I thought they impacted on the noradrenaline system. The rest of your reasoning
would still apply of course.

                        -=Richard=-

MD’s prescribe low dose tricyclics for many disorders. It helps sleep
disturbances (and is not addictive) and is very common for muscular complaints,
fibromyalgia etc. Many people’s headaches are caused by tension, many migraines
are really tension headaches and migraines may be precipitated by stress. Not
surprisingly amitryptilline helps alot of people.

                        -=Richard=-

: I have a good friend (female) who has been suffering from migraines for
: years?
: She recently saw a neurologist who has prescribed a low dose (25mg/day)
: of a tricyclicamine, amitriptyline (sp?) as a prophylactic.  The
: drug is not being prescribed for its anti-depressant effects (she is most
: emphatically not depressed).

: I was curious about this use since I had never heard of it before.  
: If anyone has information, experience, etc., please let me know.

 The tricyclics are prescribed for migraine
prophylaxis.  Side effects include dry mouth and less commonly
arrhythmias. Other medications used for migraine prophylaxis are beta
blockers [propranolol], whose side effects are fatigue and, in men,
impotence. If the side effects are not bad, these medications can be a
lot better than taking tons of ibuprofen or medications containing
baribiturates/caffeine [fiorinal, fioricet].  The ibuprofen can cause
ulcers and kidney problems.  The barbiturate/caffeine mixtures are
addictive.
Anyone who takes these medications should be monitored for adverse
effects by their doctor.
Hope this helps.
—
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(__) \__\ (_____) (__| \_\(__| \__)   w…@netcom.com

Amitriptyline is the generic name for Elavil. It is classsified as a
tricyclic antidepressant. It is also used as an analgesic for chronic and
neuropathic pain and migraine prophylaxis. I assume that your friend has
tried other migraine meds such as Cafergot and Fiorinal. Other drugs used
for migraine prophylaxis are Inderal (a blood pressure medication) and
Calan (a blood pressure medication). There is also a new medication out
that is said to abort migraine headaches. It’s called Imitrex. It is an
injectable medication that you give yourself at the onset of a headache.
You can ask your doctor for a presciption. There are currently finding new
uses for medications, so don’t be concerned that your friend is taking
Elavil for headaches. If it works, who cares what it’s classified as for??

Barbara Mankuta, Rph.

: I have a good friend (female) who has been suffering from migraines for
: years?
: She recently saw a neurologist who has prescribed a low dose (25mg/day)
: of a tricyclicamine, amitriptyline (sp?) as a prophylactic.  The
: drug is not being prescribed for its anti-depressant effects (she is most
: emphatically not depressed).

: I was curious about this use since I had never heard of it before.  
: If anyone has information, experience, etc., please let me know.

: thanks in advance.

: —
: Jeff Mischkinsky              internet: j…@unify.com
: Unify Corporation                       …!{pyramid,csusac}!unify!jeff
: 3901 Lennane Drive            voice: (916) 928-6262 fax: (916) 928-6401
: Sacramento, CA 95834          ICBMS: 38 38 18 N / 121 29 10 W

Hi Jeff:

I tried it – twice.  Could never get past taking it for more than a
couple days.  I had some very unpleasant side effects, such as a
tingling, electric feeling everytime I moved, a strong feeling of being
distant from everyone and everything around me, a feeling of not caring
about anything, and being very tired.  The second time I tried it at a
lower dose (10 mg, I thing) and had the same symptoms.  It was very
unpleasant for me.  As for controlling migraines…I don’t know..couldn’t
stay on the stuff long enough to tell.
—
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> I was curious about this use since I had never heard of it before.  
> If anyone has information, experience, etc., please let me know.

        Amitriptyline has long been used for the prophylaxis
        of migraine headaches.  Amitriptyline impacts on the
        serotonin system of the brain, and that system is
        thought to play an important role in the pathophysiology
        of both depression and migraine.  That is why it is used
        to treat both disorders.

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|| Voice = +1 212 876 7800                        Fax = +1 212 737 0473 ||
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Jeff, this is pretty standard stuff these days.  Low doses of
antidepressants have proven useful for migraine and other chronic pain
disorders, at doses too low to make any difference for depression and in
patients clearly not depressed.  The discovery was first made with hospice
patients whose cancers had invaded nerves, and were causing intractable
pain.  Turns out it works well with any sort of nerve-involved pain,
including headache and some kinds of back pain (the kinds that involve
nerve root irritation).

–
Lee Green MD MPH
Family Practice
University of Michigan
gree…@umich.edu