Nortriptyline........a scary decision...

moonlight · Post by **moonlight** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 8:04 pm

I am paranoid about taking medication for anything, anyhow at the moment have sciatica down my left leg and its excruciating, rls is like electric shocks up my legs staying still is very hard (acupuncture is helping , not been for a while) and my mood is horribly low has been since christmas day.

Enough's enough no pain meds are helping so have agreed to take nortriptyline for the pain and if I react ok and do not go manic due to being bipolar increase the dose to be effective for my mood.
Am scared but need to try this ...but will it make my rls worse?? does anyone know.
This is a really big step for me to try
moonlight

I don't even want to think of the extremely long list of potential side effects

Post by **Polar Bear** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:41 pm

Moonlight, Sorry things are so bad for you at present.

As we know, not all medications affect everyone in the same way.

For instance, when my GP wanted to prescribe an anti depressant for low mood I was not happy about how it might affect my rls. Who wouldn't have a low mood with symptoms 24/7 which take a bucketload of meds to calm them and with very little sleep. I asked for Wellbrutin which is reckoned to be rls friendly but it is not available here in the UK. Actually it is, but not for depression!!

Also, he had suggested that I take amnitryptiline (an AD) as a sleep aid but again I wouldn't take it as it is said to be one of the worst ADs for rls symptoms.

Eventually I took Citalopram (an AD), although it does not help with sleep. Also I only take it at a very low dose as it can interact with tramadol which I take for rls.

That was in May 2010 and I believe there has been no side affect from the AD with regard to my rls symptoms. I cannot be 100% certain as my rls symptoms are quite severe anyway but certainly the benefit gained has been worthwhile.

What I am trying to say is that not every so called 'negative' medication will be negative. Unfortunately no one knows until they have tried it, which is a bit of a bummer....

moonlight · Post by **moonlight** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 10:54 am

Hi Polar Bear...I understand what you mean ....it can be different for each person, amitryptiline is a no no for me as I reacted badly to it mentally.
I went ahead last night and tried the nortryptiline and thru the night the rls went into overdrive and I couldn't bear anything touching me this morning my anxiety is thru the roof but am scared to take my anxiety meds on top so will persevere thru today.

It may have just been coincidence or cos it's in my mind of what may happen
I don't know , am going to continue for two weeks and see what happens unless things get too bad

But I really don't want another night like last night

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 5:41 am

Oh, so sorry to hear you had a bad first night. And the anxiety? Ooooo, I hate that.

Hope tonight is better.

moonlight · Post by **moonlight** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 4:26 pm

I had another night like the first, 4am up rls in overdrive and hating anything touching me ...I got back to sleep after a bit and woke at 9am .But all day rls has come and gone,have a horrible tiredness , no energy and a weird headache . I hope this is just cos i've never had these meds before....but it is helping the pain a bit and I did'nt have the anxiety.

I live in hope

moonlight · Post by **moonlight** » Fri Mar 04, 2011 9:12 pm

Hi well the nortriityline did not last long it deffo put the rls into mega crazy mode and made my tinnitus louder aaarrggh it's horrible.