Posted by bleauberry on February 20, 2010, at 6:13:04
In reply to Savella, Cymbalta, posted by mommyron on February 19, 2010, at 17:55:23
I have tried Cymbalta several times and Savella several times. But not Effexor.
First off, it is almost dishonest for Effexor and Cymbalta to be called SNRIs. Their affinity for norepinephrine is very low. 30:1 serotonin to NE ratio for effexor, and 9:1 ratio for cymbalta. Savella is a true SNRI with a balance of about 3:2.
Whatever. It's all theory talk and doesn't matter. There is too much going on at a molecular level that we haven't even scratched the surface on. Tons more research is needed. What really matters is how the drug affects you, and a trial is the only way to find out.
All that said, Savella and cymbalta were in no way comparable to me. Cymbalta was aweful in terms of side effects and withdrawal, and did very little to improve my mood. It actually made me feel worse most of the time instead of better. Savella on the other hand felt very clean and friendly. The only side effects I had were diminished appetite (but not nausea), and an extremely hard time going pee. It began working on day 2.
My personal opinion is that Savella is usually dosed too high. I believe normal doses are too high. In studies, lower doses were shown to work as well as high doses, but took longer. Me, I responded well to less than 20mg per day. The starter pack has you go from 12.5mg to 25mg and to 100mg within just days. Ridiculous. Stay at 12.5mg for a while and shoot for 25mg as a final goal, maybe 50mg. My opinion.
> Does anyone know if Savella is very similar to Cymbalta? Cymbalta worked well for my depression, but made me sick as a dog and anti-emetics didn't help. Then dc'ing it was a 2-week nightmare. (Effexor, another SNRI, also worked well for me, but with other nasty side effects.) Since Savalla is an SNRI, I think it might be helpful, but I'm curious what other members have found regarding side effects, usefulness, etc. ??
> Thank you.
poster:bleauberry
thread:937404
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100216/msgs/937445.html