The Other Use
Amitriptyline (Elavil)
Citation: Goatkiller. "The Other Use: An Experience with Amitriptyline (Elavil) (exp46066)". Erowid.org. Jun 16, 2007. erowid.org/exp/46066
DOSE: |
50 mg | oral | Pharms - Amitriptyline | (daily) |
BODY WEIGHT: | 220 lb |
The doctor has prescribed me Elavil (Amitriptyline) for the pain. I was somewhat surprised when I looked this up and found out that it's normally an anti-depressant. But it does have secondary uses for direct nerve pain like mine.
I haven't had any serious traumatic issues with it. Instead, there was a very subtle flattening of emotions, like what I've heard people who take Zoloft and Prozac describe. Only, I'm not normally depressed. After a month of feeling distant from my wife, it finally clicked that I'd started feeling that way on exactly the day I started taking the Elavil.
Normally, I'm very much in love with my wife, in an almost giddy kind of way. So when I started feeling not giddy towards her, I assumed that it was because I was mad at her for something. (Isn't it amazing how we can convince ourselves of things?) So I started harboring this pain and anger at her for whatever it was she'd done, which made things worse.
Once I'd figured out the coincidence of timing, and realized that I had no reason at all to be mad at her, it all cleared up. I feel a little bit less intense now, but I know in my heart that it's the drugs, and so I'm not worried. I'm just glad that this is only a pain management thing until the surgery can actually correct the problem.
Lessons learned:
* Pay attention to what I’m feeling, and why. It's entirely possible that I've talked myself into a feeling based on an assumption that just isn't true.
* I have a lot more empathy for people who suffer from depression. If being in that head space is preferable to where they were before getting on medication, I certainly don't want to find out what it's like.
Exp Year: 2005 | ExpID: 46066 |
Gender: Male | |
Age at time of experience: Not Given | |
Published: Jun 16, 2007 | Views: 40,585 |
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Pharms - Amitriptyline (165) : Various (28), Depression (15), Medical Use (47), Health Problems (27) |
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