Hi, I'm not new to CH, but new to this board/forum. My neru has subscribed nortriptyline, which is an antidepressant, but he thought it would help my CH.
I'm thinking since antidepressants affect serotonin levels, this is not a good choice for CH. Has anyone had any experience with it? thanks for any responses/help

Hi Carla and welcome

Nortriptyline was the first preventive I was given once I'd been diagnosed with CH. It seemed to work as a preventive although only with reasonable results. I soon changed to verapamil with a much improved rate of preventing CHs.

I started with nortriptyline and was then switched to amitriptyline. I think they are similar. I still take it, along with verapamil and lithium. I honestly don't know if it is helping but something is...perhaps a combination of all of them was what I needed. At any rate, it's a start. If it doesn't do the trick you might suggest to your doctor verapamil. blessings. lance

This was commonly used ages ago before our present line of treatments became available. It's sometimes used, for many pain conditions, because it helps bear the pain--but not as a primary treatment.

Print out the PDF file, below. Give the neuro a copy. It can be a good tool to lead discussions about what med might be worth trying.

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My experience with nortrip - did not affect my clusters at all. Recently though, I've been plagued by insomnia and daytime migraines, so I decided to give it another go. I found that 50-75 mg at night sometimes helps with sleep and definitely helps with muscle relaxation and anxiety. I have to take it at bedtime because it makes my legs go all rubbery and I get a bit stupid (can't get words out properly, mouth won't cooperate).

It's certainly worth a shot, even if it only helps with side effects.