Please welcome my next drug - Amitriptyline!

First, a bit of a confession that I did not know I needed to give last week. After a discussion with my psychiatrist, the problems with memory that I've been having, as noted in my previous post, are more to be associated with an oncoming bought with depression than MS.  I don't know if its better to know that or not, but the idea of depression makes more sense for this "heavy brain" feeling I've had for the last few weeks.

I still would appreciate being reminded of things now and then.  I'll let you know.

But we did change a drug or two. In another post I talked about the dreams/nightmares that have disrupted my sleep cycle for the past few months.  Also my sleep cycles are routinely interrupted four to five times a night and I wake up either for a few moments and then just doze off after a slight body shift, or I'm awake for hours.  So instead of concentrating on cranking me up to keep on a level of manic so that I can keep writing and other activities, we're taking a step back.

"The depression is breaking through the levels we've established," my psychiatrist said. "We need to set that right."

And we'll begin that by getting some deeper levels of sleep. So please welcome my next drug. Amitriptyline!

So Ami, I'm glad you're here.  Tell me, what will you do for me?

Hi, Tom. Glad I've been prescribed.  I'm a trycilic antidepressant. I've been around for a long time, over 50 years.

You seem pretty small for an old drug.

I'm just a small dose.  I can grow as large as you need.  I help people with all kinds of challenges from depression to vulvodynia.  I just like saying vulvodynia.  Sounds like a Star Trek planet.

Thanks for the reference.  I knew I liked you. So we gotta get to it.  How about side effects?

The main two side effects that occur from taking me are drowsiness and a dry mouth. Other common side effects of using me are mostly due to my anticholinergic activity, including: weight gain, changes in appetite, muscle stiffness, nausea, constipation, nervousness, dizziness, blurred vision, urinary retention, and changes in sexual function.

Well, glad I've got MS, then, as it has stopped any interest in eating, in that I don't really have an appetite for food, muscles are always stiff and most of the other things I deal with most days. Guess I'm good to go.

I see.  I've got plenty of other side effects. Want to hear them?

Uh, not yet. Thanks. So we're going to start getting together tonight.  What can I expect?

I don't know. Everyone's different.  Let's see.  You woke up four times last night with major dreams involving your family at least twice. Correct?

Yes.

Then that's our starting point. Let's get together and see what we can do to get you a better nights sleep, a chance to relax your muscles and give you an MS break.  Ready?

Make it so.

Ah, Trek reference. Got it.

Good night, everyone.

Open wide!