Phew! The Amitriptyline was rough and per the pharmacist and neurologist, continuing on that path wasn’t an option. And so we made the move to Nortriptyline. I figure the first 24 hours on the Nortriptyline is a scratch since the Ami was still coursing through my system. Sleep was elusive though I was relaxed to the point where I couldn’t reach out with my mind and feel my limbs.
Day 2 (begins at night when I take it): Fell asleep. Given that I was exhausted, I wasn’t surprised. But at midnight, I was bright-eyed, bushy-tailed. I was conscious but fully numb. Though I wasn’t sleeping, irrational thoughts played through my head - like ‘if I can just come up with the right combination of images in my head, I’ll be able to fall asleep.’
I was awake until the alarm went off, at which point, I calmly got up and went about my chores for the day. Today, there’s no headache and my spine isn’t twisted in knots.
Pharmacist friend says that it’s possible I’m experiencing anxiety due to the numb/floaty feeling the Nortriptyline causes. “If this is the case, give it a few more days to see if you get used to it. Fifty milligrams should be enough to knock you out.”
I couldn’t sleep on ami for the first week; give it some time. I had it like you, got quite tired, but it was as if the mechanism in the brain that made the switch from awake to sleep had been turned off. I also kept thinking about finding the right imagery lol.
How much are you taking? You mentioned 50 mgs - is that the amount you are on?
I’m having terrible insomnia problems on 10mgs and have cut back to taking it every other day. I wake at 11:30 and am wide awake until 3 or so. I’m wondering (based on your pharmacist’s remark) if things might get better if I increased my dose, though I don’t dare try at this point. The last few nights have been better for me, but also, I have been taking either valium or meclizine every other day for the last few so that may explain why I am sleeping better.
Sounds like it is doing something positive for you if you have no headache and you spine is better. I’m interested in hearing updates from you as to how you are doing on this. I know you have probably mentionted this in another post but I can’t remember - have you been nort before or is this your first time?
Did you just jump right in with taking 50 mg of the nort? I also wonder if you are experiencing some effect from stopping Trazodone so abruptly as well? What do you think?
I think for a lot of the MAV drugs, and certainly the different anti-depressants there is a “settling in” period of 2-3 weeks. I’d say try not to focus on or analyse too much all these side effects - it will just make you second guess that every twinge, thought, upset or whatever is all related to the new drug. Which it may well be, but you know - if you can push through the settling in period then who cares right?
I had bad nightmares the first 2-3 weeks (really, really nasty bad) on Prothiaden. As I felt so crap anyway it was just one more piece of crap to add to the mix. Then, as the drug and I settled in together the side effects started to move out and the good anti MAV feelings started to move in. Happy days.
To answer some questions:
Pharmacist didn’t think taking me off Trazodone would present any side-effects but whose to say, right?
Started me on 25 mg but was told to increase if sleep didn’t come. After a few hours, I took the second one on that first night. I went back down to 25 last night per pharmacist recommendation.
Right now - I feel stoned. It’s that simple. My mind isn’t functioning at peak. I’m working on year end stuff today and can’t put my thoughts on paper. It’s awful. Keeping attention fixed on any one thing means more confusion.
On Ami, I got the jitters. I began to sweat. Heart rate rose as did blood pressure. My emotions were scary, all over the place. I can’t imagine having gone on for more than the couple of days that I was on them.
Nortrip seems to be a little gentler. I just want my brain back.
On the positive side - no head pain and my back isn’t killing me.
I’ve been on nortriptyline for a while now. I’m surprised if they didn’t start you off at a really low dose - like 10 mg. Then increase from there as long as you can tolerate the side effects.
I’ve never tried ami, but my neuro told me it’s an option to switch for me since the nort isn’t helping as much, and in her experience ami works better for MAV. I’m scared of the side effects from ami, since they are supposed to be more severe.
I’ve been on nortriptyline for a while now. I’m surprised if they didn’t start you off at a really low dose - like 10 mg. Then increase from there as long as you can tolerate the side effects.
I’ve never tried ami, but my neuro told me it’s an option to switch for me since the nort isn’t helping as much, and in her experience ami works better for MAV. I’m scared of the side effects from ami, since they are supposed to be more severe.
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Here’s to me adjusting to the 25mg. The effects of my last dose (last night) wore off at about 2pm. I may start taking it earlier rather than right before bed, too.
Here’s to me adjusting to the 25mg. The effects of my last dose (last night) wore off at about 2pm. I may start taking it earlier rather than right before bed, too.
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Marie, initially I was taking mine at 7 or 8 PM but am now taking it at 10-11 AM in the hopes of getting a better sleep.
I know what you mean about those images your first few nights. I had those at the start also when I woke up at 11:30. It was so weird. Words kept floating by, pictures would pop into my head. I also had a lot of strange, strange dreams (which I kind of liked), and fortunately for me no nightmares.
MJ - I am quite confused by your posts. this is a forum for people with migraine associated Dizziness, and I have heard little mention of you battling dizziness. you have spoken about fatigue, exhaustion, insomnia, mood changes (including mania), cognitive issues, etc., with little to no mention of dizziness. Don’t get me wrong - I am terribly exhausted from this illness, but my foremost concern is my disabling dizziness. you have also posted about the effects of nortriptyline after only being on it for 2 days. I have been to many doctors and am well informed about this disorder, and medication does NOT work overnight. It takes time to get to a therapeutic dose and then weeks of being on a therapeutic dose to see any progress in symptoms. At only Day 2, you should only be expecting side effects, not improvement of symptoms. I would like you to get the appropriate help, and sometimes i’m not sure that MAV is an accurate diagnosis for you. I wish you well, and hope that you are being led in the correct direction.
I was actually thinking along similar lines as Lisa with many of your posts. I too suffer from dizziness 24/7 and many of your posts do not seem to fit along the lines of MAV. I am wondering if maybe you are not being treated for the right condition? I really want to see you get better and as a physician myself I know that sometimes the hardest part is getting the right diagnosis. Just a thought. I wish you well and I hope you adjust to the new meds okay. With MAV, starting at a very low and going very slow is normally the best way to give each med a good chance of working.
I was actually thinking along similar lines as Lisa with many of your posts. I too suffer from dizziness 24/7 and many of your posts do not seem to fit along the lines of MAV. I am wondering if maybe you are not being treated for the right condition? I really want to see you get better and as a physician myself I know that sometimes the hardest part is getting the right diagnosis. Just a thought. I wish you well and I hope you adjust to the new meds okay. With MAV, starting at a very low and going very slow is normally the best way to give each med a good chance of working.
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LOL…You mean you’ve already forgotten my first 100 or so posts? I’ve been living with dizziness for a pretty long time. MAV was diagnosed after an attack I had in June. Though many of my symptoms were linked to Unilateral Vestibular Loss, I was also experiencing flashing lights, constant noise in my ears (apart from Tinnitus), photophobia, phonophobia, some pretty fantastic auras, nausea, and a host of other symptoms. Lights and sound increased my dizziness to the point where it became difficult to function. I doubt I’ll ever be able to walk down the center of a hallway where fluorescent lights are in use, even with the Ritalin (which otherwise does wonders in controlling the dizziness and exhaustion).
If I’m not mentioning my dizziness as much as I used to, it’s because for now, it’s not my primary or most debilitating symptom. Lately, I’ve been experiencing frequent head pain which is new.
As for my posts on the Nortrip…I’m not expecting anything to work overnight - and where is this coming from? What I’m posting are some of the symptoms I’m experiencing, keeping a record and asking if what I’m feeling is actually what other people experience. Yes - I was on Ami for 2 days, the symptoms weren’t acceptable, and the doctor concurred.
I’m having trouble dealing with the change in meds. I understand that there’s an adjustment period and we must push through and I’m trying. The feeling reminds me alot of the brain-fog I experienced during my worst days following the attack in June. It takes alot of concentration to see through it. Tell me again how this is normal?