Generic Name: Nortriptyline for Neuralgia (nortriptyline)
Nortriptyline for Neuralgia Reviews
"I was diagnosed with trigeminal and occipital neuralgia. I was at my wit's end. Nothing was helping me, and no doctor could tell me what it was. Eventually, I stumbled upon a neurologist who prescribed nortriptyline at 10 mg a day for the first week, increasing to 20 mg thereafter. It knocked out severe neuralgia, 11 on a scale of 1 to 10! I also noticed that my undiagnosed, diffuse but intense joint pain began to lessen as well. I am now able to function like a normal human being again. I am very grateful for this medication."
"Only 10 mg daily replaced up to maximum doses of Excedrin (4x2 extra strength per day) that I had been relying on for decades. I do occasionally need to take a single Excedrin tab, but it is like once every two months! Nortriptyline feels like a magic pill due to the amount of pain it has removed from my life."
"I have suffered with atypical facial neuralgia for over 12 years and nothing but nothing has helped me like nortriptyline. I was prescribed this by a professor of Pain Management at Walton Hospital and I can honestly say he saved my life. It is a wonder pill that seems to work alone. Previously, I was on a cocktail of Tegretol, amitriptyline, and gabapentin which completely left me like a zombie. After being 'pain free' for 7 years, I began to wean myself off them but only recently the pain has begun to return so I'm going go back to the doctor for my script. Sometimes it's better to carry on taking the tablets even if you think the pain has gone as they cannot cure you, they merely mask the pain, which is good enough for me."
"For the last 10 years my fibromyalgia has gone downhill. This medicine has given me some of my life back. I had horrible pain in my neck and back, fatigue, not sleeping, migraines, nervous stomach, and several other problems. I was run through a battery of tests and no one could figure out why I was having all these problems. Finally, a doctor said it sounded like fibromyalgia. I was put on a small dose of nortriptyline (20mg) and within a week, I was feeling somewhat better. Within 2 weeks, I felt almost normal again. This medicine has changed my life. I can finally do the things I used to do. I still get migraines and sometimes feel unwell again, but it's not very often. I do get dry mouth a lot, but I can deal with that over feeling sick."
"I have been taking this for Idiopathic Small Fiber Sensory Neuropathy. Experienced chronic nerve and muscle pain shortly after a flu-like illness. Was diagnosed with late-stage neurological Lyme Disease by a naturopathic doctor. Neurologist disagreed and diagnosed me with idiopathic small fiber sensory neuropathy. After several MRIs, blood tests, antibiotics, muscle relaxers, gabapentin, a nerve conduction study, a spinal tap, acupuncture, and massage therapy sessions, this medicine has helped the most and with the least amount of side effects. Started at 10mg and slowly increased to 60mg over a six-week period. At 60mg into my eighth week, I sometimes feel underlying neuropathy. But I can function nearly as well as before the onset of all these problems. So far, so good."
Pamelor (nortriptyline) "28 years ago, a car on an overhead lift fell on me. After 5 years of recovery, I did pretty well. Then, it all fell apart 6 years ago. I ended up on lots of medicines, including Nortriptyline. My only comment is, try it. I use it for burning in my legs that feel like burning ice water running down my legs, and it really helps."
"I've been diagnosed with interstitial cystitis a little over a year ago. This chronic pain disease is a curse!! I tried so many different things to make the pain go away-natural methods (such as digestive enzymes, cranberry supplements, probiotics), the IC diet, the alkaline diet, and switching to all alkaline water. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, and my doctor told me to try 10 mg of Nortriptyline. It started working the very next day. I would say I'm 90% better. I still have minor flares before I go to bed if I'm stressed. My doctor told me to increase slowly to 50 mg, but I haven't needed to go up from 10 mg. I hope this works for the rest of my life because I can't go back to the way I was before this medicine. It honestly saved me."
"I was given nortriptyline to help with nerve symptoms with MS, along with depression. It has helped both drastically. I no longer get the tingles down my arm, shooting pains, burning sensations, and twitches, plus my overall mood is elevated."
"This medication was a godsend for my fibromyalgia. It works better than Savella, Lyrica, Effexor, or any of the other drugs I tried. I've been on it for over 10 years, but unfortunately, about five years ago, the side effects started to get a lot worse. Urinary retention is quite a plague to have in your life. A year ago, I also developed tinnitus. I have recently started weaning off, and the tinnitus and retention are improving. If it wasn't for the side effects increasing, this would be a perfect drug. It fixed my insomnia and gave me 8 perfect hours of sleep for the past 12 years. It also helps a lot with my nerve pain. It's not 100%, but compared to other drugs, it's top of class for me. I'm giving Trazodone and Ativan a try."
"Quick background about me - Female, 23, 5'8", 122 lbs. Started Nortriptyline for fibromyalgia and chronic pain. I started off at a low dose, 10 mg, increasing by 10 mg weekly. When I first started it, I was jolted with energy throughout the whole day (which was great because fibro has been causing so much fatigue), and I had a super dry mouth. The first couple of weeks... no other side effects, also was mildly helpful but not entirely. By the time I got to 60 mg, I was disassociating from my body, felt like I was going to crash my car when I drove it, dropped things, couldn't focus, couldn't speak without slurring my words, and I was extremely depressed... so I dropped down to 50 mg, and everything is great now. I am also starting Lyrica."
"Have been taking 10 mg a day to counter the effects of neuralgia following a severe attack of shingles. The medicine has given me complete freedom from pain, with no side effects except possibly ringing in one ear, which may, of course, be coincidental."
"10 mg completely took care of my persistent nerve pain. It took 6 weeks for the full resolution of the pain. I had an odd side effect – insomnia. I took the tablet at night as instructed and woke up 6–7 times a night and had weird dreams. Finally, after several weeks of it not improving, I decided to take the tablet in the morning. Now my sleep is perfect and I continue to take the tablet with breakfast. If it doesn't make you drowsy and interferes with your sleep, don't be afraid to take it in the morning (just try it out first before you have to drive/operate machinery). I also have ongoing reflux because of the med. As a bonus, nortriptyline has taken away the debilitating pain I used to have if I ate certain foods (I have IBS). Thanks to this drug I've been able to eat foods I thought I'd never eat again, with no/minimal discomfort. Period pain is managed also."
"This did the job in removing nerve pain (50 mg), but I couldn't sleep because I was hyper. Wild dreams, sweats, and constantly waking. Being hyper was super in the day as it completely removed my severe fatigue. Dropped to half dose (25 mg) to see if it helped. The hyperness continued unfortunately, though less, but the nerve pain also returned, though not as severe. Other side effects that are a little worrying: Woke one morning with massive pain in one eye/side of head unlike anything I've had before. Scary. Also, a constant eye tic has developed, plus a constant weird dizzy ringing feeling in the head and vertigo when standing. I'm thinking of stopping, though love the extra energy and effect on nerve pain."
"Started taking nortriptyline in 2004 for neuropathic pain, primarily in my legs. Tried Cymbalta when it came out in 2006 since it stated helpful with neuropathic pain. It didn't work; the hives, itching, tingling, and burning all returned. Back on the nortriptyline; my doctor allows me to vary my dosage from 50-80 mg depending on how my neuropathy is doing. Very noticeable difference when I lower it; thinking I could get by with less because feeling better. 80 mg seems to work very well for me."
"Went to rheumatologist for fibromyalgia symptoms and he prescribed Pamelor to help me sleep. ? He prescribed nothing for pain as he told me my fibromyalgia was very mild. I think the doctor was a quack! I took it twice and both nights I was up all night and completely zonked in the morning. Only 10mgs and this stuff made me foggier than fibro fog. It was horrible. Do not recommend."
"40yr old female, had head trauma after an incident with my ceiling fan one evening making the upper bunk of my daughters bed. Felt like being hit with a concrete block. Over a year later I’ve had pain in left shoulder, neck and arm. Neuropathy in my fingers. Headaches on the back of my head. Saw a Neurologist and he started me on 10mg. Been only a week and most of the pain is gone. Sleep not so good but no pain."
"Even though I had lots of side effects from this medication, including oversleeping, daytime fatigue, and nausea, it still helped me get a decent night's sleep and helped with the nerve pain when combined with Cymbalta. I'm taking a lower dose (50 mg), and as time goes by, the side effects are lessening."
"This medicine worked amazing for my Trigeminal Neuralgia, depression and migraine prevention however I had to go off of it because I had weight gain and severe constipation. I'm starting on 400mg of Magnesium Oxide and 400mg Vitamin B2 as recommended by my neurologist for migraine prevention now and going to also try lowest dose of Topamax."
"I'm giving this a 5/10, because at 75 mg daily, it did relieve headaches that were at 7/10 on a 10/10 pain scale. However, I had to go off it, due to a rare side effect, that my neurologist hadn't even seen, called Serotonin syndrome. It's something to watch out for. I'm on gabapentin now for neuralgia and neuropathic pain."
"I was in a car accident and ended up with "occipital neuralgia", painful headaches behind the eye. 10 mg Nortriptyline helped me and I am sensitive to meds, so I told doctor start me off at a low dose I have been on this drug 10 mg about 4 months and it has help my headaches, enhanced my healing and have been able to sleep. I give it a thumbs up. It worked for the short time I needed it."
"After decades of hospital stays, painful tests, and hundreds of sick days; I finally found a GI doctor (nurse practitioner, actually) who was dedicated to diagnosing and treating my abdominal issues. I had severe abdominal attacks that would occur at completely random times, but cause debilitating pain. I'd have pain that was 1000x worse than natural childbirth, but all tests showed there was nothing wrong. Every episode would be worse than the last and progressed over the years. I tried journaling, diet changes, activity changes - and nothing seemed to help. After six months of not being able to eat solid food in my last episode, my doctor decided to try nortriptyline - and in two doses I started to feel better. After a few days, I was able to eat! This $5 per month prescription changed my life and has been working effectively for the last 18 months. Because the nortriptyline worked, they were able to diagnose me (Centrally Mediated Abdominal Pain Syndrome) and I've been able to move on with my life."
"I was given this medication for diagnosis of Raeders Paratrigeminal Neuralgia. Before I began this medication I had severe migraine headaches daily, facial twitching and eye drooping, amnesia, and blurred vision to the point of not driving. After taking the medication for two weeks, all of my symptoms have ceased. Side effects have been small hives and constipation."
"I have suffered from nerve pain in my lower extremities, i.e. rectum, buttocks, perineum. Also have numbness in these areas. I have tried gabapentin, lyrica, cymbalta, xanax, amitriptyline, all with no success. I have been on nortriptyline for 7-8 weeks, 50 mg currently. I have not noticed any improvement. Just trying to be patient and hopefully get some relief. Also, no side effects."
Pamelor (nortriptyline) "Really good and old prescription medicine. Helped my neuralgia a great deal with no side effects."
"I have chronic back and nerve pain. This medicine nortriptyline curtailed my nerve pain and back itching that made it difficult to sleep. Also assisted with longer, deeper sleep."
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