Started Repatha - Side Effects

You shouldn't have to through things like that with a doctor but I know there are some like that. I just turned 70 and up until last May, I could keep up with people 20 years younger. Now that seems like a distant memory. I have read that Repatha will last a long time in your system, 2-3 months from last injection. I have read that COQ10 helps with statin side effects, but have not seen if anything helps with Repatha. Hope your new cardiologist and the Nexletrol help you.

@ctjoe7 my previous cardiologist was literally giddy about how much Repatha lowered my LDL. So when I told him I couldn’t continue taking it due to how sick it was making me he said, “then I have nothing for you” and didn’t schedule any follow up appointments. In other words, he would no longer be my doctor because I couldn’t tolerate the enormous side effects of Repatha. It was like he never even looked into how bad the side effects are in some people. Many cardiologists just want to blow you off if you can’t take statins or Repatha. He treated me as though I was just being difficult and/or faking how sick it made me. I literally went into a depression because he had convinced me I had heart disease and would die if I didn’t take the drugs that I absolutely couldn’t take!! I made the decision that I would rather die doing yoga, living life, exercising, cutting my grass, etc than to live longer moaning in bed. I have a new cardiologist now. He’s much better. At 78 and considering my life style, he said that statistically I’m probably not going to drop dead soon. Anyway, I am trying Nexletrol. In my second week. I’ll be doing uric acid tests since that’s a side effect of Nexletrol.

@llynch17056 unfortunately that's how doctors are now. They simply aren't interested. Most will gaslight you. You need to be your own advocate

@19281928 that’s what I have learned. After convincing me I was going to drop dead any day, he dropped me when I couldn’t take the Repatha. “I have nothing for you.” My new one looked at my weight, my lifestyle (exercise/eating), how strong I am and said I was in good shape and wasn’t going to die anytime soon. Wanted to work with me to maximize my health. What a difference.

I was told at the Mayo Clinic that a beta blocker, specifically Carvedilol, is just as effective and works just as well (apparently, for most people as well as for me) as a calcium channel blocker, specifically Amlodipine, at lowering blood pressure. They prescribe either or, or both. My brother, who is seven years older, has used both for quite a while. Switching was a no-brainer for me. I was having swelling and skin discoloration problems in my ankles, and sometimes feet and calves, while taking Amlodipine. In addition to Losartan, so far it has been more effective than Amlodipine, keeping my blood pressure below 130/80 most of the time, with sometimes as low as 110/60 and sometimes a few brief peaks to the 135/80 area. Very importantly, unlike Amlodipine, I've noticed no side effects from Carvedilol 6.25 mg twice a day. The praluent has also significantly diminished myalgia from the days of taking statin drugs as well, so now I'm back to feeling my younger self again. Of course, only time will tell how effective this will be. Hopefully, for years. I'm walking three to five days a week and hoping to lose about ten pounds to help keep metabolic and cholesterol conditions in check. It's my belief that the more natural health and fitness solutions I can find, the better it has been than taking more medications each with it's potential side effects and drug interactions. I think it's too easy for the average doctor or cardiologist to prescribe standard therapies when patients are disinclined or unable to change eating and exercise habits which would actually provide better life quality and a longer healthspan for most people.

@llynch17056 I'm glad you found a good doctor! That must be a relief. My former cardiologist had me terrified as well. I thought I was going to die anytime 🥰

That is my attitude and experience too. To me it’s all about risk ratio. It’s far better to have a few muscle aches than a stroke or heart attack.
I did have a few painful leg muscle spasms while my body adjusted to statins but that did stop.
I start Repatha this month and will not stop while my body adjusts to that. But the vast majority seem to have no issues so I’m not worried. I read the studies.

@valcie Both my parents had 4 heart attacks and bypass surgery. I am on this high LDL journey. I have side effects. I can only say this. My mother took all the pills and followed the doctors orders, my father felt bad on most of the meds and he stopped most of them. They died one week apart from each other in 2013. So, i wonder if any of it make one bit of difference?