How Many Of You Are On AD's For Your CP??

[BrokenBladder]

Please don't feel obligated to answer if you feel uncomfortable, but I'm asking due to the many questions that have been ask about how we feel about our lives and trying to go back to work.

I'm on an AD called Elavil but have been told that this AD dosen't really work very well for depression. It's more like a sleep aid and pain blocker, which it dosen't really work for me.

My rheumy has suggested that I see a therapist for CP and I'm really considering doing it. I realize that I have some depression issues and possibly some anxiety issues as well.

I just thought this could be an informitive thread for many of us and would love to hear your experiences.

[Mark N]

Lisa, I take Cymbalta which is an AD but it was prescribe for my neuropathic pain and works very well for my pain along with feeling a bit better. I haven't had any depression issues with my CP but it is a big problem for many people and does help them cope better with their pain.

My wife is on an AD and she suffers with face pain [drawing a blank on the name of it] but it doesn't help her out with pain although it does help her depression.

[BrokenBladder]

Thanks for sharing Mark. I'm just looking for input so that I can make an informed decision.

[Kathi49]

Lisa,

I have tried Elavil and Cymbalta both. I can't take tolerate either one. BUT...I KNOW they help other people. :) Besides the SE's of nausea and dizziness the biggest thing was even more depression. It was like they threw me into it. I will just say that one day I had an appointment with my Neurologist and I just felt soooo sad; like I was ready to bust into tears and so darn lethargic. (At that point in time my PM had put me on Elavil to help with the neuropathic pain). So, again (because I have said it before) my Neurologist said, "You are NOT depressed you are ANXIOUS!" BUT..she also understood why he had me try it. But her thing all along has been...there is anxiety component to all of it. Actually, I sat there kind of stunned because I had never really thought about GAD...OTHER than I had had numerous panic attacks due to the pain.

Anyway, I just recently read an article, I THINK it was in WebMD, that a lot of doctors are instantly prescribing AD's when they really need to consider anxiety. But...remember too...they weren't really addressing pain...just depression and anxiety in general.

Also, I talked to my other friend, Lisa, yesterday. :) She's the one with RSD in her arm. She has been round and round to various clinics getting opinions; as far as Chicago and the Cleveland Clinic. And honest to God, she told me that even though Neurontin and such worked for her pain, the SE's were too great. What she discovered quite accidently was that Lorezapam helped her RSD more than anything else. She said she was given that a long time ago for anxiety; had stopped it awhile back but one night when she couldn't sleep, she took 1/2 of one. She said within a matter of about 30 minutes the burning subsided and she was able to sleep. And, of course I am no doc, but I told her...it probably just quieted your CNS.

But what she is doing now and I might just join her is going to a rehab place where they work strictly with spinal patients and patients with nerve damage. It is not a regular PT place or a regular rehab place. She said their focus is mainly on what I said above. Anyway, she is swimming and going VERY slow with certain exercises. And has a PT working with her as she goes. Anyway, yesterday she said she is amazed at how the swelling has gone down and the pain is now down to a 3/4. Sorry to get off track here, but she keeps telling me that every time she goes she thinks of me and I need to join her LOL! Oops and I forgot to add that the docs have told her too her anxiety is sky high; probably due to the pain and worry AND being post menopausal. And that's another issue altogether but one that needs to be factored in.

[BrokenBladder]

Kathi,

Wow thanks for all of this information. It makes sense. Way back when I first started having all kinds of pain issues I was taking Xanax. I rememeber that it made me feel better until I quit taking it all together. From then on I've been through the ringer with meds. My urologist gives me the Elavil because it's supposed to block pain signals from my bladder and help me sleep, but I don't think it does either, especially the sleep issue. He does prescribe me Valium for muscle spasms, but I don't see any help with the anxiety issue from this med. Sooo I've been thinking about seeing the therapist that my rheumy wanted me to see so that I can maybe get to the bottom of all of this.

All I really want is to be able to sleep and not shake like a leaf in a 50 mph wind!! I really do think the pain is causing me these problems so I need to get to the root of it.

Thanks for sharing this with me. It gives me hope that something can be done if I can just find the right doctor to do it.

[Kathi49]

Lisa,

I am jealous LOL! I WISH I could take Valium. I suppose I could...just a bit of it...not an every day thing. BUT...my Neurologist rewrote the Klonopin script where I could up it to 1mg a day. Sooo, I ain't gonna mess with her instructions! ;) I did up it by a quarter last night and it helped alot! But then other docs say I CAN take a Valium if absolutely necessary. Oh, well, I will just get by until my appointment.

Oh, for your bladder...

Did your Uro ever prescribe Vesicare or Pyridium? Just curious. The first one my RE prescribed and the second one the Urogynecologist prescribed after testing. Anyway, they are still in my cabinet; haven't had to use them. But then again you are speaking of pain signals and not necessarily an urgency thing or pain after testing. And when is your Neurologist appointment by the way?

[debhun]

I have tryed many of them and they don't help me any. I do take Klonopin amd it helpss me sleep. I have been on that for 5 years now. I had so much trouble last time with Cymbalta and Tramadol they don't mix well. I could have died from it. So I told myself that I wouldn't take any more meds that had to do with the brain. I know my pain meds do in a way but not like AD does. So no more for me.

Deb

[Kathi49]

Deb,

I agree. But the Klonopin is messing with our brains LOL! But, no, I know what you mean. What I like about it is...it treats the anxiety, spasms to a degree and helps with my nerve pain. And here I go again...everyone says...OMG...a benzo! But I am to the point...whatever works! To me, Neurontin was MY evil, nasty, medication. I really did think I was dying while taking that! But it is like every other medication people take....what works for one might not for the other. But I know what you are saying. I was talking about Chantix with one doc yesterday and even though I DO want to try it....I still think...just another darn mind altering drug. Or, it appears that way at least. I guess I won't know until I try it. But I am doing nothing until this dizziness is dealt with or whatever is causing it (thinking the C2/C3).

[debhun]

I know Kathi and Klonopin takes a long time to leave your body too from what I was told. It does help with much what you said.

[Boxerlover]

Deb, I saw a therapist about 3 years into my cp journey, which was about 2 years ago. Like my PM doc I had to travel about an hour to see her. Their practice specialized in CP and illness. She said I was depressed no had anxiety. I've stopped going since it became to hard to travel so much. I've looked everywhere for a practice where I live, but nobody specializes in cp or illness. Since then I've had some ptsd issues and I'm finding I'm having anxiety at inappropriate times. My other PM had me on some xanax but I've changed back to my original PM and I'm not on it right now. I've been debating asking about it.

Melissa

[BrokenBladder]

Thanks for answering everyone. I just don't know about taking yet another med which I'm sure will happen if I see a therapist. Truth is I know I need it, but I'm making it without it.

Kathi,
My neurologist appointment was supposed to be on October 31st. I had to cancel due to this FALSE positive drug test that was done on my son. Now he has to see the judge which is pointless because the lab results were negative. Anyway there is no one else to take him except me so I had to cancel. Now with the snowbirds coming to Florida for the winter I may not be able to get in until the end of December. Aarg.

[brians2000]

When my doctor first put me on pain meds he also prescribed a AD. I was first on Zoloft but he keep having to up the dose and when I got up to 100mg he felt it was best to try something els so he switched me to Lexipro 20mg. He said 10mg of Lexapro was good for Depression but since I have more anxiety he recommended 20mg. He said all his pain patients also take an AD because most chronic pain patients he sees have anxiety and depression from not being able to do things as well as they once did. Brian

[MamaRider]

Over the years I have pretty much taken every darn AD you can mention. I am on Cymbalta now. I was on Welbutim for a short while so I could stop smoking (SUCESS!!!)(and I lost weight not gained--yeah! gotta love Topamax) I have tried them all-had all the weird fun-not-side effects of weight gain and loss, libido loss, hair loss, oh yeah and WEIGHT GAIN. I gain 50 pounds on Elival. I could not get the food in my mouth fast enough. I really seem to be doing best right now on the Cymbalta. No weigth problems, good libido, (hubby is quite pleased), I am still not feeling like moving around much or sleeping good, but, I have hopes for others things helping.

[BrokenBladder]

Thanks so much for all of the replies. I think it's time for me to try something other than Elavil. I do need a boost as the CP issues are making me somewhat depressed.

Agian I really appreciate everyone being so open about their experiences.

[ErinENj]

Currently, I'm on wellbutrin. I think it's been about two years or so. It works pretty well I think. It hasn't helped me quit smoking, but it has helped a bit with the depression. I've been on others in the past, including Elavil, but I can't remember any of the others. I've had some success with the anti-depressives-used-to-treat-neurological-pain thing, but I really found that the Lyrica works best for me in that area. I was put on the wellbutrin after I reherniated my disks again. My surgeon, who I see once a year or less, came into the exam room, and the first words out of his mouth were, "Wow, you look so depressed! Are you currently on an antidepressant? You really should be. You just look so unhappy." I thanked him for that. The words No crap sherlock just jumped from my mouth. :rolleyes: So I was ordered to my pain doc to ask for some type of antidepressant. Yep, I was pretty unhappy with things at that time. But, things got better, thankfully.

I've been in therapy now, and have been for about two years now, maybe longer (I've been in therapy on and off for about 13 years, but it's been 2 with my current therapist). I see a woman who is actually an addiction doc, but also deals with patients who suffer from pain conditions. She's fantastic. I hate the very strict 'patient-doctor' thing, so she's perfect for me. It's more like going to see a friend who is a really great listener for lunch. We just sit on the porch on her office (which happens to be a house turned into a commercial place...it's got a fantastic wrap around porch that I love to use when it's nice enough) and chat. She doesn't really force me to talk about anything particular, just what's been going on with me, my concerns, etc. And it really helps. It's been fantastic being able to have someone to talk to who isn't my mom or friend, and someone I don't have to worry about worrying about me. I have her cell phone, just in case something happens in the two weeks between our appointments. And she's there for me, not for the money like other therapists I've been to. I went to see this guy twice whose office I left angrier than when I went in. Every week (yep, saw him once a week), he told me I'd have to change something major. Like, he expected me to completely quit smoking and have no cravings by the time I walked in there the next week. He told me everything I thought about my pain was wrong and that I was wrong feeling like I didn't deserve this, and that it had ruined my life (which I really felt at the time. Then, that was about all I really knew about my pain. It had just started, so I had no clue.). I would leave his office, go see my mom at her office, which were about a mile apart, and complain to her because I was so angry about what he would say to me. I figured that was a bad thing. So I ran into my current therapist through the idiot doc who was helping me get off of my meds before my pain returned after my third surgery. It was the only good thing that came out from seeing him was getting her name.

So I'm a big fan of the therapy and meds combination. Plus, I take valium and xanax for stressful things, like dentist appointments, epidurals, MRIs, my plane trip to and from Amsterdam, etc. But I try to keep them in reserve for when needed. They work really well with helping me to remain calm or relax my muscles, but aren't really for every day for me.

[BrokenBladder]

Thanks Erin for being so in depth about it. You just made me think of one of my biggest fears, finding a doctor that I can't stand!!

I guess I should be more open to trying but I know how hard it was to find the doctors I have now and I just can't imagaine going in and talking to someone about my personal feeling only to find out they're a jerk.

On the upside to this my urologist referred me to my rheumy and I love her to death. Now my rheumy has referred me to this doctor. Hopefully she likes him herself.

Thanks for the pep talk. I'm going to call first thing Monday morning and set up my first appointment.

[Smiling Angel]

Lisa, I have adult ADD, which actually was there all the while, but I was finally Dxed and started taking meds way back in 1992! I've been taking ADs ever since. Then, in 1999, came the MVA and the chronic pain. Now, I've got the pain meds, the AD, (I switched from Prozac and Wellbutrin to Zoloft and Wellbutrin only last year), the meds for blood pressure. Geez, what a wreck I am :rolleyes: .

I surely wouldn't want to stop the Zoloft now, that's for sure!

PS You've got mail!

[BrokenBladder]

Thanks Smiling Angel!! I got your mail and really appreciate it!!

Also thanks for sharing your AD experience.

[Jo6]

I take Wellbutrin and it has been very helpful. It didn't do a thing help get rid of the cigs., but other wise it has helped more than any other I have taken over the years.

I had Chronic migraine's, as in constantly. I started with the Elivel (sp?). took it a long time but didn't do a thing for the migraine's either.

I have taken many different AD's over the course of my life and very few helped with the pain in my spine and a pasel of other spinal problems.

the Wellbutrin helps with the depression. I still have the migraine's but not as often. My spinal problems are the beast of the day//////////after day, after day etc.!!
No help for the wicked;) I have an appointment with my PM tomorrow and I'm wondering if I need to change some of my meds. When you find yourself taking all of your break/thru meds and cutting back on the primary meds. something doesn't feel quiet right.

Didn't mean to say so much, but hurting like hell today I can hardly walk or sit. The AD is a God send especically on days like today. I don't feel bad about using them. To me it is just part of the head, body & soul in trying to feel the best I can. Sometimes a part of this is out of whack and that throws every thing into a spin. Some days are much better.

The whole body, that is what makes pain control possible. Jo