Taking Pamelor to help wean me off the Tylenol

[Syl]

I went to a neurologist to help me with my headaches and to get me off Tylenol. Don't let the fact that it's an OTC drug fool you. I keep hearing, "You are killing your liver! Today, the neurologist said it's bad for the kidneys, too. So I'm watching what my siblings drink in case I need a chunk of their liver one day soon. Glad I come from a big family.

Another thing about Tylenol is that the body gets used to it and you end up with headaches from lack of the drug. So you end up with two types of headaches.

Looks like I need a rx medication in order to get off the OTC stuff. He rx'd Nortiptyline (aka Pamelor). Pharmacist said it had been used as an anti-depressant, but not anymore. Side-effects are drowsiness and dry mouth. Will begin using it tonight. As it kicks in I can begin to weam myself off the Tylenol. Wish me luck.

Syl

[yardtick]

Good Luck Syl !!

If the Nortiptyline doesn't work there are other meds out there.  I wish I could wiggle my nose and your headaches would be gone.  From one headache suffer to another I really do feel your pain. 

Good Luck again my friend,
Anne Marie

[Syl]

Thanks Ane Marie

I was reading all the info that comes with the rx. Soooo many possible side effects. One of them is dizziness. Great!!! Isn't that one of the symptoms that made me go to the Dr. back in 2007? Well, I won't stress about that. It is temporary and the neurologist says he's been very successful in treating headaches with Pamelor.

Syl

[Tisha]

Good luck.  You know if it doesn't work, I'm a firm believer and user of acupuncture.  I know, I know...werid, hocus pocus,new age....I felt the same.  All I know is it works for my osteoarthritis (I'm off celebrex and don't do any more physical therapy exercises now) and degenerative disc disease in my neck.  I only go once every 8-9 weeks now and hopefully am building up to go less than that. 

It also works to calm the AN nerve and after I have it done I can hear in noisy restaurants, malls, hear the TV and radio, etc.   I'm going to start going every week for that for a month, then keep spacing it out as I see fit.

Tisha

[ppearl214]

Syl,

I know Captn Deb swears of Neurontin and Topomax. She had middle fossa on her AN and now has cluster headaches.  She has noted in other threads here about Neurontin and Topomax and how it works for her... just a thought.

Regardless of what works for you... I hope you feel better soon!

Phyl

[Captain Deb]

Syl,
Audio transcripts of both of the headache workshops from the last ANA symposiums are available for 10 bucks a pop and are totally worth it.  Being your own advocate and demanding specific prescriptions from your docs may seem a bit pushy, but that is how I finally got the right dose of Topamax that worked for me (the first doc started me on too strong a dose and I had bad side effects--I learned at the workshop how to take it) Most docs have never even treated anyone with post AN surgery headache syndrome!!!!  It would be worth it to let your doc hear the workshop transcript if he or she is open to it.  I suffer to this day from stomach problems relate to over use of NSAIDS and had rebound headaches for 3 years and a borderline narcotic dependencey issue. I am so glad you are getting help for your headaches at this stage of the game.  I'm afraid I played "stump your neurologist" for about 3 years before I finally got to a headache specialist at a headache clinic who really got the ball rolling on the Neurontin and 6 months fter that i went to the symposium and the workshop and got the info on Topamax.

Hugs and best of luck and Death to the Headache Monster!!!

Capt Deb

[Syl]

Tisha, Phyl, Captain Deb:

Thanks for the suggestions and well wishes. I will certainly keep all of them in mind.

This Palmelor stuff makes me feel relaxed, but not sleepy enough that it prevents me from driving or getting on with my daily activities. Well, except my daily walk. That takes more energy than everything else. I feel relaxed and relieved from any stress I might have and kind of lazy.

I made it ok at work yesterday. I didn't get the usual brain freeze that turns into a headache if I don't take my Tylenol in the middle of my shift. I did, however, have a new feeling--a kind of pressure at the top of my head which didn't turn into a headache. When I get home at night (11ish pm) I usually apply heat to my neck and take another 1000mg of Tylenol. Well, the heat alone took care of the brain freeze I get before going to bed. I took my Pamelor and went to sleep.

I didn't rest well during the night. I got that darned brain freeze in the wee hrs of the night, but it didn't turn into a headache until morning. Which is when I took 500mg of Tylenol instead of my usual 1000mg I have for breakfast. I added a little heat to the neck and that took care of the headach--but it was a nasty one.

So far so good.
 
Syl

[Syl]

Reducing the mgs of Tylenol so soon was a huge mistake. Several days in a row, I've had some nasty headaches--the kind that make me sweat and cry. I uped the dose of Tylenol and this morning I did not get a headache though I did wake up with the usual discomfort. Well tomorrow I start a higher dose of it since I wasn't able to successfully reduce my Tylenol intake. We'll see how the next week goes.

And oh yeah, I have to go look for my mattress warranty info. The mattress is sagging in the middle and is, no doubt, a contributor to these headaches. Even before my surgery, I was waking up with a sore neck.

Syl

[Captain Deb]

I sure wish your doc would consider putting you on gabapentin (Neurontin) if your headaches are that bad.  But right now he is probably focused on which ones are caused by your post-op symptoms and which ones are actually rebound headaches.

I find an ice pack to the neck to be helpful for the ones invoving lots of neck pain. 

Capt Deb

[Janet]

Tylenol comes in 500mg (extra strength) and 325 mg (regular strength).

Try taking 825 mg (1 extra and 1 regular strength) for a week and then 650 mg for a week then 500 mg for a week. At least you would know at what dose your pain starts to break through.

Then, try and space out the hours between doses. Hopefully your Palmelor will take over before the pain breaks through.

Good Luck,
 Janet

[Syl]

Capt Deb:

How exactly do you apply the ice pack?

Janet: If I don't take 1000mgs of tylenol right before bedtime, I don't make it through the night w/out a headache.

Last night I upped the Pamelor dose and took it w/ 500 mgs of Tylenol instead of my usual 1000. Four pills ( 2 pamelor and 2 tylenol) seemed like too much to swallow all at once--so I swallowed only 3.  This morning I got another bad headache. As painful as these headaches can be, they rarely last very long. It makes for a slow start to my day, but I'm able to get on with my activities--walking 2.25mi daily, making it to work.

Syl

[Janet]

Syl,

Have you or your doctor figured out what nerve(s) is causing your pain? 

Janet

[Syl]

Janet:

No. We don't know what nerve is causing the pain.

Syl

[Captain Deb]

Syl,
Since my headaches most likely originate in the back of the head, that's where the ice pack goes--I use the soft kind that have gel in them that are reuseable.  I also try to give my neck some good support.  Sometimes I'll get a second one out for the top of my head.

Capt Deb

[Janet]

Syl,

Do you think your pain is originating from the trigeminal nerve or the nerves in the back of your head?

Janet