In the near past I have used Sonata and Elavil for sleep.

Insomnia continues to be a huge problem with only 2 or 3 hrs sleep per nite.

My LLMD suggested switching from Elavil to Triazidone. I think Elavil helped PN, skin burning when I fisrt started it 3 yrs ago.

Any suggestions and info is welcome.

Thank You,

here's a good link to check it out
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a693010.html

Did you start the traz yet?

You might also want to read what it says about Elavil. Pain may not be mentioned on either one.

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oops!
Lymetutu

i did switch to nortriptyline. weight stay's the same now.but didn't lose the weight i gained from the elavil.

i know that didn't answer your question.just threw in the info. some other's here,also gained weight.

be well , gary

this is called r.s.d.(reflex sympathetic dystrophy) very painful.was dxed with it about 4 month's ago.

i don't know if you have this,but the pain is unbearable.

i didn't take elival for that.i take a number of pain killer's though.

let me know if you want to know more. my address is on here......gary

Trazadone works good for sleep and is less invasive or addicting than other sleep meds. Might try natural Melatonin(sp)over the counter .. works for most. Im not sure about Sonata, but think its addicting. I used trazadone for some time and was very effective, just left me with a hung over feeling for a bit the next morning.

But traz is not effective for pain. Actually it depends on what type of pain you are speaking about. Typically w/lyme, pain is usually from inflammation and histimine production aggitating the joints etc.. and the inflammation process, trying to over protect form the invasion. Before I understood this process, I tried a lot of things even hydocodine(sp), for bone/joint/spine/coex(tailbone) pain .. it didnt help me at all!!

So I started looking into natural anti-inflamitories .. EFA .. Essential Fatty Acids, mostly the Omega 3 Totally work wonders for me. Some work better than others .. fish oil, borage oil, I also take a Vit E, A, some Q-10..but not a lot like they tell most lyme patients to take. (Its not great if you have hypercoagulation of the blood which many mid to late lyme patients have...(It tends to thicken the blood( primrose oil is also not good for the same reason, if you have hypercoagulated blood...not sure if a matter if, but how bad. (a lot of herbs out there to thin blood) Its called sticky plalets, it forms from having a long standing bacteria,etc infection.

They have Hypercoagulation panels that you can have done or can tell in general if you need this panel test done ..if you have access to a microscope .. with just enough power to see if your plalets are chains, clumped etc .. good to compare w/a healty person. Hypercoagulation gone undetected caused me to worsen from 40/60 good/bad .. to about 97percent bad .. it slowly prevents your blood cells from transporting nutrients, hormones, oxygen etc, as well fibrin coating the inside of your blood vessels so your vessels are not permuatable and are not flexable, etc (If its hard for them to draw blood, thats one huge possible sign) .. It can get so bad until you feel like your going to die .. not even comparable to normal lyme state, there are degrees of all states of symptoms, all caused by worsening of any particular process impeeded .. Very unstable all the time. I thought it was tough to get treatment for symptoms from lyme, try adding this state to the mix.

I still dont totally understand EFAs totally, but do know they should be balanced, meaning a certain ratio of Omega 3's & 6's. I still lean heavier on the 3's. Reading varied opinions from 1 to 1 ratio, to 2 to 1 ratio for the healthy person. There are conversions that take place with some .. so is somewhat individulized. But take them daily or twice a day. approx 1-4 gms daily....whatever works.

Before my blood got soooo thick, taking calcium daily helped my joint pain. If I missed a day I felt it. But I was also taking flax seed grinding it in a coffee grinder and mixing it with Soy Protein Powder .. Until I read not to take Flax by Dr. B, so I stopped and 3 months later had what I call an attack, of heart, neuro, horrible limb pain and total instability that did not go away until 2.5 yrs later when I got tested .. I got on heparin and EFA's which just control it, so Im still not back to the previous less ill state. Knowing what I know now .. the EFA's are still the best way to go if they prove effective, along with vit's, min's and other stufff...

I believe highly in high protein diet w/lots of veggies .. depending on what your system can handle. High protein diets are hard on the kidneys .. my kidneys are effected by lyme some how, inflammation or ..?? .. Ive always liked soy protein, but found when I got back on it .. my kidneys started to hurt again. So, Ive just started Rice protein .. which is suppose to be easier on the Kidneys. Whey protein, from milk .. is suppose to be the worst on the kidneys.

Dont mean to overload, but really need to impart things that Ive heard no one else talk about that have worked for me. If your system feels unstable .. have the itches etc .. Vistaril (presciption) works wonders and is less invasive and non addicting. Its classified as an anti-histimine, which is a reactive state to allergies or anything that gets our immune system going...but Ive noticed that the definition for vistaril has changed to include what I already knew, its a central nervous system blocker. It makes you a bit drowsy when you first start, so is good for sleep if you only use it once in a while. But if you take it daily that dowsy states goes away along with a feeling of desenstivity that happens if you dont take it daily...not good for male/female relationships. But daily use, I have found that is very effective to stablize my CNS (since lyme really effects the nervess system) and reduce histimine levels, without any of the side effects .. and comparable to all other drugs, is very non-invasive. Each person is different, so kinda have to see what works for you the best, starting with natural things .. I dont see much about herbs and natural treatments concerning treating at least the symptoms of lyme .. would like to see more, its a whole wonderful new word having both modern medicine and the things that have been used for thousands of years that modern medicine has thrown away for the sake of drugs. Just have to pick which works best causing the least damage.

I do recommend doing research on the net, and getting a basic knowledge .. of what ever your trying to treat .. even if your spacie, you will retain enough in the long run to know whats best for you.

Hope all this makes sense .. I know how we think it does, but its that tricky lyme tricking us again....

Elavil is usually one of the first drugs used for pain. Sometimes Neurontin is used as the next choice- have you tried that? Neurontin is esp. suggested for neurological pain, such as PN. It might help your burning skin.

My teenage duaghter used both Elavil and trazadone. Every person is different, but I will tell you her experience. Elavil was very helpful w/her pain, helped w/sleep, but caused "complex partial seizures" for her.

Trazadone was absolutely awful for her. She was so weak that she had to give up softball. She felt out of it and had other side effects which make her get off after a couple of weeks. She also gained a lot of weight. It seemed to make her sluggish and slowed her down.

I will also say that she has been off meds like this since 8/04. Side effects for her made relief in this way impossible.

I also have neuropathy/burning skin, numbness and tinglng etc. all over from Lyme. All kinds of doctors in the last 4 years have suggested Elavil or Neurontin for me but I have not done either. About once a month I take a little Xanax if it seems as if I won't get enough sleep!

She said Elavil could work too, but it's a lot harsher on the body.

I also have a call in to my LLMD with the question of how could I have developed PN if my current abx were working? We are going to re-think the abx next week.

Lyme treatment has made alot of the pain go away and i no longer take it.

I was on 3600mg of Nuerotin-did not touch my burning pain.

I have not found one that works.
Cindy and my friend in Branson I will take your suggestion.

Lyddi-email me

[email protected]
Peace,
BJG