Changing from Effexor to Amitryptiline???

[fairyqueen]

Hi guys - I was just wondering if anyone has any experience of either of these anti D's? I've been on Effexor XR for roughly 7 weeks and hadnt been feeling a huge improvement so I asked my GP to prescribe Amitryptiline which was recommended by a friend as I also have chronic back pain and this apparenty is good for pain aswell! However - over the last few days I have felt a lift in my mood and havent needed to take any Xannax for panic. So now I'm thinking maybe the Effexor hae kicked in and i should stick with it for another while! I cant see my doctor til the end of the month so I'm a bit unsure what to do. Any advice would be very welcome!

[KK77]

Can you not make an emergency appointment - even a phone consultation? Amitriptyline and Venlafaxine are very different meds so I really think you would need to discuss this.

Personally, I've taken Amitriptyline before and have found it useful at low doses for chronic pain (I have fibromyagia). I've never taken Venlafaxine before so have no personal experience of it - although it seems to have helped many people where other meds have failed.

Hope you sort it out.

[fairyqueen]

Thanks for the reply melancholia - I have to bring my daughter in for her MMR next week so I can have a chat with the GP then. I did talk to her over the phone and she was telling me that Amitryptiline can make you extemely drowsy and as I have young children that would be a concern for her. She also mentioned that taken in high doses it can affect the function of your heart - I had heart surgery as a child so this worried me a bit even tho my heart is prefectly fine now! TBH I think I'm talking myself out of changing meds lol! Maybe I didnt give the Effexor long enough to work. Did you find you were very drowsy with Amitryptiline? How are you doing now? Well I hope!

[KK77]

Amitriptyline did make me very drowsy and I stopped mainly cos of that tbh. I wouldn't have thought it'd be the right choice for you due to your past medical history but have another chat about it anyway.

You do need to give meds a few months to work fully I find. I take sertraline and that took ages to kick in.

My advice would be to stick to the venlafaxine a while longer and see if it makes a difference. Also, chopping and changing meds is very disruptive to your system so bear that mind too.

I'm doing fine now thanks. Been on meds for nearly a year (I take pregabalin for the pain now) and feel much better...

[fairyqueen]

i think you're right Mel - I will stick with the Effexor for another while the thoughts of having to endure side effects from new meds would be just too much for me right now! I think my friend that recommended the Amirtryptiline is experiencing insomnia and thats why she's on them. My problem is lack of energy so I really dont want to be sleeping any mroe than i already am - especially with 2 young children to take care of! I'm glad to read you are doing better - Setraline was one of the ones that didnt work out for me - Well I think they were if they are also under the name of lustral?

[daydreamer]

Hi. I know most docs say you should feel a change in anxiety levels after 6 weeks but I have always found it more like 10 weeks when I have used meds before. Having said that if you are more anxious after 6 weeks than when you started thats usually a good indication that a med is not the one for you! good luck x

[fairyqueen]

Thanks Daydreamer - i have only recently started self harming I'm ashamed to say - its not something i expected to start doing at 31 years of age! I kinda thought your 30's were a time when you had it all together! I self harmed again today so it seems the effexor arent working for me. i think I will give the ami a go - I just hope I wont be drowsy on them. Are you completely off meds now? How are you doing? Well I hope! :)

[sezios]

I'm interested to know what strength Amitriptyline any of you have been prescribed - if thats OK, please!

[KK77]

I self harmed again today so it seems the effexor arent working for me. i think I will give the ami a go - I just hope I wont be drowsy on them.

Sorry to hear that Fairy. Good luck with it and let us know how you get on.

[fairyqueen]

Thanks Melanchia will do! :)

H Sezois - i have been prescribed 75mgs to start with but will be taking 25mgs for the 1st week 50mgs for the 2nd and so on. The GP said she may have to increase the strength depending on how i get on.

[daydreamer]

Hi Fairyqueen,


I wish you success with them, please let us know how you get on. Have you told your doctor about the self harming? maybe they can offer you some therapy?

oh and are you going to come off the effexor before you start the Ami? how has your doc told you to change meds?

[fairyqueen]

I started SH-ing the day before I started Effexor so i cant really blame the meds but I do feel more amxious on Effexor and I would have thought after 2 months that would have gone away by now! The GP said i can stop the Effexor and go straight on to the ami - I wont be able to collect the script til the w/e so will be starting on Sat, myabe I should stop the effexor n the meantime???

[fairyqueen]

Btw - i did have some counselling with the community mental health nurse last year but I had reported a family member for abusing my nephew and the whole family fell out with me so most of the counselling revolved around that and not the PND or anxiety. I do need to go again but at E120 p/h i cant really afford it at the moment.

[daydreamer]

maybe you could ring the docs tomorrow and just ask them or go into your local pharmacy and ask a pharmacist? they should be able to reassure you. :)

[fairyqueen]

Sorry daydreamer - my post sounded misleading -I have already reduced down to the lowest dose over the last week so the GP was saying thats its ok to to change to the lowest dose of ami and increase the dose gadually!

[daydreamer]

oh thats good, I got a bit worried thinking you were just going to do a straight swap! I hope it works out well for you and let us know how you get on.

[sezios]

Thanks Fairyqueen, I've been prescribed 25mg too.