HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Started Savella last night

Support Forums
>
Fibromyalgia
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/19/2010 5:57 PM (GMT 0)
Some of this is cross posted from the Lyme Board.

The dose starts off low and works its way up. It says it takes about a week or so to get into your system, but I felt something last night. I felt like I wanted to laugh. I felt that tickle in my stomach. I hadn't had that in a while. I also slept really well, even better than I do on the magnesium. I don't think this was a placebo effect. I really did feel better. I took my pain meds at 4:00pm yesterday, took Savella at 7:45pm, and didn't take another pain pill until 4:00 this morning. I never do that. I always take my pain pills every 4-6 hours so something is happening.

I feel like it is important that I be a "test subject" so to speak because this disease is so awful and Savella is a new medication. We need relief from the pain. I will keep everyone updated, on the good and the bad. So far, all I had was a little nausea but I noticed that if I eat something before taking the Savella, the nausea is not so bad.

 

Posted 4/19/2010 7:26 PM (GMT 0)
Wow Cajungirl,

That is remarkable. So wonderful, and I am so happy for you. I hope that it continues. Please do keep us posted. I am so happy that the savella is working for you. This is so good to hear. And such quick results.

Best wishes for a wonderful painfree day.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 4/19/2010 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
Hey hun,

I am still a bit leary since I am usually let down with everything I take, but either way, I want to let everyone know. I took my dose today and feel a little tired and I am kind of staring off into space a little, lol, but it's not too bad. I am suffering just a little with pain because I am trying to space out the Tramadol and Savella. I will continue to post updates for all of you.
Posted 4/19/2010 8:09 PM (GMT 0)
I am contemplating on next month requesting my RA dr to give me a script she , wanted to wait until my BP was lowered...w/out meds that is. And so far I was ok.

Keep us posted.
Posted 4/20/2010 10:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hi CajunGrl,
Just to let you know, you will feel worse before you feel better. I wanted to quit taking the Savella during the trial pack, but I read on this forum from others that said the same thing. If I hadn't read here about the Savella, I probably would have quit taking it. Just keep at it and MAKE SURE YOU EAT SOMETHING with the Savella or right before or you will be nauseated. I learned the hard way. If you need to, just keep venting on this forum while you are on your trial pack and you will see that you will start to feel much better. I still have bad days, but not like I did. Good luck!
Posted 4/21/2010 1:03 PM (GMT 0)
Ive heard it causes hypertension too....!
Posted 4/22/2010 5:12 AM (GMT 0)
college coaches wife- Thanks for the encouragement. I definitely need it right now. I will not give up though.

Cpdwife- It "can" cause hypertension in some people. I take salmon oil everyday to make sure my BP is normal. The only side effects I have noticed so far are nausea and fast heartbeat. For the fast heartbeat, I take magnesium citrate and it really helps. I will do an update on the next message.
Posted 4/22/2010 5:13 AM (GMT 0)
I have time to post and wanted to update my experience with Savella. I'm on day 4 and don't really notice much of a difference in pain levels. In fact, I think I am more sleepy now. Of course, it is only day 4 and I have a ways to go to get to 100mg a day. I went up on the dosage today and was really nauseated. I ate before taking the larger dose and I was still very nauseated. I could only eat toast tonight and I did not take my second dose yet because of the nausea. I will probably take it tonight right before bed so I can sleep the nausea off.

I am not giving up. My doctor wants me to push through becausae he thinks it will help me. Others have told me the same thing also. Anyway, this is my update for now. I will update again in a few days. Wishing everyone a nice and painfree day.
Posted 4/22/2010 11:50 AM (GMT 0)
Keep us posted , your giving me hope to continue to ask for it next month...we are here!

Otherwise yes I've heard of taking the Magnesium but where to get it?
Posted 4/22/2010 4:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi cpdwife,

I got mine from my local health food store. I've read that Magnesium Citrate is best and I, myself find it works best, but you may want to ask others what kind they take.
Posted 4/24/2010 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
Well, today is day seven and I am feeling a whole lot better. There has been a big change in the way I feel in the last two days. My mind feels alot clearer and my pain has reduced some. I took my pain pill at 9:30 last night and didn't take it again until 9:00am this morning! THAT is a HUGE difference for me because I usually wake up between 4:30am-6:30am in so much pain and have to get up to take a pain pill. I feel like I can actually get up and do a few things today, which is great because we're moving and there is so much to do. Another thing I have noticed is that I feel happier too.

A few side effects that I've had to deal with are nausea, which was not too bad. Eating before taking Savella helps a lot. I had a few days of fast heartbeats, but taking magnesium with Savella has stopped that. it has also been cutting my appetite, which is awesome because I need to lose weight. Sitting around for a year has not helped me much, lol.

I will update again in a few days. I hope everyone is doing great today.
Posted 4/24/2010 6:36 PM (GMT 0)
I am glad it is helping you. Are you at the full dose yet?
Posted 4/24/2010 8:02 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Dagger,

No, I'm not on the full dose yet. I start it tomorrow so I am expecting to feel even better. I usually have nausea the first two days of starting the higher dose. I am not nauseated at all today. I think that once my body adjusts, it stops. I have been doing all kinds of things today. I climbed up on a chair and dusted off my ceiling fan. I was clinbing all over cleaning things. It feels great. I'm hoping this is not just "a good day" that I am experiencing. I don't think so though because so many things have changed like taking my pain pills less. On my good days, I still take my pain pills every 4-6 hours.
Posted 4/26/2010 6:53 PM (GMT 0)
Phew! Well, I went up to 50mg yesterday and it was horrible. My head felt really heavy, I couldn't concentrate on anything, and my muscles and body were hurting again. If I turned my head too fast, I felt funny, kinda dizzy but not really. It's hard to explain. I sat in front of the TV all day doing nothing. I don't even remember what I watched because my brain could not take anything in. This lasted 17 hours! I tossed and turned all night and finally at around 6:00am, it lifted and I felt better. I had only taken that one 50mg dose. So today, I called my doctor to see if I could just stay on on 25mg twice a day for now. It is working for me and has gotten me up and moving around. I am not in as much pain and have been taking my pain meds alot less. He agreed that it was okay to do that...thank God! So, I am doing MUCH better on the 25mg twice daily. I have not moved this much in over a year. I wake up in less pain too. It's amazing. When I wake up, I am expecting that horrible pain and it's not there anymore. I get out of bed faster and I can even stretch now without it hurting so much.

Anyway, I told all of you that I would report the good and the bad. If any of you are thinking about trying Savella, I think it is worth a shot. Me getting somewhat of my life back is priceless.
Posted 4/27/2010 2:07 AM (GMT 0)
When I was in the clinical study, I felt better on the lower dose. The side effects were minimal and my blood pressure stayed where it should be. It got a lot worse when the dose was increased. I think I was on 100 mg/day but I'm not sure because it was a study.

I'd stay at the lower dose for a longer time then maybe increase it if the Savella seems less effective.

I am glad you are seeing some benefits.
Posted 5/3/2010 6:06 AM (GMT 0)
Well, I'm still doing good on 25mg of Savella. I had two "not so good" days but it wasn't nearly as bad as I used to get. I was able to take a nap and felt better when I woke up. Usually, around this time of every month, I have a real bad week and I am down the entire week in bed. I am on my bad week and still doing things around my house. I go up and down stairs everyday. I would have never been able to do that before the Savella. I feel so much better!

I hope that today finds you all in less pain:)
Posted 5/3/2010 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Cajungirl, hoping the Savella works well for you! I have been on it since last July with
no bad side effects. My rheumy started me out with two triation sample packs. It took one
month before I was up to 50mgs 2x daily. It did take almost two months before it made a
noticleable differance. I found it to be helpful. Good luck to you! Maybe you will have to

take a more gradual sosage to get to the 50mg dosage???

hugs, Robin

Posted 5/3/2010 6:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Robin,

I'm glad that Savella is working for you too. I was at a point in my life where I was about to give up. I didn't think any medication would work. I did not have a life at all. For over a year, I was mostly stuck in bed. My poor husband did everything. I still don't know how he did it. Thank the good Lord above that he loves me because I wouldn't have been able to do it alone. I have no clue how mothers with young children deal day to day.

For now, I think the 25mg is working great. I am very sensitive to medication and usually always have to take a lower dose. I took Lexapro a few years ago, and the standard dose is 20mg. I stayed on 10mg for two years and felt great. I take half an Advil and half dosages of other medicines because the effects are strong if I take the full dose. The good thing is that if I ever do need to go higher, I can.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply