I was diagnosed last October and have had great support from the NHS.
I’m currently on Copaxone and getting on just fine with that. My neurologist now wants me to take more drugs to help with sensory problems. He first put me on Amitripyline but i was like a drugged elephant and just couldn’t function even on a really low dose. So he tried me on Imipramine which had the complete opposite effect again even on a very low dose. I ended up only having 9 hours sleep in 4 days! .
His suggestion now is to have the Amitriptyline at night and then Imipramine in the morning. I’m willing to give it a go but i have concerns. Firstly when i was on Amitriptyline I put on a lot of weight which I have nearly managed to lose. Also, and I know in the grand scheme of things it isn’t overly important but will I still be able to have the odd drink whilst on this mixture of drugs. I do like a perfect G&T in the evening (if you don’t know that’s Tanqueray in an iced glass, tonic, ice and a slice of lime, yum! ).
Has anyone else tried this mixture of drugs and how did you get on?
Look forward to hearing from you and your experiences
I’ve not tried imipramine so I just googled it. I don’t understand how an antidepressant can help with sensory problems but I’m sure your neurologist knows best! I take Amitriptyline, generally before bed. I was advised to take it at least a good couple of hours before bed, that way you don’t get morning after effects as badly. I don’t have any side effects from it at all now and if I need to I often take one in the mid afternoon. (When the weather’s warmer I find I often get burning type pain in my legs that is helped by Amitriptyline.) Sometimes it’s the way you take the drug rather than the drug itself that leads to bad side effects. If you tried taking it at 8pm, and aimed to sleep by around 11, you might find the morning dopiness is lessened.
However, if you find that a drug just doesn’t agree with you, I personally feel that it’s better to try a different drug rather than another drug to counter the unwanted effects of the first. Equally, if a drug isn’t perfect, plus interferes with the way I want to live my life, then I’d be tempted to try a different one. And I see drinking the perfect GnT as a completely healthy part of a lifestyle choice (and I agree with you about the method btw). Personally, I like to drink nice wine and most evenings me and my OH drink a bottle between us. So if a drug explicitly states not to drink, I’d have a problem with that unless the drug in question made me feel so much better I’d be prepared to change my lifestyle for it.
Perhaps you need to try talking about drugs with your MS nurse, if you have one. Maybe there are alternatives available for your specific sensory problems.