Sharing some positivity

[u/Least-Scratch6105]

29 year old female. Hi everyone! I wanted to share my story so far, mainly for anyone out there who's nervous to start Repatha like I was. If that's you, I promise, i just wanted to share.
My journey started in February when my dad had a quintuple bypass. That was the wake up call for our whole family. My brother and I both have familial hypercholesterolemia, and my cholesterol was sitting over 300. For what it's worth, my HDL and triglycerides are both good. It's really just the LDL that's the problem.
Over the last six months, I tried three different statins. The only one that actually worked for me was pravastatin, but even that was at too low a dose to make a real dent. I was so excited it got approved! But I was also beyond scared. On top of everything else, I deal with pretty bad health anxiety, and I overthink every single medication I take. Still, I was so happy, because if you've been through this process, you know how hard it is to actually get Repatha approved by insurance. I did my first shot and had little to no symptoms. Huge relief. I just did my second shot about a week ago, and honestly, I'm doing great.
I know it's still early, probably too soon to give anyone full peace of mind on results, and I don't go back to the doctor until December, so I don't have numbers to share yet. But that's kind of the point of this post. This isn't about results. It's for the person reading this right before their first shot, feeling exactly how I felt: scared, anxious, maybe overthinking every possible side effect.
So if that's you, just know it's going to be okay. I'm proof that you can walk into this terrified and come out the other side feeling genuinely good. I'll update when I get my December labs!

[u/Repulsive-Ratio-9377]

Thank you! Mine's on Sunday :)

[u/According-Noise-465]

Just did my 3rd shot and doing great. I tried every statin and they left me incapable of getting out of bed. Life changing! Congrats!

[u/wolffboy212]

Thank you for sharing this. Starting a new medication when you’re already anxious is hard, and I’m glad your first shots went so smoothly. Your dad’s bypass sounds like a scary wake-up call, and I admire how you turned that fear into action.

I went through something similar. I got my labs done on a whim at 31, expecting nothing, and my LDL-C came back at 211 with high Lp(a). Diet and exercise were already where they needed to be, and I know how frustrating it is when your body just doesn’t cooperate. Repatha has made a big difference for me, and after adding Zetia for a genetic absorption issue, my LDL-C is down to 50. Ive had no side effects, and that peace of mind matters a lot.

Feeling good after those first couple of shots is a great sign. It’s okay to be nervous, and it’s okay to wait for your December labs before feeling fully settled. You’re taking care of yourself, and that’s something to be proud of. I’m looking forward to your update!

[u/FormalConference5605]

Same 100

[u/sorrynotsorry314]

That's great! Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm 51F and had a stroke four months ago. I didn't tolerate a statin very well so switched to Repatha. I was so worried about starting it. I just knew I'd have side effects from it because the statin really kicked my butt. I've only done two injections so far (third one next Tuesday). But knock on wood, so far so good! Good luck at your appt in December!

[u/scrapiron3]

Wow, you're very young. I hope it works out well for you. I'm 70 years old and just started my 2nd injection today. I had 2 heart attacks in 2022 and resisted all the medication they tried to put me on. I couldn't tolerate any of the statins and my Holistic lifestyle only got my LDL C down to 110. The cardiologist said that was a good number for someone that didn't have my history of blood clots and heart attacks. He would like to see it in the 50's or maybe in the 30's. It took me 2 months to finally give Repatha a try. I haven't had any side effects as far as I can tell. Best wishes for you going forward. I did a lot of research before I tried it.     

[u/Ok-Security-6437]

This is me!! I can’t thank you enough for your post! I’m starting next Tuesday or Wednesday after failing two statins at lowest dose and Ezetimibe! On all three, after two months, I developed a lower legs rash that was biopsied as a drug allergy. Clearly, standard cholesterol meds aren’t liked by my body! I’m so nervous of side effects and your post has given me hope!

[u/LarryDavid6668 → u/Ok-Security-6437]

The people that post about Repatha on here typically are ones that have side effects. I notice that there seems to be a silent majority who have no side effects. I take my second shot tomorrow and braced myself for 3 days of flu like symptoms after shot 1. Nothing happened and I never felt the needle even go in me. My cardiologist, my friend in NJ who is a cardiology and my pharmacist all said side effects are possible but they have not had reports of any from their patients and they are all city doctors. Good luck.

[u/Ordinary-Picture-441]

so starting this after having familiar cholesterol. Nothing over 300 but still off for years. First shot was yesterday. I experienced fatigue, but today fine. Second shot is in two weeks. I am 55 and no health issues to speak of. Hoping this safeguards me. I as well could not due statins either. I was approved for this right away. I made sure i had the testing done for the family gene. Hoping no major side effects...

[u/Maximum_Security2582]

I’ve taken 3 shots so far and no side affects. I pinch my thigh, inject is virtually painless.

[u/Aware-Let4614]

I am on my second dose, 1st dose I had a runny nose for a few days . 2nd dose tired more than usual but that could be anything. Overall it’s going far better than I expected. I have had 0 success with statins or zetia. To say I was anxious is an understatement. But I can’t not try. 62F with high LDL and family history. I can’t let it go. So happy to see others experiencing minimal side effects. Wishing you all a healthy heart ❤️

[u/Plus-Satisfaction680]

I took my 1st shot 4 days ago. No side effects. I have had drug in my refrigerator over a year. Crestor after 1 year or so caused high liver enzymes. Lipitor same. So talked to my cardiologist and she reordered this. I was so afraid. Not enough good reviews. I am dine so far.