I need some help! I have been diagnosed with MAV by Linda Luxon at Queen’s square, London. I started amitriptyline 3.5 weeks ago. It did absolutely nothing for my main symptom of 24/7 rocking and disequilibrium, but perhaps slightly dampened down the intermittent throbbing ear pain that I was experiencing. But in giving with one hand, it immediately took away with the other in the form of nasty side-effects such as breathlessness, swollen face and others. I did titrate up pretty quickly: from 25mg to 50mg to 62.5mg, but this was on doctor’s orders.
Prof Luxon suggested I switch to nortriptyline to see if I tolerated it any better. I Took my first tablets last night (also 62.5mg) and I now have a sensation which I can only equate to my head being electrified (not a dull headache pain but an intense tingling pain).
Getting to the point, with regard to those of you who have ultimately experienced relief, did you really have a long period of no improvement at all, and then begin to notice it, or was there always a gradual improvement over the entire period of taking the drug. MAV has ruined my life, I am depressed, about to take some time off work (I just couldn’t cope) and It is incredibly dispiriting to endure day after day of hideous worsening of symptoms in the hope that the drug may begin to work at some future point in time. If I felt even the slightest bit of improvement it would at least give me something to hang on to, but I feel horrendous and cannot work out whether I should just try to change drugs. I know that 3.5 weeks is not long enough for trialling a drug, but that begs the question of whether I should at least have noticed some improvement (however tiny) if the drug is one which will ultimately help me.
I hope that all makes sense and would really appreciate your thoughts
I am in about the same position as you…except on noritryptyline for almost two months and then, per doctor’s suggestion, switched to amnitryptyline. I am trying to keep up the hope for I have been at 50 Mgs for almost a month and still suffering daily. All I can say is keep trying. Does anyone have a story of this particular med taking months to see a good result ? I think we could both use that right now.
I have taken nortriptyline for over a month now. First I was at 25 mgs, then went to 50 mgs, then again reduced to 12.5 mgs. I did not get any side effects from this med. It is much less troublesome than Amitriptyline(of which it is a metabolite). However I took it for neuropathic pain of eyes not migraine. You perhaps titrated up too fast.
I took amitrip for three months and it did nothing for my migraine. I got up to 50mg and stopped at that based on the BNF guidelines. I thought I didn’t have any side effects from it apart from the drowsiness which I could tolerate but after a month of taking it, my periods stopped and didn’t restart till I came off this med. I gave up on meds after this and have just tolerated my symptoms for the last 3 months. I may try something else but not yet…
i’m on nort - was told to increase at 10mg each month. Currently on 60mg and doing ok. Have been good at 40mg too. You possibly increased too quickly? i think with the drugs its a case of baby steps.
My side effects were dry mouth and sleepiness but both have gone after about 3 weeks.
HTH
hi probably took me a few months - but everyone is different, its a question of going up each month then seeing how you feel once the side effects wear off - doesnt seem to be a quick fix, but i have been taking nort for about 18m now and generally it seems to be a good drug for me.