HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Savella side effects

Support Forums
>
Fibromyalgia
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 8/11/2009 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
I am on day 11 of savella and I have had an increased heart rate and BP for at least the last week or so. I also developed insomnia (worse than normal) when I went up to 100mg. My doctor had me reduce my dose to 50mg in the morning and 25mg at dinnertime and I think it has helped the insomnia a little. Has anyone had the increased heart rate from Savella and it moderated when their body got used to the medicine?

I already have a weird heart - 15,000 pvc's a day and my heart is "slightly weakened" according to my cardiologist. So, if this could just be a short term effect I could hang on and see if it will reduce my pain. Otherwise, I guess I may have to give up on yet another medicine! :(

I currently take Ultracet, zanaflex, savella and hydrocodone.

Thanks!

Posted 8/11/2009 1:47 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry, I have no experience with savella so can't help you there but wow, that's a lot of PVC's. I think maybe you might want to soon mention your increased heart rate to you dr. since you already have some kind of heart issue. Take care. Lisa
Posted 8/11/2009 2:34 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you Lisa, I did mention it along with the insomnia and she said see if the dose reduction helps. I always feel like they all give me the run around. She will say ask the cardiologist and he will tell me he doesn't have experience with the medication in question and I go in circles - drives me crazy!

I know 15,000 is crazy, but I don't feel them too often. The only way I found out about them is my pulse is in the 40's because of them. Well, it was in the 40's until savella :-)

Thanks again.

Posted 8/11/2009 9:25 AM (GMT 0)
I'm seeing my doctor on Wednesday, she wants to put me on Savella. She warned me it could raise BP but mine is low anyway so that would be a good thing. If she does give me a prescription I'll let you know how it makes me feel. I hope you feel better soon!

-Sandi
Posted 8/11/2009 1:06 PM (GMT 0)
Hi upbeat,
I take Savella and I was worried about the BP issues too b/c I have a prior history but so far I havent had problems. However you should know that all my other side effects from this drug have gone away by the end of the first month. So maybe there is hope for you! I was miserable at first and now I am fine. Take it easy until you can get used to this drug, its pretty rough!

Good luck!
Posted 8/11/2009 1:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hi upbeat,

I have been on Savella for one month. The last two weeks I've been taking the 100mg
dosage. Before I started taking Savella my blood pressure and heart rate were high.
I am currently taking meds for it. I take my blood pressure and heart rate daily. I have
noticed that my heart rate has been elevated up to 116, though today it was down to 89.

Increased heart rate is a side effect of Savella, so I have been monitoring it daily.
So far I haven't had any other side effects.

Hope it works out for you!

Robin
Posted 8/11/2009 4:21 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you everyone - I think I will just keep an eye on it til I see my doc at the end of the month. I hope it goes back down - I think it is starting to help with the pain and I would hate to give up now.

lost in philly - I am so glad to hear you are doing well on the savella, have you noticed a decrease in your pain levels?

Robin - hope your heart rate is down for good - to me the increased heart rate feels much worse than pvc's! I hate sitting still and feeling it beating so fast.

Sandi - Hope your appt goes well, let us know if you start the Savella!

Posted 8/11/2009 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
I was in a clinical study for Savella and I dropped out when my resting heart rate went up to 120 bpm and my blood pressure went up 15-20 points. When you are in a study, they can't reduce the meds so I had to drop out.
Posted 8/11/2009 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
I am on day 7, just went up to 100mg this am.

Since the first dose I have had severe nausea. My doc did tell me that this may happen and that it should go away, She gave me a rx for phenergan. I havent noticed my bp go up. I am on a beta blocker for tachycardia (before savella) so I am not sure I would notice as my heart rate is always 10o resting.

If the nausea dizziness doesnt go away soon, it will be a deal breaker for me. I havent noticed any change in pain yet.
Posted 8/11/2009 9:53 PM (GMT 0)
Merrygirl - I hope you feel better soon. One dose of cymbalta and I was sick all night and nauseous for a week! I don't know why I didn't have any nausea with savella, maybe because I switched from an ssri to the savella.

dagger - how long did it take for your heart rate to return to normal after you stopped the savella? did they have you taper or just take you off?

Thanks!

Posted 8/11/2009 10:57 PM (GMT 0)
Since it was a clinical study, I had to just stop taking the pills. My heart rate and blood pressure returned to normal within 24 hours.

The study was testing 2 dosages (100 and 200 mg, I think) plus placebo. We knew I was not on placebo but we didn't know what dose I was taking.
Posted 8/12/2009 12:40 AM (GMT 0)
My husband took his first pill lastnight and told me he had a VERY hard time with sleep.  If something made a noise it like echoed in his head.  Then I decided to jump over to this forum.  What luck this thread was the third one... yeah

He was talking Amintriypleine. (sp?) and percocet.  Now a new doctor was assigned to him and rx'd Savella and Ryzolt.  I take Ryzolt but take breakthrough meds throughout the day for chronic pain with my kidneys.  My husband is so frustrated so he understands how you are feeling with side effects of medications.  (I read the posts to him while he's filling out our teenagers forms for highschool)

I will be watching this thread.  I have noticed he is very senstive to medications.  Is this somewhat normal with Fibro????

Laurie

Posted 8/12/2009 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
Many people with fibro are very sensitive to meds. They get the worst of the side effects. Plus, some fibro people seem to find that meds stop working after a few months so they are constantly changing.

Why is your husband taking the Savella at night? It really revs you up so I would think it would be best in the morning. I barely slept the first week or so but I wasn't any more tired than usual. That side effect went away and I slept better but I still felt jumpy during the day.
Posted 8/12/2009 10:03 AM (GMT 0)
He didn't realize the side effects.  Usually I research any med he or I take before we put one in our mouth.  So he went to the doc, filled the script, ate dinner, got ready for bed then took his meds..lol  Just say it messed him up.

He just left for work I didn't have time to ask how he slept.  We cross paths in the morning hes leaving my alarm is just going off....

Laurie

Posted 8/12/2009 9:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi dagger - it is good to know your heart rate and bp returned to normal so quickly. My heart is driving me crazy today, I guess I have been sitting still more and I am feeling the higher heart rate and the pvc's!

Laurie - I am sorry your husband had such a hard time I hope it has gotten better. I read somewhere not to take it after 2pm, but my doses are split between morning and evening so I have been taking the evening dose at dinnertime and that seems to help.
Posted 8/12/2009 11:52 PM (GMT 0)
He just told me he was going to start taking his evening dose when he gets home around 3 pm.  He gets up at 4 am every morning so the morning one isn't so bad.  He says he seems to be feeling some of the aching easing but the sharp stabbing pain is still there.  He increases tomorrow so we will see if it continues.  But then he is really really been miserable for years now so alittle relief goes along ways.

I'm trying to get him to take advantage of going to a PM doctor.  I have a great clinic I go to. 

Once again I will keep an eye out on this thread.

Thank you for responding and hopefully all of you can adjust to this medication to find some relief.  And Dagger you are so right.  It does seem that the medications seem to stop working or he gets most the side effects.

Laurie

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply