The tunnel of darkness

[kjensen]

Hi Lost,
Elavil(aka amitriptyline) is a pretty 'old' antidepressant in the family called tricyclic antidepressants(TCAs). This group of antidepressants work more on norepinephrine levels, rather than serotonin-which is what most of the newer antidepressants work on (prozac,paxil, celexa..etc). The side effects of the TCAs are drowsiness(hence it is used to help people sleep), dry mouth, urinary retention and blurred vision(causes us to hold fluids in like urine/tears)..

Since many people don't like those side effects, the TCAs aren't used as frequently for their antidepresant effects, but for helping with sleep, nerve pain, pain syndromes(fibromyalgia)...usually in pretty low doses (10mg and up). The dose for treating depression can vary widely per patient.

So, yes the elavil may help with your H's depression (as might the testosterone-since I think low testosterone levels can cause depression in men). For most any antidepressants to work, it takes about 3 weeks, on average, for the drug to effect the level of neurotransmitters(brain chemicals) to the point that will effect our mood.

Hope that helps!