I got it today from my tmj headache /pain specialist dr.He said he doubted if it would work but agreed to let me try it.My question is why would an antidepressant like amytriptyline work to suppress balance/dizziness? I am not really depressed but was desparate to try anything to help,I have been like this for 2 yrs. By the way my dr. did not even know what MAV was!Hoping this will help how long could it possibly take to work?
Hi Lucy, I’m doing the same as you right now, my PCP agreed to let me try AMI and see what happens. I’ve been on it about 5 weeks. Probably the first week I did notice an improvement with my concentration and mental clarity and I wasn’t as stressed out as I was normally. The improvement to the dizziness has been minimal it’s hard to explain. It feels like the AMI is masking the imbalance feeling I have, like it’s there in the background if that makes and sense. I do have a history of Migraines, although few 5 or 6 in my whole life (I’m 45 years old). This is why mt PCP agreed to try AMI because I awoke with a Migraine recently and I was in real bad shape all day, very dizzy along with the headache. I’ve been battling this condition for 3 years. Do you have Migraines too? How about neck pain? I’ve had awful neck pain recently as well.
I never get headaches. I always feel a little lightheaded like I drank half a beer,also ears are clogged and pressure throughout my head though at a tolerable level.I also have slight imbalance/swaying feeling though I have been like this for over 2 years and I have come to tolerate it a little better.No, I have no neck pain either. I took the Amy once and it made me very tired at work and I broke 2 wine glasses which I never do, I havent taken it since although I know I need to give it another try again. I went to a well repected neurotologist in La Jolla and he told me my Dix hallpike was off a little and I might benefit from rehab, which I tried and it did not help. I have given up on doctors,I am trying to heal myself. I read that book Heal your Headache and I would like to try the headache diet.Let me know if you think that amy is really helping you.
Hi Lucy, I have been taking 60mg of Amytriptyline for 3 years + (very reluctantly at first). It took at least a month to have any effect. It doesn’t work for everyone but in my case it stopped the majority of migraines which seem to be the cause of my balance problems. I slowly built up from 10mg over the month, 50-60mg is just a maintenance dose, the way I look at it is that I am just taking it to take advantage of the side effect that helps stop migraines. I have been getting migraines for years without recognising what they were until I started getting the visual disturbance. I also do a lot of exercises to help me overcome my balance problems, I’m thinking of putting my exercise experience on paper as it may help others, let me know if you would like a copy when I have done it. Good luck, Rob. :roll:
I’m currently on 25 mg a night, maybe I need to increase my dosage. I’m hoping when I see my new Neurologist in a few weeks I can get his opinion on a MAV diagnosis and dosage.
Let us know what your dr says skip. And yes Rob I would like a copy of your experience with exercises. Funny none of the exercises my rehab therapist did ever helped. Gee 60mg sure seems like a lot to take I was only on 10mg.
Hi again Lucy, If you were really depressed you would be taking 75mg as a starting dose and building up from that, I have not had to increase my 60mg dose for nearly three years now, don’t worry about the stigma (I understand this and if it comes up I am taking tablets to prevent migraines) many people are taking them for back pain. There is no substitute for a proper diagnosis, over the last 23 years I have had so many tests and examinations, from brain scans to having hot and cold water pumped into my ears, and worst of all spinning on a chair in the dark with sensors on my eye muscles and a lumber puncture for a MS diagnoses. I know what I don’t have which helps a lot when you feel so bad. What I do have is a greatly reduced balance system in one ear and resulting eye muscle problems. The Doctors said that I should be able to compensate for it and I sort of did until a few years ago when I started getting recognisable migrains. Anyway I will let you and others know when I have put my exercises experience on paper. Good luck Rob :roll:
I take Ami with a beta blocker (Toprol XL) and have seen improvments in my condition over the past 4 months. Do I still have MAV? Yes, but my symptoms are less severe and I seem to have less frequent attacks.
Are any of you on both meds?
I only took ami once and I broke 2 glasses at work I am kinda afraid to take it I may try the headache diet first…after the holidays that is!
Lucy, I’m sorry to hear that. For me, the first day of taking Ami was pretty bad. I was just SO sleepy. But, the second day I was less sleepy. And the third day I was fine. The same thing happened when I upped my dosage. The first day was the worst. I’m not sure if that is the case with everyone, but by the third day I was used to it.
For my MAV, I’m also following the 123 Migraine diet of Buchold’s. It is not that hard once you get over the initial “But I WANT cheese, chocolate, wine, onions” etc feelings. I’ve been on it since June and I’ve discovered that sour cream is a big trigger for me. Some of the things on the list I’ve found that I can eat a little of, but not a lot of or I start to feel bad again.
(Sorry, I know part of this thread is about a diff. topic!)