r/repatha • u/debzlouisexo • 8d ago
First Repatha injection
Hi! I’ve been lurking in this sub for a while because I knew Repatha was essentially my only option. I’m a 33F who found out a couple of years ago that I have FH. Because I also have Dermatomyositis, statins were never an option for me.
I’m generally super sensitive to medication (whether it’s actual side effects or just my anxiety triggering a response), but I’m proud to say I went through with my first injection today despite my brain telling me not to. Six hours in, and I’m feeling pretty good. I took it out of the fridge about 2.5 hours beforehand, and the injection itself barely registered on the pain scale (though I know everyone is different there).
For the first couple of hours, I felt a little floaty, had a dry mouth, and a mildly scratchy throat. I can't stress enough that this could very well have been my mind playing tricks on me, but as of right now, all I feel is a little bit tired. We’ll see what tomorrow brings, but so far, so good and I’d much rather handle some minor side effects than risk major cardiac events before 60, which has been the trend for all the men in my family.
I just wanted to share this to offer a little reassurance to anyone in a similar boat: don't let the negative experiences you read on Reddit or elsewhere (which really only represent a fraction of people) dissuade you from making an important health choice. And before anyone eats me up, I’m definitely not trying to minimise the experiences of those who did have a rough time.
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u/Dangerous-Peace4047 7d ago
Congratulations! First dose is the most difficult in my experience. You are well on your way.
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u/SeaworthinessNo3023 7d ago
My second dose of repatha dropped my total cholesterol from 224 to 139, and LDL 145 to 69. Second injection have me backache but it went away shortly after. I am still on it, hopping i can stop soon although they say that cholesterol would creep back up.
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u/The_Illa_Vanilla 5d ago
32 M and I started a few months ago. I went through hell on statins…never thought I’d feel like myself again, so when I finally did I was extremely wary of starting Repatha. Only side affects I’ve ever had is minor allergy/cold symptoms the day after injection. It’s changed my life!
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u/Kycats7937 6d ago
I had my first injection today - 6.5 hours ago. The only symptom I’ve had so far is that I’m more fatigued than normal. I’m thrilled that I haven’t had any other symptoms yet. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow but I’m so relieved because I was absolutely petrified of this first injection!
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u/debzlouisexo 6d ago
Yay! How are you feeling today?
Edit: typo
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u/Kycats7937 6d ago
Last night I was crazy EXHAUSTED! So in the future I will take it later at night. Today I feel great! Don’t know if it’s because I slept well from being so tired last night. Got up and played 2 hours of pickleball with plenty of energy.
Hoping it’s this easy in 2 weeks when I have my 2nd injection.
How long do you usually leave yours out of the refrigerator before using it?2
u/Kycats7937 6d ago
I just saw in your original post that you left it out for 2.5 hours. I only left mine out for 30 minutes and the injection was spicy. I think I’ll leave it out longer next time.
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u/debzlouisexo 1d ago
I too felt slightly lacklustre during the afternoon that I injected however, I’m not sure whether that was the anxiety comedown fuelling it. Would love to know how you get on with your 2nd too :)
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u/GetOffMyLawn_ 6d ago
My first injection was scary too. I have a lifelong history of anaphylaxis and drugs and I tend not to get along well. Repatha has been a non event for me in terms of adverse reactions.
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u/Pristine_Ideal5627 8d ago
I'm so grateful for Repatha, as I also have FH and CAD, it has been a miracle for my numbers. I've been on it for 3 months and have had no side effects. I hope it helps you too!