Does anyone take, now or in the past, amitriptyline (Elavil)? I'm waiting for a response from my doctor to an issue I had last night. -- (edited)
|
I'd been taking duloxetine (Cymbalta) as a replacement for another drug that was causing me problems. After a few months I knew the duloxetine was not the solution because of side effects. I saw the doctor a couple days ago and he switched me to amitriptyline. The pharmacist warned that it caused severe drowsiness and that I should take it at bedtime (which is what the doctor prescribed but he didn't mention drowsiness). She said to be careful if I got up in the middle of the night.
The first night I nodded off pretty quickly (which I do anyway) and woke up once to pee. Was able to maneuver without a problem. When I got up later I was a little groggy but it passed pretty quickly - like I'd overslept a little.
Took the second dose last night. Got drowsy (I was sitting up in bed) and had Alexa turn off the lights. Almost immediately after I stretched out my body my feet started feeling weird then I was getting rushes up my legs. I also have restless leg syndrome and the doctor took me off a med for that because the new one would also treat the RLS. But I didn't drop off to sleep. I tossed and turned for several minutes then laid on my back, trying to shake the weird feeling from my feet (who knows, it could work).
Then I became possessed. You know those big air-driven gumby-like things that you see along the road, with the arms going all over the place? That was me. All night. Sometimes my arms moved like I was boxing, sometimes like I was just shaking them out, but mostly just punching the air, each arm going in a different direction
I tried changing positions. I couldn't restrict an arm by laying on it because it still convulsed and it felt like the elbow wanted to bend the wrong way.
I took the pill at 10. Around 2 I got up, went to bathroom, and walked around upstairs a bit. The arms calmed down as soon as I got out of bed.
Went back to bed. It started up almost immediately. Sat on the edge of the bed. Didn't help. Thought I would throw myself to the floor.
Got up again and drank some water (it's about 3:30 now). That seemed to calm the arms down. Laid back down and maybe slept for a few minutes when the arms started flailing around again.
Got up and went to another room. The arms were OK. Made coffee and sat at my desk. Still OK. By 5 I was nodding off, despite the coffee, so went back to bed. My left arm started up. Argh!!!
Sat up in bed, finally nodding off sitting there, arms not moving. At some point I laid down and my right arm started up. The movements weren't as forceful when just one arm was moving.
Got up again. Sat at my desk and researched. drugs.com has a long list of possible side effects including "muscle spasm or jerking of all extremities." OK then. Why last night and not the night before? Did I need more in my system for the side effect to kick in?
Note, I don't take this for depression which is it's main purpose. Like many drugs these days it has multiple uses, like treating restless leg syndrome and pain from various diseases.
So now I know what it's like to be possessed. If I were in colonial New England I would have been branded demon-possessed or a witch. I had absolutely no control over my arms unless I was standing or sitting. I liken it to an electical charge building up and releasing. My upper arms near the shoulder are a bit sore. It was the freakiest experience I've ever had. And very scary, too.
So, anyone have a similar experience?
|
Responses:
|
