Started Repatha - Side Effects

I would get occasional lower back ache pain after my repatha injection. I don’t know if this would help you, but I would take a Doan’s back ache pill and it was gone in 20 minutes.

Thank you. I am trying not to take drugs to alleviate the side effects of another drug. A slippery slope of drugs. I looked at Doan’s during that time and there were potential side effects that concerned me. My Repatha low back pain was pretty severe and remains bad although better since I’ve been off of the Repatha. I will be 78 next month and I am very careful what I put in my body. I use Yoga Balm with CBD on my low back at night and it seems to help and also with sleep. I have struggled with sleep since original COVID. Now, with the yoga balm I’m no longer taking anything for sleep or low back pain.

I like how you think, @llynch17056. Everything seems to cause something else, and we are all so different in unexpected ways. I assume you find Yoga Balm with CBD safe since you are opting to take it currently. What have you learned about this add to your therapy?

My PCP told me to add ibuprofen a few years ago when I hit the worst of my health crisis. Now I read it is not necessarily good to add when you already take baby aspirin. Of course, the disclaimer “unless told by your doctor”. There is so, so much I do not understand. The caution I see and follow now is, “ Tell your care team if the pain lasts more than 10 days, if it gets worse, or if there is a new or different kind of pain. ”

Wonderful you can manage your back pain from injections with an NSAID like Doan’s, @missey. Has your pain been pretty consistent, shot to shot? Have you had a chance to discuss Doan’s with your doctor prescribing your Repatha?

What!? I do not take Doan’s back ache pills by injection please correct your post to me as it is misformation. It is only occasionally that I use one tablet for lower back ache pain. And yes, the Doans OTC backache med is perfectly fine. It is composed primarily of magnesium.

She was saying that it was good that a Doan’s pill would manage pain caused by Repatha injections. Not that Doan’s is injected.

@missey
I was responding to your comment that you manage occasional lower back ache pain after repatha injections with Doan’s, from my perspective of feeling like Repatha side effects crept up on me. I am glad you are able to continue the injection.

I am overly sensitive to anything that goes into my body at this point, not sure if that is necessarily all positive or negative, probably some of both. Your comment prompted me to do more searching about Doans. It is a “Magnesium Salicylate Tablet”, right? Thank you, I very much appreciate it.
Here is some of what I what I found: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/18592-magnesium-salicylate-tablets

Now I have more questions than I started with, of course. Did I address your concern with what I said in my earlier comment?

Thank you so much for your detailed and thoughtful reply. My primary care provider prescribed a muscle relaxer and that has helped some. Interestingly, some of the effects continue after the drug wears off. I don't know if that's indicative of something or not but I'll take it.
I'm rather frustrated with my cardiologist at the moment. She or her office hasn't followed up and it seems like they are taking a hands off approach because they think it's not the Repatha. When they learned what I tried already for the pain, my cardiologist didn't have any other suggestions. Meanwhile, my primary care provider is trying other options??? I also read that myalgia was the #1 reason people discontinued Repatha, at least in the clinical trial. To answer your question, the cardiologist just said to try discontinuing it. She didn't say for how long. It almost seems like she's throwing in the towel.
It is a relief to know there are other options. Although I grow up in MN, I'm now in CA so I don't have access to Mayo's Statin Intolerance Clinic. Is that a resource cardiologists can consult with on cases, or no? She's a preventative cardiologist who has been practicing for quite some time and she only continues to treat patients to manage their lipids so I'm confused how she doesn't have experience with this side effect. I don't seem to be the only one . . .

@repathaconcerns
It sounds like your cardiologist just doesn’t know how to help you. I am including a link to the bio of the Statin Intolerance Clinic Director (my cardiologist), below. I recommend calling the number listed and telling them just what you wrote, above. I only know I make a drive to MN. Maybe they have options to help you from a distance and if not, will work with your cardiologist. https://www.mayoclinic.org/biographies/kopecky-stephen-l-m-d/bio-20054286

Please let me know what you find out. And, are you feeling any better?

Thank you for this info. My cardiologist, or, shall I say, FORMER cardiologist, has nothing but statins and Repatha in his bag of tricks. That’s sad because, I agree, we aren’t the only ones that cannot take them. I’m not going to take muscle relaxers so that I can barely tolerate a drug that is causing me terrible pain. Our bodies are talking to us and our doctors aren’t listening. How sad to go to medical school then specialize in cardiology and are only willing to push pills that are harmful to patients.

Thanks so much :). That was very kind of you. I'm feeling a little better. Oddly, it seems the muscle relaxers that I've taken some evening seem to have some long term effects. I haven't taken Repatha for a month now. I still have back pain and leg pain, but at least it's a little more tolerable. Now my cardiologist wants me to try Praluent. (I had a very long talk with the office manager about my frustrations regarding the way this has been dealt with). Looks like myalgia is more common in that one though.