Fibromyalgia Support Group

Hi I just started a few days ago. I heard that the side effects were terrible! So I started on 1/2 to usual start dose.

Savella Journal

July 8th I took 6.25 mg. at night

I slept very soundly

July 9th I woke up dizzy, but functional

Pain, aches still the same

9:30 am: shaky; will eat breakfast & take pred, decided not to take St. John’s Wart today

10:00: all my fingertips are numb

Did 12min. on bike thinking maybe its circulation, still numb

Felt like crap all day. Went to bed early

July 10th. I didn’t sleep well at all last night, tossed and turned all night

I woke up feeling better than I have in weeks. The dizziness is gone and my head feels clear. My pain level is lower too. My pain was back at 5pm. Not feeling good tonight. Everything hurts again. In bed at 8:30. Took 6.25mg and went to bed. Could not sleep, rolled back and forth. One minute on the left then one minute on the right…could not stop. Very scary.

July11th. I woke up sad, and hurting again. Not as bad as before, but not as good as yesterday. My head is not clear like yesterday. I will try taking the 6.25 at dinner time tonight.

I have just started taking Savella about 7 days ago. I am currently taking 25mg twice a day. My pulse is way high. About 95 to 98! Way up from my usual of 75 to 80, but I do feel less pain.

I am going for it. Either I will titrate up to 100mg twice a day, or titrate till pain stops, or the side effects will take me out. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to off myself. I just need to stop the pain and I am willing to take that risk. My current dose of 25mg twice a day really seems to help a little. I hope 50mg twice a day works and that my heart rhythm comes under control. If I can live with severe pain, then I can live with severe side effects, but usually they go away with some time. The package insert says thythm does not seem to increase with dose. Maybe I just need a stronger beta blocker dose.

I'll keep you all posted.

Up to 50mg this AM and I feel really good. Pulse dropped to normal this morning. Hmm, less side effect at a higher dose. Of course you can't come to a conclusion from one data point (or even a few), so I will have to give it some more time.

I also want to say that often people are not giving medications enough time. Yes, sometimes a drug can make you feel really bad and once in a very great while a drug can actually damage you, but usually if you give time for the side effects to subside the drug will work wonders.

An example is Capsaisin cream. It will burn the heck out of you skin for about a week, then like magic the burn goes away and the pain goes away.

Savella is powerful and it also changes brain function and perception of pain. There is not a simple cause and effect relationship with this drug.

I guess time will tell how this med works for me, but so far, so good.

The pain is much, much better but the side effects are strong. Since the pain is worse than the side effects, I will continue with the medication for now.

I started the Savella on July 12th. I titrated up kind of fast. I went from 12.5mg once to 50mg twice a day over a seven day period. I had some nasty side effects, but when I hit 50mg twice a day my pain greatly decreased. The worst of the side effects are mostly gone. I have woken up the last two days feeling pretty good.

If you are having dangerous side effects like very high blood pressure or a very fast pulse, I would call the doctor and stop the drug (under doctors care of course).

I think this drug will help me more than cymbalta ever did. I just hope my blood pressure stays under control.

hi,i feel ok now that i read your post as i'm getting ready to take my first savella pill. i've been sitting here for a couple of hours scared to try it because i dont want to get sick with my pain but i guess ill take it and see what happens. i know everyone reacts differently but i appreciate your story thank you and gentle hugs to you!

I am feeling good today. I guess my biggest problem with the savella is insomnia. LOL. Could never feel awake and energetic, and now I can't sleep.

Other than that, I feel really pretty good. I am used to the side effects for the most part, and I just have to see how savella works for me in the long run.

I suggest that you just take it and keep yourself busy. There is a good chance that you will have side effects (10 to 15% chance, so there is a 85% to 90% chance you won't). Expect it and know that most of the side effects are due to dumping of norepinephrine into your nervous system. Also understand that your nervous system will need time to adjust.

Almost all of the side effects are temporary, but also know the dangerous side effects in the very rare case they appear. If you know them, then you will know what to do.

I have a lot more energy, I am smiling a lot more, and my brain feels way less foggy. The pain is much less. I hope it continues, but I did suffer nasty side effects to get here.

Good luck!

Post edited by: Rxxdoc, at: 07/24/2009 06:51 PM

I started Savella about a month ago. I am also on Lyrica. The only side effects I have had, beside when I first started taking the Lyrica, is extreme sleepiness and fatigue from the Lyrica. I did not experience any side effects with the Savella. I did not have an increase in energy or anything like that.

Well, my problem now is I am having side effects. I was on Lyrica for about a month before starting Savella on June 24th. I have been on 100mg of Savella for about 3 weeks now and 450mg of Lyrica for about 8 weeks. I have been having extreme nausea for the last day or two with the urge to vomit. I hate that word, but it is how I have been feeling.

I think maybe the combo is too much to take all at once, why else would I be getting side effects now? I do not have stomach pains or anything like that, just extreme nausea and weakness and of course the severe fatigue and sleepiness. I was taking all my meds spaced apart, but I would find myself forgetting what I had taken etc., so I started to take them all in one combo dose in the am and pm. However, I started doing this well over a week ago and the nausea is recent. I did confirm with my doctor that it would be ok to take all my meds in one combo dose twice daily. The only other med I am on is .112 Levoxyl for Hashimotos.

So confused and I hate nausea. Never had this issue before.

Elizabeth

Post edited by: emendoza23, at: 07/24/2009 07:04 PM

I have been on Savella for just a few day's now (this is my 4th) I have had some nausea and yesterday was vomiting throughout the day. Was a very bad day yesterday. I am not sure if it was from the Savella or the effects from stopping the cymbalta cold turkey . I will let you all know how I feel tomorrow. Today was really diffrent from yesterday. The itchyness stopped (think that was a type of withdrawl from stopping the cymbalta) had some stocach pains, and my eye lids feel heavy and hard to focus..

not tired-- it's strange. pain is a little better today. Layed a lot. when I got up felt a bit dizzy and light headed..Brain is a bit fuzzy today.I do fee a diffrence in the pain and tingling feeling in hands & feet today it less.

Maybe it is the Savella causing the nausea since this is what I have been experiencing. It is just that mine started a month after beginning Savella, is that not weird? Maybe it is the dose of 100mg since we start at the titration levels and work our way up to that dose? I do not have the dizziness any more, only had that with the Lyrica.

I hope you start to feel better soon.

Elizabeth