Milnacipran and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• January 31, 2010

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I've had fibromyalgia for 15 years. My doctor suggested I try Savella. He took me off Zoloft that I had been taking for over 20 years. He started me on half of a dose to help with the nausea. It really worked with the pain and a little less fibromyalgia fog. The only drawback was I got very short with people and couldn't handle stress. The doctor put me back on half the Zoloft I had been on, and all is well. It did not help with the chronic fatigue, but I still would give it a 10."

• jen...
• July 28, 2010

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I started having migraines last summer, and the doctor prescribed Topamax. I thought it was a miracle drug because it stopped all of my fibromyalgia pain, but after a year, it quit helping. I had to get off the Topamax and Wellbutrin to start the Savella. That week was terrible, but I am in my second week of Savella now, and I am loving it. It hasn't completely stopped my pain, but my energy is way up. I have had no nausea, but I always take it during a meal. I am waking up at 5 a.m. instead of my normal 7 a.m., but other than that, no sleep problems. I am hoping the longer I am on 100 mg per day, the better I will feel. I was nervous to try Savella because of some of the reviews, but I am thankful I did."

• Anonymous
• January 12, 2011

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I have been on Savella for 3 months now, and at first, it helped with the pain. As I increased the dosage, I got severe hot flashes and terrible sweats, which I could handle, but then after about a month, the nausea started and increased insomnia, then the vomiting. At first, I thought I had the flu or a stomach virus, but noticed every time I took my dose, I got nauseated and then threw up shortly after. I started having severe headaches and increased vomiting and feel so horrible. I know it works for some people, but I will be contacting my physician and asking him to take me off. I know it may work for some, but not for me."

• Ste...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 20, 2017

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I have had fibromyalgia for about 10 years now. My Dr. tried Cymbalta and then Gabapentin, which both seemed to help at first, but only for a short time. Then maybe 4 years ago, a new Dr. put me on Savella. At first, I felt nauseous, dizzy, and had headaches every day. All those symptoms continued, but not as severe, but I started feeling like I could get around better, and my muscles weren't as stiff or sore as before. But then, being diagnosed with BPD and anxiety, those meds weren't where they should be, and I started feeling really down and depressed. I told my Drs. about it. Then, trying to get Savella refilled, I found out they weren't going to refill it because insurance said I had suicidal ideations. But after 4 weeks without it, I feel so much better! No sweats, dizziness, etc."

• Vic...
• February 15, 2010

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "Diagnosed with FM over 20 years ago. Like most of you, have tried several drugs. The only one that really helped was tramadol. It was like a miracle drug at first, not so much now. Have been taking it for at least 12 years. Went to the doctor for a check-up; he wanted me to try something new, Savella. He said he has six patients that are doing well on it. Started titration pack four days ago. On the second day, started having side effects: flushing in the face, chills, very cold feet and hands, foggy head, and restlessness in legs. The doctor said to stop tramadol to avoid the possibility of serotonin syndrome, so was in great pain all weekend. I went to work this morning and had to come home after two hours due to nausea and couldn't concentrate at all. Sticking with it. Success stories on here help. Hope it works."

• in ...
• June 26, 2009

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I was taking Cymbalta and decided to go off due to sexual side effects. I am on day 6 of this medication. I am still in pain, but the doctor says I need to get to the next dosage level. The first week was tough due to nausea and hot flashes. Will give it a little more time to see if I get any relief."

• Anonymous
• July 18, 2009

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I took Savella for about 45 days. I started out on the titration pack. The more I took it, the worse I felt: nausea, headaches, dizziness, dry mouth, dry eyeballs, etc. While taking Savella, I was also taking 40 mg of paroxetine, which I have been taking since 1997. My doctor decided that I should come off the paroxetine and increase the Savella to 200 mg. I couldn't do it at the same time. So I weaned myself off of the Savella in about a week, and now I am in my second week of weaning myself off of the paroxetine. I don't know if I will try Savella if I get off paroxetine or not. I have come off paroxetine before to try other drugs: Effexor, Celexa, Lyrica, Cymbalta, but always went back."

• Anonymous
• July 8, 2009

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "Really took away my muscle pain, but made everything else worse. My fibromyalgia was horrible. I had a fever for nearly two weeks and was always nauseous. I loved the freedom from muscle pain but couldn't live with all the other side effects."

• sol...
• March 19, 2011

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I have been taking Savella for about 4 weeks now, up to 50 mg twice a day. I have seen a huge amount of relief for the pain. The problem I'm having is no sleep! I cannot function with no sleep. I have tried changing the times I take my evening dose, and still no sleep. Thinking of going back to one a day. Have to take with food or get very nauseous. Just this week started waking up after 2 hours of sleep, soaking wet. The pain relief is so good for me... just hoping to start getting some desperately needed sleep."

• Anonymous
• August 6, 2011

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I tried Savella for about 2 days. I had severe nausea, rapid heartbeat, and horrible hot flashes. It also ran my blood pressure up. Started with a 12.5, then the next day broke the 12.5 in half and still had the same side effects. I have tried everything from Neurontin to antidepressants, and I have bad side effects from them all. So as of now, all I'm taking is tramadol as needed. I give up on all the other medicines."

• Len...
• August 25, 2010

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I was starting on Savella, slowly easing into a maintenance dose. I could handle the nausea, but it put me into one of the worst flare-ups I've ever had. I couldn't even lift a juice glass. Horrible pain and weakness. I gave up and went off of it, and within 24 hours was back to my 'normal' fibro self. Not ideal, but much better than me on Savella. I am glad it works for some. I was unfortunately not one of them."

• Anonymous
• January 31, 2010

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "Worked well in the beginning, felt better than I had in years with the exception of nausea the first couple of days. This medicine does NOT sit well on an empty stomach! Cleared up the fibro fog, had not felt so awake in 6 years. This did not last, though. Eventually felt normal except minus the fibro fog but with continuous migraines. Felt like I was having PMS constantly. Did not see any relief from pain. Very emotional and cold chills."

• Ess...
• December 9, 2010

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I have been on Savella for 6 months, 100 mg a day. Savella gives me energy to get through the day. It has cleared the fog and enables me to feel productive. However, I still have a lot of pain. I did not know Savella was supposed to help with pain until today when my doctor suggested doubling the dose for pain relief. I try to be sure to eat a substantial amount when taking a pill, or I will feel nauseated. And, like others, I had the night sweats for the first 3 months. Then they kind of went away. I'm hoping the 200 mg will help with pain. I was on Nortriptyline for 6 months and wish I could get those 6 months back. I was like a zombie, sleeping through life and not caring."

• Anonymous
• December 5, 2009

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I have never been on any type of anti-depressant medication before, and my rheumatologist recommended this drug because she thinks I have fibromyalgia. I have been taking this medication for approximately 40 days. I was okay in the beginning using the starter pack, but by the 3rd week, I had terrible heat flashes, quasi-headaches all day long, nausea, and I constantly felt (still feel) that I have a urinary tract infection. My doctor cut my dosage from 50 mg 2 times a day to 25 mg 2 times a day. I still have horrible heat flashes, nausea, and feelings of the UTI. It did help mentally in the beginning, but the side effects far outweigh the benefits. I'm weaning off and will try Pristiq."

• Ler...
• March 6, 2011

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I tried Savella with the starter pack. I experienced terrible nausea, insomnia, hot flashes, racing heart, and fever. My doctor reduced the dosage back to 12.5 mg, but with very little improvement of side effects. She finally told me to stop taking it. I have had great results with my other medications, and I wasn't having any issues, but my doctor wanted me to try this new 'great' medication. I haven't felt this bad in years. If I were having problems, I could understand her trying the Savella with me, but for me, this medication made me feel worse than I have in a very long time. I am relieved to be off of it. In the future, if my other medications become less effective, I might give it another shot... but for now, 'No thanks.'"

• Anonymous
• March 11, 2010

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "At my wits' end. Fibromyalgia began to make me feel depressed - I figured an SSRI class medicine wouldn't be all bad. Had a hard time with Cymbalta, but ready to try anything. Within hours after taking the first dose, began violent mood swings that woke me up and sent me keeling over the toilet with nausea from so much anxiety. When I fell asleep, I woke up and began crying. It was...weird. My persistence with increasing dosage only reaffirmed nausea. So my medicines for IBS were pointless. Anxiety increase led to an increase in anti-anxiety medicines. Unsure how to feel for a while... It cured a bit of fogginess, but I think exaggerated other symptoms. I was a raving lunatic with a tummy ache. Didn't feel like me."

• mso...
• October 11, 2009

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I have been taking Savella for almost 5 months and am overall very disappointed. Switching from Lexapro to Savella made for one week of hellish symptoms. Then I had nearly every awful side effect that is listed for Savella: rapid heartbeat, nausea, constipation, sweating, shivering, insomnia, etc. I was getting some significant pain relief, though, maybe 60%. The rapid heartbeat was a real concern, so I cut back to 75 mg for a few weeks. The pain relief decreased, so I went back up to 100 mg again. Although the rapid heartbeat was no longer a problem, the FM pain relief has never returned either, and I still have the side effects, though the severity has lessened. My plantar fasciitis pain is the only pain that is really reduced."

• Anonymous
• October 24, 2010

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "On day 12 of Savella and felt major relief of my pain almost immediately, but once I was up to the 25 mg dose, the sweating started. I continued the titration pack to the 50 mg 2x daily but decided, after my doctor suggested, to go back down to the 12.5 mg 2x daily. I had minor nausea, and that went away, but the hot flashes and sweating continued at least once an hour - every hour of the day. I have to be sure to drink lots of fluids to avoid constipation, and my appetite has been decreased to the extreme and have lost a pound a day so far. I am making sure I eat healthy when I do eat and should probably start taking a multivitamin too. Today, I reduced my dose yet again to 6.25 mg twice daily to see if I can get some relief from the sweating."

• TN...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2017

For Somatoform Pain Disorder "Soon as I hit the 25 mg mark, I became ill - hot, fatigued, nauseated, severe agitation, and the worst trigeminal neuralgia attack I'd had in months (contradicting the Rx). This was poison to my system. I hate SSRIs, and this Dr. kept pushing it on me. Wishing you better luck."

• Pre...
• April 3, 2010

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "I had good pain management with Savella, but the dizziness and nausea were too overwhelming to continue past one day. I realize I may not have given it enough time, but briefly, here is my experience: I took the 12.5 mg pill during brunch (9 am). One hour later, the nausea began and didn't stop until the drug wore off 8 hours later. The fibromyalgia pain relief, however, was almost instantaneous! I could move better, and my energy was very good. The dizziness began about 11 am. It also lasted until the medicine wore off (around 7 pm). Finally, at about 8 pm, the dizziness and nausea left, and my balance got better. However, the fibromyalgia pain came roaring back."

• Wen...
• November 5, 2009

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "Earlier this year, my rheumatologist was doing a patient study, and I asked to be included. Nothing else we had tried had made any difference in my symptoms, which were the usual: pain, fatigue, memory problems, confusion, and depression with sleeplessness. I was only able to take Savella for five days because of nausea. I asked to continue, but he said to stop the drug IMMEDIATELY. (The only other side effects I experienced were loss of appetite and a tingling/twitching of my upper lip, things I could live with.) The next day, I had horrid pain. That was in May, and I have had NO pain since, nor have I had ANY other symptoms. NOTHING! Fingers crossed!!!"

• Jee...
• November 28, 2009

Milnacipran "In the past 10 years, I've had L-4/5 back fusion and the right sacroiliac fuses and screws removed... still much pain on sitting. I've had many injections and treatments that were all unsuccessful. I'd gotten so used to feeling bad that I've just noticed after several months of taking Savella that I stay flushed, bloated, have problems urinating, headachy, flu-like stuffiness, blurred vision, nauseated, weight gain, among other symptoms. I've been in such a fog with the usual pain that on vacation I finally decided to look this possibility up. It's a relief to know that I don't have to endure these any longer. I dread coming off of it, but I can tough it out to feel at least as good as I did before."

• Hi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 3, 2015

For Fibromyalgia "Female, 24 here. I have persistent low mood for one year. Finally, my doctor prescribed me milnacipran; common to treat depression here (I live in Japan). I've been using it for one month now, and it is fantastic. 1x25 mg at dinner time only. I don't know whether it is a placebo effect or not, but at the very least, it helps regulate my sleep. I can wake up in the morning again. I enjoy things again. It is now easier to avoid depression-inducing, self-blaming thoughts. Side effects: hot flash on the first several days and tolerable nausea. Some weight loss is observed, either from being able to get more exercise and less bingeing or directly caused by milnacipran."

• Anonymous
• May 25, 2009

For Fibromyalgia "Having been diagnosed with fibrositis in 1987, inflammation of white fibrous connective tissue, and treated for years with Elavil, Effexor, and Neurontin. I tried Lyrica, but it gave me migraines and blurred vision. This seems to aid in overall tenderness, but pain surges still peak at 6-7. I have experienced severe nausea, mood swings (was told to stop Elavil, Wellbutrin), and blood pressure increase. I also have had trouble sleeping. But it has helped with fatigue, unless I have done something physical, then pain surges increase, along with depression. Overall, I think it is a promising medication."

• Pai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 11, 2019

Milnacipran for Fibromyalgia "This helps with inflammation, however, I believe it's like chemotherapy. The side effects are horrible: nausea, vomiting, just feel ugh!!!"