Headaches and backaches

[HeatherMoon]

I was wondering of anyone gets headaches from their meds? I'm on prednisone (only 10..almost done!) and Lialda. I get banging headaches..really bad! I actually have to take a 1/2 oxycodone just to make it go away and sometimes that doesn't even work. I don't want to come dependent on the pain pills but I don't know what else to take/use to take any of my aches and pains away. I get bad backaches as well in my lower back. I can't just rest like some can, I have 3 kids to take care of (1 just learned to walk!). Think it's the meds? Is there anything else I can take to ease the pains? Or is this just how it is?

 

[Rebecca85]

I haven't had this myself, but I do know some people take amytriptiline (sp?) for drug induced headaches. As for the lower back, if it happens a lot maybe you should get checked out by a rheumatologist, in case it's something like arthritis or beginnings of osteoporosis. Are you taking calcium and vit D supplements? Because pred can rob calcium from your bones, especially with you being dairy free.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Like Rebecca mentioned, I'm one of those who takes Amitriptyline for recurrent, chronic headaches. When I started taking Entocort a couple of months ago, the one side effect I experienced was morning-till-night headaches. If I was awake, I had a headache. It was pretty awful! For a couple of weeks I just dealt with it, hoping they'd go away, but eventually I called my GI and he put me on Amitrip, 25 mg each night (it also has a sedative effect so it helps me sleep, and it supposedly also calms the guts too). Immediately the headaches stopped. So you might want to call your doc and see if something like that would be appropriate for you.

As for the backaches, I don't think Amitrip helps there. When I flare up my lower back always aches horribly and I get massages to help with that and I also sometimes put my heating pad on my back. Those are the only things I've found that help. Good luck, I hope your aches and pains get better soon.

 

[Astra]

I'm a huge fan of Amitriptyline! Headaches dissappeared over night! I also believe it's helped me to remission, I really feel well for the first time in years! And the best thing? It kept me calm whilst on Pred and Entocort, and I'm sleeping the night thro, cos before Amitrip I was waking every hour or so with headache, neck pains, joint pains etc.
Ask your doc for some, give it a go!
Good Luck
xxx

 

[HeatherMoon]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I saw my dr yesterday and told him about my problems and that amitriptylin had helped others with chronic headaches. He only prescibed 10mg and gave me a 30 day supply. I think he was hesitant because it's and anti depressent ??? He's a so so dr but that's how they all are in NJ :wink: He said to just take it for my headaches before I go to bed..um, but what if I have a headache during the day...ya know when my 3 nutty kids are demanding my soul. :ylol2: Does it make you tired? Is it ok to just take it randomly and not daily? Also, I take St. Johns and 5-HTP...they're both mood enhancers. Not sure if I can take them+the meds...and no if I ask my dr he won't know, lol. Maybe a pharmasist will though.

 

[Rebecca85]

Try looking at this to see if there's any interactions with the herbal remedies: http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php

 

[Astra]

I started on 10mg too, but we upped it up to 25mg, I only take it at bedtime cos it has sedating effects.
I don't think you should take St Johns Wort with Amitriptyline tho

'The U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggests that you avoid St. John's wort if you are taking HIV and AIDS drugs called protease inhibitors, such as indinavir (Crixivan), or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, such as nevirapine (Viramune). There is a risk of lowering the levels of these drugs in your body if you take them with St. John's wort. St. John's wort may also decrease the effects of tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline (Elavil); cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as lovastatin (Mevacor); nifedipine (Procardia); midazolam (Versed); digoxin; and theophylline. Avoid St. John's wort if you are taking an immunosuppressant drug such as cyclosporine, tacrolimus, or myophenic acid, especially if you have received an organ transplant; there have been multiple reports of significant reductions in drug levels and possible organ rejection.'

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I started out at 25 mg of Amitriptyline (I guess my doc thought 10 mg wasn't enough?), and the headaches immediately stopped. I am just guessing here because I don't have my bottle of Amitrip in front of me, but I think it lasts for 24 hours, so even if you take it at bedtime (which you should because of the sedative effect), it should still take care of headaches during the following day. Like Joan and Rebecca said, there are a fair amount of things that can have bad interactions if you take them with Amitrip, so make sure you look into it before you take anything else.

 

[HeatherMoon]

Thank you both for your insight on this. I did do some research and found that you shouldn't mix the two but I was instructed to take the Ami AS NEEDED...not daily. The St. Johns I take daily and need to. I ran out one time and thought, "eh, I'll be ok". Oh no, what an attitude I had! SO negative. I don't want to stop taking the herb because it is effective for my mood swings and depression when coupled with 5-HTP. This combo actually has been proven more effective then a lot of presciptions. SHould I just not take the Ami? Any other suggestions? Thanks again everyone for your advice, I really appreciate it :hug:

 

[Ammycin]

I've been on Digoxin 0.25MG for congestive heart failure This medication helps control heart rate and also to treat heart pain (angina). I took Digoxin medication in a regular schedule.

 

[Grey Hawk]

Every morning I would get a headache when I was tapering off Prednisone, so you aren't alone. They disappeared about a week after I was off completely, but I remember always getting them when I was around 10-20mg.

 

[Tim]

I agree with Grey Hawk! I had the same thing when I was tapering off prednisone too. It sucked. Also I've noticed if I take Oxycodone more than a few days in a row my body becomes use to it and then I get even worse rebound headaches once it wears off. If you couple that with a headache already there from the Prednisone it's not going to be a fun situation. My GP doc told me that all drugs in the Steriod family including Prednisone can cause water retention which is likely the culprit for those nasty throbbing headaches. It usually goes away after a few days though. I'm still trying to find a solution to this problem when it happens. Some people will reverse their tapering for a bit and then resume weaning back off the pred again but doing it a bit slower to minimise the side effects caused from weaning/stopping the pred. I've always been hesitant to use anti-depressant medications for any problems including headaches and pain for personal reasons but I can see their benefit in the sense that they're not highly addictive like alot of analgesia/pain medications are. You could also try Fish Oil supplements as fish oil contains anti-inflammatory properties in them which I have noticed do help with the headaches when I take them and my skin is also alot cleaner from them too