anti-depressants and pain

Anyone had luck with any anti-depressants and "modulating" pain, as the MD puts it? Especially the newer ones, like Cymbalta?

What were your experiences? If you took them for depression, which had the least side effects, which helped?

I hate side effects. They don't stay on the "side" , the usually are at the forefront.

I hate side effects. They don't stay on the "side" , the usually are at the forefront.

lol

Casey wrote:?

I hate side effects. They don't stay on the "side" , the usually are at the forefront.

lol...love that!!

I have tried a slew of AntiDepressants for M. Never for Depression (as I have never been dx'd w/ Depression). I would name them all but I have a doozy and therefore only part of a brain! I am currently using Cymbalta, and it is the one I have had most success with. I used it at 30mg last year March-May and felt GREAT. So much so that I went off all meds for the summer and was for the most part M free! (Now that COULD be a calendar related cycle rather than the Cymbalta...not sure yet, as I have only had this beautiful disease for about 2 yrs and we're still getting to know one another.)

Anyhow...When the M Monster attacked me again in September, I chose Cymbalta as a preven. to try again (as I have tried almost every single one). 30 mg, no better, 60 mg no better, 90 mg....saw some relief. (My current shape is I believe due to some other health problems and medications affecting my head ;( so I think that otherwise I would still be getting relief from the 90 mg Cymbalta) Am I making sense? lol

Anyway...I say try Cymbalta. I don't get any s/e from it (or forefront effects as you call them...lol) I would definitely advise against Elavil. Made me super duper dumb and super duper chubby! Yuck!

I started taking an anti-dep for actual depression, back in August. I knew that for many migrainers it could help with actual major events, but I wasn't banking on it. I started 10mg Lexapro and from August until mid December I only had to use my triptan once. The neurotin/aleve combo was knocking them out for me. Now since I've been battling the sinus infection that won't go away, I've had to use my triptan more often, and I've even gone in for the Tordol/Phenegrin injection once, but I think that's more sinus migraine than my 10 and 12 day typical episodes.

I used cymbalta very successfully for about five years. But then it stopped working. My Dr. at the time told me it was quite normal for anti-depressants to lose there effectiveness after that amount of time. I tried several other anti-depressants but never had the success I had with Cymbalta.

Its been about five years since I've been on it. I wonder if I went back on if it would work again.

Charlotte

Cymbalta is my anti-depressant of choice for preventing migraine episodes and alleviating pain. I take 120 mg daily

How is cymbalta for weight gain? This is fairly new in Canada so I have not seen it used much....

No weight gain here! And I'm prone to it

there is a mfg warning with cymbalta about also using triptans. they seemed concerned about it....

Early in my search i tried several anti-dep as the Dr. wanted to raise my seretonin level. triptans raise seretonin also so you could end up with seretonin syndrome.

Let me say none of that kept me from taking both ! I took Imetrex 100 mg on top of cymbalta for 6 months. no improvement so I stopped. I WILL try anything.

Late 2008 Added 5-htp to raise seretonin 100-200 mg daily and for SURE i dont have M of 7-8-9 anymore. mostly 5-6..

Buy a drug store brand for quality control and try for 2-3 weeks. my script clonodine has worked as no other. Im doing better.

Interesting - I've had some success with prozac, more than lexapro, but that was few years ago, and after a while I think it's effectiveness quit, and then i just felt numb and unmotivated. I can get plenty of that feeling without taking a drug, thanks very much.

I am hesitant to take any anti-depressant, but if I have any serotonin left in my universe, I sure am having trouble finding it some days.

Isn't interesting how some people say antidepressants have helped with the pain, yet every neuro I speak to says, "oh, no, no no, they do not help the pain."

Is there some mandatory class in Med School where budding doctors are hypnotized, then told that if they ever say the words, "I don't know", they will spontaneously combust?

I think they do teach a bit of arrogance in med school. I'm not sure, but i've heard it is true. I'm no doctor myself, so I guess i'll never know!

I think that I tried most of them (prozac, fluoxetine, paxil, lexapro, cymbalta....).
The only one that actually did something was Paxil. I did not even get the undesired weight gain effect from it. Also the horrible withdrawal that some people have experienced was not a problem at all for me.
Bye

Casey wrote:Is there some mandatory class in Med School where budding doctors are hypnotized, then told that if they ever say the words, "I don't know", they will spontaneously combust?

There has to be, Casey. How hard could it be to just admit you don't know?

I, too, have tried just about every anti-depressant out there. Allergic to prozac, horrific withdrawals on nortriptyline, retrying zoloft and amitriptyline now. My migraines seem to just drain the serotonin from my system, so I have to have something or I'm a blubbering mess when the pain is exacerbated.

I wish someone could figure this whole migraine thing out. Between the outrageous pain and the emotional upheaval, it's so difficult and disabling.

Becky