Endep/Elavil

[danno]

Just wanted to post about the difference I've noticed since starting Elavil four months ago (30 mg a day). Am deeply thankful to the doctor who prescribed it because the treatment has really changed my life. It did take about four or five weeks to begin to work, and there was a lot of drowsiness initially, but since then things have just got better and better. my chronic testicular pain has effectively vanished - which is amazing because it was quite severe. I still have some pelvic discomfort but nothing compared to how it was. I have also noticed that my libido has improved, with better erections and much better orgasms (the way they used to be). Thank God.
I now want to incorporate some phytonutrient supplements into my treatment and get back into streching and swimming to get really well. Also want to get a copy of a headache in the pelvis to show to my physio.
Good luck all,
Dan

[bti20]

I have found Elavil (or amitryptiline) to be very useful. I have also found it to take up to a couple of months to work. I must admit that in the past I have viewed the idea of a drug taking months to work with quite a lot of scepticism. However, from two stints on this drug, both times I have noticed that the pain levels do not drop until I have been taking it for a significant amount of time. When the pain levels do drop, it really is quite dramatic. It's not as if you don't still feel as if you have chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome - you do, so I would call it a cure - but the pain just gets QUITE A BIT LESS SEVERE. Having had a gap between the two stints I was on Elavil (I stopped taking it in order to be drug-free for an operation), I also noticed that the pain came back about a week after I stopped taking it. I couldn't believe how dramatic the deterioration was. Knowing it to be so effective, I have been tempted to up my dosage from 25mg to maybe 50mg or even beyond. However, I find that at 50mg it causes an annoyingly dry mouth, so I have stayed at 25mg. Very useful drug though.

[webslave]

Elavil is a mast cell protector, a muscle relaxant, and subdues nerve pain.

Uro comment: Most people would start a patient on 25 mg of Elavil (the yellow tablet) once in the evening at bedtime. This knocks some people out even the half tablet. So, I would rather start them at half a BLUE tablet - Elavil 10 mg - i.e. I'd give half a blue tablet (5 mg) at bedtime for a week so that the patient can get used to the side effects. Remember, Elavil causes constipation and this is a NASTY thing in CP/CPPS-ers most of whom already have constipation and IBS. Slow titration (real slow) allows the gut to get used to constipation. All reading this, of course, should check with their doctor. Individual differences exist.