Neuralgia

[Carly1306]

Hi! so for the past week ive been having really bad headaches on the left side of my face! so after a week of extreme pain and sleepless nights I went to the docs today and told I have Neuraglia and was (hesitantly) prescribes amitriptyline (only 10mg weeks dose) to see how that helps.
I am very wary of taking these due to the side effects that could occur and the fact that they are actually an anti depressant. was wandering if anyone has been on these before and how they found them?

[Carly1306]

thanks for the advice....im going to wait till sunday and give them a go, because i dont want to take and them and be more ill this weekend in work. i really dont need that. its only a weeks dose so when i go back to the doctor next week ill discuss maybe another alternative. i read that it commonly happens after shingles, but ive never even had shingles...ever. so she finds it strange that i have it. hope im okay them, but i really dont want to be on the drugs, im only 20 years old and defo not depressed..just want rid of this cos the pain is driving me mad!

[gymdandee]

your doctor has suggested that you take one of the tricyclic antidepressants, mainstays of conventional medicine for treating this condition. The reason is that these drugs affect brain chemicals such as serotonin and norepinephrine ––both of which play a role not only in depression, but also in the way your body receives pain signals.  But while these drugs may lessen pain, they rarely get rid of it entirely. And even though doses for PHN are much lower than they are for depression, the common side effects––dry mouth, constipation, and drowsiness––can still occur.
Drug-free ways to wipe out post-shingles nerve pain in as little as 10 days

Why so many doctors are so quick to prescribe any of these “remedies” is beyond me. Especially when studies have shown good, relatively side-effect-free benefits from all-natural capsaicin cream, made from a natural substance found in chili peppers. It’s available in most health food and vitamin stores. Its main drawbacks appear to be that it can be a bit messy and that it needs to be applied four times a day. But if it relieves your pain without side effects, it’s worth it. Some people do experience discomfort at first, because the cream increases the pain signals before decreasing them, a side effect that generally subsides after several days of continued use.
MAKE SURE YOU WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER YOU APPLY THE CREAM YOU DON'T
WANT TO TOUCH YOUR EYES OR YOUR GENITALS!!