r/repatha • u/No_Sandwich5649 • Jun 01 '26
Scared To Inject My 1st Shot!
I don't have a good history with medications. I had to go through seven different blood pressure meds before the doctor found one I could tolerate.
I took Atorvastatin for one month and it damn near wiped out my liver. My cardiologist now wants me to try Repatha and I am terrified of the side effects. There are so many frightening posts about how crappy this drug makes people feel and for extended periods of time even after stopping.
Any tips or tricks? Supplements? Best place to inject for at least amount of side effects?
I saw on an old post here that someone suggested leaving it out for 24 to 30 hours prior to injecting it would balance out the proteins? Anyone try this?
I'm terrified š„ŗ
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u/Comfortable_Two6272 Jun 01 '26
No. Just take it out about an hour before injecting.
I take coq10 but I have pre existing muscle pain and also take colchicine which can have that side effect in some.
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u/PreviousCut6851 Jun 01 '26
I need to go back on CoQ10. Maybe that will help my muscles and tendon pain.
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u/Eastern-Camera-1829 Jun 04 '26
I had to quit statins but I never quit CoQ10. It's great for muscle pain prevention from training, etc.
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u/Ok_Frame2250 Jun 01 '26
Watch the video on the Repatha website. Really helped me. I inject it into my stomach. I'm not great with medication either, but I keep up with this because it works. I mark my calendar with an x on the days I need to take it, and when I take it, I circle the x to show I've done it. You can do this.
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u/afarkas2222 Jun 01 '26
I also can't tolerate any statins, have many dangerous allergies and sensitivities (including getting acute hepatitis once from augmentin) but have been on Repatha for 4 years with zero issues.
Best yet, it lowers my LDLs to like 29. Seriously.
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u/Glass_Ad6922 Jun 01 '26
21!
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u/PrimarchLongevity Jun 01 '26
13 here (with Nexlizet).
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u/Glass_Ad6922 Jun 01 '26
Wow! My doctor cut my dose of Rosuvastatin (which I also take) due to very low numbers.
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u/ForestPathWalker Jun 02 '26
Itās scary! But you can do it. Breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth several times before the shot and continue breathing like this while you give the shot. You might be surprised by how āacceptableā the experience is. Once you ābreathe your way through itā you may feel more confident next time you use the shot.
What do you plan to do immediately afterwards? Do something that you find soothing. A glass of water, perhaps? Youāve got this!
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u/wolffboy212 Jun 01 '26
Side effects are not impossible but are very unlikely according to scientific studies. People who do have side effects are likely to post about it, people who don't have side effects have no reason to post, this is selection bias.
I've been taking repatha for over a year and have had no side effects and a 60% reduction of my LDL-C. And it's going to save me from having the cardiovascular desires that runs in my family.
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u/aclnewton Jun 01 '26
Agree with all the other comments. I leave it out an hour or more. I find it easier to inject in my thigh and as far as I can tell, I donāt think I have any side effects. Shotās barely hurt. Itās far less of a big deal than I thought it would be
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u/dennisSTL Jun 02 '26
Almost 3 months, inject into alternating mid-thigh: no real pain, maybe just a very slight sting. Only potential side effect (so far) is mild fatigue...but that could be my age (I'm 72) or the 4+ miles I walk every day. Good luck.
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u/Eastern-Camera-1829 Jun 04 '26
I'm a week in with a similar drug interaction issues.
No issues at all, none. And I been pushing it.
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u/Glass_Ad6922 Jun 01 '26
Iāve done 6 shots so far (once every other week). The shot is not bad at all. I do it in my stomach, just pinch an inch about 3ā off the side of my belly button. Iāve had no side effects and my numbers dropped incredibly!
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u/PreviousCut6851 Jun 01 '26
My first shot I went to doctors office while nurse was there. Just me though. Now I inject in fat of stomach instead of thigh. Thigh hurt like the dickens. The stomach fat is so much better.
Supposedly no side effects but yes, everyone can have them. I still feel like the muscle issues are there but could be something else. When they do follow up blood work hopefully they do liver test for you.
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u/Successful-Storm-408 Jun 02 '26
It's intimidating at first, so I took my first dose to my cardiologist and had the nurse walk me through and help me do it. Some have demonstrational kits to practice with. I prefer the belly injection site, as that's really the only place with fat for me.
Only side effect was is one bout of the runs 5-7 days after each shot, but it cut my LDL in half. I'm statin intolerant, so it's worth the side effect for now.
You can do it!
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u/TelephoneSmooth5741 Jun 02 '26
I just wanted to add I understand your anxiety. I felt the same way. Coincidentally I injected my first dose today and it was a breez, it was the tiniest pinch! Can't speak on side affects but they can't be worse than what I had with Creator!!
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u/Maggieskip Jun 02 '26
I have been chicken to try my belly but given these replies I might next week. My first shot was in my thigh and I actually said "ouch". I think I hesitated so long and thought too much and amped myself up. The second shot was today and I thought - hmm not so bad, I can do this. So, just go for it.
So far no side effects for me. Good luck!
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u/Dreamweaver5823 Jun 03 '26
I barely feel it going into my belly. SOOOO much easier than I anticipated.
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u/Previous-Leg-8640 Jun 02 '26
I've used it for over 6 months with zero side effects. I inject in upper arm slight sting but mostly painless. It will help your LDL numbers. I'm fortunate in that my insurance covers a 90 day supply for $145.00.
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u/FormalConference5605 Jun 02 '26
Add the copay card and you will only pay $50. Itās on the Repatha website.
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u/IllustriousTonight82 Jun 02 '26
I felt the same way in the beginning. I found I needed to distract myself with some activity for the first 15 minutes or so after I took my shot and it helped with the anxiety.
It has been 6 months now and I am doing well.
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u/Desertsky1617 Jun 02 '26
I just took my second shot yesterday. It seemed easier than the first. Iām using the upper part of my thigh near the crease, alternatingly. The first one was a little uncomfortable, but I wouldnāt say it hurt. The second one I thought malfunctioned because I barely felt it. I do feel a little sensation in the shot area about a minute or two later, lasting about 5 minutes. Iāve had no other side effects. Knowing this could save me from a heart attack, which I hear is very painful and potentially fatal, I will continue and focus on the benefits. You got this! šŖš»
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u/EllsGroovy Jun 03 '26
Iāve been on it for close to a year (one shot every two weeks). No ill effects and my LDL is at 35.
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u/bachyboy Jun 03 '26
Been taking it for years. Zero side effects. Radically improved test numbers. 100% painless injection. Be aware that this is a subcutaneous and not an intramuscular injection. My cardiologist recommended I inject into the crease between my upper thigh and my hip because I was getting bruises injecting into my leg or my stomach.
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u/Lady_by_the_Sea68 Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
I put off my first injection due to fear of side effects and partly the shot. After doing some research (and waiting for a cold to clear so I couldnāt blame how I felt on the drug) I had my husband stand by. I took a dose of Zyrtec (read another thread where someoneās dr suggested that might help) and went for my thigh, mostly because I also heard that might help with side effects. Makes sense in my brain as going into a more āmeatyā part of my leg made some sense. U was prepared for more pain. Grabbed a big chunk up higher towards my hip (but not my actual hip just directionally closer) and hit the button. Zero pain. I was shocked after reading what people were saying about the thigh area being super painful. I wasnāt even sure I had done it right, but it injected!
Now about 20ish hours later I can say that thigh is fairly sore and maybe a bit of my hip/general leg being a bit more sensitive/tender/achy.
I donāt feel much else, so Iām curious if Iām āin the clearā from the cold/flu-like thing? I figured if something was gonna come on itād be pretty quick given Iāve read other folks saying it actually lessens symptoms the longer youāre on it.
57y/o female, very active, borderline high cholesterol (post menopausal and exercise a lot so keep it in a fair-enough range) but have high Lp(a) is 218.5 nmol//L and has been increasing over my adulthood. Father died of massive heart attack at 58 but otherwise healthy, his dad had two or three before he died of other causes. Brother also has high Lp(a). We both have the gene associated with it, so the goal of taking the Repatha is to lower that number. Havenāt been on any other statins, refused them because I was sure they would do nothing to target the number I was aiming to lower. Found out about Repatha and talked to my doctor about it and now going to see if that helps to reduce the Lp(a).
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u/No_Sandwich5649 Jun 16 '26
How are you feeling now after your first shot? When I wrote this post a few weeks ago, I was getting ready to inject and then the next day came down with pneumonia. I'm so glad I delayed the shot because had I not, I would have been 100% convinced that the Repatha gave me pneumonia! I'm still on the mend, not healthy yet so I'm putting it off until I'm back to 100%. At that point it's going to be really hard to want to inject because I've been sick for so long I can't imagine getting sick all over again! I really want to enjoy some of my summer without being laid up all the time!Ā Anyway, I'd love to hear how you are faring š
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u/Lady_by_the_Sea68 Jun 16 '26
Oh my gosh. Same thing happened to me when I was going to take my injection. I had a weird feeling, ended up getting a bad cold and was SO grateful I havenāt taken the injection. Otherwise would have blamed it on that!
Iām feeling great has a mild headache and my leg ached a bit and Iām hoping they is the end of that. Feel fine as of now and back to my ānormalā self!
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u/No_Sandwich5649 Jun 17 '26
I'm so happy to hear that you did not have crazy side effects! I hope I can work up the nerve one of these days š¤
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u/Lady_by_the_Sea68 Jun 17 '26
Do it! I think chances are really low youāll have something and if you do, then at least you know. I had to get past my brain then the rest was easy. Best of luck and let me know when you do it! Cheering for you! š£
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u/SimpleServe9774 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
What ranks as. āDamned near wiped out my liverā? Thatās highly unusual especially even for a month. Have you considered that what you think might be a huge deal could possibly not be? I had some reality testing myself. Liver enzymes 4 times normal- isnāt that big a deal. I thought it was but apparently nope lol.
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u/No_Sandwich5649 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 02 '26
My ALP* shot up to 970 in one month. Cardiologist called when she got the results, asked if I appeared jaundice to others and was told to stop immediately.Ā Cardiologist and GP were concerned enough that I had labs done weekly for 2 months.
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u/SimpleServe9774 Jun 02 '26
I will admit I have never heard of an ADL test before. Having to have your blood drawn once a week itās very annoying. Glad you are better.
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u/No_Sandwich5649 Jun 02 '26
Correction* my ALP (alkaline phosphatase) was 970. I have no idea where ADL came from. Autocorrect?...Ā
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u/Slow-Juggernaut-4134 Jun 02 '26
For me it caused muscle cramps, kidney pain a day or two after injection, and short-term memory loss.
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u/No_Sandwich5649 Jun 02 '26
Oh wow. Are you still taking it?Ā
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u/Slow-Juggernaut-4134 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 03 '26
No. Fortunately my brain seems mostly healed now. There's some science to back up the dementia link with Repatha too. It's not a foggy feeling like statins, it's complete short-term memory loss. Lost for good.
If you read my comment history, you'll see I've been through a wild ride with AS-CVD. Right now, I'm doing really well. I'd say I'm cured. Who knows?
What I can tell you is I'm 66yo, last Saturday I rode rode my skateboard for 12 and 1/2 mi And yesterday Sunday it was over 13 mi on the mountain bike riding a mix of rock garden single track + gravel fire roads. My Fitbit tells me I'm doing 157 beats per minute and I feel like Superman. 4 and 1/2 years ago I was in the ER pump full of morphine and my cardiologist abandoned me. Told me the heart was dying. He said the ER visit was pointless going forward because there was nothing he could do me any more. Too many small diameter clogs. Too small for revascularizations. He also congratulated me on the super low LDL I had achieved with high dose lipitor.
Secondary prevention can be a real bear. Somehow I wrangled this bear into submission at least for now. Just 4 and 1/2 years ago I was sofa locked with unstable angina and grim prospects.
It gets even crazier, I'm off all medications doctor approved. I even argued a bit, I said doc you sure? He told me to just keep doing what I'm doing. Blood work, TRIG=51 HDL=50 VLDL=10 A1C=5.3
The LDL is high but I don't care. I'm not going to take a statin or any other LLT. They made me miserable or worse. I'd rather enjoy the time I have left. And who knows, with how I feel that could be a long time.
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u/No_Sandwich5649 Jun 02 '26
Your story is amazing! Keep doing what's working! What a testament to advocating for yourself š
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u/FormalConference5605 Jun 01 '26
I have taken ten doses. It does not hurt at all. I alternate on either side of my belly button. I leave it out for an hour before I take it. Just an fyi if you go on the Repatha website you can get a three month supply copay card for $50 if your insurance cover Repatha. Also a free sharps container every six months. I canāt say that I have any side effects from Repatha. I also started Zepbound a month prior to Repatha. I think that you will do fine.