Pharmacist Sonja Keizers answers
Due to peripheral neuropathy I (female, 75 years old) was in a lot of pain and I couldn’t sleep. I was given amitriptyline 10mg and that helped. Unfortunately I now also have trouble urinating and a very dry mouth and eyes. Isn’t paracetamol better?
Peripheral neuropathy is a nerve pain that is often difficult to treat with ‘normal’ painkillers, such as paracetamol. The drug amitriptyline is actually an antidepressant but is also effective for neuropathic pain. One of the side effects is that it makes you sleepy. In your case, that means two birds with one stone: you sleep well and have less pain.
The side effects mentioned are caused by a blockade of cholinergic receptors. These anticholinergic side effects can cause problems in the long run. At an older age you also run an extra risk of concentration problems, confusion and deterioration of the thinking ability. Fortunately, the dose of 10 mg you are using is very low and therefore the risk of side effects is small. But if it bothers you a lot, and paracetamol helps you well, this is a suitable alternative. If you take paracetamol for more than a month, you should not take more than 2.5 g per day (5 tablets of 500 mg). If there is a risk of liver damage, a lower dose of 1.5-2 g per day (3-4 tablets of 500 mg) applies.
Also send in your medicine request. That’s possible here.
Sources):
- Plus Magazine
