Anyone Else Trying Savella For Fibromyalgia? (Page 6)

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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I am 50 y/o who is just trying Savella for the first time tonight. Recently had surgery for ACL tear and have been having lots of pain, especially at night. Hoping the Savella will help lessen the pain, and will help curb my appetite so I can loose a few pounds. I read quite a few comments tonight. LOL...can't read the ones that talk about yawning, cause it made me START yawning. How infectious is that!! Thanks for all the good info from everyone. It really has been helpful.

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This is for Tessie--- you sound so much like me and guess what? I'm called Tessie also since I was a child.

I'm so glad to hear that the Savella is helping you. Unfortunately my insurance company would not approve it for me even after my Neurologist requested in writing the need that I have for it. It can go to appeals but I've fought long enough with them that I just gave up. Unfortunately I'm using morphine and it has begun to not give as much relief as it once did. I go back to my Neurologist in 2 weeks and will see if he's up to the appeals process.

Withdrawals are the worst thing to go through and I'm positive you're experiencing withdrawals from the Prozac. I was on Zoloft and discontinued that last August along with many other meds. I have to take my Zanax daily. Luckily there's no one here but me and the cats so no one has to put up with my moodiness!

Keep up your positive attitude and remember to find humor in everything that you can. Hugs right back at ya and remember to Praise the Lord!

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Hi everyone! I'm on VACATION. I love to say that. Car ride is a pain, but I am doing great being in the warmer weather. Tessie, I had the crankies (serious) until my doc took me off one of my antidepressants, because with the savella, I was getting too much of the ingredient that my fibro-fog is not allowing me to remember right now. Anyway, I take the savella and wellbutrin SR now, and had been taking wellbutrin SR, savella, and another - like zoloft.. I can't remember the name LOLOL. The drop off that one, within days I was back to being a 'nice' person. :) I still am researching daily fibromyalgia information and all the suspected causes, as well as learning about natural alternatives and even talked to my pain specialist about medical marijuana. It is now legal in michigan. No, I do not want to smoke pot, I am just researching, but I really wanted her opinion on it. I love my doctor! I really can discuss anything with her and I know my health is better because of a good relationship with my doc. I hope you all have a good rapport with your physicians', it is a anxiety reliever for me. Take care, God Bless, Have a great Day!

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Lori--if you can get medical marijuana definitely give it a try. It has helped so many people and it's a natural drug. I smoked pot in my younger years for recreational purposes and loved it however my lungs did not so the use of it for me is out of the question until it can be purchased in THC form. I don't think any insurance would approve it so you'd be out of pocket on that but I can tell you it would be allot cheaper than paying full price for Savella or just about any other new medication.

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I just started my second week of Savella-just taken off Effexor for the depression-have mercy-I haven't ever had hot flashes like I do since starting the Savella, hope this side effect goes away. I've been on Lyrica since Oct. 2008 for fibro and so far it has helped some but I also go to a chiropractor twice a week because of herniated disc and spinal problems. Has anyone else been put on Savella for depression besides me?

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This is a site to discuss experiences with Savella. It is not a site to discuss medical marijuana. I will no longer be referencing this site and that is a shame since I have benefited from all your input up to now.

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Reply to Sharon: If you can figure out how to get off this list so you no longer receive e-mail notifications when new comments are added, please let me know since I'm not interested in continuing participation either. I'm not computer savvy enough to figure it out. Thanks!

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Bye Bye Sharon and Just Me! So glad you benefitted up until now. Myself and one other person has spoken about marijuana certainly hasn't changed the subject of this post.
It's very simple to unsubscribe:
1. Click on home page link.
2. In the big blue welcoming box click on about us link.
3. Scroll down until you find email
us. Click on that link and you can unsubscribe from there.

Good luck and God Bless you both!

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I've used this site for lots of information about many medications and problems, what I think people don't understand is that it is a forum, that means discussion, you don't have to reply or read or apply EVERYTHING EVERYONE says but everyone is entitled to an opinion, thats what I'm here for!! Sorry some can't apply what they want ignore what they don't. As far as I'm concerned they are the ones missing out!! THANKS Teresa. God bless all!! Thanks for the answer about the aggression and agitation, I'm struggling with it but I feel like I'm still trying to find the right dosage for me!! Savella is still the best thing I've found for the FATIGUE and the PAIN of the Fibro in 15 years so I'm willing to keep trying it despite side effects so far.

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Is anyone having these type of side effects? Skin a pinkish color & really big pupils? My pupils are really big & I just noticed today, so I don't know how long they have been like this. My skin(especially my face & neck) has been kind of pink for about a week now. Other than the occasional hot flashes (I like to call them power surges ;) ). The Savella has been okay so far. Is anyone else having side effects like these? The pain is alot less & I have been taking Savella for about a month now. Not thrilled with taking anything. I don't like to take medication ever, but if I have to then I will. thanks for letting me ramble. Bright Blessings to you all.

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I honestly am scared, depressed, overwhelmed, frustrated, and 45. Got laid off this past June and have no money. I have had fibro since it was first talked about and my 19 yr old daughter does too. I also have bad spinal stenosis, disc bulge, very painful osteoarthritis, thyroid disease, carpal tunnel, horrible brain fog, and the list goes on... I tried Lyrica and almost drove head on into the front end of an 18 wheeler due to the horrible depression it threw me into. My husband thinks I should take Savella and I am afraid... I currently take Cymbalta which isn't doing anything that I can see, Mobic, Ultram, synthroid, and Concerta which does help me with my energy level slightly at times. I stopped taking the Xanax as often since not working. I just tend to feel so at loss right now and have barely any motivation to even live. I just can't bare the thought of menopause which I'm sure is right around the corner... Well, thanks for listening... I just had to vent and I know at least some of you understand... <3 Please be careful and pay attention to the moods some of these meds put you through.. It's very easy to let your mind go to a bad place as it is when you're constantly in so much pain...

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hey frowning, I'm 42 and have had a lot of the things you mention. I tried Lyrica too BAD stuff I think...at least for me. I also tried the cymbalta and had tried almost everything else ever prescribed for fibro and depression, etc, the Cymbalta was a little better than the Lyrica but I didn't like it either, the savella as far as I'm concerned has been way better so far. Its so (*&^ hard finding the right dosage but titrate onto it the way it says and then like you say, you gotta know if you're getting too much or too little, I have just changed the way I was taking it the last three days and its more amazing than before, not that life with fibro is ever great but I've had TWO fairly good days in a ROW now... I do have my days, weeks, and longer that I feel like I don't care what happens...I think most of us can relate. Hang in there!! Oh, I also tried the concerta quite awhile back, I had really bad depression, not so great thoughts, etc., on it, a new doc told me they give it for ADD, It does help the energy level but I didn't like the depression...I think the savella helps the fatigue better than anything I've tried so far. It's not perfect but trying to put up with the side effects cuz I really do feel like I feel better, not like I'm full of cement from the neck down, just like my body is not so heavy, I actually ran errands twice today, for me thats unheard of......good luck to all!!

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was on savella for FM for 5 weeks became very confused, hostile, angry, very suicidal. Very hypertensive B/P 215/109.Severe vertigo and stroke like symptoms. obviously off it now and feeling better.

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I am ready to start my 3rd week n savella and have already had to call the doctor and change my dosage. I was on Effexor for depression and doc changed it to savella-pharmacists said I should have waited till Effexor was out of my system before starting savella cause its the same type of med. I have severe head dizzy symtoms if I move too fast or turn my head too quickly. I am also on 375mg of lyrica-has anyone else been put on savella for depression? I experienced my first bout of real aggitation yesterday but so far, not today. Seems like I'm hurting more from fibro than usual since I started the savella- is this happening to anyone else?

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Tammy-- I can't believe that your Doctor didn't tell you that you had to stop the Effexor before starting the Savella. From the problems you are experiencing it sounds to me like you are feeling the effects of drug interaction or overdose. It will take several weeks before the Effexor is completely out of your system. I do hope you feel better soon. This is an excellent example that we must take charge and do our own research before we start any new medication.

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I'm relieved to read that others have experienced mental/mood issues when switching from cymbalta to savella. I felt as if I was going crazy with my mind spinning with out of control thoughts and severe mood drops. I chalked it up to the holidays and my mother's 30 day visit with us but now I know differently. I've been taking savella now for 7 weeks, up to 100 mg. once a day but I'm still pretty depressed. Cymbalta worked better for my depression but savella is alleviating some of my deeper, sharp joint pain. I'm suffering from chronic flu-like symptoms and the depression is pretty rough. Has anyone got any relief from these symptoms? and how long did it take at what dosage of savella? Help!

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I swiched from zoloft to savella. was on it for 5 weeks. I was also on valium to sleep. For me the Savella was very dangerous. My personality totally changed. I became very hostile, reckless driving and road rage, suicidal, curled up in a chare for weeks and avoided everyone.Total short term memory loss, Don't remember much of what happened during that time, horrible flushing and hot flashes that turned cold and then cold sweats like when you have the stomache flu and are ready to vommit. Please be careful! I nearly commited suicide. When you are in it you don't see it. Thank God my husband took me to the doctor. She put me back on the zoloft took me off the valium ,replaced the valium with 1mg of klonopin. WOW what a difference. I am returning from what felt like hell!!! I am getting my life back! I am still very debilitated and need to regain my strength. All of these drugs act differently with different people. Please when you change medicine ask a trusted friend or spouse to help you. They can be an observer and sounding board! This is very important. I nearly loss my life on savella!!!!!!!

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Deb, in reading your post, you imply in the last line it was savella that almost caused your demise, yet in the body of your text, you indicate that the doctor took you off valium and oh what a difference. Would you please rephrase the information so that it can be informational to others? I personally never had such terrible times with savella, except at the beginning when I was also on wellbutrin AND lexapro. Got rid of the lexapro and all is well. Cymbalta sure doesn't do squat for pain. Glad Savella is so great for me.

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Oh Hey, as a side note: My environment the past three weeks has been off work for self employment training seminars, etc., and vacation time. I work in a smoke filled environment for my day job, and having been out of there, my fibromyalgia hopping all over has been less, busy brain, more brain fog, and also, when I am dealing with something that brings me a great deal of personal stress and heartache (my dog -best friend in the whole world who has been with me for 14 years and now needs to be put down) caused me to have severe reactions. Also, my blood sugar levels as I am now monitoring have dropped significantly more often. I sure it's not the medicine, but the way I eat, coupled with the stress. So, what I am trying to say, is really pay attention to the environmental causes of your physical well being, and keep track of the stresses and what results that brings as well. I can't wait to update my doctor next week.

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I have to say the longer I'm on this the better I'm doing. Whether you've been on cymbalta, zoloft, prozac, whichever antidepressant for any length of time they are just as hard to get out of your system and get your body used to not having them as any other kind of drug. The longer I've been on the savella now the more and more I like it. That being said I totally agree with Lori, you have to pay attention CLOSELY to your moods, etc and have someone who is close to you tell you if you're acting different, sometimes it has to get really bad before the person taking the medication knows theres a problem whereas others around you can tell sooner. This medication has really been helpful to me for the pain and wonderful for the fatigue, etc, I don't sleep well when I take the nightly dosage however, which usually on other antidepressants if you take them in evening they help you sleep. I've started taking my evening dosage at about 5 p.m. at latest, by 10ish I'm tired, ready for bed and can sleep, sometimes using an occasional benadryl. Hope this helps. I agree with Teresa 100% the docs don't know everything about this drug, I'd rather talk to pharmacists but moreso people like teresa and others who have been on the medication and have the problems I have. Thanks all of you who share. God bless!

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