

[cybersis]

I was on the drug about 10 years ago for migraines. I gained 50 pounds even thought I continued to exercise daily. My appetite was out of this world and no amount of exercise helped. I finally got off of the drug - same symptoms as you described like a bad flu. I continued to exercise and watch my portion sizes and fat content and am happy to say I lost the 50 pounds. Since being diagnosed with IC I have regained 15 back due to no exercise and limited food choices. I am trying to get back on track but its slow work. The older you get the harder it gets to lose weight, I least that's what I find.

[Hedy]

Well that gives me hope. I run 10-12 miles a week and my weight would not budge not even a lb, so it makes me feel a bit better that now I think I will loose the weight. I was able to loose 30lbs of the 65 I gained, and now I want to loose the rest. How long did the flu like symptoms last, I still feel a bit under the weather? :idea:

[mags]

THe drug itself doesn't make you gain weight, but it is supposed to increase your appetite, especially for sweets. I just got it prescribed to me too and will have to pay attention to how much i am eating.

[Specs]

Just a reminder that not everyone gains weight. I've been on it for a year now, and I have not only NOT gained weight, I have lost 10 pounds now. (And I have always had a weight problem.. so it's not because I have a fast metabolism or anything!)

It's easy to not gain weight on elavil, despite what a LOT of people on this board will say. The first step is to acknowledge that it will raise your appetite and make you crave sweets. As long as you watch what you're eating and aren't shoveling food into your mouth every chance you get, it is unlikely you will gain weight.

[Hedy]

I wouldn't accuse people of shoveling food in their mouths, thats a bit incensitive. I gained weight and lost it, but I see people of this board, who are stuggling with the gains and can't loose. So try and be a bit more considerate with the way you phrase things. Just a thought

[kadi]

Specs, the statistics don't agree with what you're saying about "it's easy to not gain weight on Elavil". More people gain weight on it than not. It is a well documented side effect and all my doctors warned me it could be a problem.

I have never had a weight problem before, do not "shovel food into my mouth", and have had to work far harder to maintain than I have ever had to before to just lose 5 pounds. For some of us the appetite increase is quite difficult. There are nights I am awake because I am so hungry, but know I have eaten enough for the day (I keep a food log with calories, etc), so I resist or eat something low calorie hoping to sleep. It is a very difficult side effect and something I have never had to deal with before.

I think you are very lucky to not have had this problem with the medication and you could be thankful and not self-righteous about it. You probably wanted to give encouragement that weight gain doesn't HAVE to happen and you're right, it may not for everyone. But it's not easy for everyone. You don't know what dose people are taking or what other meds they are on. All this can make a difference.

You usually have very helpful things to say on these boards, so don't go away, just try to be a bit more careful, okay?

[Dusty]

I have taken elavil for over 15 years now I think it is. I take it for my IBS as the doc said it relaxes the colon and it does. I also later my uro said it would be good for IC and I think it does, that one is hard for me to know since I had already been on it, but I agree I feel it relaxes my bladder. I also take it for my fibro. So it has several benefits and it does help me sleep as I live with severe/chronic pain for all kinds of reasons. I have tried to go off of it twice now and all my aches and pains get worse so I will stay on it. It seems to help in so many areas. I have gained a little weight, but I am also not as active as I was physically. I did not know that is where my sweet tooth comes from. I have thought that strange because I remember never being a person that craved sweets..lol. I think weight gain is hard for many of us as our lifestyles have changed and our diets have changed. Hang in there those of you that are trying to make a change in that one also...I think that is a toughy to take weight off and that one is hard for me as my metabolism is not like it was. I know how you all feel that have gained as it is hard and you want it back off, but it is not that easy.
Everybody have a wonderful day,
Dusty

[Specs]

I apologize for my choice of words - they were not meant in a harmful way. I am a former overeater, so I used to 'shovel food in to my mouth'. When I initially started on elavil, I noticed these tendencies started to creep back into my eating habits because my cravings for sweets increased. It was not an accusation aimed at anyone who gains weight because of elavil.. it was merely a choice of words I made.

At no time did I say I never experienced the appetite increase and sugar cravings. Quite the opposite, in fact: I believe EVERY post I have made about it says to *acknowledge* the cravings, because they happened to me, they happen to you, they happen to almost everyone. The point I make is that just because the appetite is increased, doesn't mean you have to give in to it.

I understand that the statistics on Elavil show that weight gain is a major side effect, and every time a topic comes up, people make a point of saying that they gained weight. I believe it is important to also speak up when weight gain doesn't happen, perhaps pointing to the fact that some people have had positive experiences on this drug in regards to weight gain.

Oh, and in regards to being 'self righteous': I don't think that slinging insults is necessary, Kadi. At no time have I ever implied I am better than anyone else.. we all have this condition, we all suffer with it. I believe that I have positive and constructive things to contribute about IC.. so like it or lump it, I'm here to stay.

[Elle]

I get what you're saying, Specs. And for what it's worth, I didn't take your post wrong and I'm one of those who is now considered a "Big Mama" thanks to elavil. I think the point that Kadi was trying to make is that some people who take elavil really can't control the amount of weight they gain - no matter how hard they try - I know I couldn't. I've always been able to keep my weight in check, except for when I was on elavil. I've been off of it for a year now and am still trying to drop the close to 50 pounds that I put on while taking it.
Let's all remember that we're all going through the same crap. I've been posting on these boards for 3 years (I just changed my user name yesterday) and was just reading things for a year before that. And, like so many others, this is the only place where I can go to really share what h*ll I go through on a daily basis WITHOUT being criticised or judged. Fat or not on elavil - let's all continue to be the great friends that we've become and cut each other some slack. :grouphug:

[cybersis]

The flu like symptons lasted about two to three weeks. I weaned myself off slowly but still felt like crap. The hunger was really strong and no amount of telling myself that its just the elavil made that hunger stop! So good luck and keep your chin up.

[ICPrincess]

I wonder if the dosage could possibly play a role. I am taking 10 MG and it seems to sometimes have an opposite effect on me (I'm not hungry). I haven't noticed the hunger thing yet on 10MG. I do not want to increase this either because I am very sensitive to medication and its already too much for me. I do know that many people gain on this drug but I am wondering if you might have better odds with the disage being lower?

P.S. What a nice post Elle... :)

[kadi]

I am sure dosage plays a role. I was on 10mg for 7 months & did not gain a pound. When I moved up to 20mg, I gained 35 pounds in 4 months. There was nothing else going on in my life, no other way to account for it.

[SandyRN]

I gained weight with every type of antidepressant I took. With the elavil in particular, I was very hungry, gained about 10 lbs, but then after taking it for a while the hunger leveled off and so did the weight gain. After I stopped it I lost a good bit of weight, about 20 lbs, without really trying.

Sandy

ps...it's different for everyone who takes it because of their metabolism, level of activity, tolerance to any drug, etc.

[cheryl_s]

I have been on Elavil for about 9 months now. I have gained about 10 pounds but I know I am eating more than I used to. I feel like I never get full. The only thing Elavil does for me is lets me fall asleep at night. I do not stay asleep for more than 3 hours at a time but at least I can go to sleep instead of laying there with my mind racing with a million different thoughts. I have not had much luck in controlling my pain, though. I am having the worst flare up I have ever had and I am trying to find other ideas and options.

Keep on trying!

[mela414]

I have a question for all those that take Elavil.
I started on a baby dose last night...(less than 5 mgs...I cut a 10 mg in half twice!).....because I am so affected by meds! About 5 years ago I tried to take this drug and was so out of it the next day! I couldn't even walk! Anyway, the dr. then tried me on Pamelor (nortriptaline) and I had no problems with it. I was on it for about 4 months when I noticed I was losing my hair in clumps! It was the only thing that I could think of that could do this. My hair had become thin and was balding.....ughhhhhh... so I immediately stopped it. I cut my hair really short and gave it some time. It slowly started to grow back and in 6 months my normal hair was back! (it's not that thick so I really don't have any to spare!!!!)
When I recently saw my dr she decided that it wasn't worth the chance going on Elavil and losing my hair....as they are so closely related....so we tired neurontin. It didn't really help the pain and started making me dizzy. I was able to tolerate it about 5 years ago...but not now.
anwyay, haven given you guys all this info.........would you try the Elavil in spite of the hair loss with nortriptalyne?
has anyone experienced hair loss on Elavil. tonight I am going to try 5 mgs and try to up it slowly to get to 10 mg.
Has anyone lost their hair on nortriptalyne? I met a woman who was losing her hair and didn't knw what it was form. She eve had hair translpant surgery. We chatted for a while and she revealed that she had been on nortriptalyne for years....just about when her hair loss started.............hhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm.
something to think about.
I pray the elavil doesn't do it to me because I REALLY need something to help calm down the pain. It seems that all my nerve endings are fired up!!!!!
thanks,

[SrMaggie]

Elavil took me by surprise. I really craved sweets - I didn't realize what was happening. Now that I'm off, I hardly even look at a piece of candy. We had a candy sale at school. I love the chocolate covered raisins and ate several boxes over the course of the time on the med. Now, I could care less about it. It's amazing. I just lost 5 pounds by just not eating the candy, I think. Although Ditropan made my mouth so sore and it seemed to get worse when I ate sweets. Who knows? I'm just greatful I dropped the 5 lbs. Now, on to the next 25!

[Prissie]

I gained over 60 pounds from Elavil in a matter of 6 months. I have now been off of it for 3 months and can't say that I miss it. I am still on my other meds. Good luck in whatever direction you decide to go.

[chelseacat]

I took 10 mg for the first six months and lost 10 pounds. I moved it up to 25 mg and gained around 5 lbs over the next six months. It leveled off for the next six months.

Suddenly, I gained 20 lbs. with no change in dosage in the last six months. I exercise the same amount (which is fairly active). I've been constantly hungry!

So, I tried switching to Cymbalta to combat the weight gain. That didn't work for me and made my bladder a mess! So, its back to the Elavil which keeps things pretty good for me. I guess I'll just carry some extra weight but not feel like I have to pee every 10 minutes.

[missyb57]

I was taking 20mg Elavil at bedtime and within 2 weeks had gained 12lbs. Continued taking it and gained a whopping 21lbs in a month. I am a heavy person any way and this was not good. Now I am having some severe low back problems and my pcp mentioned putting me on Elavil for the back pain and then in the next breath told me how badly I needed to lose a lot of weight!!! Ironic isn't it, the pill to help the pain is gonna cause me to gain more weight to aggravate the pain!!

[mags]

i have not gained weight yet, but it is probably because i am only taking 5 mg. i can't take any more than that because if i do it causes retention. So, i'm not gaining weight, but am probably not getting the benefit of a higher dose either. I am one that would probably have a problem though, because i already crave sweets anyway!

[cass2376]

I have been on Elavil for two weeks and wow, I am so hungry all the time and feel like sweets even more than normal( and it was bad before so now I'm in trouble!!) I'm on 25mgs and I know I have gained at least 5lbs.( I dont have a scale for exact) I am already 30lbs overweight from lack of exersise from severe IC & Fibro pain and....... O.K. the sweets too!! :) So the thought of more weightgain makes me frustrated and sad. I have noticed my pain level go down a bit and I am not peeing as much but I just started DMSO instill too so I don't know which one is giving me some relief, if not both. Anyway, I'll give it another 2 weeks but if I gain a lot more, I don't know if I will stay on it for good. Not for vanity purposes as much as financial reasons, I can't aford to buy a whole new wordrobe to acomidate my new rounder bod!!(sorry, my spelling sucks!!) I have 4 kids, a son 9, and three daughters, 71/2,5, and 4, not to mention that I am off work right now due to pain and husband is only income. If I were to buy any clothes it is for my babies!! Anyway, just thought I would put in my two cents!! OHHH 2 cents, money, money. Sorry, its too late, I'm saying crazy things!! God Bless, Cassandra :angel:

[Rosalie]

I started on 10mg Endep(Elavil) with no difference to weight. Recently the dose was upped to 25mgs and the weight gain started.

However, I have struggled with weight problems all my life and am also in the throes of menapause so I'm not too sure which is the main culprit.

What I do know is that without this drug I would still be in horrible pain. I wouldn't dare trying to go off it. I'm too worried about what would happen.

Reading these posts, I see how differently this drug can affect the individual so you have to make up your own mind.
Rosalie

[janee]

I recently started taking 10 mg. of elavil. How long does it take to work, and will 10 mg. be enough to help decrease frequency and pain?

I also take elmiron and atarax. I'm thinking of adding detrol to the mix because I have so much daytime frequency. I do sleep well at night due to taking trazodone, 50 mg. at bedtime.

Thanks for any info on this!

[darlene]

Weight gain can cause more problems than just a blow to vanity. It could trigger diabetes!

[Rosalie]

The Uro told me that it may take 6 or 7 weeks of taking Ednep (Elavil) before I felt a difference in the pain but it was only a few days. Within about two weeks the pain had all but gone. Heaven!

[indiana]

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to throw my 2 cents in just for the heck of it. I'm actually confused by Elavil.

When I was first diagnosed, I was put on 10 mg and 400 mg. of Elmiron, Pyridium Plus when needed. I also did the elimination diet and I got down to my lowest weight in years, 147. I am 5' 7" and have a very athletic build, people usually guess I weight around 120, so I guess I carry it well.

Anyway, I went to a Christmas party that December and had 4 glasses of wine, I can usually handle that. Well, needless to say, I was "tanked"! made a complete fool of myself and everyone was just amazed at my level of drunkedness....I usually am the kind of person that can control my alcohol and have never been known to act "like an idiot".

So, after that episode, everyone was thinking that it was either my meds or someone had drugged me (seriously, that is how bad it was). Anyway, I went to my pharmasist and she told me it was definitely the alcohol and the Elavil....she never did have a warning on the bottle for me not to drink on it! She said that anyone who is on Elavil should only drink a couple of beers or if you drink wine, only 1 glass. Well, I used to like my wine and I was feeling so good anyway with my IC, that I took myself off of it. I had a 3 month check up with my Dr. and told her this, she said, "great" that if I am feeling good and am taking less meds, that is what the goal is anyway. I was fine for 1 1/2 with hardly any IC symptoms. Then, this past spring, March and April I was in a long flare due to a bladder infection. I was so bad that my Dr. put me back on Elavil. Well, I've now put on 12 pounds.

I am confused because I was put on Elavil originally and lost weight. Now, I'm back on it and I've gained weight. I hate it as well, I hate looking at my body in the mirror and I'm so self conscious when my husband and I are together. I can feel for all of you out there who have gained weight.

So, I guess I just wanted to share my story and to say "I hear ya sister!".

Hugs to all!

[Chatypaty]

I have been reading what everyone is saying about this medication .. I haven't been truly diagnosed for I C .. but everything points to it.. I have my appt with a Urogyn.. May 30th... but one of the drs gave me a prescription for it .. and 3 refills .. how long does it take to start helping for pain ? can you please advise me ? I am so happy I found this board.. makes me feel so much better.. in the midst of all this pain .. I have been feeling very lonely , and misunderstood.. falling into a depression .. I find that when I get home from work ( I watch my grandson .. 7-10 hrs a day) I come home and close the blinds and lie down or just pace around the house.. I am not getting out there and enjoying the spring evenings .. I need something to help soon .. thank you all .. I wish better days for all of you ..

[Vicki]

I think if you take it with Hydroxyzine it helps to curb the weight gain. For me the Hydroxyzine is an appetite suppressant. -Vicki

[BigFig]

I have been reading what everyone is saying about this medication .. I haven't been truly diagnosed for I C .. but everything points to it.. I have my appt with a Urogyn.. May 30th... but one of the drs gave me a prescription for it .. and 3 refills .. how long does it take to start helping for pain ? can you please advise me ? I am so happy I found this board.. makes me feel so much better.. in the midst of all this pain .. I have been feeling very lonely , and misunderstood.. falling into a depression .. I find that when I get home from work ( I watch my grandson .. 7-10 hrs a day) I come home and close the blinds and lie down or just pace around the house.. I am not getting out there and enjoying the spring evenings .. I need something to help soon .. thank you all .. I wish better days for all of you ..

Hi Chatpaty and :welcome: to the ICN. I personally had great results with this medication after the first dose. I started with 25mg and am currently taking 50mg in the evenings. Everyone is different though, so don't be discouraged if you don't get results immediately or with just this one medication. Have you started the IC diet yet. If not you should immediately. Take a look at the link at the top of this page for the Patient Handbook, there you will find very beneficial information for "newbies". I was just diagnosed in December and still have days where I feel very depressed. It's normal, we've all been there. You have found a great "new family" to belong to. Reach out anytime, we'll be here to catch you!

[jah]

I also was prescribed Elavil, and for me it keeps me up at night and I feel like I have no appetite....so we are all different.

[Lisa_S]

I started at 25mg and gained about 5 pounds. I lost most of it again by paying attention to what I ate, not necessarily how hungry I was. I recently went up to 50mg, and again I find myself hungry a lot. However, like before, I try to stick to regular meals and not too much snacking, and eventually my body should adjust so that I'm not hungry all the time. I liked sweets before I started Elavil, so it hasn't changed anything. I exercise self control in that respect. :)

[Chatypaty]

HI everyone.. well I have been on the elavil since late May ..25 miligrams.. I take at night and I also am on Daytril la... and I take that daily .. I must admit this has helped so much .. I mark every day my symptoms and how I am feeling .. I have had many good days.. and only twice so far since May 15th have I had the symptoms of a URI .. both times I went for lab work and went on 5 days of cipro .. the first time ..no infection showed.. they havent notified me of the last time which was .. the first part of July around the 5- 9th I had pressure and felt very sore.. that followed a day or two of diarhea.. thats spelled wrong .. sorry .. anyway I feel so much better..hoping it continues.. I go back for my second visit with my URO on the 31st of this month ... I wish all of you well and happy days.. Today I am only complaining of the heat .. and thats good.. My weight is staying about the same on the Elavil.. trying to watch what I eat .. but I have always had that problem .. I am 59 and I am not expecting to ever be a size 10 again...

[Deb1130]

Hi all,
I was put on elavil 10mg in March of 04 at the time I was diagnosed. I stayed on it until Oct 05 and gained 56 pds in that time frame. I too was always hungry and had a increase desire for sweets. I tried very hard not to cave in to this but in spite of trying I still gained the weight. But it helped so much with the spasms that I stayed on it and eventually went up to 25mgs at night. Finally after buying 2 whole new wardrobes I told the doc I needed to come off it so I weaned off and had the interstim surgery in November I did really well with that so managed to stay off the elavil until this horrible flare started in Feb at that time the doc wanted to put me back on elavil and I begged him for something that did not cause the weight gain as I had already taken off 36 pds of the 56 I had gained so he said lets try effexor well the effexor did have the opposite side effect I had no appetite at all I did ok on this for about 2/12 months and then started having suicidal thoughts so had to come off it. So make a long story short I am back on the elavil up to 50mg at night and in the 2 weeks I have been back on it I have put on 10 pds. Doc said that it would eventually level off I sure hope so because I don't need to gain any more weight. But given the choice I would much rather be heavy and in less pain then be skinny and wanting to kill myself. I know several people that are on or have been on elavil and everyone of them has gained weight on this.
Anyway my two cents worth. To me besides the weight gain this is a wonder drug I would not make it through the days without the relief it gives me.

Hugs
Deb

[Rosalie]

I have posted on this thread before, some time back, and since then have gained even more weight!:cussing: I was my Uro about 2 weeks ago and asked what I could do. The Evavil (Endep) has made so much difference to the pain level that I am too scared to go off it. She didn't offer any other suggestions, other than having a laugh with me about being postmenopausal (she is as well and gaining weight too!).
Sometimes I can just thank my lucky stars that I have some relief and to heck with the weight. And then there are the days when I feel like a pumpkin and the weight stirs up all sorts of other problems.
My biggest worry is that it hasn't leveled out and my weight will just keep increasing.

[Vicki]

I have been on Elavil for about eight or nine years now. I probably gained ten to fifteen pounds initially. I went on weight watchers, changed my eating habits and started walking four miles a day. I lost about twenty pounds and kept it off for three years. Then I went back to school and got a job. I started eating bad again, lots of fast food, and stopped attending meetings. I gained about thirty pounds. It is possible to get weight off with Elavil but it takes a lot of work to keep it off. Once I stopped exercising, weighing and eating right it all came back. I have since lost about twenty of the thirty I gained. I too am post-menopausal as I had a hysterectomy about six months ago. For me, I must stay on the Elavil to have any chance of getting to exercise. If I weren't on it, I would be in severe pain and could not leave my house. I definitely feel your pain. I have wished about five million times that I weren't on it so it would be easier to keep my weight off. I have found that my weight is easier to control if I am also taking hydroxyzine. A friend of our family was put on hydroxyzine for a health problem and he shed about forty-five pounds quite quickly. I asked him how he did it and he said the only thing that changed was that the doc put him on that med. Personally, I am not crazy about hydroxyzine. I tend to get depressed on it. I did some research and sometimes it can have that effect along with anger outbursts. Right now, I am only taking Elavil and not hydroxyzine. You just have to focus on how much better you feel and try to incorporate exercise in your life. Hopefully, someday we will all be Elavil free but for now it's all the only option some of us have. -Vicki

[jah]

I am not sure I understand why people gain weight on Elavil. Do you find yourself eating more because you are so hungry, or does the drug change your metabolism. Does anyone know? I am also on Elavil, but am not gaining weight on it.

[talksick]

Hi Jah,
Elavil is a double wammy drug (that's my own technical term..lol). That is, it makes your metabolism slower and it increases your appetite that's why so many people gain weight on it. (It particularly increases your craving for sugar and sweet stuff.)
Kim

[jah]

Do the side effects go away when you stop the drug?

[swarr]

I am trying to get off elavil because of the weight issue, but it seems as if my anxiety level is extremely high. I was driving down the interstate yesterday and almost flipped out... I have been lowering my dose from 50mg then to 25mg and now I have 1/2 of 25 (12.5) I have noticed that I do not crave sweets as much. I am not in pain, but I am highly anxious especially driving at high speeds. My question is will the anxiety thing finally go away??
Also I want to say I think elavil is a great drug except for the weight gain.

Sandy,

[jah]

Personally, I think doctors are real quick to prescribe Elavil for everything. It gets them immediately off the hook because the patient feels like there is hope and they are being taken care of. Elavil has made me angry and ****** off that this is the way I am being dealt with. I cannot sleep, eat, and am anxious. It has not helped any of my symptoms. It also has contributed to depression. I would like doctors to know that prescribing anti-depressants with a suggestion of pain relief is a cop out. I am pretty much disgusted. If it works for other people with PBS then god bless, but it is pretty much a crap shot if it works...Shame on doctors. (Weight gain? That is fun--isn't it?)

[sunshine_77us]

Does anyone take Prosac? People keep telling me how well it works if you can't sleep and I was wondering if would cause a flare. My doctor prescribed Ambie Cr but I'm having vision problems with it and can't take it. It didn't work for me anyway.

[jimmiesgirl]

I am trying to get off elavil because of the weight issue, but it seems as if my anxiety level is extremely high. I was driving down the interstate yesterday and almost flipped out... I have been lowering my dose from 50mg then to 25mg and now I have 1/2 of 25 (12.5) I have noticed that I do not crave sweets as much. I am not in pain, but I am highly anxious especially driving at high speeds. My question is will the anxiety thing finally go away??
Also I want to say I think elavil is a great drug except for the <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=22&k=weight%20gain" onmouseover="window.status='weight gain'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">weight gain</a>.

Sandy,



I've been on it about 1 year now and have sure packed the pounds on and honestly I cannot tell if it is working or not due to the amount of other drugs I'm on, but I'm too afraid to quit it all together and end up having a huge flare!!!!:mad:

[swarr]

I hear you on that one jimmies girl. I am just experimenting with the size of the dose just to see if I can lose some weight. My pain is gone now (knock on wood). To me I would rather be fat and pain free or bald and pain free as the case may be.

[joseph0952]

Hi everyone,

My name is Joe (male) and i started on Elavil a few months ago for a somewhat rare condition (silent migraine)....i am very senstive to medication so the doctor is going very slowly with me. Started out with 5mg and after 3 months or so i am at 20mg and will more than likely increase it to 25mg in a week or so. As of today, i have not gained weight. I am working out 3 days a week and watching my food intake. Many years ago the doctor put me on Prozac and i gained 20+ pounds. So maybe it just depends to the person and their own system. Each person is an individual..what bothers one person may not bother another. I have heard that Elavil can also help with pain and so far with the low dosage i am taking i cannot say the pain has dropped that much. By watching my diet...that has helped me the most.

Joe

[Allylou]

Hi all: I have been taking Amitripiline for 7 months. It caused me to crave sweets (I was already a candy junkie but its worse now). But I didn't gain weight because of it. I don't know if I eat less than some, or if my metabolism is quicker than others on this drug who gained. I made a effort to increase my physical activities as well. I read so much info on this website, that I went in with a game plan (ice cream did put up a great fight though!!) I guess my point is everyone is different and I am SO GLAD I TRIED IT because of the results on me. I do have side effects from amitripiline...which is paresthesia (specifically tingling sensations randomly throughout my body)...but I can live with it if it is helping IC.

Maybe you will be fine with Elavil (amitip). Maybe this will make all the difference. If the side effects are to much, then move on to the next. There is something out there that is right for YOU.:smile tee

I almost didn't opt for Elavil because I was worried about weight gain and the drowsiness I read so much about ...

I almost didn't try Elmiron becuase I read about the hair loss, But I am on that now, and its really working.

I am glad I tried it, because I feel better.

Good luck!