Hi Hwee...
I hope I can help you with your question. I was on very high doses of ametriptylene for about 7 years, so it was quite difficult for me to stop taking it...I was well and truly dependent on it. The side effects weren't too bad at the beginning, but as years went by, they got so bad that I couldn't tolerate them any more. I will say that at the beginning (not later on) the pain was helped because I did get plenty of sleep (too much maybe..and at the wrong times!)
The side effects can be many and varied; I had constantly dry eyes, throat and mouth, permanent very painful mouth ulcers, dizziness, always tired, itchiness all over especially at night, short term memory loss, (although that could have been for a variety of reasons)problems breathing especially at night, I put on loads of weight and the final straw was palpitations and irregular heart beat. I felt sooo tired all the time, and the BPI pain seemed to actually get worse after a few years of taking it.
PLEASE don't let this list scare you tho; remember, I took this stuff in very high doses for a long while.
When I decided enough was enough, I just stopped taking it one night. After 48 hours without it, I was climbing the walls...shivery, jittery and the most terrible nightmares and bad dreams. I couldn't sleep properly at all, so I went back on them, then tried it the sensible way; cut them out slowly.
I reduced the dose by cutting one of the 3 25mg pills in half and taking it with the rest every night until I felt ok, then I'd just take 2 and so on like that until I was literally taking about 1 quarter of a 10mg pill every night...finally, I didn't take anything.
It took me over a year to fully come off them this way; sometimes, each reduction would be weeks before I felt well enough to reduce it further. After the drug was finally out of my system, about 3 months after taking the last tiny bits, the pain actually decreased by a significant amount, which quite honestly, I DIDN'T expect. I know now that this is quite common amongst us TBPI; kicking all the drugs, or never taking any to start with seems to help reduce the pain far more effectively and quicker than actually taking them.
Please don't worry too much about the amount of ametriptylene your Dad is taking, but just be aware of the side effects. I have never taken neurontin, although they keep trying to give it to me, so I don't know what side effects this drug has...I have heard that there are relatively few. If your Dad does want to come off these drugs at anytime in the future, I strongly advise him to do it slowly over time so the body can adjust...don't stop suddenly! The Drs almost always never tell you this...but it is (in my experience and opinion)much safer to do it gradually.
Always let the Dr know when he wants to come off the drugs; some Drs will be horrified and try to persuade him to carry on, but if he truly feels they are doing more harm than good, then discuss it further with them. My own Dr was quite happy to support me in my decision luckily. I think in the end he was happy that I had taken control of the injury.
Your Dad is still in the early days, and the Drs are doing the best they can by giving him this combination of drugs. They can be very effective in some people in controlling the pain and allowing for a good nights sleep.
Sorry for the very long post! My very best wishes to you and your Dad...feel free to email me
liz@tbpi-group.org if I can help in any way...
Warmest regards
Lizzy B