Nortriptyline: Day 40

I’ve been on nortriptyline for forty days now.

 

I am seeing a very slight decrease in my migraines. When I have them upon waking up, I can usually combat them with caffeine. This wasn’t necessarily true before, and that’s why I sought out treatment anyway.

 

I’ve found that if I don’t sleep enough, that’s when I tend to wake up with a migraine. It’s hard for me to go back to sleep or take many naps. That makes catching up on sleep really difficult when I need some more ZZZs.

 

I suppose it doesn’t make it easy when I’m waking up with high pain up to five times each night, too. My alpha wave intrusions are getting worse. On top of that, since doubling my nortriptyline dose, I’m having terrible nightmares.

 

It certainly doesn’t make me want to sleep enough if I’m waking up completely bawling at a terrible dream involving the piggies or T or my sister. Super realistic nightmares suck.

 

At the same time, I’ve picked up from a productivity standpoint. With nortriptyline being a tricyclic antidepressant, my mood has improved and I’m getting shit done. It’s nice to feel like I can do things again.

 

Still, I don’t know that having nightmares and increased nausea versus slightly more tolerable migraines is acceptable for the long-term. Maybe there’s a better medication out there for me?

 

This is one point where I’m struggling with being an empowered patient. Perhaps it’s because I had to beg to get even this medication from a paternalistic old man. Maybe it’s because I’ve read too much about psychosis and fear withdrawal from this med. Regardless of the cause, this helps my depression but not really my migraines as much as I think something else could.

 

Since I’m going to ACR this year, I’m also less inclined to ask about switching medications right now. Perhaps this is something to bring up at my December 1st neurology appointment instead.

 

 

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