Praluent and depression.

You really need to discuss with your doctor so you can stay ahead of this the best you can, and to help figure out which drug is causing problems. I am not a health professional, rather my experience leads me to think it could be either the PCSK9 or the statin doing something. Are you able to stick with your activity level? Hopefully you can figure out a plan with your doc before your next scheduled injection.

@jlharsh Thanks for your response! I had the stent placed 3 weeks ago and have had issues with getting prompt responses from my cardiology team.
Just to be clear I’m no longer on the rosuvastatin and was prescribed praluent. I’m trying to be patient and not react too soon to the drug and side effects but I’m very in tune with my body and know that this drug is also causing me fatigue as well as depression. I messaged cardiology today to mention these symptoms but haven’t heard back from them yet.

Talk with your Doctors. I am sure they can give you something else.
I am a woman and I have 2 stents, 2 years.
When I first got home. I went from one med to over 10 in a blink of an eye.
It took me about 2 months to get my meds right. Many trips to ER.
I wish you the best

Thanks @minnesota10! Your advice is common sense and sound but I don’t want to speak up too soon without allowing the meds to assimilate into my system. Also the cardiology dept. where I’m from is seemingly overworked and understaffed. I have been vigilant in seeking answers and care and yet they only respond so soon. If this continues I may have to look into a different clinic and cardiologist.
May I ask what meds you’re on currently?

Gotcha @dlkreps . Based on what I’ve learned from my experience I wouldn’t take another shot until the prescribing doctor addresses concerns. Monitor closely. It took me a while to figure out symptoms were gradually increasing in a pattern immediately following injections (I took mostly Repatha, but threw is a Praluent once after taking a break, and felt like it caused the same problems.)

Why did you discontinue statins that are typically taken with the PCSK9i? That is not typical. Maybe you need add a doc specializing in lipid management to work with your cardiologist.

You have options for treatment. I am now successfully taking inclisiran injections that work differently, do not have the side effects and my cholesterol numbers have never been better.

@jlharsh I guess I need to start with a little history. For the past year I hadn’t been feeling myself, low energy, burning muscles and “winded” more than usual. As I mentioned earlier I’ve been very active throughout my lifetime and run many marathons on down to 5k’s. I’ve been a triathlete and now bikepack and take long distance bike trips. So I realized something wasn’t right. I started out with my primary physician who then referred me to have an ekg and stress test. I had a litany of blood tests done and my cholesterol levels were all good. My LDL was at 72 last it was taken prior to my angioplasty. EKG, stress test and other tests taken were not alarming. I wore a Zio heart monitor patch for 2 weeks and then after the advice of an electrocardiologist a CTCC scan of the heart. It indicated issues like AV block in the lower chamber, LVH left ventricular hyperteophy and then what they estimated was 75% blockage in LAD. I had a angiogram a week later which indicated 85% blockage and they placed a stent in the artery. I was placed on 75 mg of plavex and 75 mg of rosuvastatin plus 81 mg aspirin. I took the rosuvastatin for 3 weeks before I began to complain about the chronic exhaustion and muscle pain I was experiencing. It took 3 days before cardiology got back to me and prescribed 75 mg alirocumab (praluent) I took my first injection about a week and a half ago and will take second injection this Tuesday. I’ve been experiencing the same fatigued as I had when on rosuvastatin and also experiencing some depression. Now I’m not sure if the depression is a result of the praluent or a product of the fact I feel so fatigued all the time and not doing nearly the things I love to do. I still force myself to get outside and walk my 6 miles a day and usually feel better after completing the walk. I haven’t been able to do my weight training that I do every other day.
I must digress and mention that my cholesterol levels are within suitable levels total cholesterol at 139, triglycerides 47, HDL 54 and LDL 72. I have not had my post-op office visit yet so there are so many questions I have. My belief is that it’s my inability to deal with high levels of stress which have caused the plaque build up and also familial history of heart attacks and heart disease. Sorry for the long and drawn out diatribe.

My step mom/aunt had the same problem. It was her blood thinners or water pill that caused it.
I am on 11 different medications, so I don’t know which you are thinking of.
Google each med. I’ve done that many times.
You can try. Google/scholar.com.
If give you more information and no junk posts.
I wish you the best.

@dlkreps Ahh, you have a lot happening and has to be stressful. You sound like you are doing a good job muddling through it. Keep it up! I have not had an event, though have had systemic problems that require a super high level of activity and strict diet, lots of medication. Also, genetics that come into play. It gets so scary not knowing, doesn’t it!?!

So, how can I help (short of fixing your problems)? What is your number one stressor right now? I can encourage you to stay as active as you can (unless/until your doc says not). My approach in my long journey is to focus on 2 things: first, what is in front of me and literally just do what I have to do to survive the here and now…….then, what is the very next thing that will help me move forward.

Do you think your “depression” is all mood, cognitive symptoms of what is happening in your body, or even a combination? My doctors gave me a good book to read that help me sort out what is what, happy to share if it’d be helpful.

It sounds like your symptoms started before starting new cholesterol drugs, and your doctor is being aggressive to control your soft plaque. When do you see your doctor next? It will be helpful to hear what your doctor thinks is going on, what to address and why.

You’ve got this!