I loved Savella but about a year after taking it, it almost killed me. My blood pressure was sky high and heart rate was up to almost 200. I was in the hospital, had a heart cath and every test imaginable on my heart. They finally started taking me off one medication at a time and 3 days after they stopped Savella my heart rate and blood pressure were normal. There needs to be group a lawsuit against this company.

Have been an RN and developed fibromyalgia after two injuries, and onset of vertigo back 25-30 yrs ago. This has been terrible pain with sciaticia , headaches and vertigo. I have had side effects after being on Savella only 8mos after titrating up slowly and getting good relief. I am in the midst of it as we speak so will keep this short as possible. I noticed entry into the fog and difficulty getting tasks done and difficulty getting out from pain. This is surely being between a rock and a hard place. I am directed by the Holy Spirit when to take action. Not suicidal, as have been thrown various fibro drugs and SRRIs all with varying side Effect. My pain physician who writes Bupronophone/ naloxone sublingual for pain under psych which is initially under addiction services. I was treated “off label” for pain as I was by God’s grace never on enough opioid to get addicted. I was taking prednisone at the same time and it worked well until the bone density dropped and made me oseopenic. I have been on Suboxone , ,Bustrans Patch, worked well but caused burns to skin. Now I believe the sublingal film has been causing some throat pain, hoarseness, and Gastric problems. I have never been able to go up on The film dose due to those symptoms and after 12yrs not getting enough pain relief to hold an activity level. So this has side effects alone and I only otherwise experienced somnolence taking 2mg at a time. With this added protonix and pepcid for GI sx. Savella, titrated up slowly to 100mg from early Sept to December. At the same time I was on Diazepam for cns vertigo taking 4mg, then 5mg, three times a day since 2001-2. Some point in time 10 mg tablets were ordered under this psych Dr and after seeing Ent who asked me to wean down or off diazepam and see if the nastigmus returns. I was certain of that except thinking I was on 5 mg when I really was 10 mg tablets. Incidently I was told by insurace part D no longer covering med via letter. The substitues were Clonazapam and Lorazepam. These are not exchangable for diazepam and I recognize I had a disstressful time with a dose change after going up on “Klonipan” and going through varying dosing on Savella in Feb, April, and June with migraine and GI sx. Now June . It has taken 7mos of waiting for an appt with ENT specialty. TBD on July 3 after being in ER to be treated with worsening migraines, worsening pain and vertigo. Today seek primary care and cardiology to see if this Savella is causing Symptoms of one type, and Suboxone causing other. Can’t get clear indication from Dr who is protective about the drugs as she apparently has not worked on the clinical side of things in quite some time. I had gone to Rx Advocate company to get these two meds as seemed crucial to survival and have begun getting meds from drug company . This seems to be the way where meds get out of a certain level on clinical trials awaiting FDa approval for certain conditions and patients are the guinea pigs. I don’t know what to say about this however having been at both sides of a drug success or failure it does not seem ethical. Savella is currently being held at 25 mg until I get medical care in this withdrawal phase. Feels like something broke in my head after this migraine early June with no certain relief from pain and a barage of central nervous system side effect as I try to get pain relief by balancing Le s s activity with some time out of bed . My sister sent me this info after talking with her and realizing I may need to go through withdrawals again and only the fog of Savella and the discomfort of Suboxone and the brain fog is the only thing holding from an insane level of pain. One has to ask as to check our spiritual side as if you see all the pharmaceutical commercials and ones antidepressant isn’t right and you are encouraged to add a med to help the other work.? Does anyone address the soul anymore in physican practice? God help us all who are in this medical limbo. 🙏

I hated it. And I hate what it did to me. After just over a week of being on this Savila drug I complained of feeling dehydrated, even though I drank lots of water and every limb of mine was shriveled…getting smaller, weaker. And I had great chest pain and great leg pain. And my dr. Had me off of it right away. The bad side-effect lessened right away. Now I have collapsed veins in my legs. Iv had leg ablation procedures, I have heart failure and I have blood clots. That followed to a stroke. Ever sence my legs hurt and feel ice cold to the bone. They are cold to the touch for others to feel as well. And the word cold means ice cold painful feeling as if you were left outside in the snow with No pants on. That drug hurt my quality of life!

I have been on this medication for a week now and I can say I already love it. It has helped more than any other medication and while I have had a couple of the side effects like nausea I haven’t expirience anything too bad. I also have pots and other disorders that could be helped by savella and I would have to look out for the serotonin syndrome and heart rate. But my natural heart rate is already at 100-120 and while sick or on Adderall it’s at 120/140. It doesn’t hurt nor does it cause me any real issues. But all that is to say I’ve been on alot of medication throughout my life and I have had some warning packets state in big bold letters “may cause sudden death” . With all the disorders and medication I’ve been on I know the risks but I take those risk to be able to function like a normal person. We have to stop babying consumers and give proper information on medication risks and let them weigh in on their own treatment plans. The article is also misleading in the” 90% of people didn’t improve” but there are so many medications out there that really cause major side effects and aren’t pulled. This shouldn’t be pulled from the market it should have more doctor awareness for the side-effects.

I have been on Savella for 1 1/2 years for my Fibromyalgia. It was (I thought) a great drug which we were using in conjunction with Gabapentin to control the fibro pain. Two weeks ago I was rushed to the hospital with Acute Pancreatitis. It was so bad that I had a NSTEMI – a heart attack caused by elevated heart enzymes. The doctors said my heart just couldn’t take the onslaught. I am in neither risk groups for these life-threatening conditions. I also don’t know the extent of the heart and pancreatic damage yet (I’m undergoing further testing with my specialists). The doctors at the hospital and my PCP – who is with one of the leading university medical centers in the country – all agreed this is from Savella. I am writing this in the hopes it helps saves someone’s life.

I am a nurse and I have been on Savella for two weeks and it’s been the worst two weeks of my life. After I mentioned it to my husband this must be how people feel before they die. I decided to do more research on the medication and on serotonin syndrome. At this point I realize that I had serotonin syndrome that was induced by the medication Savella. I had elevated blood pressure which I have never had, n/v, dizziness, lightheadedness. I was feeling like I was going to pass out. I was sweating profusely, elevated temperature, hot flashes, goosebumps, altered mental status, shivers, weakness, confusion. I had muscle cramps to the point where I could not walk and was using a cane to get around. My whole body shut down leaving me bed writing for weeks. I went to three doctors and none of them new or mention that this was Savelle induced Seretoin Syndrome. I was dismissed by my Dr. after complaining about the side effects, I even asked specifically about Seretoin Syndrome and was completely ignored. Had I not been a nurse I wouldn’t have found out that Sevella was causing this and I would have probably died had I continued consuming this medication. I found that you should not take savella with narcotics, yet my Dr. prescribe it with opiods. After researching drug interactions I decided to take myself off Savella. It’s been a process but my body is slowly getting back to normal. I feel bad for all of my fellow fibromyalgia patients having to deal with the side effects and these medications. none of which work and all of which calls suicidal ideations, homicidal ideations, severe medical conditions, and side effects that may lead to death. As for myself I decide to go the holistic route and become vegan.

I LOVED this medication for the pain relief that it gave me in the 11 days I was on it… BUT, it damaged my heart. It put me into AFIB, they had to stop my heart twice to try to reboot it, but that still did not work. I researched this medication back then, but it was new then and there were no reviews or law suit pages. I almost died. I still have major AFIB. I did not have heart issues before this medication. I know it helps a lot of people… But, do you want to take the chance that YOU will be a part of the crowd that gets heart damage from this medication?? I think its a 50/50 chance. I think its actually more like a 95 percent chance that this medication will cause you harm or damage. My life will NEVER be the same. I thought it was a gift, but it was not.

I have Fibromyalgia, Hypothyroidism, Sciatica, a heart murmur, unexplained excessive sweating, and Arthritis. My Rheumatologist has me on Gabapentin, which works great, but it doesn’t work for Arthritis pain. So I asked my PCP for a low dose of Tramadol, since it’s the only thing I can take because I’m allergic to most pain meds. I specifically told her that I’m not interested in taking any SSRI’s. What does she do? She prescribes Savella. Like a good consumer I did research on this drug before taking it. Holy Cow!!! I’m so glad I did and found this recall. Do you know what this drug would do to me? It would damage my heart, compound my Hypothyroid symptoms, induce a mental disorder ( I currently have none), not to mention that it wouldn’t do anything for the Arthritis pain. WTH? People, please do research before taking any drug, just don’t trust the Dr’s when it comes to meds. They generally buy the sales pitch by pharma sales reps and don’t even bother to read the inserts of side effects. Have you ever heard the pitch on drug commercials, “Your doctor has determined the benefits outweigh the risks”? NO, that’s YOUR job to make that determination, not theirs, it’s your body. Good Luck my fellow Fibromyalgia patients.

Please do not take it off the market! Savella is the only medication that has worked against my fibromyalgia (overactive nerve signals that cause pain and spasms) to give me increased energy, decreased pain and muscle spasms, so that I can have my life back! I tried Lyrica for a very short time which did nothing for me, and Cymbalta took away pain but made me very lethargic with decreased motivation and no appetite. Savella has had many side effects, but it has been worth it, and after three years, side effects have died down. Most nerve/brain medications are going to cause palpitations, and possible suicidal ideation. I’ve been through it. Fortunately I got past it. However, I did not know how the savella could lead to kidney disease until I read this forum. I am concerned, but I can’t imagine the pain if I stop taking it!

I have been taking savella for over 5 years now, and asked to be put on it as it can raise bp because I also have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome which causes low bp and vasodilation of the blood vessels (savella causes vasoconstriction) and I also have fibro. It has been a God send for me. Nothing else even touched the pain (and I tried a lot of other meds as I had it for 14 years before I started on Savella). It states that it can raise bp and so you have to watch for that and monitor your bp. In my case, higher bp is a good thing! I don’t think it’s right to take it off the market as it warns that it may not be for everyone as it can raise bp and warns to watch for that and to contact your dr if it goes up. I always read up on any med before I put it into my body (sometimes doctors have wanted to put me on meds that actually cause symptoms I already have!) but a dr should also be careful and not put a patient on a med like this if they already have high bp or heart issues. There are plenty of other meds that are contraindicated for certain conditions and not everyone who uses Savella ends up with higher bp. It has actually helped my heart, as due to POTS, lower bp = a higher heart rate. On Savella, my heart rate is lower because it raises my bp so my heart doesn’t have to compensate and go fast to try to keep me from passing out. I like that it helps with 2 of my medical conditions, so that’s one less rx I need. My mother also has fibro and it works great for her, too.

I have been on Savella 50mgBID for the last 2 months. I had to stop Cymbalta because my fibro pain was slowly returning. I didn’t have nausea or any of the side effects many mention during titration. It took about a month before I felt reduction in my fibro pain. However, I have RAPID heart rate. My resting rate is above 100bpm, goes up to 140bpm even if I’m not doing anything or exerting. This scares me. I lie in bed and my heart is RACING. I called my rheumy office today and they want me to halve the dose, only taking 50mg in the morning. I will try this for a week and see if my HR decreases at all. On Cymbalta my HR was between 80-120. On Savella it’s never below 112 and up to 140. I think this has to be detrimental to my heart. Otherwise, it really does help with the fibro pain, reduces anxiety too.

JUST HAD A HEART ATTACK DUE TO SAVELLA! STOP TAKING IF YOU HAVE INCREASED HEART RATE AND PALPATATIONS. I am blessed to have been a cardiac nurse or I would have died. Look up seritonin syndrome.

i have been on Savella for almost two years and it has helped me more than any medication I have been prescribed. I have fibromyalgia and lupus type flares. If I miss a dose my shoulders start burning and aching. Had depression before starting, none now. I had high blood pressure and high heart rate before starting Savella. As with all medications we all react differently. Side effects come with all medicines. For me this drug has been a miracle drug. I do not want to take addicting pain meds like hydrocodin or muscle relaxers that have such a high risk of addiction.

Have been on this for almost a week. A pain in my lower left quadrant stemming from a cystoscopy three and a half years ago is subsiding. Have had none of the brutal side effects. Overall I am pleased with the beginning stages and hope pain continues to fade during the titration pack stage of use.

I was on Savella for several months I started feeling like a horse was galloping on my chest no one would listen to me either until I blacked out driving my truck and wrapped ithe around a tree it was found that I had trigeminey a permanent heart condition that has required me to have my heart shocked into a normal rhythm multiple times pls pls pull this fr the market 1 in every 5 develop a heart condition fr this medication

I’m only on my third pill and am already running a 100 degree temp and just had the worst hot flash! I haven’t had one in 10 years, so I know it’s the medicine causing it.

I believe savella builds up in your system. If you are lucky enough to make it thru the worst few months of nausea and vomiting,I did because it helped my pain, the nausea never goes away,the hot flushes and breaking out in cold sweat then the blood pressure goes up. I had everything on the list. Finally after taking it about 16 months the upper right abdominal pain and severe vertigo did me in. I stayed off of it 8 months,the pain from the fibro was so bad I couldn’t walk, I tried it again. The same thing happened, i ended up with the severe vertigo and right abdominal pain in bed not able to raise my head for a week. I did not know this medicine would cause permanent damage. I do know the side effects never go away and actually worsen the longer you take it!

Amazing how similar my experience is to most of the stories on this site. Especially Lori’s comments from Halloween day last year. I’m a RN, BSN who worked for 10+ yrs at a children’s hospital in our city before having to quit due to worsening RA and fibro. I’ve been through a long list of meds since being diagnosed in 2001, but starting Savella has been one of the most difficult experiences medwise. I’ve been on it for a week now and am experiencing the worst leg muscle pain upon standing that I’m needing to use my walker again. Also having difficulty with incontinence, burning, frequency, urgency but apparently no UTI!?! Experiencing sore throat, pounding and fullness in both ears with runny nose and shortness of breath. Heart is pounding and skipping beats. Also worsening low back pain and blurry vision. After reading the other stories of people having permanent damage, I suppose it’s time to wean off yet another med. Just hoping I’m able to wean it off before permanent side effects occur. NOT WORTH IT!!

Was on it for a few years and wound up with tachycardia and high blood pressure for which I am still taking meds. While there is a family history of heart disease it’s not either of theses. I am not overweight, I exercise and eat well. While coming off it I had to be without medication for the fibroymyalgia for several weeks which was excruciating. While they say it in the small print it obviously very small since a cardiaogist knew I was taking it but did not connect it with these symptoms I was suffering.

Clearly reduced overall pain levels. Works well.

Ever since I started taking Savella ( 50mg 2 times day) for my fibromyalgia the main side effects I have experienced is unexplained right upper belly pain. The muscles in my stomach seem to flex and tighten up whenever I try and stretch as well. I can not eat a regular meal. I am always nauseated. I can only eat very small amounts of food if I manage to at some point even in the middle of the night I get up to throw up. I have not seen any decrease in my pain level. I have developed worsening migraines. Worsening depression. Overall I feel worse since I have started taking savella. I am now in the process of weaning off this awful drug. It should never have been released.

I couldn’t make it through the titration pack! This drug caused me to feel intense rage, hopelessness, desperation, paranoia and suicidal. I do not believe the problem is related to my tolerance, or lack there of, to SSRIs. Maybe it only has this affect on people who have been diagnosed with clinical depression. I took Effexor XR without these side effects for 12 years. I transitioned to Cymbalta XR, 30mg, and continued for 2 years without these side effects. My experiences with Savella started nearly at once, on 25mg. I took Savella for less than 2 weeks and thought I was receiving messages from God, believed everyone at work was plotting against me and felt that suicide might be the answer to several things. I stopped taking it on Saturday and went back to Cymbalta today (Monday). All of this madness has stopped after only one 30 my dose of Cymbalta. If Savella is not removed from the market then at the very least, studies should be performed to determine it’s specific effects on depressed users.

I took Savella when it first came on the market for two years. I experienced bad hypertension, both legs got a rash, profuse sweating, redness of upper extremities, and retinopathy brought on by the hypertension. Unfortunately neither my fibro doctor or my eye specialist knew enough about the drug, so I was kept on it. Finally I took matters into my own hands and did research on the medication. One thing I found was it was not tried on patients who also had migraines who were on migraine drugs. When savella posted a warning to glaucoma patients I knew there would be something to this. Also no one ever thought savella could be linked to retinopathy, however, when you research retinopathy you discover extreme hypertension will cause it. So after two years of side effects much of the damage is now permanent. Doctors didn’t take me off the meds so finally I weaned myself off them. After about four months the leaking into my retina stopped. However, after one year the damage to the retina is permanant, it is now scar tissue. The rash on my lower legs left. My blood pressure is normal. All of this damage could have been prevented if someone would have listened to me. I even contacted Forest Labratory. No one listened to the patient. I did talk to my pharmacist and warned her of this possible side effect in case someone else comes in with this condition on this med. My doctor later tried to put me on a sister drug to Savella, I declined. It is not worth my eyesight!

My bf started taking savella 3 days ago.before this he was on effexor with no problems. On the 2nd day of.taking savella I noticed him being impatient and easily agitated. By the 3rd day he was vomiting and having suicidal thoughts as well as harming others before he hurt himself. Currently he is in a mental services ward until the medicine is out of his system. Seeing his.moods flip like a light switch and hearing him tell me.the thoughts he was having has been.one of the most difficult things I.have ever been.through. his dr gave him this med.to help with depression, not fibro

I have experienced the worst side affects while taking Savella for nearly 3 weeks. I had suffered terrible headaches, dizziness, hypertension, and severe chest pains that place me in the ER 3 times within one week. I also had painful muscle aches and stiffness that I could not walk nor communicate and a lot of weakness that cause a serious amount of injury, even after I have wean off the medication, I was still experiencing the unpleasant headaches, pain, and aches. Savella was definitely a poison, horrible, life-threaten drug to me!!!

I have been taking Savella for 3 years for severe fibromyalgic pain. It’s the ONLY medicine that has worked. I won’t claim to know exactly what fibromyalgia is, but I can assure anyone who reads this, it’s certainly not a “non-disease” and wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. I would not be exaggerating to say that it has given me my life back. I couldn’t get up and down our stairs at home without severe pain, sometimes on my hands and knees. Thank you Savella!!

I have stopped taking Savella due to dramatic increase in GERD, palpitations, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, headaches, and muscle weakness. All of these concerns were significant and constant. It decreased my pain by about 30% but was not worth the serious side effects. I believe if I had continued, it quite possibly could have killed me. Now I am just hoping it did not so permanent damage. THIS DRUG IS NOT SAFE.

I just wanted to say that I experienced some unusual & bothersome side effects after being on Savella for a month. Hot flashes irregular heart beat, dizziness, terrible sadness, shortness of breath, nausea, dry mouth & insomnia. ‘Lori’ also mentioned dry mouth (4/10/10), but looked at it as a positive thing because it made her drink more water – that’s great! However, I suffered from dry mouth terribly from being on too much pain medicine in the past. It caused extensive damage to my teeth so be really careful and maybe try to use dry mouth rinse to help maintain the health of yours. I also want to say that my pain from Neuropathy, Fibromyalgia & injuries from several car accidents has gotten better since going through (voluntary) treatment for opiate & benzodiazepine over-use. I was a complete wreck and could barely function when on high doses of these meds. PLEASE be careful & aware of the pain doctors who want to keep increasing your pain meds to conquer the pain, it can be way more detrimental to you. Good luck to all who suffer these conditions & diseases, it can be so frustrating and devastating. It’s a constant fight but keep it up until you find the right doctor and the right treatment. I’m not there yet but gaining.

I am an RN of 15 + years. Fibro has made it impossible for me to work. I BEGGED my rhuemy for this medication. Anything to get my life back right?! Now I have uncontrollable sweating even at rest. BP & HR are through the roof. Palpitations & chest pain? Oh yeah! I am either angry or crying all the time. I think about suicide & how throughout the day EVERY day! I have had my \”cycle\” for 31 days with bleeding heavier on what would be my normal days UGH I have lost 14 lbs in a month & a half. Constipation, stomach cramps…Yes to all. I can\’t believe I asked for this! Spoke to my PCP on the phone for a good hr tonight. She believes I will have to be hospitalized to get off of this med, will decide when I see her in the morning. I just wanted my life back …now I really don\’t care. 2 months on this medication, I will say I am med sensitive to majority of meds. If it has worked for you terrific, I would not want to see anyone with relief from Fibro lose it but it surely isn\’t for everyone!

Its a nightmare on Savella for the short time i have been. I found no pain relief and severe psychological side effects. I have had to manually wean myself quicklu as i could not afford the copay, by cutting pi has there is not an un titration pak to ramp down as there was to ramp up…but then i have lost conf in my phys anyway. I was arrested and went to jail for first time – started weaning next day.

Have been on this medications for years, now come to find out I have kidney disease and this is probably the culprit. If there is a lawsuit, contact me. Doctors should warn their patients about the side effects of these medications.

I have been taking Savella since around Fall of last year for Fibromyalgia. My heart rate has increased, resting stays at about 130. I have tried talking to my doctors for months. Telling them I don\’t feel well, no explanation for new dx. of increased heart rate. NO ONE IS LISTENING. I followed up with a Cardiologist. No explanation as to why I know have fast heart rate. No one is doing anything to help me. My fast heart rate along with other symptoms I can only contribute to taking Savella. I hope this drug does not cause my long term/harmful side effects. I hope those able do consider doing the right thing. This medication can cause serious complications/problems.

I have been on Savella for 8 days now and I am going out of my f***ing mind I am sick to my stomach can’t eat hate everyone, I have nausea, headache, constipation and dizzy. As for my pain it seem to be much worse I am also taking more of my pain medications. I have fits of rage it just not me.

I started savella a few months ago. Before the drug my life was my bed. I didn’t do anything felt horrible and was in constant pain. Now I am active and I no longer am in continuous pain. I have had some itching due to the medication, but benadryl helps. There are side effects to ALL medicines. I think it should be chosen based on an individuals results from it. I have not had any other side effects and it works great for me. its funny how a drug for incontinence that can cause uncontrollable diarrhea can stay on the market for so long, but a drug that helps some they wànt to take off. there are lots of medicines out there that only work for some people. I’m on my 3rd acid reflux medicine and it still ain’t wong and have all caused stomach pains and nausea. does that mean they should pull those medicines that have been on the market for years.? some people are narrow minded and only think of what’s best for them and nevermind the ones it helps. if its taken off the market my life will once again consist of laying in bed all the time. one last thought … I have no thyroid and ALL of the thyroid replacement medicines can cause increased heartrate headaches and itching. does that mean I should stop taking it and let myself die all because of the side effects. in my opinion the benefits far outway the side effects of sevella.

I have been taking Savella for 3 years!!! My quality has been so much improved on Savella!!! Two years prior to starting Savella I had been through the gambit of everything including Lyrica which was horrible!!! Lyrica needs to be removed from the market! I was taking Cymbalta right before I switch to Savella. I was having problems with sleep also. I would wake up multiple times during the night and it took a long time to fall back asleep. I was not having dreams and I was hyper vigilant during the night. I tried different types of sleep aids including Ambien CR but it would still not keep me asleep or allow me to go back to sleep. My sleeping pattern was verified by a sleep study that showed I was not reaching REM sleep at all and the test showed I woke up 17 times from 9pm to 5am using Ambien sleep aid. This test was done while I was on Cynbalta for my Fibromyalgia pain. Nine months later I switched to Savella 200mg, 100mg in the 100mg in the evening and within 2 weeks I was sleeping so much better and without using a sleep aid!!! The biggest improvement in my sleep was being able to reach REM the dream state, I had not had a dream in years. I woke up fewer times and was able to turn over and go back to sleep when I would wake up rather than be awake for long periods of time. I have never had any problems with Savella causing me hypertension and I am 52 years old with a bp of 118/74, I’m 5 ft 3 in 190lbs. Thank you Lyrica for the extra 30lbs! Please, Please, Please, DO NOT get rid of Savella!!! It is a Miracle drug!!!! Doctor’s need to make sure they are giving to the right patients. It may not be right for every fibrimyalgia or pain patient who asks for it, so Doctors need to do their job and not give it to someone they know may not be right for the drug just because the ask for it!!! Also, anyone can write negative comments over and over when trying to show a drug is bad and needs to be removed. All comments need to be verified by medical records to be considered authentic before any action should be considered!!!

Had almost all sideeffects worse was the suicide,when I talk to someone or can write my story PLEASE HELP US !!! A lot of these blogs sounds just like me!

I was so sick from this med. I threw up for over a year. was sent to every doctor all the way to birmingham. in and out of the hospitals, 3 ICU ‘s the last was because of an suicide attempt. I had never before or after wanted to take my life!!! i still am having problems from this medications, i have had to have 6 teeth puled 4filled, and got to see an oral surgen to take another.fortunatley no permant organ damage even though one of the icu was because of my kidneys was shutting down. i have never been so sick in all my life. this is a very short summery of what Savella done to me and my family.

I have very mixed feelings re Savella. It has brought my moderate pain down significantly, lifted some depression and cleared my foggy mind in the 3 months that I have been on the medication. My doctor put me on 50mg twice a day after completing the trial pack. I felt it was still too high and gave me a combination of side effects (mixed up speech, aggitation, constipation, flushes and headache.) My doctor then reduced to 25 mg twice a day and I still felt that was too high so I am taking a very low dose of 25 mg once a day. Now I have developed a urinary tract infection (I am not sexually active) and when I checked if this could be a side effect…sure enough it is! The reason being is that it can reduce KIDNEY function so they aren’t able to remove all of the waste in your system!! This really got my attention!! Permenate kidney damge is a possibility!! So I will take my antibiotics for the infection and slowly ween myself off of this drug. It just has too many possible side effects that are really scary…we all need our kidneys!! I hvae read a lot about “low dose Naltrexone”…it has zero side effects and is super affordable.Good luck everyone!

I started taking savella the first week it was on the market.It was the spring of 2009.I was so excited I was hoping this would be the med. to finally make me feel good.I’ve been living with fibro for years.I did feel great for awhile.Then started getting the hotflashes and and my heart would race.The sweating was terrible,but stupid me I keep taking the savellla.When I won’t tell friends and family about the sweating they would laugh and say it was my age then 41.Started getting muscle spaszams and jerking.At the end of August it got bad.It was a Saturday morning and I worked that day.I was jerking and my muscles were going crazy,but stupid me I left for work.I’m a hairstyist and didn’t want to let my clients down.I did make it to work the whole hour drive by the grace of God.My muscles where going crazy my face was all distorted my finger were stiff my whole body was out of control.It was like charlehorses moving through my whole body,the pain was so terrible.I was taken by ambulance to the hospital.My bp super high.I thought I was going to die and i think the dr. at er thought the same.They made me sign the living will.They said i had seritonin sydrome.My life has been a living hell since then.I don’t take any thing will seritonin but still get the muscle going crazy.I the stomach is the worse.After trying alot of different meds they treat me for dystonia .I take sinemet,benztropine and also diazepam .this med has made my life a living hell.Along with all the money we have spent on med. bills different dr. and just everything my family has been through.Please really think about taking this med.I wish i would have never taken this med.I wish all i had to do is live with the pain of fibro i still have the pain and not being the same person I was before I started taking savalle.

I have been taken Savella for at least 2 years. I just seen these comments where it causes high blood pressure and rapid heart rate. Well, I thank God I’m reading where my problems are coming from. The Savella!! I started out with Savella having the most horrid Sweating imaginable. Followed by a feeling of Foggy headed , in other words not feeling together, also, rapid heart rate and for the first time in my life high blood pressure. I visited my MD, 2 heart specialist as my heart rate would jump to 120 bpm. Just relaxing. One Heart Doctor considered doing a Cauterized to the heart . I’m so upset right now for I have spent hundreds of dollars trying to find out why my heart suddenly raced. I’m weaning myself off Savella as I feel it’s the culprit since these symptoms occurred after being on Savella awhile. My question is Why didn’t my MD, or 2 heart Drs look into this? I’m so over these pharmacual companies using their gain of profits on us to cause us health issues. I’ve been off Savella for 2 days now and no rapid heartbeats At All!! I’ll be back in touch to fill you in on the outcome.. This Savella is a very dangerous drug!

All I can say is I was only on the small l dose for 3 or 4 days. The pain was terrible. I had a hard time walking and the I was walking to the car and had to stop. It felt like someone wrapped a inner tube around my chest and squeezed as tight as they could. I finally could sit down and rest. That was the end of Savella for me! Now I have ulcers being treated. From what? Savella or 3rd year of Reclast? Don’t want either again!!

I was put on savella in June 2010 and by the end of July 2010 i was in full blown congestive heart failure, This medicine almost took my life.What it did to my nervous system starting with severe headaches,constant cold clammy sweats, fast heart rate,nausea,vomiting,and finally chf that landed me in the hospital,then follwed by the loss of my voice for over 3 months then temporary gastorparesis in which i still have some stomach issues not to mention the total mental effects it had during this excrutiating time. Please never ever take it. Sara Klee

I found this site on my search for Savella side effects, I started having the oddest of things happen, starting with chest discomfort, tingling, i was so emotional and just crying all the time, and at the same time i was absolutely a monster and so mean ( when usually i’m the nicest person around), the diarrhea that wouldn’t go away, my heart feeling as if were going to beat right outta my chest and then last night the severe abdominal pain that had me hitting my knees and literally begging for mercy….. now here’s the kicker my friends, I’m only on day 5 of savella!!!Are you kidding me? i wish I could be one of those who apparently its an absolute miracle for, but honestly after the last 2 days of hell and wondering what was wrong with me, after reading these comments, i know what’s wrong with me!!!! Savella!!! Ive just called my dr and i’m going off this med before perm damage is done to my body… Goodbye Savella- Hello more pain……. But at least my heart will still be healthy ( I hope)!!

I took Savella from October 11 until October 23, 2012, I went through the most horrible mood swings and I was told it was because I was taking Cymbalta 60 mg twice a day. I started having RLS (restless leg syndrome) and a spot on my leg that looked like a bruise, could of been a blood clot not sure, also my migraines increased. It seemed my arthritis in my neck, knees and back seem to worsen as well. I will say this much, I screwed my bank account up so bad during that time, I had 10 NSF Fees!!! I have had fibromyalgia for 6 years now that was due to a car accident-both cars totaled. I totally agree with Diane dated 11/07/12!!! Nicole, I also have had memory loss-short term, can’t think of the correct words to use when talking and my memory was excellent before all this started!?!?!?! Thank God for the support we can give each other as well as finding a doctor that understands this disorder/disease and will help with the pain. In that area I have been blessed up until now, we shall see what the new chronic pain doctor and rheumatologist will do and I can’t get into the latter until March 2013, made that appt about 3 months ago. My son was just diagnosed with FM and he was also in the car accident, he also has a rare form of scoliosis. At least I know what not for him to take now! I will say this much I take a daily vitamin, echinacia, vitamin b compound and also my doctor did blood work and now I am taking Vitamin D. With all that at least I have a little more energy than I use too.

Savella has changed my life! I went from unbearable pain & extreme fatigue to the point of being almost bed fast to being able to live a normal life again. I have taken it since it was 1st approved. My mom had the same problems & Savella has had the same effect for her. I can’t stand the thought of having to go back to life with out Savella. It really wasn’t a life. Don’t take it away from those of us who get so much benefit from it. We’ve had a taste of normal life and can’t bear to go back!

I started on savella in june 2012 and I have never had so many mood swings depression and thoughts of suicide and even began cutting myself on my arms and legs I now have scars all over them. I also had spikes in blood pressure. among other problems. I finally realized a lot of this was comming from the savella and stopped taking it. This stuff needs to come off the market NOW! I have chronic pain and depression problems but this medication increased the problems to a level I have never been to.

Savella is a godsend for my fibro pain. I take 25 mg morning and evening (50 mg total daily). Started in May 2009 and have had no problems in the past 3 1/2 years. I hope it is never discontinued.

I took Savella for 6 weeks, I had to stop due to heart palpitations. They felt like heart attacks and hasn’t stopped till this day. I still have issues with my chest that started from taking savella and my dr didn’t believe me. I haven’t gotten the ekg yet as I am involved in a workers compensation case right now.

I have had chronic pain and fatigue for over 20 yrs. now, I felt like a hypochondriac and my Doc. Never helped with that either causing me to hide my symptoms, If you have Fibromyalgia you know that’s hard to do. Over the years I had 4 surgery’s on my stomach relating to women Issues and Iv’e felt 80 for 20 of my 40 yrs. so tired and sooooo many meds. I was just precribed Lyrica and was sad to hear some didn’t think it worked that well. My hair fell out taking Gabapentin and I’m taking Loratab, Tramadol, Flexeral, Robaxin, Efexor, Lyrica, Clonipin, and so far the Gabapentin seemed to work the best at 600mg 3 times a day. I am so forgetful but not sure if it’s all the meds, lack of sleep or my mind just shutting down from all the stress I don’t manage well sometimes. On a brighter note it is nice to read and share this info. With this many people, I really thought I was alone and maybe just crazy. If anyone has advice on how to explain the way I feel and actually not have him look at me like the Doc. Used to would be super. Oh and after all the tests, drugs and feeling invalidated for way too long I have a diagnosis from 2 Doc. Now. My mother has had it longer than I and still no diagnosis for her. I have heard it’s hard to get? Bless you all.

I am so glad to know I am not alone. I have suffered with fibromyalia since 1982. I have tried everything out there. The latest drug was Savella and I had high hopes. It seemed to be the answer to all my prayers. I was on the drug for 3 months and I started feeling so bad that I really thought I was going to die. My heart was racing, I have cold and hot flashes, Myblood pressusre was so high at times, my head would just pound. I had absolutely no energy. I started have weird thoughts and dreams of death. I exhausted all my sick leave at work. I would just sit and stare into space. My skin was dry and scaly and all my bodlily functions were not working right. I could not walk across the room without feeling breathless. I am scheduled to have a stress test and see a heart doctor. I quit taking the drug but still have symptoms. I am glad it works for some, but I caution all those are feeling okay, that is how I felt the first week and then it was all downhill from there. I have never felt so bad and I hope there is not long term damage from this drug. This drug should be taken off the market. It is dangerous.