Has anyone here taken savella? If so, what if any side effects did you have? Also, I would like to know how much a prescription costs in your area. Thank you!!
Hello this will give you some info http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-152224/savella-oral/details
Remember everyone is different so meds effect them differently.
The cost varies so much even in the same area that the best way to find out is to call several pharmacys.
I have been on it for years and I like the results so far. my only complaints are that it makes me nauseous when I take it so I have to take it at night and I get night sweats sometimes but not all the time. My scrip usually cost me about $50 a month but it also depends on insurance because it was less with my other insurance I had before.
I took three doses of Savella and after the third dose started having an allergic reaction to it. My chest got tight and I could barely breathe. One of the common side effects is a racing heart, which I also had. With my insurance it was under $10.
I just began Savella this week. My Cymbalta seemed to stop working. I’m much less depressed from my Fibromyalgia pain and I’m not even on a full dose for four more days. I’m having a few side effects like slower speech and a few times of shaking or tremors in one hand. I’m sure glad to have an option that helps! Less pain and depression is worth a couple small side effects.
I have taken Savella for many years. I take 100mg 2X a day. There are side affects both starting and stopping but that comes with almost any med you take. My doctor had started me slow and worked me up along the way. It is GREAT for fibro. I take so many meds and the thought comes to mind when days are bad like do any of these work?? Well just recently i applied to Forest Pharmacies about me getting it through them due to hardship and i ran out before i became approved. The weirdest thing happened to me as it started coming out of my system. When i would walk i would feel like i had springs under my feet with a tingling vibrating feeling and it drove me crazy so i pinpointed it to that and when it was totally out i hurt a whole lot more than before. I take it combined with Lyrica and I get good results from the 2 combined. Alot of people however are drug sensitive and it could make you feel dizzy, drunk, and nauseous if you are. Back when i was first diagnosed Savella had just came out and it was like that for me when i started it but now i just get that other problem if the med gets out of my system. It is in my opinion really good fibro med. Its not a pain med but fibro pts dont need just pain meds bc of the nerve ending problem we need treatment for as well.
Hope this gives you some help and insight.
I took it for about 6 months after weaning off Cymbalta. Yes, I started with the starter pack. It made me nauseous in the first few weeks but went away. The biggest side effects I had were irritability, depression, negativity. Couldn't take an anti depressant while on it or a muscle relaxer. When I went on Prednisone for polymyalgia, I weaned off the Savella so I could take Prozac again, which made a HUGE difference in my depression/attitude. Neither Cymbalta or Savella really helped me with the fibro pain that much. I was still taking 1 gram of extra strength Tylenol daily which probably did more for me :(.
I take Savella I like it. I was taking Lyrica which did a really good job but I had side effects that never went away. Don't have any with Savella. My insurance covers much of the cost. Make sure you take it with food as it will cause an upset stomach.
I too take and love Savella. I’ve only been on it for about six months but it’s made a huge difference. I did have nausea in the beginning but that went away after about a month. My insurance covers most of it so I only pay 15 for it.
I forgot to mention another annoying side effect that went away after I got off it. Major constipation. Had to take fiber pills daily and was lucky if I had a bowel movement every 3 or 4 days. Now I'm back to my normal 'daily' constitution lol! Yes, I did eat yogurt in the morning before I took it for the nausea.
I would highly suggest you DO NOT take it. It about killed me... I was on it for almost 2 years and the longer I was on it the worse off I became.
More pain, head aches, confusion ( more so than brain fog), mentally I felt like I was really going crazy The weight gain...water retention just too much to mention.......
It just wasn't for me. I was taken off and put on Lexapro. With in days of getting that out of my system I felt so much better and I have lost 15 lbs over a 3 month period. The swelling is gone...I can actually see my eye lids....the pain is nothing compared to what it was and mentally I feel back to normal both meds I take 2 pills a day at night 200 mg each
I have insurance, so I cant really tell you how much the cost is
Hope this helps
Karen
Oh!!! Really quick. If you are on tramadol, you may have a terrible reaction. I did but after replacing this with Tylenol 2, no worries.
Hi, Boston!
Are you loving these storms yet? LOL
I just wanted to stress again what purplebutterfly said in that everyone is different and meds affect us differently. What makes one person feel awful side effects or produces no benefit at all, can affect another entirely different or the same. I think it's wise to discuss any medication's common side effects and potential benefits with your doctor to see if it may be worth trying.
Hugs,
Laurie
Hi Boston,
What Laurie said 
My personal experience was about 5 years ago, my fibro pain was greatly reduced on Savella, the only thing that has ever really worked in 17 years. But I had to go off of it for two reasons. First, I did have the side effect of orthostatic hypotension (dizziness upon standing), would’ve taken the Savella longer to see if that stopped as it often does but my second problem was that at the time my insurance (Medicare) didn’t cover it. I got samples for the first 6 weeks or so but then it was nearly $300 per month.
However, my insurance now covers it for $45 co-pay so I hope to try it again soon.
But talk with your doctor!
Hello, I have been taking Savella for about six months. I have had very good results.Initially I had about 95% improvement with IBS symptoms. Now about 50%. Also the pain and fatigue has improved by about 50-60%. Adjusting to this medicine was quite difficult. I was very dizzy, nauseous, had severe hot flashes. I almost gave up the first few days and weeks but now I am so glad I didnt. I do seem to be having more pain right now but I hate to think of what it would be without the Savella.
Hope this is helpful:}
Dyana
I hope it works for you.
If you can not afford to pay your co-pay or insurance doesn’t pay.
Go the manufacturer website. They more often than not, have financial Aid programs.
I wished it worked for me.
Good luck.
I love my Savella. I have to take it with food or I get nauseous, even after a year on it. I threw it up a few times, but it is worth it. I feel like my Fibromyalgia doesn't affect my life anymore. I would say it has reduced my Fibromyalgia symptoms by 85%. I am on the full dose. I have a deductible in my insurance plan. It was almost $200 a month because of it. It will cost about $30 now that I hit my deductible. I am also on Gralise for Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia, but I was on it when my Fibromyalgia symptoms started 2 years ago.
I’ve taken Savella for years now, probably five. It’s been really helpful it helped with the ibs, the headaches, severe muscle pain, inability to get out of bed, and a variety of other little things. However, I had to reduce my dose and slow down because I started having side effects that I can’t quite get rid of. I started having uncontrollable got flashes in my face and ears sometimes one ear, nausea, vomiting, and worst and still present tachycardia–a heart rate greater than 100 when at rest. I’ve bern through a full cardiac work up and everything checked out except I have a highly excitable heart and simple faints–which also means my body doesn’t sent enough blood to my brain for a short period of time and I quickly faint and then resolve. This may or may not be related to savella but I continue to take a smaller dose due to the benefits of the medication over the side effects. It truly was my life saver!
I started this med 3 weeks ago or so. For the first 10 days I had the following side effects: dizziness, nausea (took Zofran with it and it helped a lot, and with food), diarrhea, fatigue, and constipation...all have worn off except for the constipation and the fatigue ( a little). I also noticed recently that it is making me more hungry than usual...I could eat and eat and never stop so watch out for this! If a dose is missed i get a piercing headache above my eye. Tonight actually I felt as if I was going to pass out, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I work full time in retail and for me, I can be lively at work, but when I leave, a crash can hit me all of a sudden and I just cannot even sit up straight; I need my bed asap. I think the Savella is a part of that. I am currently on 50 mg 2/day. It does work great for fibro pain!
I have PPO insurance through HealthLInk Open Access II, and I paid $35 for my titration pack I believe.
It makes my ears ring so badly I was miserable. I'm on Cymbalta which is now available in generics. All 3 drugs, Lyrica, Savella, and Cymbalta, all have side effects. The hope is that if one of these helps your symptoms you will be able to get used to it. As others have said, take it slow. It took me 2 months to get used to Cymbalta and a few other drugs I'm on.