Drug Ratings for ELAVILAverage Rating: 3.1 (481 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by Date Rating Was Added Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ELAVIL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 1 | Migraines and insomnia | Weight gain- 30 pounds, dry mouth causing very bad breath, sluggish all day, memory loss, no libido | F | 36 | 3 months 30mg 1X D | 5/15/2013 | 2 | migraines | It would cause me to sleep walk and drive, I have no remembrance of this. I would sleep walk and retake the medication and not remember taking it. Severe constipation. | M | 38 | 5 months 100mg | 5/12/2013 | 5 | Insomnia | Larger doses cause hangover | GREAT med for having sound sleep for me. Without it, my sleep is terrible. | M | 60 | 25 mg 1X D | 3/29/2013 | 2 | Chronic migraines | Had severe migraines for months. Has helped with the migraines but have suffered the side effects. Horrible dreams no sleep(4hours on a good night) sleep talk and walk which I have never done dry mouth memory loss irritable just been an emotional roller coaster. So frustrated bc I wanna stop them but I don't wanna suffer the migraines. Meds before dis caused me to have severe anxiety and panic attacks with agoraphobia. Idk wea my career stands bc of all dis. Just beware of what meds you take. Remember everyone is different. Research your medication. Be your own advocate bc no one will do it for you! | F | 28 | 2 months 50mg | 3/6/2013 | 4 | Chronic Migraines | Major increase in Anxiety, Agitation, Irritability, and have been nauseous as a result. Recently experienced uncontrolled tremors during periods of high stress or anxiety. Loss of appetite. Extreme tiredness during the first 2 weeks of taking this medication, and periodically afterwards. I also experience minor migraines or headaches occasionally. | After taking this for only a month once every night before I go to bed, I have noticed dramatic changes in my mental state that have become a concern to my health. I did have anxiety attacks every so often, but within one week I had over 12 different attacks (or 'almost attacks' as I refer to attacks that I am able to compose myself during). And while this prescription relatively treats my severe migraines well I still am susceptible to getting one, however it is not as strong- even so with so many side effects, I highly dislike this pill. | F | 18 | 1 months 10 mg 1X D | 3/3/2013 | 1 | Migraine prevention | I was unable to lose weight on this medication, since going off of it I've lost 15 pounds in a month. | This drug makes you tired, crave sugar, and did not even prevent all my migraines! | F | 20 | 7 years 50 MG 1X D | 2/27/2013 | 5 | Depression/Anxiety | Weight Gain, constipation. | Elavil worked exceptionally well for the depression and anxiety. I took 100 mg at bed time, was able to sleep throu the night, and feel rested in the morning. The down side to this drug is the excessive weight gain. I gained 30lbs, in 2 years.Constipation was also a problem/ | F | 30 | 2 years 100mg 1X D | 12/3/2012 | 5 | Fibro-pain mgmt, osteoartritis, | 20lbs weight gain in 4 months. Nightmares & sleepTalking. Extreme sugar cravings. sleep w/Elavil has been amazing. I suffered extreme insomnoa for 5 years. I was hesitant to take more antidepressants bc I tried Cymbalta. One single dose and i never went back to my career again. cymbalta caused me to have seratonin syndrome, but doctors dismissed me. I honestly thought that i was actually having a nervous breakdown. Only my own personal research and 8 months later did i figire it out. Hands down was the scariest thing ive had to deal so far. After 3 solid yrs of almost Losing my, i made the decision to try something else for sleep. Elavil worked so well. I was astounded at how sick i was from lack of sleep. For the first time in almost 4 years I was able to work. I had already lost my career, but I was ecstatic just to be able to wait tabes, i was just happy to be feeling 500% better, and all it took was Elavil. i can ABSOLUTELY sacrifice my body image to get sleep. | F | 34 | 9 months | 11/29/2012 | 5 | Panic attacks and severe anxiety | None | My general doctor prescribed elavil for Pain and help with sleeping. I did not mention anxiety to him. After about 2 weeks, I felt a difference with the anxiety, after about 1 month, I noticed I felt no anxiety, panics went away, I was able to talk to anyone and not feel anxiety. I feel more energy. Now I went up to 20 mg on my own, because I realize I am able to focus better. I read somewhere that it could treat add also, and it sure works for me. I highly recommend elavil. | F | 55 | 6 years 10mg 1X D | 11/25/2012 | 4 | Chronic pain | Weight gain | Very inexpensive. Aids sleep. Helps a lot. Tried to ween off it & had return of great pain. | F | 63 | 10 years 50mg 1X D | 11/4/2012 | 3 | Neuropathy | Forgetfulness, sleepy, dry mouth, headache (off and on, over left eye) pain in Lt and Rt foot pain is not as bad,knowing what day, tired all day, going to bathroom one time during sleep (had been going (2-3 times at night), vived dreams, can not see word to spell, ringing in ears, pain in lower back when trying to stand up. | Stared taking one pill at bedtime for seven days-felt awful, sluggish, sleepy. Second week took 2 pills at bedtime-forgetful, memory lapses, pain in lower back when straighten up, dry mouth 14days later took 3 pills every night- sluggish, forgetful, insomnia, nervous, dry mouth, belching more often, coughing more, hoarness in am. | F | 62 | 5 weeks 25 MG 1X O | 10/24/2012 | 5 | Depression, insomnia, anxiety | Lethargy, drowsiness, headaches, craving for sweet food | I took generic amitriptilyene 15 years ago for the same symptoms and it worked after about 2-3 weeks. Completely cured a life of insomnia and anxiety and what must have been underlying depression. Since changing doctors and countries, I ended up on Remeron (no effect), Mianserin (no effect), and then trazodone (helped with the insomnia). Then a new pdoc tried me on Cipralex, which worked on the social anxiety and depression but left me with zero sex drive and insomnia again. Then even the antidepressant effect seemed to wear off. So I tried generic amitriptilyene again. First at 25mg and now at 25mg in morning and 50mg in evening. Again, it's worked and I'm amazed at the difference. Best of all, it's cheap and I have my sex drive back. | M | 42 | 6 weeks 25mg 3X D | 10/4/2012 | 1 | migraine prevention | I had an overall drying effect. I'm now taking Restasis, I drink massive amounts of water, my skin is very dry and wrinkled, and now I'm having vision issues. | F | 55 | 10 years 25mg 1X D | 9/12/2012 | 1 | Migraines and Concussion | Worst medication I've ever been on. I don't know if it's causing my migraines or masking how much worse they could be without the medicine. I've had about 35-40 migraines in the past 3 months, my concussion headaches haven't subsided at all and my circulation is dreadful. I'll list all the symptoms I've had: dizziness, confusion, chronic daily headaches, at least 8 migraines a month (most of the time 10), sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, drowsiness, severe long and short term memory problems, depression, anxiety, and the list goes on... | F | 15 | 7 months 50 MG | 9/6/2012 | 3 | Chronic Migraines, DSPS | Extreme fatigue, confusion, lack of judgement, hallucinations, short and long term memory loss, dry mouth, a feeling of heaviness, constipation | F | 16 | 1 years 35 1X D | 8/25/2012 | 4 | Insomnia | No significant side effects. I noticed that my hair fell out a little more than before, however I have very long thick hair so it hasn't been a major factor. Just a few more threads in the brush than before. | Overall I was generally impressed with the efficacy of this drug. I was prescribed this medication for intermittent insomnia due to early onset of perimenopause. There was no groggy feeling for me the next day, and I feel it helped me sleep well. A very surprising and welcome side effect was that I had no cramping or pain during my mentrual cycle! Loved this! I will continue to use this medication during periods of insomnia. I think its worked really really well for my symptoms. | F | 40 | 1 weeks 30 mg 1X D | 8/21/2012 | 4 | Chronic Migraines for 20+ years | Dry Mouth, a little trouble emptying my bladder, and slightly irritable. I sleep very, very well and feel rested when I get up. I still get the migraines though and take Maxalt MLT (2 doses at once) when I need to. But my migraines are so severe and frequent I have to take a double dose of Maxalt at once just to avoid another trip to the ER. I've been in the military for 20 years and will be retired soon because of it. The last neurologist I saw said I was in the worst category for migraine sufferers. But I do like the Elavil. I've read that people have experienced weight gain taking it. I just went from 50mg daily to 100 mg daily about a week ago. I have felt heavier since but it may be too early to tell. | M | 38 | 8 months 100mg 1X D | 8/16/2012 | 4 | Chronic Migraine | First two weeks very tired. Night sweats, not sure if the drug or my age. Felt a little out of it the first week or so, but stick with it, it gets better! I will take the few side effects over daily migraines! | So far only one migraine and the tiredness is starting to fade. I sleep well now. | F | 51 | 28 days 25mg 1X D | 8/14/2012 | 4 | sleep disorder | I'm Bipolar and this was prescribed to help me sleep. Was told to take 1-3 per night. I take 1 and it knocks me out for 8-12 hours. After that I can't sleep again for at least 24-36 hours even with taking another pill or more. Feels just like a short manic episode, can't sleep, lots of energy, bored easily. So it ain't all bad =) | M | 34 | 9 days 25mg 1X D | 7/25/2012 | 4 | Migraines, minor insomnia | tiredness all day everyday unless i get 12+ hours of sleep, random headaches that aren't migraines, lowered concentration level, night sweats, slow weight loss (lost 20-30 pounds since i started taking them), decreased appetite, cant wake up quickly in the morning | decreased migraines from 1-2 a day down to 2-3 a week, better sleep | F | 17 | 9 months 10 mg 2X D | 6/14/2012 | 1 | migraines | Tired all the time...sleep 12 hrs move 2 the couch and sleep another 4hrs..always hungry weight gain from lack of desire 2 motovate!! Very moody everything just gets on my nerves!! | F | 36 | 3 months 10 mg | 6/14/2012 | 5 | Anxiety, panic and sleep aid | Vision a little off under bright light for a few hours in morning. Otherwise this stuff really works!! Little anxiety in the morning but smooth sailing after that. It feels great to interact with people and feel relaxed and engaged. I would reccomend this to a friend. | M | 32 | 7 days 10mg | 6/11/2012 | 3 | Headaches, low mood | Weight gain, hair loss, difficulty maintaining wakeful state in the morning, emotionally unable to react appropriately to situations | F | 60 | 7 years 100mg | 5/25/2012 | 4 | Insomnia/ Depression | Strange dreams, talking in sleep, confusion, difficulty waking in morning, problems with memory, dry eyes. | I take 50 MG at night to help with depression and the insomnia it causes me, since going up to 50 MG (I was on 30 before and noticed no side effects but it wasn't very effective for me) I have been able to sleep much better and my mood feels more up. I have had weird and vivid dreams on it though and I've started talking in sleep which I've never done before, which is strange but doesn't bother me. It is hard to get up in the morning but I can deal with that- the only real problems for me are the confusion and memory issues (I tend to wander about the house for a while not quite knowing what my intentions are) and the dry eyes since I wear contact lenses, and I've resorted to wearing glasses which I do not like wearing at all. | F | 20 | 6 weeks 50 MG 1X D | 5/19/2012 | 1 | Chronic Migraines | Memory Loss, 20lbs in 1 year, hair loss, still suffered migraines under this med, irritability, dazed, confused, inability to concentrate. Dry mouth | F | 35 | 6 years 20-40mg | 5/17/2012 | 5 | Chronic Migraines | Wt gain (20 lbs/4yrs), Dry mouth (constantly chewing gum or drinking water), Sleep 10+hrs night, mild Hair loss (luckily I have thick hair, unnoticable to others), Morning grogginess & irritability. Currently weaned myself off, decreasing dosage by 10mg/10days. Have lost 20lbs (no diet), Sleepless nights, & fatigued/malaise. | F | 22 | 4 years 40 mg | 5/10/2012 | 5 | Migraine and TMJ disorder | Weight gain, constipation , lazy in the morning , higher heart puls | I take Tryptizol which has the same component , it has helped me a lot in both the migraines and the TMJ , the severity and frequency of the migraine are much better, but because I gain weight each time I take it, I stop for a while and then I go back to it, because there was no medication that had helped me in both conditions so well, I think I just have to accept the 2-3 kilos of increase in weight to have a better quality of life. | F | 56 | 1 years 25 mg 1X D | 5/6/2012 | 3 | depression | fatigue during day, low energy | Elavil rxed to me in 1971, along with PM dose of Valium (10mg) when I was hospitalized for suicidal depression. The side effects were awful and I soon avoided daytime doses by hiding pills beneath tongue; so I was really taking it only at night, when it seemed to boost effect of Valium. After six weeks, it might've worked; I noticed an "up" mood, w/o feeling stoned/druggy. / It seems safe for at least short-term use, not as bad as more recent run-ins w/ awful SSRIS like Paxil & Remeron. | M | 60 | 42 days 30mg 3X D | 4/23/2012 | 4 | Chronic Headaches | dry mouth, 10 lb weight gain, mild constipation initially had severe grogginess and zero appetite, but that quickly changed after about 2 weeks | This has almost completely gotten rid of my headaches - nothing else has worked. Now that I'm accustomed to my dose, I don't have the grogginess (almost like a severe depression - i didn't want to move for 2 weeks), but my appetite is crazy for sweets. I have had lots of trouble trying to lose weight while on this med. | F | 35 | 3 months 50mg 1X D | 4/1/2012 | 5 | chronic migraine | I found taking this drug dry mouth, night sweats, tiredness, blurry vision, ringing in the ears but will take it over chronic pain! | M | 52 | 2 months 30mg 1X D | 3/6/2012 | 2 | Chronic fatigue/insomnia/dizziness | Initial period of grogginess for about 2-3 weeks, but I slept better for about 8 months. Then, my fatigue, dizziness and memory worsened and I had to stop taking Elavil... now can't sleep. | M | 45 | 10 months 25 1X D | 3/2/2012 | 5 | Chronic Migrains for 20 years | I was very sleepy for the first 4 or 5 weeks...had a hard time waking up. Now, I go to sleep rather quickly and rest very well. I use to get migraines 5 days a week but since Dec 23rd, I've had 2...and they weren't as bad as they use to be. I haven't had any of the side effects that others have talked about. I hope this remains to be true from now on. | Love it! | M | 37 | 2 months 25 MG 1X D | 2/13/2012 | 3 | anxiety and derpession | dizziness, no short term memory, did feel better at first. Not so sure now. | The first several days the med kept me up all night long. Then I changed to taking it in the morning even though my dr. insisted that I take it evenings because it was supposed to help me sleep better. I do sleep better now although I usually have to lay down mornings for a while after my morning dose. I am supposed to ramp up to 20 mg a day and am hesitant. I currently feel dizzy a great deal and my short term memory is terrible. My mother has Alzheimers and this is like my starting into that scenario earlier than necessary! | F | 59 | 10 days 10 mg 1X D | 2/2/2012 | 5 | insomnia | dry mouth for the first four weeks | I had been suffering depressing insomnia for three years. Doctor put me on 50 mg of Elavil and it did mircle for me. | M | 46 | 5 months 50 mg 1X D | 1/22/2012 | 1 | fibromyalgia, nerve pain | WEIGHT GAIN!!!! dry eyes. dry mouth. moody. craving sweets. obsessive, compulsive behaviors, memory loss. did i mention WEIGHT GAIN. | My husband begged me to get off of Neurontin because he thought it was the culprit. I have been so moody. But the worst part was the weight gain. I put on 25 lbs. almost instantly,(after working hard for the 5 months prior to lose 30lbs. and now its all back) but then again, when youre craving sweets, that is bound to happen. I was tested for diabetes today, due to the dry mouth, weight gain, and sweet craving. I wear contacts, and my eyes get so dry I have to take them out.I had no idea it was the Elavil, it has reaked havoc on my body. Maybe it is good for some, but not my system. If I hadn't already taken it today, yesterday would be my last day. Today WILL BE! | F | 37 | 2 months 10 mg 1X D | 1/19/2012 | 1 | Depression. | Weight gain, moody, angry, argumentative, and memory loss | F | 30 | 4 months 25 | 1/17/2012 | 2 | herniated disc | Fatique, moodiness and most of all memory loss, I forget wat I say and do most of the time!! Its soo embarassing as a mother of 3.. | F | 28 | 3 months 25 mg | 1/10/2012 | 2 | migraines, insomnia | F | 23 | 2 days 25 1X D | 1/9/2012 History | 3 | IBS | Terrible dry mouth, considerable trouble achieving orgasm | M | 21 | 3 months 100 MG 1X D | 1/4/2012 | 5 | Chronic migraine and daily headache | Tired, dry mouth, weight gain 5-10pounds(might just be from holidays- eating too much). | Elavil is working for me. I am so relieved to finally be pain-free for several days. I take 25mg in morning and 50mg at night. I drink a lot of water for dry mouth, no big deal. I don't feel tired when I am busy or active. I have suffered with chronic daily headaches and chronic migraine for at least 14 years. I now go several days without any pain. I do still get a minor headache that is easily treated with Advil or sleep and still get migraines about 4 per month versus 15. I can handle that. Imitrex works very well for my migraines. Medications work differently for everyone as you can see by all of the posts. I highly recommend trying Elavil for headaches and migraines. Good luck! | F | 34 | 2 months 75mg 1X D | 1/2/2012 | 3 | Anxiety | Insatiable appetite for sweets/carbs Weight gain Constipation | This did help my anxiety, but the effects on my diet are too great for me to continue using this drug. It also helped with headaches and menstrual cramps. I've only been take it four weeks and have already gained weight. I will ask my doctor for something else. | F | 23 | 1 months 10mg 3X D | 12/27/2011 | 5 | Chronic stress headaches | None whatsoever | My doctor put me on this medication after I came in complaining of a constant headache for over a month. Being a single mom, working full-time, and going to college full-time has me on stress overload. I only get 6 hours of sleep a night and would wake up multiple times. Now I stay asleep solidly all 6 hours. The headaches are gone. I have no weight gain, in fact I am on a healthy eating plan and still am steadily losing an appropriate amount of weight weekly. I felt groggy the first two weeks taking the medication, but that was the only side effect I have ever experienced. This has been a life saver for me, I now go about my days in a level, almost cheerful, manner and rarely feel overwhelmed by stress even on my most hectic days! | F | 28 | 3 months 20 MG 1X D | 12/14/2011 | 2 | Anxiety | Sleepy tired and caused anxiety symptoms to get worse | M | 32 | 2 years 50mg | 12/4/2011 | 3 | Insomnia | ENORMOUS weight gain, progressing over the years as dosage increased from 25 mg to 50 mg to 75 mg to 150 mg for the past 5 years. About 60 lbs. in all. Also, urine retention bad enough that I take a medicine usually prescribed only to men with enlarged prostate. I believe it has also affected my personality (loss of humor) and my short-term memory. | I began taking Elavil for lifelong insomnia and it did make me tired enough to fall asleep. Over the years, however, the increasing dosages have made all the side effects worse, and I am trying hard to get off of it now. | F | 55 | 17 years 150 mg 1X D | 11/3/2011 | 2 | Migraine Preventioin | OMG!!! Knew I was different in so many ways and took one year to figure out it was the amitriptaline. I only took 10mg at bedtime and I completely lost my drive and didnt care about a thing. I lost my ability to feel anything. I only took to prevent migraines as I am, was not a depressed person. I have a great outlook on life and take no other meds. I had zero physical energy and was sleeping 10 to 12 hours per night vs my normal 8. I had nightmares like never before. I had dizziness that lasted 2 months. I also lost my appetite which caused me to go all day without eating which resulted in MORE MIGRAINES due to low blood sugar. The worst was the numbing effect which caused me to loose my drive. I am completely back to normal 1 month after stopping this drug and also having less migraines. I also gained weight like never before even though I was eating half to a fourth of my normal food intake. I never had sleep issues as was always a sound sleeper and on this drug I slept WAY TOO MUCH | F | 51 | 1 years 10 1X D | 11/3/2011 | 1 | Depression | Racing heart, closing throat, depersonalization, suicidal thoughts, rage, impulsivity, blurry vision, dry mouth, EXTREME cravings for sweets. | "ELAVIL" should be named "EL EVIL" -- VERY EVIL DRUG Made me sooo much worse, but thank God I figured out it was not my condition deteriorating but the effects of "EL EVIL" | F | 34 | 10 days 75 mg 1X D | 9/26/2011 | 3 | Migraine Prevention | I wake up with a dry mouth, no wait gain, yet...but recently noticed short term memory loss. I have 360 students a week and will look at a student and know their name and will not come to me right away. It's frustrating and scary. I also have very vivid dreams with this medicine. | the short term memory loss is what concerns me the most | F | 35 | 2 months 10 1X D | 9/15/2011 | 1 | TENSION MIGRAINES | EXTREME WEIGHT GAIN!! MOODINESS, SHORT TEMPERED, DRY MOUTH, CONSTANT RINGING IN MY EARS, CRAVING SWEETS CONSTANTLY, I MEAN CONSTANTLY!! | I JUST TYPED IN MY SYMPTOMS TO GOOGLE 2 NIGHTS AGO AND THIS WEBSITE CAME UP!! I WAS SHOCKED, NO KNEW HAS RELATED ANY OF MY SYMPTOMS TO THIS MEDICATION INCLUDING MY DOCTOR!! I WAS EXTREMELY UPSET. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TAKE VITAMINS FOR THE RINGING IN MY EARS. NOTHING HAS WORKED. NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I BEEN A CANDY EATING ALL THE TIME GIRL, I KEPT TAKING PREGNANCY TESTS BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH WEIGHT I HAD BEEN GAINING. I HAVE READ THESE COMMENTS AND I DONT CARE IF I HAVE WITHDRAW SYMPTOMS, I AM GETTING OFF OF THIS ASAP!!! FORGET WEENING!! BLURRED VISION, CHECK! NOT ABLE TO SLEEP SOMETIMES~THEREFORE INCREASING MY DOSE, CHECK! DRY MOUTH/DRY SKIN, CHECK! CANNOT GET UP IN THE MORNING....CHECK! YES, MY MIGRAINES STOPPED, BUT I DIDNT REALIZE ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS WERE A RESULT TO THIS MEDICINE....I AM DONE. | F | 27 | 2 years 100MG 1X D | 8/28/2011 | 3 | migraines/sleep was a bonus | loss of memory/weight gain. My memory is awful, and is unusual. There is no question that my headaches are better, and my insomnia is totally cured with this drug, but not being able to make change in a drugstore. I can't live like that. Forgetting that I have talked to my daughter. I am going to let the drug go. | F | 65 | 50 1X D | 8/19/2011 | 2 | Insomnia | This drug worked wonderfully to put me to sleep, however the side effects were terrible. Racing heart, anxiety, trembling limbs, irregular heartbeat. Finding something else. | F | 24 | 7 days 25 1X D | 8/13/2011 | 5 | Depression/Pain/Migraines | Weight gain,Drowsiness for 2-3 days if I stop taking it or miss a few doses,and get back on it. Weight gain(fine by me since Iv'e always been so small). dry mouth. sometimes I'm irritable. | I have been on this drug for almost 3 years now. I was on 25mg f or 2 months. 50 mg for about a year and half. Now I have been on 75-100 each night since January. If I'm achy I will take 100mg at bedtime instead of 75mg. This drug has helped save my life. I was originally prescribed this for depression then dr. up it for various reasons. I'm completely stable on 75mg. It does help with my depression for sure. I do have some mood swings and snap on people sometimes. When I first started this drug I gained 8lbs in 2 weeks...which is epic for me. I was also on prednisone for a while which also contributed to my weight gain. I'm now off prednisone, been off for over a year..dropped a good bit of my prednisone weight.. I'm able to maintain a weight of 120 while on 100mg of Elavil...it's hard but do-able. Weight gain is a big and common side effect of this drug. I just stock the house with healty snacks. I eat breakfast, lunch and a big dinner and snack all day. Like another patient said...Don't give up on this drug !!! | F | 25 | 3 years 100 1X D | 8/11/2011 | 4 | Fibromyalgia, insomnia, nerve pain, | I actually lost about 5 pounds while taking Elavil and would gain it back within days of stopping. It seemed to have a diuretic effect for me and reduced bloating. Foods did taste different, mainly coffee. I missed my morning cup. My eyes and mouth were dry and I did crave sweets, however I am not sure if Elavil was the cause. I did start to sweat on my face to where I was dripping wet every day (It is a very hot summer, though.) My vision got blurry with floaters and I felt dizzy often and sometimes too tired during the day. My heart started to feel like I was having palpitations and I found myself getting upset and angry and shaky inside. | I have been weaning my dose from 20 mg to 10 mg over the last few months. I have just stopped it all together and started Propranolol for my headaches. I am not sleeping so well and know the pain will come back, however, the new medicine is really helping with the shakiness and throbbing headache. I still need a heart work-up to see the effects of the Elavil and my eyes are still dry and blurry with floaters. I may need to wait a few weeks to see if these clear up or if they are permanent. I recommend going off Elavil if you experience the palpitations, shakiness and anger. I actually started 5-HTP (an over the counter product in the vitamin isle) and it helps my mood, sugar cravings and sleep a little bit. I am not sure if it is compatible with certain medicines. | F | 42 | 1 years 20 mg 1X D | 7/27/2011 | 5 | Insomnia | None | I've had severe insomnia for 15-20 years. I'd never taken anything for it but I finally decided to talk to my Dr. about it. He prescribed Ambien and one other.....don't remember the name of thw 2nd one. I didn't like the way either one of these made me feel.....with each one it took me until lunchtime to really wake up. He thought Elavil might be worth a try and it has been like a miracle for me. I take 100 mg. 1 1/2 to 2 hours before bedtime. I fall asleep within 10 minutes and sleep a full 8 hours every night and feel great. After all those years of very poor sleep I feel like a new person!!! My only concern now is how long my Dr. will let me keep taking it......I can't bear the thought of going back to 2, 3, or 4 hours of sleep night after night! | F | 73 | 2 months 100 mg. 1X D | 7/23/2011 | 1 | depression | Horrid mettalic taste in mouth, no appetite at all, could not taste food.. zombie like feelings of unreality. Unable to sleep but two or three hours a night. Extreme fatigue and uncontrollable shaking and nervousness. I have take Lexapro and Zoloft in the past and was off all anti-depressants for 3months before starting the Elavil. Its a horrible old drug, it actually caused me to feel fear from leaving my house to going into any public place and facing people or a crowd. I actually thought I was developing agoraphobia until I stopped the Elavil. I would NOT recommend this medication for anyone. I thought it was the worst anti-depressant ever! | F | 52 | 5 days 25mg. 1X D | 7/9/2011 | 4 | migraines | Weight gain went from 155lbs to 171lbs in five weeks ,dreams,stomach cramps, tired ,mode swings | with the side effects that I was having after 5 weeks and having read the experiences of others , I decided to stop it and find alternative drug even though my migraines had stopped | M | 56 | 5 weeks 25mg 1X D | 6/21/2011 | 4 | migraine | in the beginning dry mouth and cosntipation now it s over. for migraine its working very very well use to have headhache 4-5 days a week for 20 years now i can have a week and plus with no migraine, and even if i have one it will go with only 2 tylenol after 30 min or so. BUT for the past few month my mood is horrible, i am always mad and i dont even know why | M | 36 | 9 months 10 1X D | 6/19/2011 | 4 | Post Herpetic Neuralgia | blurry vision, dry mouth and increased eye pressure | My next Optalmology checkup is next month to recheck my eye pressure. the blurry vision and dry mouth began when I was placed on Elavil and so did the increase in eye pressure but other test's performed for Glaucoma were normal.I stopped taking the Elavil for a short time and the blurry vision and dry mouth went away, continuing the Elavil brought the same side effect's back. Having dealt with the nerve pain from PHN the side effect's to Elavil are easier to deal with any day. | F | 69 | 15 months 25 mg 1X D | 5/26/2011 | 3 | Migraines | Dry mouth, 15 lb weight gain in 5 months, tiredness, irritability, strong sweets and salt cravings, road rage, and moodiness. | I had thought my weight gain was related to excess food intake. I then cut back on what I ate for a few moths and continued to gain weight even with strenuous exercise. Until I read all of these reviews about people experiencing similar side effects, I didn't know what was causing this. I am on 75 mg which was the dose it took for me to stop having migraines, but the weight gain is unbearable. I have been taking relpax for the onset of migraines as well as the pill continuously (not having a period) to control the migraines which seems to be working. I am ready to come off the Elavil but having experienced such bad withdrawals from other meds, I am terrified. Not sure if the horror of migraines is as bad as how crappy I feel. | F | 22 | 1.5 years 75 MG 1X D | 5/23/2011 | 5 | Mig Headaches/depression/nerve pain | ringing in the ears, low blood pressure on standing, heart palpitations, | I had 7 mig Headaches per day, increased to 150mg per day, now on maint dose of 35mg at night. Take it 2 hours before I want to go to sleep on empty stomach. SLEEP GREAT! vivid dreams feel refreshed I have tried other medications like SSRI but had very bad effects, like staying awake for 3 days. Currently my headaches are less than 5 per month. Reduce dose gradually, over weeks. | F | 51 | 20 years 35mg 1X D | 5/16/2011 | 1 | Vulvadidya | skin crawling | I wanted to pull my skin off with this drug. I used it about 10 years ago for a neurological problem of vaginal pain. No help. | F | 30 | 4 weeks 1X D | 5/16/2011 |