Is anyone taking Amitriptyline for pain?

Louisap
Louisap Member Posts: 23
edited December 2016 in Pain

I am on oxycontin, oxycodone, gabapentin & baclofen for chronic pain & spasms not having to do with cancer. I also was prescribed amitriptyline. I took it for a bit but stopped because I didn't notice any difference & I take even more meds & felt it was just too many. Now I'm having severe pain in fingers & hand joints from Arimidex. Changed to Aromasin which helped some pain but one thumb is worse. I wake up with trigger finger & run it under warm water & massage to unstick it. My hands get so bad I can't even hold anything. I wear gloves as much as I can to keep them warm & I think it helps them a bit. I use lidocaine ointment too. I was thinking about starting the amitryptiline but was wondering if anyone else has tried it just for my own info.

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  • bluepearl
    bluepearl Member Posts: 961
    edited December 2015

    It is used for chronic pain but I think, like most antidepressants, you have to wait a couple of weeks for it to kick in. The other antidepressants are also used for pain control. Amortize Inhibitors can cause a lot of pain...I just went back to tamoxifen because of it...very likely why your hands hurt. Have you tried Vitamin D? Ask your doctor about a new study that shows taking 400 IU a day and one 50,000 IU per week decreased or eliminated pain from taking amortize inhibitors. You are on a lot of drugs. I am sorry you have this chronic pain because it is a bitch. Depression can make pain worse too. Consider something like citalopram (antidepressant for pain) and the Vitamin D. Have you been diagnosed with any underlying condition to be causing this kind of pain? The electrolytes, particularly magnesium are natural muscle relaxants. With the number of drugs used, the greater the potential for side effects. I wish you well, and hope you can find answers to help you. A.I.s are really known for their hand pains....switching to tamoxifen may give you better quality of life altho they prefer the A.I.s with someone who has your tumour profile. Also, sometimes compression gloves help too. xoxoxox


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  • lifelover
    lifelover Member Posts: 553
    edited December 2015

    Hi Louisap,

    I'm sorry you are having so much pain. My diagnosis is a bit similar to yours. I had a lot of pain from surgery and then from tamoxifen and now femara. I took amitriptyline and gabapentin for a few years and the amitriptyline in particular really helped me. I hated to go off of it but I had to because of my high heart rate. But now they say the high heart rate is anxiety and I'm taking propanolol (a beta blocker) for this. I would go back on it if I could and I'm thinking of asking to start it again because I'm still having nerve pain.

    I hope you feel better soon. I know it's difficult finding the right meds but keep trying and asking questions and doing your research.

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  • Louisap
    Louisap Member Posts: 23
    edited January 2016

    I'm already taking 1600iu of Vitamin, with my calcium. I take Gabapentin for my neuropathy in my foot & leg that has nothing to do with bc, but it has no effect on my hands. They were out of the copper compression gloves at Walgreens & I forgot about them. I'm going to go get some tomorrow. I've had failed back surgeries & problems resulting from that. I have a severe sciatica, chronic pain & other stuff. I'm already on an antidepressant already. I have dysthymia. It's a chronic depression. I even have more things that I'm on meds for. All chronic conditions. Lucky me lol. I guess those weren't enough so I needed cancer. LOL. I'm trying to stay on an Aromatse Inhibitor because it lowers my recurrence rate about 10% more than Tamoxifin. I read that amount. I'm going to try the accupunture & I'm going to go back on the amitriptyline. It is 10mg. I am supposed to take 2 in the am & 1 at bedtime. Is that what you took? Thanks.

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  • RebzAmy
    RebzAmy Member Posts: 322
    edited January 2016

    I have taken amitriptyline for years (since 2007 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer). I started taking a very low dose 10-20mg to help me sleep at night and take the edge off my anxiety whilst I was being diagnosed and going through treatment and it was great.

    I continued taking it until recently when I decided to wean myself off it. Within a very short space of time, I started feeling really unwell, pain in my neck, shoulders and especially jaw (always suffered from jaw pain and headaches) and was having headaches at night and during the day that I couldn't shift and nausea and just aching, I also wear a nightguard on my teeth as I clench my teeth at night. Went to dentist and told him about my painful jaw and neck - got referred to hospital and had MRI scans which showed severe arthritis in my jaw and neck. Was told that amitriptyline is a drug they would prescribe for this sort of pain. Put myself back on it immediately and the relief from the pain and feeling ill was noticeable the next day and by the day after I felt back to myself again. It so does work for pain. My husband takes it for his MS pain.

    I only take it at night as it makes you a bit sleepy but I get a good night's sleep with it. I'm having jaw surgery and injections into all the painful areas in a few weeks time.

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  • lifelover
    lifelover Member Posts: 553
    edited January 2016

    Hi Louisap, I started with 10mg doses and took 3 most days but some days took 5 (50mg). Better to take a smaller dose if that works for you. I took my doses at night before bed.

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  • Louisap
    Louisap Member Posts: 23
    edited January 2016

    I'm supposed to take 2 during the day & 4 at night. I started taking them & my fingers actually feel a little better. Still hurt really bad but a little better.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2016

    Just chiming in on Amitrip. I was on it for a number of years for neuropathy, which is unrelated to BC but somewhat exacerbated by chemo. I found it relieved the burning pain but even with the most minimal dose I decided to go off it because of side effects. I switched to gabapentin. As with the case of amitrip, Im on the most minimal dose which only takes the edge off and thats it.

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  • Louisap
    Louisap Member Posts: 23
    edited January 2016

    I'm already on Gabapentin. A pretty high dose. So I'm on both now. My fingers are better. I've been keeping my thumb in a splint so I don't use it as much.

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  • wirdgirl118
    wirdgirl118 Member Posts: 231
    edited January 2016

    I may ask my doctor if I can try the amitriptyline. Since mid December I've been on tramadol 50 mg every eight hours. It has been a pain (pun intended) to get the refills, and I've only been given five or ten days worth at a time. I'm fortunate to still be working, but I work 30 miles from where I live, and I am out of tramadol tonight.

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  • Louisap
    Louisap Member Posts: 23
    edited January 2016

    Are they only giving you that amount because they think you will abuse them? That doesn't seem fair they give you such a small amount that you have to keep getting refills.

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  • wirdgirl118
    wirdgirl118 Member Posts: 231
    edited January 2016

    that is exactlywhat I am wondering

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  • mkinoly
    mkinoly Member Posts: 86
    edited January 2016

    I've been taking amitriptyline for several years. It was supposed to help with fibromyalgia pain and also help with sleep, but I haven't noticed it doing either thing. I can take up to 50mg but that didn't seem to do anything better than taking 30mg, so I take 30mg about an hour before bed. What I have noticed it helps with is my depression and anxiety. I take sertraline for that and it works fairly well but together with amitriptyline it works even better.

    Louisap, I also have dysthymia along with major depression and social anxiety, also along with the chronic pain from fibromyalgia and arthritis. These have all been going on for years, and like you, I guess I just had to get breast cancer to make things even harder! Now today part of my mastectomy area has started hurting pretty badly (5 months post-surgery) and it's really ticking me off. I'm glad you're trying the amitriptyline and it seems to be helping your hands.

    Musical, you mentioned you didn't like the amitriptyline side effects... what were they?

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  • wirdgirl118
    wirdgirl118 Member Posts: 231
    edited January 2016

    today I asked for another refill of the tramadol and I had to go and see the doctor and he said if I'm taking the tramadol regularly, then it's not helping and I'm becoming dependent. So he gave me a referral to a pain management Doctor of my choice. How do I choose? The pain management Doctor websites I look at in my area seem to be helping people with more pain, or a different type of pain, than mine

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  • Soniatoronto
    Soniatoronto Member Posts: 23
    edited December 2016

    How is your pain now?!

    I wrote in another forum, the "Post Mastectomy Pain Syndrome" about the pain after mastectomy! We created a Facebook group, a closed group of 170 Ladies! A place to get support, to vent and eventually find answers! The group name is Surviving Post Mastectomy Pain Syndrome (PMPS) and the address is : https://www.facebook.com/groups/759940397434876/


    Also we have another page, a Public page where you can find articles, and give the chance to your friends to see what is to live with Pain!

    The description of the group is " An open group to share, inform, and raise awareness for Breast Cancer Warriors who have Post Mastectomy Pain Syndrome (PMPS). We welcome patients, caregivers, family, friends, all those who are touched or work with breast cancer patients who have PMPS, and hope for a cure.

    Many women suffer without knowing about PMPS, an overwhelming number where not warned about the risks of getting PMPS. There is no cure. There are limited and often horrific procedures to try to control the symptoms.

    We need voices and champions for our cause!

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/775398739265638/

    Please spreed the word!

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