There are 373 ratings for the drug: ELAVIL in the Askapatient database.

Key to ratings for elavil: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

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Rating	Reason	Side Effects	Comments	Sex	Age	Time Taken and Dosage		Date Added
				F  M
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4	Fibromyalgia	slight dry mouth, and confusion a few hours after taking it.	This has been a life saver for me. I don't eat any different. I have gained 2 lbs. I am now able to live. I couldnt even stand bed sheets touching my skin before. I have little to no pain depending on the day.	F	39	5 weeks 25mg 1X D		7/26/2010 Email
3	Migraines, dizziness	Weight gain, extreme drowsiness	I started getting migraines at just two years old and I have been hospitalized with cyclic vomiting syndrome many times. I started taking elavil at age 12 and I haven't been to the hospital since. I know the elavil has stopped the vomiting but I still get migraines/ tension headaches 4 to 5 times a month. I was not aware that elavil caused weight gain and I thought I naturally couldn't lose weight. I always have cravings for food, but I don't eat a lot, I work out frequently and I am not able to lose weight. Elavil has helped me a lot but I wish I didn't need to take it, I have weened myself down to only 5 mgs a day but I still have cravings.	F	16	4 years 10 MG 1X D		7/18/2010
2	cervicogenic headache	weight gain	Started at 10mg, then worked my way up to 50mg. It may have taken the edge off of my pain, but never took it away. I am not sure if the Elavil helped with the pain, or if it was the Lyrica I take or the physical therapy. I did gain 20 pounds in about 4 months, so I now am unable to fit into most of my clothes. When I read the reviews before I started it, I saw weight gain as a side effect and I thought to myself "that won't be me, I've tried to gain weight for years, and have not been able to do it". Now, I weigh more than I ever have in my life!!! I can't stop eating! My neurologist is now weaning me off this med!	M	37	4.5 months 50mg 1X D		7/16/2010
2	ICC	3 days=3 lbs weight gain--no way-sayonara elavil--nothing would make me more depressed than gaining weight on top of everything else		F	41	3 days 25 mg 1X D		7/11/2010
1	back pain & insomnia	only took 1 tablet and so far for 2 days have had feelings of being spaced out and panicky. Night sweats & the most awful night terrors/nightmares. Nausea and diarrhoea,really bad headache	I will not be continuing these tablets and advise anyone NOT to take them,if this can make me feel this bad after 1 tablet ,god only knows how I would be after taking a course. I think a nervouos wreck !!	F	40	1 days 10 mg 1X D		7/9/2010 Email
3	Migraines/Tension Headaches	Dry mouth, weight gain, no energy, sleepiness	I've been taking elavil for about 2 1/2 years now at 50 MG at night time for tension headaches/migraines. I've gained close to 30-40lbs. I exercise 2-3x a week & try to eat healthy but no matter how hard I try to lose weight/stay healthy I am always hungry craving foods & snacks(salty foods). The only positive aspect of Elavil is that I was able to sleep like a baby, which I will miss but I am now cutting my medication in half to ween myself off of it due to the weight gain.	F	21	2 years 50 MG 1X D		7/2/2010
4	migraine prevention	mild dry mouth; mild reduced urge to urinate	reduced migraine attacks by 80%	M	56	30 days 10 mg 1X D		6/29/2010
1	Suppossed IBS	Grogginess, dizziness, very vivid dreams/nightmares that seem so real, I "wake up" from each dream several times before I actually "wake up". (I wake from a dream to another dream to another dream, etc.) After I wake up, I feel strangely disassociated from my body for the rest of the day, and my head feels heavy. Need to drink about 80-120 oz of water each day just to feel I am not dehydrated. DRASTIC WEIGHT GAIN - in 45 days, I have gained 11 lbs even though I eat a very balanced diet of whole grains, veggies, and fruit and work out 5 days a week. Side effects not improving over the 45 days.	I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS DRUG! The side effects, even at a low dose, are just not worth it. I sleep for 14-15 hours each day, and the rest of the time I am unmotivated and disconnected from the world around me. My doctor "diagnosed" me with IBS, though all I have is pain (no constipation, bloating, diarrhea, etc.) and this medication has done NOTHING for the pain - but it does cause some constipation. I absolutely do not want to go to a higher dose, as he recommended, because even if it starts to dull the pain, I cannot deal with these side effects.	F	30	45 days 10 mg 1X D		6/24/2010 Email
1	migraines, insomnia	EXTREME irritability and anger. I'm not bothered by a lot of things, but once I take my pill, please don't even come near me. It's starting to hurt my relationship with my boyfriend because every morning I wake up and I'm extremely pissed off at everything he does. Yes, it's knocks me out at bed time, but in the mornings I feel as if I've been drugged. I'm groggy and have trouble telling what is real. I'm also having terrible nightmares and walking/talking in my sleep. Occasional dry mouth. Extreme elevated resting heartbeat (150+), especially in the mornings. All of this occurred on 25mgs (half a pill). My doctor wants me to slowly increase to a whole pill (50mgs). I think I'm just going to stop taking it altogether instead.	Although elavil has helped with my migraines and definitely helps me sleep, the side effects are NOT worth it.	F	23	2 weeks 25 1X D		6/22/2010 Email
1	Migraines	Dizziness, dry mouth, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, no energy, I get irritated very easily. A feeling like my whole bodies moving and tingling. Kinda like when your on a boat or in a car. I can feel my heart beating and my chest gets really tight. I later found out it also dehydrates me.	I was put on it for migraines that were everyday all day. I was put on 25mg and it stopped my migraines. My only symptom were a dry mouth. After a couple weeks it didn't work as well so I upped the dose to 50mg and it started wearing off again. Eventually I got to 150mg in about a 2 month period and that's when I started to associate some of my symptoms with Elavil. I would get tired out really easily but not drowsy, I'd just feel like utter crap. About a week later with the 150mg dose I had to go to the er because my resting pulse was 148 bmp... My bp was 142/93 and I was also dehydrated. After that I decreased my dose to 75mg and I've been taking it for about 2 weeks trying to tapper it off. All my symptom are coming back again and I've lowered the dose to 50mg last night. If I had the time I would stop cold turkey and would gladly deal with the withdrawl.	F	19	3 months 75 1X D		6/21/2010 Email
1	migraines	Gained over 16 lbs without eating extra and now having a hard time breathing. Still having some "confusion" of migraines that makes me feel like I am having a stroke. Was hospitalized here in Oklahoma City in March and thats when the neurologist put me on Elavil 25 mg. I also have Factor Five Leiden and almost died twice with blood clots so gaining this excessive weight is definitely a big NO! Got to get off of it! Would advise anyone getting on this to be aware of the side effects. I would NOT recommend anyone to take this unless they truly are given all of the side effects.		F	55	3 months 25 1X D		6/11/2010 Email
5	fibromyelgia	Practically none. Some weight gain initially (2 kgs)	After being on it for only 3 days I felt so much better. It has no side effects for me now (even if I take it at 10pm I feel no different in the morning) so I think it's a wonder drug. I notice people with CFS/Fibro. rate this drug much higher than those with other conditions so maybe that's what it is best for.	F	46	5 years 15 1X D		6/5/2010
1	Interstitial Cystitis (IC)	strobe-like, 3D hallucinations; heat waves; became highly irritable, irrational and unreasonable, as well as dangerously impulsive; nausea and vomiting after 2nd day;	Would not recommend...ever.	F	16	5 days 10 mg 1X D		5/25/2010 Email
5	insomnia, CRPS/neuropathic pain	Best sleep of my life. I wake up with the pain, & insomnia gone. I feel so refreshed. It's like Im a new person	Problem is when Im on Elavil I am a new person. If Im 1/2 asleep "sleep waking", the difference is night and day, my mom says. But other than that, everythings fine.	F	27	2 years 150mg 1X D		5/19/2010
1	anxiety	Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, tingling in fingers, pulsating in right foot (neuropathy), dizziness, lightheadedness.	Drugs work differently for everyone. Some people have minimal to no side effects. Obviously, this med was not for me.	F	32	7 days 50mg 1X D		5/18/2010
1	insomnia	Horrible dry mouth(I was guzzling water & constantly chewing gum), increased appetite & intense cravings for sweets, and total loss of sex drive	I didn't like anything about this drug. It did make me a little tired, but not enough to sleep; maybe a higher dose would have helped, but I couldn't tolerate the side effects.	F	26	3 weeks 50 mg 1X D		5/16/2010
1	chronic pain, insomnia	Intense anger, craving cigarettes, alcohol, and other drugs, blurred vision, dry eyes, dry mouth, metallic taste, changes in hearing, trouble urinating, nausea, headache, considering suicide, increase in appetite, difficulty concentrating, general malaise, apathy, dizziness.	Absolutely the most awful thing I have ever encountered. My doctor tried to tell me that Amitriptyline had far less side effects than my pain medication. I started taking this medication a week ago. After every dose I become very angry, I cannot recall a time I was angry as I have been while taking this medication, This medication makes it almost impossible for me sleep. I feel like a zombie.	M	20	7 days 50 1X D		5/3/2010
5	Interstitial Cystitis	Slight sleepiness	The sleepiness can be taken care of simply by taking it before bed. When 25mg left me still waking up at night I moved to 50mg and pow! I slept through the night. I use this as one of three medications to control the pain/urgency of Interstitial Cystitis (Amitriptyline, Pentosan Polysulfate and Hydroxizine). The Hydroxizine knocks me out more than the Amitriptyline.	M	39	4 years 50 1X D		5/1/2010 Email
3	Migraines	Weight gain, 30+ lbs, very 'foggy' in the morning, no matter how long I sleep it will take me an hour to fully wake up, I get up at 5am to be ready to finally get up and in the shower at 6:30am, it did help my migraines, took me from month long low level headaches and up to 8 sever migraines a month to only 2 migraines and these are manageable headaches (also taking 50mg of Atenolol and Ultram/Maxalt for the migraines)	I have stopped taking the Elavil 3 days ago, doc said he didn't think it was the cause of my weight gain but if I felt it was I could go off of the meds, he told me I wasn't taking enough to effect me so I could quit cold turkey but three days into this I am dreading my choice, I wish I would have go down in the dosage gradually but I am in this now I am not turning back, I really hope the weigh comes off, because now no matter how little I eat (logged my food intake at an average of 1400 calories a day) and no matter how much I can get myself to exercise the scale #'s kept going up and up (even though the longer I took this medication and the more weight I gained the harder it was to exercise)	F	33	3 years 50 mg 1X D		4/30/2010 Email
4	fibroyalgia and myofacila pain and	constipation, dry mouthand dry eyes	iits a good me	F	67	20 years 45 mg 1X D		4/29/2010 Email
4	anxiety	at first caused a knock out effect - but i liked this as it helped me to sleep long term has caused some weight gain	probably slightly addictive	F	44	6 months 25 - 50 1X D		4/27/2010
1	Interstitial cystitis	Sedation to the point of incapacitation from even a low dose, to the point that I couldn't work. Took myself down to 5mg once per day (tapering) and experienced worst migraine of my life with severe vomiting. Still have daily headaches, and hot flashes/ sweating that started after taking the drug. Coming off it entirely. It did help the IC pain at 10Mg but not at the cost of being unable to work.	Clearly this drug is metabolized in very different ways by different people. It has not worked for me and the side effects for me were very scary.	F	44	40 days 10 1X D		4/21/2010
1	Migranes & Tenision Headaches	DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDIATION! /Side effets include: excessive sweating and cold sweats at night, night terrors/screaming/shaking in sleep, increased appetite and want for sweets, weight gain (ive been trying to put on weight for yers- 4 days on this drugs = +8 pounds), loss of interest in anything, trouble making sense of what you hear and what you say, seeing things, hearing things, will cause a positive person to become serverly depressed and have suicidal thoughts, confusion, disoreiented, dizzyness, fainty (seeing all white or black flashes, anxiety, fever, lowers blood pressu (already have low blood pressure)	This drug will prevent migranes--- DONT NOT TAKE IT! Side effects are dangerous and doctors dont know enough about this drug--its effects people differently but effected me the worse. Almost killed myself on this drug. IF YOU NEED ADVICE!: PLEASE EMAIL ME! I felt so alone, so dont feel that way- im here. email Alex at dralexander09@yahoo.com *I just weened down from 50 to 25 mg, i took 25 mgs for 3 nights. Then i was out of medication so stopped taking it. Its been 6 days, things are not better, highfever more often	F	18	75 mg 1X D		4/13/2010 Email History
2	Migraines with aura	Tiredness about 1 hr after taking amitriptyline. While my body adjusted to it (2 weeks) I was confused in the mornings, disoriented, and had a clouded head. As I am going off it I am noticing the same side effects, and now I am having trouble sleeping.	When I began taking amitriptyline I felt very confused in the mornings, I had trouble adjusting at first. It made me extrememly tired at night, so I started taking it at 8:00pm in order for the side effects (tiredness) to wear off by the time I left for work (7am). It took about 2 weeks to adjust completely. Those first two weeks I felt groggy, disoriented, and had trouble focusing. I was taking it to prevent migraines (with visual disturbances) and it was working until I began to work out extensively. I was migraine free for 5 months, but recently had a migraine with aura. I figure if I still have migraines on amitriptyline, why take the drug? I have stopped taking it for about 3 days and feel a little disoriented, but not as bad as when I went on it. I had trouble sleeping last night, but I am hoping it was just because I am back to work after having spring break. I noticed a slight weight gain (5-7 lbs) and that I have to work out daily in order to fight weight gain. I have had a serious sugar craving that I am able to ignore only if I am preoccupied. I plan to stay off this dug seeing as I still had migraines while on it. I figure if I am going to have them there's no use being on it. I am looking for something new to try, possibly Imitrex, depending on what the side effects are.	F	24	6 months 10 mg 1X D		4/12/2010
2	depression	Weight gain, vivid nightmares, very drowsy and felt drunk/high all the time, moody, paranoid!	Bad, BAD drug. Didn't help me at all.	F	18	2 weeks 25mg 1X D		4/3/2010
5	fibromyalgia	Weight gain (15 pounds). Thirsty. Dry mouth. Hunger at night. Some anger.	This medication saved my life. I had turned into a zombie from lack of sleep, and was having extreme suicidal ideation from the uncontrollable pain. But with Elavil, I sleep soundly every night. It turns the pain 'down'. I take my meds around 6pm, with supper. Yes, the weight gain bothers me, as does the increased hunger and craving for sweets. I exercise every single day of my life (doctors' orders) so I have been able to keep the weight gain to a minimum. But even if I turned into a blimp, I would STILL take this medication as it REALLY helps me sleep. And this in turn makes the pain so much more manageable. I also take Celexa (small dosage). The two combined are like miracle drugs for me.	F	61	3 years 10-20mg 1X D		3/13/2010
1	IC	confusion, disorientation, grogginess, constipation, difficulty breathing, metallic taste	The first day I felt great. The second day cured me from taking another pill. It has been 5 days and I still feel like I am on the medication. It helped the IC pain the first day. It has not helped since. I feel like I am on planet X. I am hoping that it will be out of my system soon. I don't think I've ever experienced anything this awful in a medication. It's bad enough to have IC, but to have this disorientation, confusion, and this numbness in my legs and arms is awful. I'm glad I looked on this website the second day when I felt so weird. I stopped taking it immediately, but have felt awful since.	F	37	2 days 10 mg 1X D		3/8/2010
5	Anxiety/Depression/Insomnia	About 50 lb weight gain, within 1st year. Constant craving for food, especially sweets; even when not hungry. Seem to always be uncontrollable literally shoving something (usually sweet and/or high calorie)into my mouth - like I can't get it in fast enough(especially in the evenings while watching TV). Increased blood pressure. Occassional suddenly wake-up choking and/or gasping for air. Have not experienced withdrawal symptoms, probably due to inconsistent low doseage. Have taken 10mg 1-2 times daily as needed for past 5 years.	Relieves my insomia immediately (Usually take 10mg Elavil plus 50 mg of Benadryl). Use Benadyl alone when not experiencing anxiety/depressive symptoms. Obtain relief of moderate anxiety/depression after taking twice a day (within 1st or 2nd day). Usually take 1-2 hrs before bedtime(or earlier,to allow 10 hours to clear my system)if I have to get up early the next day. Only take a dose in the morning if needed for anxiety/depression. Once fully awake and functioning, morning dose does not make me sleepy. However, may fall asleep if not mentally and/or physically active. Was already on hypertensive meds, but had to double dosage a few months ago and still BP remained higher than expected. Noted that BP within normal range on days Elavil not taken. Wish I'd been aware that extreme weight gain was a side affect. However, was so glad to be able to sleep thoughout the night and for relief of the anxiety/depressive symptoms that weight gain would've only been a secondary concern. However, now that I can't shake the weight and I know Elavil is contributing to it, I'll try to stay off of it and seek other alternatives.	F	63	5 years 10 mg 2X D		2/25/2010 Email
3	Migraines/Insomnia from Cymbalta	Tingly fingers, dizziness, cold night sweats, intense sugar craving, intense hunger, and massive weight gain.	I am going to ask my MD to take me off Elavil due to the weight gain. I've always been good about maintaining a healthy BMI (23-ish), but now no matter what I can't seem to stop gaining weight on this med. I HAVE to have sugar now. I will literally break down in panic when I try to keep myself away it. I will also wake up in the night because my stomach hurts from hunger (I've never, ever been a night snacker). I've tried working out 2 hours a day, and aside from the ice cream and dark chocolate I crave, I eat a very good, balanced diet, yet I am gaining weight at an alarming rate. I feel miserable in my own body, my clothes don't fit, and I avoid seeing myself naked. I think that if I stayed on this medicine I would probably die within a few years from complications of obesity. I thought this medicine would improve my quality of life; I was wrong.	F	25	2 months 25 mg 1X D		2/21/2010
2	chronic pain	At first extreme tiredness, dry mouth, and over time complete loss of libido. But this past year can't even go to the grocery store without sweat pouring off my body. Just showering is so much work I have to lie down awhile to stop the sweating.	I first started Elavil because I suffer from so much pain following a car wreck 21 years ago that I could not sleep. Although the doctor thought it would help the pain, it didn't, but I could at least go to sleep at night. I have tried different doses, but 25 to 50 works best. More and I sleep through the next day. I have a glass of water with me at all times for the dry mouth. At first I was still able to achieve an orgasm, but as time went by I lost my libido, and for the last 3 years can no longer achieve an orgasm no matter what I do. About a year ago I started having problems with sweating. If I try to do any activity, I start sweating so much that it just pours off me. So much that people in the store have asked me what is wrong. Talk about embarrassing. I have been trying to figure out what was causing it, and began to suspect the Elavil. So I weaned down on my dosage and stopped taking it a few days ago. I am hoping I will still be able to sleep at night. I also don't want to live anymore without a sex life. The past couple of years my Pain Specialist has done 4 procedure to burn the nerves in my back. This has helped the pain and muscle spasms enough so that I may be able to sleep now. We'll see how life goes without Elavil.	F	57	5 years 50 mg 1X D		2/7/2010
3	sleep disturbances and depression	I was taking trazodone for 10 years to treat my sleep disturbances but my Dr. was concerned about possible long-term effects so she switched me to 50mg amitryptiline (Elavil) one year ago. I was finally able to sleep through the night again and I did not feel groggy when I woke up (but I did allow myself at leat 8 hours to sleep). My energy returned and I was very happy with this drug. However, some of the side effects are really bothering me. I've learned to live with the dry mouth and I have not had any significant weight gain, but my short-term memory is getting so bad I wonder if I am in the early stages of dementia sometimes. I lose my train of thought in the middle of a sentence and no amount of reminders will help me remember what I was trying to say. I will leave one room to go get something but forget what I was looking for by the time I get to the other room. This happens many times every day. I also have a hard time coming up with words when I am talking. Some might attribut		F	54	1 years		2/2/2010 Email
2	Depression	Spaciness, very mechanical movements. Emotional numbness, apathy.	It wasn't worth it. It gave me a whole different sent of psychiatric symptoms and I wouldn't even that it helped my initial complaints. Took it about 2-3 mos.	M	21	3 months		1/31/2010
4	post herpetic neuralgia and allodyn	Initially 10 mg made me feel bad. Took for 4 days and stopped. Later, was on zoloft 25mg in morning so it offset the 10 of elavil at night. It helps the allodynia but i gained 2 lbs after 2 days and then about 1-2 lbs per day since. Aboyt 10 lbs in 2months. Excercise 6 hours a week all cardio. Hope i don't have to be on it to long because of weight gain. Sleep is great. So I will miss that but would like to get my weight under control.		F	54	2 months		1/21/2010
3	vulvar vestibulitis	extreme weight gain (20+ lbs on a 5'1" frame), grogginess, difficulty waking up, difficulty focusing	started taking in July, helped with pain at 50 mg. extreme and quick weight gain of 20+ lbs. I went from a size 4 to a 10. Yes it worked for the pain during sex, but now I am too selfconcious and uncomfortable to be intimate. It is depressing. Tried strict diet and working out regularly, but the weight wont budge. It is mostly around the belly. Has anyone lost the weight after coming off of elavil?	F	32	6 months		1/18/2010 Email
1	depression,insomnia	dry mouth,extreme fatigue,felt tired and angry all day,cravings for cigaraettes and weed, wanted to stay "high",felt like a zombie	will go back to zoloft,this medicine might work after a month but i cannot deal with the side affects for that long	F	21	1 days		1/16/2010
2	Insomnia	Significant weight gain; grogginess but that's the point of taking it so it's a good thing.	REALLY on the fence about getting off as I really can't afford a brand new wardrobe to accomodate my "new" body. A couple days ago, looked at myself in the mirror and I looked 5 months pregnant. Anyone else getting weight gain primarily around your abdomen. I feel like I'm wearing once of those life guard ring buoys around my waist. I was 115 lbs and 5'6" and I'm too scared to get on my scale.	F	45	1.5 months		1/10/2010 Email
4	Vulvar Vestibulitis and Migraines	I just started taking Elavil last week. I had to take one 25 mg tablet for a week and then as of two nights ago I had to up it to two at bedtime. It does make me extremely sleepy but taking it at night helps me sleep. The day after I first took it I noticed that I became extremely irritable and angry to the point that even the announcer at the supermarket bothered me. I've not had that happen again since. I've also woken up twice in the past week panicked and gasping for breath. I think I was dreaming but I'm not sure. I don't know if this is as a result of nightmares from the Elavil or my sleep apnea (I've never had the apnea wake me up like that before). I've been having bad dry mouth in the mornings but it goes away after I drink something.	As to whether or not it works, I don't know yet. My husband and I have not been able to consumate our marriage as I have too much pain and hypersensitivity (I waited until marriage to have sex. We've been married now for little over a year.) While we haven't fully tried to have sex yet, we did fool around a bit and normally when he uses his finger it gets to be uncomfortable and bothers me. This time it didn't hurt or irritate me at all so I'm a bit encouraged that the medicine is actually working. As for preventing my migraines, I haven't had one since I started taking it but it's only been 9 days.	F	30	9 days		1/8/2010 Email
3	chronic pelvic pain, anxiety	drowsiness	Took 25mg. Was told that for pain, 25 is best and is safe. Apparently at higher doses there are more risks. Elavil made me feel more energized and focused for about an hour and then made me promptly fall asleep followed by waking up in a haze- it was a positive feeling though. I also have taken zoloft, and elavil has way, way more of a sedative effect. After a few days, the dizziness went away but so did the positive effects. I took it for chronic pelvic pain but it did little to relieve that condition, though I hear that it has helped others. It did prevent headaches, though. Not a bad drug but I feel that there must be better ones out there.	M	25	2 weeks		1/8/2010 Email
3	Insomnia	Difficulty falling asleep but also waking up once asleep. Craving for sweets and have never liked sweet before. I'm finishing off my 4th bowl of ice cream, & bought candy from kid going door to door last night.	Even though I have difficulty falling asleep using this drug, but it's so much better than Ambien. I don't have to worry about sleep driving and wrapping my car around a telephone poll and not remember any of it. I don't like the groggy feeling the next day but better than no sleep at all. I'm 5'6" and have always weighed 114 lbs and have never liked sweets (I like salty food). I just ate almost an entire 1/2 gallon of ice cream in one sitting tonight. I'm 45 and have never done this before in my life. I realize I'm going to have to stay away from food no matter how badly I'm craving ice cream, etc. A note to anyone reading this: DO NOT TAKE AMBIEN NO MATTER WHAT! It's the devil's drug and a portal to hell.	F	45	2 weeks		12/21/2009 Email
1	diffuse abdominal pain	tremors, extreme drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation	I tried this for three days--25 mgs. It was definitely not worth the side effects.	F	75	3 days		12/20/2009
3	IC	I take Elavil for IC pain, but it causes me to sleep so much that I cannot even get up to go to the bathroom at night. When I do wake up, I almost cry because I have to go so bad. I also eat a gallon of Blue Bell a day. I never have had such a sweet tooth in my life. I am gaining weight like crazy! I eat and eat and eat. I have been taking this medication for 1 month, but I have to quit. I can't handle the weight gain!	It has helped a little with the IC pain, but I can't handle the weight gain. I go to my urologist on Thursday and I am getting her to take me off of it.	F	21	1 months		12/15/2009 Email
2	Migraine	Sleeping was great-slept through the night without having to get up to go potty!Hard to get up in the morning even if I slept for 10 hours! Gained about 5 lbs.	Elavil worked ok for my migraines,..but I had to keep upping the dosage about every two months to keep it effective. Still had several migraines a month so decided it wasn't worth the side effects to stay on it. I used to take a nap every day-now that I'm off I don't feel the need to sleep so much AND I lost the weight I gained. Still get up to 5 migrains a month-thankfully Imitrex still works for me as an abortive medication.	F	44	6 months		12/14/2009 Email
4	sleeplessness, anxiety	DRY mouth, some weight gain, difficulty forming thoughts and getting words out when speaking, occasional rapid heartbeat	I started taking 50 mg of Elavil at night to help me sleep and relieve anxiety. It worked great for those two things! The dry mouth is the worst. I am a teacher and I talk all day. I usually pop a sour lemon hard candy and keep a water bottle handy at all times. The weirdest side effect has been the difficulty I have getting words out of my mouth; sort like writer's block for speakers. Rapid heartbeat is very infrequent. I have had two UTIs in the past three months - very unusual for me as the last one I remember was 15 years ago. I did gain about six lbs since I started taking it. I crave any kind of food with a bold flavor - sweet, salty, hot, etc. The doctor suggested I drop to 25 mg and I will try that starting tonight.	F	54	3 months		12/9/2009
2	IC pain	Bad, disturbing dreams! Stopped after one pill.		F	56	1 days		12/6/2009
2	Depression	Aches, pains, general malaise, difficulty urinating.		F	23	6 months		12/6/2009
5	migraines with aura	Have trouble waking up in the morning....feel very sleepy and lethargic for a couple of hours after waking. But if I take the medicine at dinnertime instead of bedtime, it helps completely. Weight gain of about 10-15 lbs without any change in diet (from 120 lbs to 130-135 lbs) unless I exercise consistently.	Had severe and debilitating migraines with aura about 4-6 times a month. Had a scary ER visit after trying Imitrex, so decided to avoid abortive approach and try the preventative approach with Elavil. Started on 10 mg daily and had one tiny migraine in the first year. Had a few small migraines in the following year. After almost two years on Elavil, migraines started to increase in frequency and intensity to about 4 medium to severe headaches a month, so about a month ago I started taking 20 mg. Haven't had a migraine since then, but I'm feeling lethargic in the mornings again and have noticed a slight weight gain again. I will take the medication a little earlier in the evening and exercise more, and it shouldn't be a problem. This drug has been a wonder drug for me. I used to live in constant fear of a migraine striking, and after using Elavil I feel like I have my life back.	F	31	2.5 years		11/25/2009 Email
4	Insomnia	Weight gain (suddenly and haven't increased food consumption), DRY MOUTH, constipation, somnolence (which was great as I'm had insomnia forever)	I've just started taking this and LOVE the fact that I can finally sleep (I'm one of those Ambien "survivors"). I hate the instant weight gain. I've also been on the thin side so it's weird feeling fat on me. Am debating whether to keep taking it as I love the sleep but HATE the weight gain. Haven't experienced the anger issues that others have talked about. If you have to give a presentation in the morning might want to reconsider because your mouth will dry up instantly unles you take a sip of water after every sentence (yeah, right)	M	45	1 months		11/25/2009 Email
4	Anxiety and trouble sleeping	Severe weight gain! I gained 48 pounds while I've been on the drug. Increased desire for sweets. Sex drive is pretty much zero. Some hallucinations here and there.	I started on 25mg of Elavil in 2002 and I am now on 100mg. Talking to the doctor next week about finally getting off this medicine because I cannot deal with the significant weight gain. I go to the gym and try to eat right but it really makes no difference. I don't feel like myself anymore. It has definitely helped with my anxiety and sleeplessness but I wake up in the morning feeling exhausted.	F	29	8 years		11/13/2009
4	migraine with visual disturbance	Loss of energy, feeling weak. Brain a little foggy. Hunger, increased cravings. Slept well, vivid dreams. I accidently Ran out of pills and noticed after 3 days how much less tired and fatigued I was, so I have discontinued.	worked well for headaches at 30 mg/day	F	41	5 months		10/18/2009
5	Coccyx pain and depression	Dry mouth, drink at least a glass of water overnight. bit of light-headedness. Very drowsy but this eased alot after about 6 weeks. Had to experiment dosage time, now take it about 2hrs before bed and it's okay. Otherwise it's difficult to get up in the morning. Depression has lifted and the obsessive thoughts have stopped. Pain has eased but not totally gone. Weight has been a problem. I find drinking alot of water helps with the hunger and the weight is starting to go	On balance I prefer the side effects over the symptoms it is treating. I have alot of my life back. And I feel myself again. That by itself is worth it.	F	31	12 weeks		10/14/2009
1	Daily headaches (migraine)	Tired, feel like my lower extremities are detached from my body, lightheaded and (the worst) emotionless.	I've had daily migraines for three years. Was on Depakote for two+ years (caused tremors & fatigue), then tried Topamax, which I could not tolerate (extreme insomnia, some manic symptoms). A headache clinic doctor prescribed this, but it hasn't helped my headaches yet. I realize you're supposed to give it up to 4 weeks, but I hate the way I feel and am finding it difficult to work or interact with people. I also do not want to gain weight.	F	56	14 days		10/5/2009
5	Migraine headaches	None	I have dealt with severe migraines since I have about 10 years old. I have tried so many different treatments and nothing ever worked, until now. I used to have 6-10 migraines every week and after a month on elavil, I have only had 2!!! Simply the only medication that has ever helped and to date there have been no side effects. Wonderful!	M	38	40 days		9/18/2009
4	pain - frozen shoulder,fibromyalgia	Intense hunger, pain relief, GREAT sleep when previously unable to sleep, weight gain	I've noticed a change in my sense of taste in the last two weeks. Everything I eat feels the same consistency - whether I chew a pretzel or pasta or fruit - it all feels like I'm chewing a piece of gum. Very odd. Am wondering if it's affected anyone else's sense of taste.	M	55	3 months		9/8/2009
5	for pain	dry mouth and a cough	so far it is a god send i had severe stomach pain and now it is gone	F	65	3 weeks		9/6/2009
5	depression, anxiety, migraine	Sleepiness is my only side effect, but that's great because I take it at night and sleep great! No drowsiness at all the next day.	This drug has given me a new lease on life. I am on a very small dose at bedtime. That's all I need to ease my anxiety and depression, help me sleep well, and keep migraines under control. My doc was reluctant to prescribe such an old time med, but no other AD worked for me. Finally, I asked to just try this. He relented and prescribed a small dose. It made me too sleepy (drowsy next day) so we went even smaller. That did the trick. Wonderful drug! I am so full of energy and clear thinking and steady emotions now. Maybe it isn't prescribed enough because docs think it takes so much to work and patients can't stay awake at those dosages. But at least for me a small dose was all I needed to stabilize me. I'm so glad I tried it, and tried it at lower dose. So glad I have a doc who will really listen to my feedback. To top it all off, the generic of it is cheap.	F	48	6 months		8/26/2009
3	Major Depressive Disorder	Anticholinergic/antihistaminic side effects of sedation/fatigue, dilated pupils, perpetual yawn.	Had high hopes that dirt cheap amitriptyline would work alongside 10mg daily Lexapro to provide that norepinephrine-reuptake-inhibitor push that I seem to need in addition to the serotonin one. **Seeking alternatives to Effexor, which was a hell of an addiction to kick after three years of its just-too-short half-life (daily brain zaps while on regular treatment, anyone?)** So started @ 50mg/night for one week, tried to move up to 100mg as suggested by psydoc but could not tolerate the sedating, suffocating feeling I tend to get with anticholinergics so after one night of that went back down to 50mg. One more week on 50mg and I'm still yawning all day long and sleeping even more than I normally do which is already too much. Waited for side effects to subside, they didn't in two weeks. Chronic fatigue is a major part of my illness, as is chronic pain. Amitriptyline at this dose greatly increased my fatigue which was already significant, but it also controlled my lower back pain incredibly well. I had actually almost forgotten about the back pain (!) until end of 2nd week reduced dose to 25mg and next day was still fatigued and yawny, pain came back, though not in full force. Next night I discontinued it, which was the night before I wrote this, and I am still yawning. I'm not giving up on this drug yet, but I am going to clear my system of it for a week or so and then try re-introducing it at a dosage more common for chronic pain like 10mg.	F	29	2 weeks		8/23/2009
5	sleep problems caused by SSRIs	a little "heavy" for about 2 hoyrs after I wake up	I take this drug (20 mg) for 20 days so far. It is the only one that helped me (finally!)overcome the sleep disturbances cause by SSRIs that made me change 4 of them in 1 year! I have also tried hypnotics,antidepressants and other sleep-promoting drugs but all of them failed. Now finally I sleep almost 8 hours uninteruptedly. Elavil has also enhanced the effectiveness of the SSRI I currently take. I feel calmer, my obsessive thoughts are minimized ang generally I am better than I have been on the SSRI alone. Moreover, I have not gain any weight so far (*and I hopr I won't). Thank you elavil!	M	29	20 days		8/5/2009
5	IC, pain, sleep, mood	3 lbs.	This info is IC sufferers: I had IC both in my late 20's and then again about 2 years ago. I'm 45 now, but when I had it in my 20's there was not even a name for it so I suffered and live on Peridium for about a year until things slowly settled down. When I got it again it made my life even more miserable. I was on Peridium Plus, Elmeron, Elivil (50mg), Zyrtec and some other bladder control drug I can't remember, and 2 different antibiotic for after sex just in case, and an antiacid for acid reflux. The only drugs I now take are the Elivil and Zyrtec at night. I drink a coffee call Kava which is instant and is super low in acid. The reason why I'm writing this is to tell IC sufferers I got better not because of all the drugs, but because I did physical therapy. I went to PT because I had pelvic floor dysfunction. And that was the root to my IC. I did months of PT once a week and after about 6-8 months I became symptom free. I still watch my diet, use Prelief for acidic foods, eat gluten free, and take the antibiotic and Peridium when needed. But over all I am in remission. So if you have not tried this therapy I suggest you do. IC is horrible and can ruin your life. I hope this helps! And I tolerate Elivil fine, I take it at night. I went off last summer but got back on in the winter because I needed it to get though my husband's deployments and work trips. I only gained 3 pounds, but I'm an avid runner so I'm able to manage my weight pretty easily even with the extra food	F	45	3 years		7/30/2009 Email
2	Migranes and Insomnia	Massive Weight Gain!!!! 100 lbs, dry mouth, and anger. I've been on 100mgs of Elavil for 2 years and not one of my doctors mentioned the possibility for weight gain. The whole time I was gaining weight while dieting no one seemed to be aware of the side effects and just blamed me for the weight gain even though I was on basically a starvation diet. I just stopped taking it yesterday and the withdrawals are awful but hopefully I will finally be able to lose the weight and find another preventative migraine medication.	It warded off the cluster migraines but I still had a constant residual headache but instead of 3 to 5 debilitating migraines a week to just 3 to 5 a month. But recently it has stopped being as effective.	M	21	2 years		7/30/2009 Email
5	fibromyaliga and depression	First week, dilated pupils,dizzy,dry mouth, blurred vision,"hangover" like feeling. Felt heavy headed like I had drank alcohol and was buzzed all day long.	After the first week, I decided to cut the (10mg) pill in 1/2. and now, I don't have the dilated pupils. Still have the dry mouth, dizzyness at times, but not as much pain. Depression has gone away. I am tired but nothing like I was before. But, I do need a nap because I am dragging by 2pm. Sleeping is good. I actually have dreams now. I figured that if it stops working, I can always take the full amount and not cut the pill in half.	F	34	4 weeks		7/27/2009
5	Diabetic Neuropathy	After trying different meds for my neuropathy, including Lyrica which did nothing for me, my doctor recommend I try Elavil for the pain. I take 50 mg at night for pain in my feet and it works. I've taking it for over 3 yrs now and the only side effects I have is the severe dry mouth - which I notice happens more with stress. It does help me sleep - no pain. I do get very tired at times, but discovered that I am anemic, vitamin D deficient and low on B12. So I take a B12 shot every month, take vitamin D and chelated iron and pay attention to what I eat. I have an endocrinologist who helps me with my Type 2 Diabetes and my hunger. We added the medication Symlin (injection pen) to my insulin treatment - it's a hormone that most people with diabetes are deficient in; it keeps the food in your stomach longer. I'm not hungry all the time and I have lost weight. I do have to monitor my energy level though and I drink lots of pure water (I'm a waterholic connesuer) and the chewing gum help	I take the generic form - Amitriptyline. After reading about the different types of side effects from other ant-depressants and pain meds, I very grateful that I can take Elavil and have only dry mouth and fatigue. All of wich are manageble for me, at least now I know what was causing the dry mouth and possibly contributing to the fatigue. I hope that this gives hope to others out there.	F	48			7/22/2009
4	Pain, anxiety, mood	Weight gain... blaah	I love how this drug has helped my pain and makes me happy..but, I want to eat and eat and eat. I am a nurse and it's really frustrating to try and take care of patients and always wanting to eat! I know this is an old drug and my mom swears by it, but is there anything out there that works the same way and doesn't make you hungry? I am on Cymbalta 30 mg and Adderal 15mg every day	F	34	2 months		7/20/2009 Email
1	chronic neck pain	Lethargy & weight gain	I was prescribed Elavil prior to surgery to fuse my cervical spine at three levels. Elavil did abosolutely nothing for pain. I would not take it again and do not believe that it is an effective drug for chronic pain that is not psychosomatic.	F	52	3 months		7/19/2009
2	Chronic Fatigue/FM symtoms (UK)	Nearly 3 stone (42lbs) weight gain, constant hunger, shaky hands, numb arms, vivid dreams, LOVE sleeping, difficulty waking/getting up, generally feeling rough.	THANKS for this site and letting me see that I am not the only one experiencing all these problems. It's called amytriptiline in the UK and I only take 10mg at bedtime for CF etc. Sleep well, usually, but not so good before a 'work' day (only work 3 days a week thank goodness). Always tired and lethargic, can't stick to exercise or diet, really really very fed up.Will go to docs and tell him about this site and ask for an alternative. I'd rather be in pain than have no life at all. Could use Ibruprofen for pain instead and try other sleep techniques?	F	48	4 years		7/17/2009
2	insomnia/anxiety	Extreme and immediate weight gain! Excessive hunger and drive for sweets. Headaches, mental confusion and boiling over anger which is difficult to control. No interest in sex. Loss of motivation, no energy or desire to leave the house. My life went 'flat line' on this medication. I would sweat profusely, it was uncomfortable and affected my physical activity. After being on this medication for several months, I thought I was loosing my mind.	Very frustrated - this is the only thing my doctor will prescribe for my insomnia and anxiety. I have gained 18 lbs. in 3 months, none of my clothes fit. In addition, I've lost interest in almost everything but sleeping.	F	46	4 months		7/10/2009
3	Frozen shoulder	Insatiable hunger beginning an hour after I take it, lasting a few hours. A definite improvement in pain after only a few weeks. Helps me to sleep.	Am wondering if anyone else has taken it for frozen shoulder. The hope is that it controls the pain enough for me to begin physical therapy to begin to regain motion back.	F	55	3 weeks		7/7/2009
4	Fibromyalgia/Post Lyme Syndrome	Strange Food Cravings	Eased the joint and severe muscle pain, slept better, experienced less severe migraines. Very effective med if you can control the food cravings, which I was able to do which is why I avoided the weight gain!	F	32	6 months		7/2/2009
4	depression & anxiety	vivid dreams,short-term memory loss,sleep walking,loss of libido,excess sweating,,,,WEIGHT-LOSS !!! (about two-pounds/week !!! )	I am taking 40mg. "Paxil",,, 25mg. "Elavil",,, and 1 mg. "Zanax" . All of the 'short-term' side effects go away after a few months,( dry mouth,sore throat,ringing in the ears,(so-called)...."Hallucinations",,,etc.) I don't have "NIGHTMARES",,,but I'm concerned about..."Sleep-Walking" & "Memory-Loss" ! ! !	M	59	6 months		7/1/2009
3	Chronic Headaches and Migraines	At first I encountered dry mouth. I am taking 10mg of this along with 80mg of Nadolol (blood pressure med) for treatment. I was sleepy and groggy until my new and better sleep patterns established themselves. Some weight gain and increased appetite.	I am concerned that the effectiveness of the Elavil has tapered off. In the past month or so, headache frequency is almost what it was before these 2 scripts. I cannot even distance walk for exercise without getting a headache, fibromyalgia type symptoms---soreness and tenderness, etc. Am considering taking myself off of both and trying a new physician.	F	42	6 months		6/24/2009 Email
2	IC frequency urgency and pain	hot flash after taking it, trails, hallucinations, frightening and disturbing nightmare after 24 hours of stopping it (afraid to go to sleep tonight), sensitive to sound, pastey dry mouth (that i could tolerate if the other things weren't there)	after reading these ratings I'm sure its the elavil but i'm also on atarax and elmiron and altho i was on the elmiron and the atarax prior to taking the elavil i can't figure out why after 48 hours of taking the last dose that i'm still experiencing the trails and the sound sensitivity, was it the combo of the elavil and the atarax, i'm afraid of the nightmares tonight which were REALLY disturbing and frightening last night. there is no way i could deal with these nightmares until my body got used to the drug. my roommate asked if i wanted to go to the hospital. i'm halving my atarax dose tonight and seeing if that will help until this gets out of my system. i don't know if i should be driving like this--yikes! help! i am not as violently angry as i was after taking the sixth dose 48 hours ago. wow, i was enraged, screaming, crying. it is scary to think about.	F	36	6 days		6/21/2009 Email
2	Interstitial cystitis and sleep	I just took my 10mg dose and I feel like I'm tripping on acid! No, seriously. Shadows are more prominent, I see things out of the corner of my eye, sounds and smells are more pronounced and seem to come from out of nowhere and it scares me. My heart is beating faster, I'm dizzy and nauseated. My hands don't even feel like they are mine and attached to my body.	I took this to help with the frequency and urgency and pain and to help me sleep b/c of the interstitial cystitis. I think I may need to d/c this med. I was on it once before for a couple of weeks or less and I ended up overdosing on it and lunesta. I've not been able to tolerate anti-depressants and I've tried almost ALL of them. I thought I'd try it again at the 10 mg dose instead of the 25mg I was on before but I don't think these side-effects are good for me. I hate to poo poo any IC med but I don't feel safe. I'm not drowsy either. Maybe even hyper. Anyone else like this email me. thx.	F	36	6 days		6/19/2009 Email
3	Migraines and Night Leg Pain	My Dr. started me out on 50 mg. at bedtime, and though it helped me to sleep, I also had very vivid dreams and very bad "pill hangover" for hours after waking up the next morning. I went down to 25 mg. and have stayed there now for about three years. I haven't noticed a decrease in the amount or intensity of my migraines, but it did eliminate the night leg pain I was experiencing. I would like to go off of it now to see if it would return since it isn't really helping me to sleep but when I do I have dreams that are sometimes upsetting.		F	55	3 years		6/15/2009
4	Fibromyalgia	Extreme dry mouth, have to drink all day. Tremors of my thumbs. Can't concentrate and have significant memory issues.	Even with the side effects this drug has been like a miracle drug for me...my fibromyalgia pain has decreased dramatically, with some days totally pain free. I am up to 150 mg that I take every night before bed. I have found that I am sleep dependent on it now. I was feeling so good a few summers ago I thought I could stop taking it cold turkey. This was a bad idea..I was manic..had anxiety attacks and couldn't stop thinking about my own mortality. As soon as I started taking them again all that went away. All in all it has been a good drug for me, however the memory and concentration issues seem to be getting alot worse.	M	40	8 years		6/14/2009 Email
2	Back Pain	Cotton mouth really bad, very rapid weight gain 27lbs in 2 1/2 months, extream sodium cravings and an insatiable hunger all day the only good thing was its Tranquilizer like ability.		M	27	3 months		6/8/2009
3	Migraines	Shortness of breath, Exhausted throught the day, very vivid dreams, dizzy, lightheaded	Although i've only been on this for a couple of days, i've noticed changes in my sleeping patterns, dreaming, and headaches. The headaches are worse. the only way i can describe it is like the headaches are fighting with the medication. I sleep in too late. I can't seem to find the motivation or energy to get outta bed. My dreams are more frequent and vivid. And upon waking up and for a few hours afterward I am light headed and dizzy. I get small blackout moments. i feel like i cant get enough oxygen to my lungs.	F	23			6/2/2009 Email
3	Migraines	COnstipation, Fast heart Rate, WEIGHT GAIN	Helped some with migraines, definetley with sleep. Still had to take over the counter headache medicine. I gained 27lbs in five months- Could not stand the weight gain any longer- went off to try something else.	F	33	5 months		5/26/2009
1	migranes	strange psychological confusion, depression, dry mouth, irratibility	about two hours ago i went through in intense and scary feeling of a wave of depression washing over me. i literally still feel like i have gone completely insane. i am not on any other meds and i hate this drug and will never take it again. my headaches went away after about 2.5 weeks, on 10mg taken at night once daily, but if the mental issues keep occuring, it isnt worth it.	F	17	3 weeks		5/25/2009
5	Depression			F	61	32 years		5/4/2009
4	migraines and sleeplessnss	dry mouth noticed once or twice a day, but not terribly bothersome. I chew more gum and drink more water now. Increased appetite but not have gained any weight due to watching what I eat. Definitely sleep more soundly and go back to sleep more easily when waking during night.	My headaches seem to be hormonal (menopause) and are intermittent. Since I began Elavil (15 mgs per day taken near bedtime) I have had no headaches or stiff neck and I am sleeping well. However first three weeks I had a lot of difficulty waking up in the morning. Am trying to take the Elavil a little earlier than bedtime and don't seem quite so tired in the morning. So far it has been beneficial. I cut a 10 mg pill in half to medicate at 15 mg. 20 mgs at bedtime makes me too sleepy.	F	52	4 weeks		4/24/2009
1	Migranes	Tintinitus(Ringing in the ears),Fatigue	I am a Clinical Pharmacist.. I was given this by a Neurologist for my Atypical Migraines.. Got Tintinitus with in a few days.. took 25mg for 2 nights.. then 12.5mg for 6nights.. Could not tolerate the higher dose.. When I told the Neurologist of my side effects.. She had never heard of it.. 36hrs after I stopping I am getting some relief from the ringing in the ears..	M	41	8 days		4/21/2009
3	Migraines & sleep	Bigtime weight gain; also on Lithium, Methadone & tapering off (like 1 mo.left @ 37.5 mg) Effexor. Also ttried numerous anti-depressants before Lithum. Gained 100 lbs in 1 1/2 years +/- so be careful!! No sex drive.	I sleep great. I am on 50 mg/day; thinking of going off due to weight gain & lack of sex drive. While this works for sleep hasn't really helped with Migraines much.	F	41	12 months		4/14/2009 Email
5	clinical depression	Severe dry mouth on high dosages. Gum chewing increased saliva saving my teeth. Slightly constipating-for me that was good. Took a long time to adjust so that I wasn't a zombie.	For me the difference between taking elavil and not taking it is like miraculous healing. I sleep well, return to sleep readily, wake refreshed. Stops back pain. Many generic brands are not nearly as effective as others for me. The worst ones for me are carried by the big stores. If I could afford it I would take elavil and not the generic.	F	61	26 years		4/5/2009 Email
3	Migrains-update	I wrote back on Dec. 29th after being on Elavil 10mg for 4 weeks. I have now been on it for a little over 3 months-I have increased my dose to 15-20 mg. I am having 4-5 migrains a month-down from 8-10, but still more than I would like. Still not too bad with the side effects-my memory seems to be worse-not sure if it's the meds or old age! Great sleep still. I only have to take 50 mg of Imitrex to abort a migrain-down from 100mg. I have gained about 3 pounds-I definately crave sweets-I try to stay aware so I don't overdo it-everything is a choice!	Not as happy as I was at first-seem to need to keep increasing the mgs to keep it effective. I plan to stay on it for now.	F	44	3 months		4/5/2009 Email
3	IC	Weight gain, breast enlargment, tired all day, quick to get angry		F	28	4 months		4/5/2009
3	Severe migraines and insomnia	I have experienced the severe dry mouth, now almost non-existent and the weight gain has been horrible, I too have also had a couple of really bad anger outbursts, I actually got into a physical altercation with my husband who is 6'2 and 225! I have had only one bad migraine since starting the Elavil, 100 mg, but the anger outbursts and weight gain have me seriously considering not taking it anymore, I have a followup appt with my MD in 2 weeks, so I will see.		F	35	2.5 months		4/3/2009 Email
5	Nerve pain, Depression,Migraines	Weight gain initially (30-40 lbs) but not sure what drug(s)caused it. Pain Mgmt Dr was 7th Dr/Surgeon/Specialist I saw & he figured out my problem & a solution!!! He took me off 150-180mg of oxycontin was on for 2-3 mos w/pain still at 6-8 on pain scale. Told me to stop taking it that day and switched me to methadone, lyrica and ELAVIL.	In a few days elavil w/methadone & lyrica took away the severe/kidney stone type pain I was experiencing BUT unable to function-- became a zombie for about a year & didn't work or drive. Pain Mgmt Dr. diagnosed me w/nerve damage from having 6 inch kidney cyst drained (2 pop cans worth of fluid), filled with alcohol for 1 hr to scar it. It deadened the nerves on outside of kidney. They re-generated 18 mos later & sent severe pain signals to my brain. He told me on 1st visit I would need a neurostimulator implant (normally used for back pain/failed surgeries-- Jerry Lewis has one) but had to fail 3 therapies 1st. I failed them, but took 4 months & 3 denials before ins. OKd the implant trial. Finally had neurostimulator implant, outpatient, quick surgery 14 mos after sudden pain. IT WORKED!!! (ins pd $47,000 for the unit--explains the long approval process). Will need it the rest of my life & every 8-10 years unit changed. I literally "charge my (internal, implan	F	51	2 years		3/10/2009
4	Migraines	Started with 10mg, the second week went up to 20 mg. Prior to taking elavil I was experiencing migraines every 2 weeks, have only had a very mild one lasting only a day in the 2 months that i've been taking Elavil, but, I have gained over 10 lbs in the 2 months, so I wont' be taking it any longer. No other side affects were noted for me, if it didn't make me gain weight I would stay on it.		F	45	2 months		3/2/2009
4	urethral syndrome, general anxiety	very dry mouth and excessive thirst, weight loss.	desipit the very dry mouth (feel like i could drink a bath tub full of water!) this is the only treatment that has stopped my painful bladder spasms - i used to suffer for months with bladder pain and the feeling of constantly needing the loo, but have been pain free for 2 years now which is a first! despite the dry mouth, which is a pain, i wouldn't want to stop taking it. I'm now on 75mg at night - helps a lot with sleeping too. Dont know whether it's helping with anxiety cos I've only been on this dose for 2 weeks (before it was 25mg and no dry mouth!) There are some helpful saliva substitutes on the market, like glandosane and biotin, but nothing is as good as your own! will continue on this treatment - it has also decreased my appetite (or maybe it's all that water I'm drinking filling me up!) - hence I have lost some weight, which being over-weight is a good thing for me!	F		2 years		3/2/2009
5	Chronic Daily Migraines	Was on 30mg of Elavil for about 3 weeks and it had no effect on my daily migraines (chronic daily headaches). My doctor increased my dose to 50mg and I imediately saw relief. Havent had a migraine in over 2 months (small headache once or twice). Side Effects: I sweat a lot more when working out, dry mouth (was bad at first, but now I can hardly tell), sleepiness (was falling asleep at work the first week I took it, but now I take it at night and only makes me kind of drowsy), never had the sweet tooth until recently, but I am aware of it and don't overindulge (no weight gain yet), vivid dreams.		F	30	2 months		2/17/2009
4	migraine and neck pain	dry mouth, excessive weight gain but that's because of my excessive sweet tooth craving, constipation, I was really groggy in the morning but good thru out the day at first. I want to know what to do about the cravings besides quiting the medication. I have blurred vision and I just wear my glasses when I read and it's okay. sex drive is low :(	I've been taking 10mg for my migraines and neck pain, it's been working good. I sleep real good at night, I have to take to medication about two hours before I go to bed and I get up on my own 8 hours later. I have no migraine or neck pain unless I forget to take then I have really bad pain in my neck and head.I like the fact that I'm not as stressed as I use to be.	F	42	4 months		2/16/2009 Email
3	Fibromyalgia	The most disturbing one to me is the anger. I noticed one other person mentioning it. I am also female and of similar age as them. The irritability would last until noon or soon and then I would be fine. It has been like this for several days and I may have to go off it, but it has helped with the pain and sleep!!! I have not found much at all as far as other people having anger problems with this drug, which makes me a little confused. Dry mouth, taste, and zombie-ism went away after first 1-2 weeks.		F	22	4 weeks		2/15/2009
1	Unexplainable stomach cramps	This is a terrible, terrible drug......complete loss of energy on only 25 mg a day. It was suggested by my doctor to help with unexplainable daily stomach cramps.....all is did was to make me constantly hungry for sweets...I gained 16 pounds in one month.		M	55	1 months		2/13/2009
4	chronic headaches	can't focus as well anymore, or could i ever?	I started taking elavil because i had headaches 25 days a month, it was crazy, and I tried several other medications (like strong ibuprofen) while also being addicted to Excedrin. Now, my headaches have stopped but i don't feel like i can concentrate anymore, which is why i'm writing this while at work. However, my main problem with my headaches was that i could not focus, so i dont know if anything has really changed, maybe im just not a very focused person??	M	27	6 weeks		2/12/2009
5	Chronic Abdominal Pain	Initially dry mouth, drowsyness, confusion - all of which subsided within 6 weeks; continuing difficulty urinating; recently (after 12 months or so) vivid disturbing dreams.	This was prescribed at 10mg / day to help with intractible right sided abdo pain presumed to be refered from my hiatus hernia & gastric reflux. Initially this stuff sent me into a zombie-like trance for several days, but has worked wonders with my pain levels, now that I have become acustomed to it. If I try a higher dose (following pain breakthrough) I get a return of the 'fog'. I have difficulty when I try to start to urinate, and I often feel like I need to go, when I don't! I would like to wean off of it, but am very concerned that the pains would again become very bad. I'm slowly losing weight on a sensible diet, and am excersizing well - this drug has changed my life!	M	53	15 months		2/9/2009
1	Migraines	This medication causes extreme tiredness. To prevent my migraines (which are pretty frequent, and pretty severe, I had to take 100mg a day. The migraines went away, but in return I was constantly tired, and my metabolism slowed down so much that with diet and exercise I gained 25 pounds in four months.		F	27	4 months		2/9/2009
1	migraines	weight gain, lethargy, depression	I took a low dose to prevent migraines. It didn't work. I gained weight like I was pregnant, primarily because I felt like eating an entire tray of cinnamon rolls and then taking a nap. Once I got off the drug (and started on Imitrex), I lost a considerable amount of weight and had more energy.	F	49	2 years		2/9/2009
3	migranes	Dry Mouth, constpation and a lot of weight gain!	My migranes decreased from 2-3 a week to 2-3 a month. I sleep like a log. I take 25mg at 7pm to give my self ample time for the morning.	F	28	3 months		2/4/2009
5	Migraine with Aura	None	I began taking Amitriptyline to prevent Migraine with Aura. My attacks had sometimes been as long as 9-18mths apart since they started properly aged 14. I put up with the odd attack over the years but after being on a low dose of Cipramil for a few years i withdrew and suddenly got increased attacks- some of them very severe. I think my nervous system had got used to the increased levels of certain chemicals and this caused my migraine to suddenly play up, where previously it had been ok. I wasn't prepared to put up with that situation so i took control and was prescribed amitriptyline, which has been proven to prevent migraine attacks in clinical trials. I was prescribed a very low dose of 10mg (normally 50-150mg is used for depression)and it has been brilliant. I feel much better knowing i am on something that helps as it means i can live my life with confidence and less worry. Even 5mg prevented attacks. A positive side-effect is that a low dose of this drug may help you feel a l	M	34	18 months		1/30/2009
4	headaches, insomnia	Extremely dry mouth, which is affecting my teeth, and huge weight gain	Elavil gives me a full night's sleep without feeling groggy all day but the weight gain was almost immediate and I am growing everyday. I would stop taking the medication if I could find something comparable that did not cause weight gain.	F	61	60 days		1/23/2009
5	Fibromyalgia	Elavil works like lidocaine. Numbs all pain and stops muscle cramping associated with fibromyalgia. Other than slight constipation, no side effects at all!!!!	Wonder drug for fibromyalgia!!!!	F	62	12 years		1/20/2009

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Average rating for drug: 3.1. This page is printer-friendly; use landscape print with background color turned on.

Key to ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine.

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