Anyone Else Trying Savella For Fibromyalgia? (Page 12)

This is a new medication that just came out for fibromyalgia. I have several other conditions involving spinal degeneration , herniated discs, arthritus, etc.
I've been taking this medication for a little over 2 weeks now and have worked up to the full dose. My biggest symptom seems to be upset stomach but I don't know if it's from the Savella or from de-toxing from 7 other medications that I've been on for over 10+ yrs.
Is there anyone else out there that has started this medication that can give me any information that they may have on it?

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It is OFFICIAL! I have full blown Fibromyalgia! That is my formal diagnosis. My Rheumatologist feels he has done what he can (meds & tests) and is now referring me over to Pain Management. Because I suffer from heart failure he feels it's not safe to go off label and prescribe other drugs that some FM patients are using. So....... I've been thru pain management before (way long ago for a shoulder injury). I refused to go thru IV or injection therapy. And most likely, I will refuse to do that this time around. Combo drugs and other therapies are fine. Needles, in any way, NO!!!

One thing I found interesting-----so let me ask you ladies a question. Do you suffer with a pain in your arms or shoulders that can only be described as muscle tearing off the bone? My doc says all his FM patients complain of this yet I've not seen anyone post a symptom (or pain) like this. Just wondering!

Does anyone have any words of wisdom or suggestions when it comes to Pain Management?


“Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Love more, and all good things will be yours”

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I went to a pain management doctor first. All he did was inject my spine and prescribe pain killers.

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Hi Everyone,
Here's how I found my doctor. When I went in, I had a list of questions to see if he believed fibromyalgia was real, how he viewed prescribing pain meds for chronic pain patients, and I had print outs about fibromyalgia, which I had found doing research. I basically interviewed him to see if I wanted to be his patient, which took him by surprise :) I am very blessed to have him in my corner, and for the fact that he is very open towards alternative medicine, and new research in all areas of medicine. I have had vision problems for years. It was happening even before I ever took any med for fibro, so I feel it is most likely another symptom of fibro. I just took my first 50mg dose of sevella, and was nervous to take it. I know the headaches I am getting daily are coming from it, but I am praying my body adjusts to it and the headaches and nausea are gone in time. What dosage is everyone on? I may have misunderstood some of the posts (imagine that :p), but it seems that there are some taking just 1 dose a day. Let me know please, as I am taking 2 doses a day. Am and pm. I have built up to the 50mg dose. I have had high blood pressure for years but it is well controlled with medication. Savella can raise blood pressure, so I am once again monitoring mine daily. Fortunatly, my dr gives me lots of samples or else I could not afford the savella or my blood pressure meds (I have to take a very strong BP med and we all know savella is expensive). Even when I had insurance, my co-pay for Lyrica (which did not work) was $70.00. I am still doing my stretching and exercises. Added tredmill work this week more for the cardio than the fibro. Also, if you go to wal-mart, buy a product calle Bath Therapy, and some epsom salt to add to your bath. The combo of the two are so great for the muscles. Not sure what the bath therapy does, but I am fairly sure that the epsom salt helps to leech out extra calcium from the body (particulary the muscles). Anyway, the two combined is so relaxing, and it will help improve sleep if done at night right before bed. Take care all, stay strong, and may you find somthing to laugh at today, as laughter really is the best medicine :)

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I have been on Savella for several months now. My rheumatologist gave me two of the starter packs to try. She told me take basically titrate up by taking each day of the pack two days in a row. Took me a
long time to get through both packs, but definately alleviated many of the side effects I have read about. I am usually quite sensitive to meds, so this seemed to ease me in. Plus, I didnt have to pay a copay until I knew if the drug was working for me. I have more energy than before and I have much fewer bad days. I am on 50mg twice a day. I take the a.m. pill with my breakfast and the p.m. pill with dinner. I am chronically low with vit. D, so I take a weekly rx level supplement and I also take a rx level potassium (on 2 diuretics for a kidney problem). I have asthma, but developed that in my 20s. I am 41 and have 4 kids, 3 of which homeschool. We are on the k12 curriculum, so I advise mostly, and dont have to create. Tiring still, but not as daunting as it could be. I was only dx with Fibro within the last yr but I knew it was coming as I have suffered with endometriosis, vulvodynia, IBS and excessive yeast. I have heard if you have one immune system problem, you are prone to more. For years I have chatted with other ladies with endometriosis and or vulvodynia and they all seem to be dx with Fibro.
I am thankful to have found you all!

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Hi Faith - I take 100mg 2x daily. I am curious, how do you know that savella causes your headaches? Maybe you wrote that earlier, but I don't recall. I have a $50 copay on mine. The doc gave free sample packets to get started on, but the company has no samples of regular doses. Kind of pisses me off. They are also appear as very strict on their assistance program. I guess they figure they have to make their money on the top end of the drug, because either A. they are going to get sued and that'll be the end of the gravy train or B. when generics come out, nobody is going to want to pay the high dollars for theirs and generic will wipe them out. I just am working towards getting off the drugs as much as possible. My accupuncture is really benefiting me. All my doctors recommended accupuncture so I guess they DO know something about something. Anybody else doing alternative anythings??? Good luck to everyone.

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Good Morning Faith (and all you ladies). In reading your last post you said you have high blood pressure but it's well controlled with meds. However, you then said you take baths with epsom salts. Does your doctor say this is ok??? Both my GP and Cardio doc have told me because of my HBP that I have to avoid Epsom salts. I used to love to take a soak with them - it eased so much of the muscle tension - but your body will absorb the salts and affect your fluid balances that affect HBP. Just thought I'd throw that out there since these were implicite instructions from 2 docs. While on Savella I never experienced headaches but the nausea was horrible. I was taking 50 mg twice a day. (I still have almost a whole bottle that I can't take). The copay was crazy expensive so that's great that your doc can keep you in samples. Just monitor yourself. Keep a diary of side effects and make sure to share with your doc. Good Luck. I hope the headaches subside.

I'm waiting on a call from the pain clinic to set my first appointment. I hope it comes soon as I'm in a great deal of pain. It doesn't help that it's storming and the barometric pressure is thru the roof. Funny how certain things seem to affect FM more than others (at least for me).


“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”

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Hi All,
Rebecca, I have not been told of epsom salt raising my BP, but I have never told my dr about the baths :) I am going to start monitoring my BP today, so I will see if there is any link (I need to get more epsom salt). I will keep a record of my BP at different times of day, after different activities, and so forth. I will let you know how it turns out . Also, Rebecca, I did not see where anyone addresed the severe pain in your arms and shoulders, but I get the same type of pain in my legs. Mostly my calves, but in the thighs at times too. It hurts so much that nothing they will give outside of a hospital will touch it! (and i wouldnt go to the ER for it anyway, because of the way they would treat me if I did). I know the savella is causing my headaches Lori, as it is a different type of headache than what I get from fibro, migraines, sinuses, and cluster headaches. It is more of a general ache on the top of my head. Ibuproferen works on the savella headaches, but for my other headaches, ibu might as well be skittles :) My dr told me I may need to increase to 100mg twice a day. He told me to see how 100mg a day worked and if I felt I needed to increase to 200 mg a day to go ahead and do so. I am hoping you get some results in you sleep (or lack of) Lori. I feel blessed that I am finally getting some good REM sleep for the first time since I can remember! It is such an important component of managing fibro symptoms. Well, all of you have as good a day as you can muster and remember to find the little funnies in you day :p Bod bless all of you, and I am so grateful I found this site.

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I have suffered from fibro for 15 years. I also have DDD, HBP,and carpal tunnel. I previously took Bextra and had great results, but it was pulled from the market. Because I felt much worse after stopping the meds, I did not want to try anything other than an occasional Flexeril (muscle relaxant) or aleve. Last year I agreed to try Cymbalta and was amazed that my pain was gone on day 2. Unfortunately, I had severe side effects (paranoia, feeling like I wasn't in my body) and stopped taking it. I agreed to try Savella and have been taking it for about 6 months. The biggest problem I had was stomach pain and nausea. I had to make sure I ate a big lunch to take my first pill and the 2nd I took before bed. After a few months the stomach pain and nausea went away. I occasionally have problems with severe hot flashes and sweating, but I had a problem with this before the Savella. I found out last fall my Vit D is depleted, so I have been taking weekly supplements. I have monthly massages and see a chiropractor weekly, so that keeps my pain at a very tolerable level. Savella has gotten rid of about 85% of the pain.

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I just started taking savella a month ago. i am still taking large doses of soma and lortab for my fibro. i am hoping to be able to get off these soon. the daily pain and fatigue is making me crazy.

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I don't seem to be able to break this wave of pain that's upon me. One minute everything is ok, then a simple touch, the brush of fabric or just moving the wrong way sends me into orbit. Hubby was rubbing my back and it felt so good. Then in the blink of an eye it felt like razors on my skin that went straight to the bone. Wish I understood all the in's and out's of FM. Would make life so much easier. Also, running out of energy midstream gets me. As I was walking the flea market I had to stop. I simply couldn't take another step. I finally made it to the car but had to cut the day short and head for home. UGH!

Do all FM sufferers go thru this? It SUCKS!

Still haven't heard from the Pain Clinic. I may put a call into them later today if I haven't heard anything.

On a positive note, I was able to shave my legs, LOL! Hey, it's the little things that count. Right???

OH! Welcome Robingj and Gibsoch. Hope you find this board as helpful as the rest of us have.

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What kind of doctor does everyone see for their fibro? I have been treated by my general doctor but wasn't sure if i needed a specialist. he isn't very attentive to this problem.

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Gibsoch, my GP referred me to a Rheumatologist for FM. My GP didn't feel as if she was schooled enough in FM to provide true benefit to me. I then saw a second Rheumatologist who confirmed the diagnosis. He referred me to a Pain Specialist since I also suffer with heart failure. You may want to see either of these specialists if your GP doesn't seem to be giving your FM the attention it needs.

Good Luck!

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Rebecca,
Thank you so much! I will get a referral. I just think that this isn't his speciality so he is throwing pain meds at it which is helping but not a lot.

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Wow -- so glad I found this discussion board. I started Savella today -- but have been concerned b/c I also take a high dose of Naprosyn daily (1000mg) and Methotrexate for Psoriatic Arthritis. Feel like I am triple whamming myself here! Anyone else?

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I went to the pain clinic for the first time today. Have had Fibro for about 18 months, work out regularly, go to chiro, have massages, have had injections, pain meds and take Lyrica 225 2 times a day and they today added Savella; my muscle pain is pretty bad but maybe i'm doing to much??? I also have daily headaches which are being treated with Depakote. So i have a real drug factory going on inside. I tried to reduce and/or get off the Lyrcia and it was so painful after 4 days i had to go back on it. Is Savella going to react the same way???

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I have not seen that much pain reduction with my Savella. I have been on it for about a month. Seems like everybody else is having good results with it though.

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Gibsoch, I was on Savella TWICE. The first round I got about 3 weeks in. The nausea and stomach pains I had were horrible so I stopped taking it. I also told my doc that I really didn't notice much pain reduction. However, once the Savella was out of my system I noticed a HUGE difference where pain was concerned. I went back on it, had the nausea (it finally subsided) and still didn't think there was a big difference. NOT until I MADE myself stop and take notice of the little pains I was no longer having. And the edge of the HUGE pains that were gone. NO, Savella didn't seem to make the pains disappear but it sure helped take the edge off. And, for me, it was a blessing. Just wish I could have continued to use it. The pain I'm in now is so unbearable.

Perhaps there is something else your doctor can add to the Savella to enhance it. And this may be where a Rheumatologist or Pain Specialist would be able to help you. It's worth a try.

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Welcome Jami! You will find there are many like you here.

We're so glad to have you join us.

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Rebecca, I am trying to stay positive and my husband says he can tell a difference in my mobility. I am looking for a rheumatologist in my area as we speak. I am sorry that you are in so much pain. I will pray for you.

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Thanks for the welcome Rebecca!! So glad I found this community! I sent over 2 years trying to get diagnosed with the PsA. Was excited to find a dr that knew what it was and willing to treat. But...when I saw him I explained the pain I was having in my chest and shoulders (that was so bad I actually took an ambulance ride to the hospital thinking I was having a heart attack) - he said he thought it was fibro and started treating it with flexiril at night. Doesn't really do anything except make me dizzy and hard to function the next day - which I can't do b/c I have 3 young children and home school. Anyway -- my rheumy turned me over to his nurse practitioner (he is the director of rheumatology at the university so he sees limited patients - I was lucky to get in to him at all). I had to see her a few weeks ago for some new symptoms as well as this pain in my chest and shoulders getting worse. She basically told me not every ache and pain you have is going to be associated with your disease. We don't treat everything - go back to your family dr. UGhhhh! But..thankfully my general practitioner knows what I have gone thru and is willing to help figure it all out. So...after ruling some things out - she decided to try this Savella to see if that helps this pain that everyone keeps saying is fibro. I am a bit nervous b/c of the other meds I am on already - Methotrexate isn't a fun drug anyway, but the pain is bad and I have to keep functioning. I just want to be a fun mom again and not have to miss out on so much! Looks like I found a great group on here to be able to chat with!!! Thanks Ya'll!

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