Starting day 5 on Savella for fibromyalgia with great pain relief but crazy sweating side effect?

After learning about the major side effects and the FDA's warning about Savella, I did not consider taking this medication for fibromyalgia, chronic pain, major depressive disorder, or RA . Since I was taking150 mg. Effexor XR/day (i.e.,75 mg./ 2x/day) and Cymbalta is essentially the same medication, I took my doctor's advice to try Lyrica.
He slowly increased the dosage up from 50 to 75 to 150 and finally, to 225 mg/day of Lyrica. On the morning of the first day of taking 50 mg.the prior evening, I awakened to having NO PAIN! Yet, when my dosage reached 225 mg./day, I slept for two months and had extreme lethargy.
Shortly thereafter, I met a woman who told me that taking 25 mg. of Lyrica made her pain disappear! Research revealed the average dosage is around 300 mg./day; yet, for me, taking a TOTAL of 50 mg./day (i.e. 25 mg./2x/day) is an adequate dosage for my body. THAT is a huge difference from 225 mg./day!

Expand this post...

Each of us are responsible for determining the types and levels of medication that work best for our unique bodies. "Mamamimi", you are obviously well-read and research contraindications between the medications you take. While the horrible sweating "could" be the result of the drug OR your female hormonal system's reaction to the drug, no one knows the answer. ALL the above-named drugs are very hard on our bodies, which can destroy our livers and cause death.
Finally, while one can gain weight taking these medications, you need to look to yourself to determine if it is more important to look slim or to have less pain. Although I always had a great figure, frankly, being able to live a life with reduced pain allows my inner beauty to shine.
That said, I believe we must all become very well-educated about every medication we take. I use WebMD, AboutDrugs.com, and other medical research sites to learn all I can about these medications and trials. I pray all of you will stop looking to your doctors for the correct care for you, as most of them do not have time to keep up with all the changes in the pharmaceutical industry. If you are in the kind of pain I am, it can be a great motivator to learn more than any of your physicians. Namaste'

For those of you interested in my Savella journey, I am Starting day 8 on Savella and still hanging in there! Almost pain-free the entire time after the 1st two days, except for some occassional neck or headache pain which is taken care of with something like tylenol and/or some good ol stretches. My skin feels kind of different, softer in a way. Wondering if it's just that my "perception" to the sensory response feels differently. I have studied fibromyalgia and since they don't have enough information to tell me a definite cause for getting it or exactly why I hurt so badly, I am always trying to solve the mystery.

Expand this post...

So since Savella is controlling my pain, do I still have an ongoing problem that was causing such severe pain which still needs to be fixed, or was my nervous system so sensitive that my body hurt no more than that of the next person, but I had such a low threshold for pain causing the slightest stress on muscles to cause severe pain? Those are questions that I will keep investigating, I guess forever!

Thankful for the Savella so far. Hot flashes are more tolerable. By the way, I am on a low dose birth control pill which has been helping the perimenapausal symptoms I have had over the past year or so. I have had bronchitis and it always makes me feel tired, so I have been resting a lot and the antibiotic always sends me to visiting the potty very frequently. Thank goodness it was the 3 day treatment! Also, normally when I have a virus or infection, I feel like I have the flu. All of my muscles hurt, I ache all over, and much of the time my skin even hurts. However, this time, I was only tired and rested a lot... Amazing! I have not touched the muscle relaxers, pain meds, IBS meds (except the Levsin) since on Savella! I was so pissed that I was taking so many meds each day... hope I never need them again! I am still on the bc pills and Toprol for blood pressure, but wow! I don't miss rattling when I walk due to all the other meds! Libido is... ehhhh... but bronchitis hasn't helped that I'm sure! So far, so good, and back to my 12 hour job tomorrow, so we shall see! Hope this helps someone! Take care, MM... Ps. Don't understand the points and stuff on this site!

Day 13 for anyone who cares, haha! Haven't been on here lately because my job is long hours and I don't have a life the days I work. Even with long, stressful days as a NICU nurse, my pain has been minimal! Whoohoo! Have had only some pain in upper neck and headache, which is common for me due to my body positions and posture depending on the area at work. Tylenol, Motrin, or Aleve have been all that I have needed. Haven't even popped the top of Flexerill, Skelaxin, Mobic, or the sort! This is exciting for me! The sweating and hot flashes have really decreased, though I am still taking the Levsin twice a day and I keep a small personal sized electric fan by my computer desk at work.

Expand this post...

I don't know if it's just me, or the Savella, but I am a bit more bold and self-confident at work (could it be a side effect of med or of being off a med, or just because I feel better?) I am trying to get back into being more active by walking and exercising more, and I find I am not sleeping as late on my days off work. I did overdo it one evening when I walked 2 of our big dogs on leashes together for a mile! They hadn't leash walked in awhile and were pulling me 3/4's of the way until I got them under control! I was a bit sore and stiff the next day!

My hubby and I aren't getting on too well either lately, and not sure if this is just an adjustment stage in a new marriage, or if it is something to do with my attitude and Savella. (not wanting to blame everything or anything on Savella, I just want to be open-minded.) We were married in the end of July this year and had dated a year before we even got engaged, and had been friends around 4 years before we dated. I am more easy going and he is more "type A". He worries and stresses, cleans, picks up stuff, etc. I care more about cleanliness of germs and dirt. His dogs mess inside and that bugs me, I remind him to take baths and wash hands,etc. anyway, we are still learning to get along I am sure. I will admit my libido has decreased so that doesn't help matters. Maybe just as I am more self confident at work, maybe I am more bold at home. For whatever reason, we are arguing more and sometimes over dumb stuff. Ideas, comments, suggestions?

Finally, I am steadily gaining weight. I cannot blame this on anything but myself. I have made sure that I eat something when I take Savella to prevent nausea. So far, no nausea at all. However, I keep giving myself permission to have just this or just that, just this once. Well, the scales keep moving in the wrong direction. I am not vain and wouldn't exchange thinness for health but for my health I do not need to gain weight. I am already over my ideal weight and was heading in the right direction. Now it's as if my self control over food has just flown out the window! I don't have to nervously nibble constantly as some meds have caused me to do. I don't think it is the med at all. I think it's me feeling better a sort of giving myself permission- like I finally feel good so I have a right to eat, but it's always "just this once." I am 5'4" and I am sure I won't feel gat if I Wei 200 lbs, have to buy all new clothes in 2 sizes bigger and have to take several blood pressure meds just because I can't say "no" to my appetite! Saying shame on me may make you feel better, remember I am a nurse and I know how bad for my health this is. I really don't know what I want you to say, but I would like for someone to offer some real help that maybe would help give me some inspiration or hope to get this out of contro
Issue back to normal.

Lastly is my blood pressure. My doc wants me to keep an eye on it due to the bp side effects of Savella. I had forgotten until the others day at work I got a bad headache and decided to take it. Boy was it high! Called my per his instructions, and retook bp later after rest. Took it next day on 2nd job and difference was like night and day! So maybe the job plays more of a difference than the med. I am at least now more vigilant in keeping a watch over it. Thank you all for your interest and any suggestions or comments! Now gonna take a walk and only walk the obedient dog! =)