Well To answer your question Im on Amytriptyline due to cramping and burning pain in stomach and back due to a syrinx. I cut a 50 mg pill in half and take it at bedtime. Ive been taking it for over four years and my gut has expanded, which at this point isnt a big problem, but it could be in the future. Im almost at the 12 yr point of my injury and my health has help out well except for the syrinx and pain from it. I think its comical how these docs prescribe us all these medications and act like they dont know about the side effects like weight gain. I understand that side affects differ from person to person but over and over you find that the amy causes weight gain. Instead of getting us accustomed to a medication that blows us up like a blimp, why cant they steer us towards a med that is known to cause weight loss or nothing in most? I know....that would be to easy.........make the paralyzed person find out for themselves, lol.. ron c7
--- On Wed, 10/28/09, Lori Michaelson <[email protected]> wrote: From: Lori Michaelson <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] Amytriptyline To: "RONALD L PRACHT" <[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 1:31 PM I have been on Amitryptiline (50 mg at bedtime) since the summer of 1995. I did not notice any significant weight gain but, without changing anything, over two years later I began having a bloating period - thus looking fat all over. Chubby face, thick neck, and really bad swelling. That lasted about 3 years but it happened so gradually that people I saw every day never noticed. In fact, *I* did not even notice until we moved out here to Arizona and I started losing weight after being in bed with a severe wound for six months. Then, looking back at photographs of me - I looked like a different person! I could not figure out why I always lose weight when I am in bed month after month (since that's happened to me 3 times now in 9 years) and shortly after we moved to Arizona I got a very very very bad wound (initiated or originally caused by yeast) and was bedridden the first six months we were here. And I never got that "bloated" look back. Thank God! Anyway, semi-recently I mentioned (to my current home health agency nurse) how I always lose weight when I am bedridden for months - she mentioned that wounds burn calories. I will buy some of that statement. And, in sum, I weigh a little bit more than I would like to but that is a female thing and I am staying at a pretty good weight for my height and having to sit all the time. I have always been "hippy" but got more so in my 30s and 40s. I am now 45 and I would prefer not to have a quad belly and hips that hang over the side of the chair just a little bit - but not much I can do because I eat so very little, etc and my hips are actually bony enough to get red if I am on my side too long. I used to be on a list for those people who have the congenital form of syringomyelia and probably at least 90% of them are on Amitriptyline (Elavil) and practically all of them complained about significant weight gain. So, it certainly is or has been renowned for contributing to weight gain directly. I have tried to get off of it but have noticed my pain worsened and my sleep interrupted - both of those badly. Because of that I am still on 50mg at bedtime. At one point I dropped down to 25 mg (early 1997) and did not notice any difference but that is not the case now. :-( I may try again in the future though. Trying to tackle one problem at a time here now. You did not mention what you were taking Amitrip for to offer alternatives? Pain? I was originally put on it for pain and spasticity and then just stayed on it. Lori On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 3:53 PM, RONALD L PRACHT <[email protected]> wrote: If Im on 25 mg of Amytriptyline at night is that enough for significant weight gain? Does anyone know any alternatives to this drug that doesnt have the weight gain effect? What about topamax? ron pracht c7 -- Lori Age - 45 C4/5 complete quad, nearly 30 years post Tucson, AZ
