Just started Repatha 2 weeks ago. 1st pen no workie.
2nd did.... mild sides next day. Today, I go for my 2nd dose and not one of the pens worked... Costco was no help, after 4 transfers they gave the manufacturer number, of course they are closed today.
Any one else have this experience?
There was no Sureclick here.
Hi,
M60 from Ireland. I have a long history of intolerance to statins and other cholesterol lowering drugs. I started statin treatment (Lipitor) about 25 years ago gradually increasing the dosage. I noticed over time that I was experiencing escalating fatigue and muscle weakness. I put it down to age. I read up on statin side effects about 10 years ago and decided to stop the Lipitor and there was a very significant improvement. While the strength and fatigue improved, my cholesterol increased. significantly.
Around that time I had a CAC scan and it was zero so not an immediate concern. I was referred to a cardiologist 4 years ago who convinced me to give statins another try. He put me on 20mg of Rosuvastatin. Within a couple of weeks, the fatigue returned. As soon as I stopped them, it improved. Then we tried Ezetimibe. This was fine for about 4 months and then the fatigue returned. I persevered for a few weeks, but had to stop. A couple of weeks after stopping, all was back to normal.
Fast forward to early last year and I was put on Bempedoic Acid. This was fine for about six months and then the fatigue hit. Again, I persevered, but it didn't improve until I stopped.
I also had a more recent Angio scan that gave me a score of 28. It shows modest plaque, but not significant. I had a carotid artery scan a couple of months ago and it shows a very modest calcification deemed "good for my age".
After a bit of toing and froing with the Irish health system, I was approved for Repahta. I took the first dose 3 weeks ago. For the following 3 days I was very fatigued which concerned me. However this improved returning to normal. After the second does, I felt fine for a day and then the fatigue hit again. A week later and it hasn't improved. It's hard to describe, but it doesn't improve with sleep and impacts my ability to work, exercise and basically function. It's like playing life on hard mode.
Obviously I'm concerned that cholesterol lowering drugs just aren't for me, but I am bought into their long term benefits. It's very frustrating that every drug I try seems to end in the same way.
I'll persevere with Repatha for another few weeks, but I can't continue with these side effects long term especially when I'm still working full time.
Has anyone found a way to deal with fatigue as a side effect? Does it improve over time?
I started Repatha injections last year for familial high cholesterol. I stopped it after 3 months because it was making me feel very congested and my injection site turned into an itchy welt that lasted for over a week. my cardiologist urged me to try it again. I went back on it and this is month 2. my injection site is still a welt and super itchy Each time. over the last 2 weeks I have started experiencing a whole body itch including my palms and feet. literally everything on my is itching.
has anyone else expereinced this? it willl NOT go away and I keep having to take Benadryl.
Does anybody have low back weakness/instability from repatha? Like hip instability or weakness around SI joints? I had the classical back pain episodes for 1-2 days after the first 2 doses and then the pain went away later on but my low back is weaker and weaker. Or rather unstable....as if i have time recruiting the stabilizing muscles in the core....the problem is I have other competing causes that could explain this but the timing makes me wonder....
Does anybody have a low back symptom that is not pain?
I just started repatha to replace rosuvastatin due to bad sides.
This was on rosuvastatin 5mg and ezetimibe 10mg. Getting switched to Repatha 140 q2w and keeping ezetimibe 10mg.
Will I see significant changes?
Before Repatha:
hsCRP is 2.2 and HDL went down for some reason so room for improvement.
| Lipid Marker | March 16, 2026 | February 14, 2026 | Reference Range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Cholesterol (mg/dL) | 94.0 [1] | 112.0 [2] | 140 – 200 | Optimal |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | 49.0 [1] | 65.0 [2] | 35 – 160 | Optimal |
| HDL Cholesterol (mg/dL) | 36.0 [1] | 47.0 [2] | 35 – 60 | Acceptable |
| LDL Cholesterol (mg/dL) | 48.2 [1] | 52.0 [2] | < 100 | Optimal |
| VLDL Cholesterol (mg/dL) | 9.8 [1] | 13.0 [2] | 5 – 30 | Optimal |
| Apolipoprotein B (mg/dL) | — | 57 [3] | < 90 | Optimal |
| Lipoprotein (a) (nmol/L) | — | 11 [4] | < 75 | Optimal |
I'm using own your labs to run tests every couple of weeks as I dial in my protocol, since they're so cheap (Lipid testing is only ten bucks there)
I have my first blood test in a week, repatha supposedly works very quickly and my numbers are already pretty close to in range, apart from the LPa
Ideally I can get away with one shot a month and 2.5mg Rosu EoD but we'll see if that's feasible. LDL and ApoB are currently just over 100 each so with the LPa factor I'd like those both dropped to under 70