have tried 3 Tricyclic antidepressants - my thoughts

[runningshoe]

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!

[carried_cub]

I'm sorry you are having trouble getting your medicines regulated, but wanted to say it's nice to hear from someone still doing pretty well after so long and able to adjust their treatments to find something else that works. (At least for the IC :-> that's an interesting medical diet you had there for awhile.)