Has anyone here been taking a tricyclic anti depressant for a long period? (Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline etc)

About Parkinson's and health Wellbeing
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Hi I was reading studies on the effects of tricyclic antidepressants on Parkinson’s disease, some were very positive and others appeared to be negative. I was just wondering if anyone here had taken tricyclics for a period of time? If so, how long and how has your progression been since taking them?

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Hi @CardiB2000 and welcome to the Forum. I just know you’ll find many friendly voices here.

Questions about medication are common and hopefully members will soon step in to talk about their own experiences with tricyclic antidepressants. It may also help to do a search on our website at www.parkinsons.org.uk while you wait.

I do hope you find the Forum useful and engaging.

Best wishes,
Janice
Forum Moderation Team

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Hi Cardib2000.

I take a low dose of Amitriptyline to help manage my neck pain. I couldn’t say whether it has helped with the progression of the PD but the neck pain improved.

Regards

Caroline

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My partner is on 40mg Amitriptyline each night and it really helps; has eased pain f stiffness in the night and by say it moderates the anxiety caused by a dopamine agonist. It may take a while to find the effective dose: too much and my partner feels fuzzy, too little and it doesn’t have much effect. But it has been of considerable benefit, for many years now.

Good luck with it.

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@CardiB2000, I started on amatryptilne about 4 years before my PD dx so I have now been on it for just over 8 years. I was originally prescribed 10mg for neuropathic leg, hip and lower back pain. It was increased to 20mg after about 18 months and further increased to 30mg 6 months later when I was dx with RLS. In 2016 dx with PD and about a year later this was increased to 40mg. I have had no noticeable side effects except when increasing dosage. When increasing dosage I found it left me with what I can only describe as a foggy head effect, which does pass eventually but like all meds getting the dosage correct is the issue.
It does help with my neuropathic pain and my OH says it certainly helps with my RLS. Thought the latter has been getting very active again according to my OH but I want to resist for now any increase in dosage.
Hope this helps :sunglasses: