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Gabapentin, Savella, Lyrica and Cymbalta?
Ok, I have heard of all of these medications and I realize that everyone is different. I am currently being tested for all kind of muscle disorders and autoimmune disorders so am pretty sure that soon, I will be told to take one of these medications (I already have CFS). I am just wanting some feedback as to how they affected you and the mg that you take. My primary wanted me to try Savella w/o my test results back yet - waiting on the tests from the rheumatologist, but after reading that other post about Savella, that scares me. I have a friend on Gabapentin (which I believe is Neurotin sp?). Any advice? I want to be prepared because I have found that doctors do what works for them and I like to know what I am up against. I also take Clonopin, Verapamil for my heart, Potassium and Synthroid.
Thanks for any advice!
Thanks for any advice!
Best Answer
I had horrible reactions to cymbalta and Savella! My rheumotologist told me he only has about 2 patients in his whole practice that can tolorate Savella! He said its one of the worst drugs on the market. I am on gabapentin! It helps but I seem to fear almost every night! It's horrible because that is the time I have to spend with my husband...
I have been on gabapentin for a couple of yrs. now and it certainly hasn't caused weight gain actually I have been dieting since February and have lost almost a whole body size so in my opinion it may not be the meds. causing one to eat but the hunger urges which I personally am able to ignore by drinking water. Good Luck!
I have fibro...ms..disk and nerve problems. I have tried so many meds and natural remedies. I recently tried topamax and wow..it seemed it was really going to help. Then I starting reading about this drug and my understanding is, it is a very serious drug that can have serious side effects. Not to mention seems you need to drink an enormous amount of water to prevent kidney damage. It scared me enough for me to wean off this med. My dr has given me a prescription for gabapentin.... Not sure of effectiveness but I do hear a lot about weight gain. I can't afford to put on anymore weight. Guess I'm looking for comments of any sort ...need to rid pain the safest way...if that exists. Thanks for reading...
Hi
Has the tompomax actually kept you up at night? I am currently on Gabapentin and have gain 15 to20 lbs in six mos. My doctor wants me to try Topomax, but as with many who have FM, I have sleep issues which the gabapentin has greatly helped. It's also the best thing I have ever been on for depression!
Hate to switch but the weight gain is disheartening, has put pressure on my back and on my feet! Would so appreciate a response.
Mame
Has the tompomax actually kept you up at night? I am currently on Gabapentin and have gain 15 to20 lbs in six mos. My doctor wants me to try Topomax, but as with many who have FM, I have sleep issues which the gabapentin has greatly helped. It's also the best thing I have ever been on for depression!
Hate to switch but the weight gain is disheartening, has put pressure on my back and on my feet! Would so appreciate a response.
Mame
I recently started Lyrica and I've gained a lot if weight, I have severe back pain, and also neuropathy and fibro which is so painful I sometimes just sit and cry.. The Lyrica seems to be taking a tiny bit of the burning away, on feet but I'm scared its just wishful thinking, as nothing else has worked. I take cymbalta , Lyrica , a couple of different pain meds, and was just also prescribed savella,&topomax, which I haven't started yet, as I'm scared to take all of it, even though dr says it's ok, oh I was also taking Neurontin , but I recently stopped, as I took it for almost 2yrs, and felt like it wasn't working anymore, I just found this site, I have loving friends, my mom and Dad passed away , I miss them terribly, I have a pretty cool hubby, but he just doesn't get the kind of horrible pain all of us here know all to well
Glad to have found you guys, if anyone has taken all these drugs at the same time, I would appreciate any input. Thanks!
Glad to have found you guys, if anyone has taken all these drugs at the same time, I would appreciate any input. Thanks!
Hello all. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia since 04/29/09 directly after I had my hysterectomy. My husband said that I was using Fibromyalgia as an excuse. Believe me, I hope he never has to walk in my shoes! The best thing ever for my Fibromyalgia has been the Lyrica. It has saved me from staying in bed all day to getting up and going for walks. I take 200mg a day & I also take Tramadol 50mg. The Cymbalta I took was great but the side effects were terrible. I was in a fog and constantly tired. The Sevilla did not work for me. It made me mean. Trazadone is wonderful as well. It helps me sleep. For those of you who have it. I feel for every single one of you little angels. Try swimming and walking and love yourself.
Hi! I echo other people who have said it depends on your body chemistry. My body apparently doesn't react well to anything that either affects serotonin or that is a relaxant/sedative. On Lyrica, I had heart palpitations & shortness of breath. On cymbalta, I had serotonin syndrome and landed in the hospital overnight. I am wary of muscle relaxants or opioids b/c they tend to hit me super hard and I go directly into a stupor that baffles docs, and they last longer than expected. Conversely, I metabolize local anesthetics super-fast -- have to be sedated for dental work and had to have a c-section under general b/c of it. The only type of pain killer that works at all for anything if Exedrin migraine if I take itin the first 20 minutes of a migraine.
Cymbalta balances hormones. Stress hormone & another. Read what you get from the prescription. Take it at night if the nausea bothers you, until your body adjusts. After a few months, I was able to switch back to daytime. I take 30 mg. when I get up with lots of water. Then when I eat breakfast, I take the other 60 mg. At 60 mg. the pain & stiffness was gone. We added 30 mg. more for the depression. I have energy. Spring up from my chair without a struggle. And I have a sense of well being, I haven't had in 40 yrs, To me Cymbalta is my Miracle !!! Please realize that this could work for other, but they weren't so turned off about it. Also, It requires patience & slowing going to get there !!!
You should keep on trying with the mask. My husband wears one and it's been like night and day for him. It saved his life. I know it's uncomfortable and hard to get used to, but he finally did. I hope someone else sees your post. You might want to start a new one about the lumps and your vision. I have vision issues but not the lumps so have no idea about them. I would be concerned. Post a new one so people will see it. They won't see it on here. Stay in touch if you like. Hope you get better.
Thank you. I am now off Cymbalta, but still on Modividil (sp). I did get the repeat sleep study. I now TRY and were mask....ha. Funny some AM's I get up it is laying on floor and I don't remember how it came off. Started new pain center Doc, he is very fast but sweet. My biggest issues are my vision and the massive amount of small but extremely painful lumps under skin near muscles I guess?? I can't figure out what the he they are... Anyone at all ????
I do like that Lyrica makes me feel better as far as the muscle pains and even my osteoarthritis. The only reason I can not stay on it is the weight gain, It makes me so hungry everyday. I can not afford to gain weight with the arthritis. I am 190 and just 5ft 4in now. I have savella and it has helped some as well but it makes me sweat so much, people look at me like "what is going on with you"? So embarrassing to be ringing wet with sweat and it is the middle of winter! So I have never stuck with them over a month, seemed to me the side effects should slow down by that time.Does anyone have the same problems with these meds? Feedback appreciated.
Soulmate,
I just read this, did not realize you had replied back in Feb. Thank you for answering. I am currently weaning myself off Gabapentin. I do take Cymbalta, low dose, no issues, so will stay on that. I hated Savella. I haven't heard of Modivigil. I will look that up. Hope you are better now.
I just read this, did not realize you had replied back in Feb. Thank you for answering. I am currently weaning myself off Gabapentin. I do take Cymbalta, low dose, no issues, so will stay on that. I hated Savella. I haven't heard of Modivigil. I will look that up. Hope you are better now.
I have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and have tried several different meds, all of which make me extremely tired and confused. I cannot function on the meds they have prescribed. I just want a medicine that will not make me tired or confused. Any sugestions would be great.
Morning, just read your post. AllI can say is I also have CFS. I take Modivigil for that as well another sleep study ordered for mask which ALL tell me works wonders. I was on Gabapentin but when I started seeing pink dots gured my dose was too high and wanted off. I have been on just @ ALL meds youmentioned. I am now OFF cymbalta, Savella... I take Lryica , just started, oxycodone,fentinol patch for I guess so far this is ok, sadly some things were "misplaced" so suffering totally the past few days.Pain Doc Monday. Good luck! If I had to pick between Cymbalta and Lyrica, I choose the second. Gods Speed...
GABAPENTIN COULD REALLY HELP YOU BECAUSE IT'S SUPPOSE TO HELP WITH NERVE DAMAGE BY SETTLING THE NERVE DOWN SO IT DOESN'T ACT UP TOO MUCH. AT LEAST THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD, I AM ON GABAPENTIN AS WELL AS OTHER MEDS FOR FIBRO AND OTHER HEALTH ISSUES. IT REALLY DOES HELP ME OUT A LOT. I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU, AS ALWAYS PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR FAMILY DR FIRST BEFORE TRYING ANY NEW MED, A RHEUMATOLOGIST MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU OUT AS WELL. HAVE A GREAT DAY!
I am 49 years old and I suffer from lower lumbar disc herniation and spinal stenosis. I take Vicodin for the lower back pain and I also suffer from peripheral neuropathy. The right leg and feet with the hot burning and needles and pins feeling. Gets real bad at night time and I can't sleep. So will Gabapentin 400 mg 3 times a day help me?? Or should I take something else
Please someone give me some info. Thanks Scotty
Please someone give me some info. Thanks Scotty
My doc had me on .3600mg's of gapapentin per day. Had to reduce due to hallucinations..
Honestly I am on cymbalta as well. I also cry everyday but I am thinking I am crying due to depression of my life, pain, and how I always seem to be gettibg more symtoms. So it could be the meds or our illness, Sue
Why do you want to go off the Cymbalta? It sounds like the dose you are on works for you since when you reduce it, you have crying jags? Do you think you are on too high a dose or you just don't want to take any drugs anymore? I am on several drugs, including Cymbalta so I know how that feels but if it is working for you, why change it? I hope you can make a good decision.
sounds like you are not ready to go off of the cymbalta if even dropping a few beads throws you in to depression. Is your depression under control while you are on it?
Please tell me how you got off cymbalta, I've tried many times and even reducing by 5-6 beads plunges me into crying all the time depression. It really scares me to be so dependent on a drug! After several weeks I always have to go back to full dose. I'd appreciate any help you can give me.
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Well, you are completely right...it's hard to know how each medication is going to react with your body chemistry. Gabapentin and Neurontin are the same med- you are correct. Neurontin is the brand name. I found Gabapentin and Lyrica to be very similar, but Lyrica is stronger at lower doses.
I have tried Cymbalta as well and didn't like it. I had trouble with my GI system. I had diarrhea the whole time I was on it and I became incredibly depressed. I too am very anti-Savella because of some of the negative stories I've heard, because I know my body and the people who had negative responses tended to have things in common with me. I mean in terms of how they reacted to other meds.
I have heard really wonderful stories too about Savella- don't get me wrong. *With your heart condition though I would be a bit leary of Savella.* I have heart palpitations and take Potassium daily as well, so that is my main qualm with Savella. I also have had bouts of atrial fibrillation.
I know that you have CFS. Anti- Seizure meds tend to work well with the FM and CFS diseases in my opinion because they target the nervous system, but Lyrica and Neurontin (Gabapentin) can make you drowsy. Most of the anti-seizure meds can.
I take Topamax, which is another much stronger anti-seizure med used for migraines that helps with pain too at higher doses. My doctor told me I would become sleepy on it, but it has actually given me energy, which I LOVE. I have noticed that it has acted this way with others too. If you do try Lyrica or Neurontin and they don't work for you, you could always ask about Topamax. I have TONS of info about it and I wouldn't mind sharing my experiences with you. Feel free to PM me to if that works better for you. Take care.
-Dusty