Repatha and Back Pain: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Way...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2019

For High Cholesterol "WARNING: Repatha comes with very serious side effects. 1) SEVERE FLU... cough, sore throat, congestion, massive mucus, headache, etc. 2) EXCRUCIATING BACK PAIN... could not walk for two weeks, able to walk now, but back pain continues three months after the last injection. 3) DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS... heartburn. 4) CONFUSION... difficulty concentrating. 5) INTERNAL SHIVERING... but not cold or external shivering. 6) WEAK... due to muscle and joint pain. All side effects have improved since discontinuing use three months ago. Back pain, internal shivering, and some muscle/joint pain continue after three months."

• Duk...
• August 28, 2018

For High Cholesterol "My first Repatha injection was on August 8, 2018. I had severe muscular pain in both shoulders within 48 hours and back pain in the morning. The reason Repatha was suggested by my cardiologist was to eliminate the muscular pain I had been experiencing from the oral medication that I have been taking for years. What happened was just the opposite; the pain was not eliminated and remains, to this date, more severe than the oral medication. It can take possibly months before Repatha dissipates from the body. Repatha might be a wonderful solution for many patients suffering from the effects of the oral meds, but based on the denial by their local rep that my problem was a result of their medication, I’m concerned that others might suffer as I am."

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 18, 2018

For High Cholesterol "I am a 74-year-old female unable to take statins. I have been on Repatha for 5 months and have had constant lower back and neck pain and constant fatigue. I honestly thought that when I began to have tingling and burning feet it was because of a pinched nerve. Reality hit yesterday when several hours after my Repatha injection, my lower back pain was so severe I was in tears. I could not lift my legs to get in my car. Now, 24 hours later, the pain is subsiding. I had hoped this drug would be the answer for lowering my cholesterol, but with so many side effects, I have no choice but to stop taking these injections."

• S E...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 25, 2022

For High Cholesterol "I was thrilled to hear about the new med. My cholesterol was cut in half in three months. I had bad side effects from statins. Well, I started having side effects almost immediately: muscle, back, joint pain, and depression. One year went by. Thought all these side effects were situational. Repatha is not a statin. Decided to stop taking Repatha. My symptoms are not getting better. Lost feeling of well-being, and my muscles are mush. I called Repatha, they said my side effects were not caused by injections. I say bull. Stopped three months now. I had some relief of symptoms. My doctor said it's not a statin. Started to take it again, after the second injection, I was worse off than before. I stopped again four months now, and I am starting to feel a little better. Repatha is not for me, and I hope my muscles get back the mass lost. I am still depressed, and I can't sleep. Cannot get comfortable sleeping. Wake up in pain. Gets worse as the day progresses."

• Tri...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 11, 2018

For High Cholesterol "I have been on Repatha for 14 months. At first, I was thrilled, with 2 heart stents and very high cholesterol, it was an answer to my prayers. But I have been on antibiotics 17 times since starting this drug. I suffer from a UTI for at least 3 days after injection. I have had to go on Rx eye drops due to irritated, runny eyes. I have suffered with upper respiratory infections, sinus infections, nasal swelling, back pain, and what I believe is permanent pain and weakness in my legs. I have been in the ER 5 times with spiked BP and heart palpitations. When telling my doctors, cardiovascular and IM, they both say they do not believe my symptoms. Really annoyed and ready to see a lawyer. DO NOT USE THIS DRUG."

• Lvp...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 7, 2018

For High Cholesterol, Familial Heterozygous "Drug definitely works if you can live with horrible side effects. They started after the 3rd injection and progressively worsened, including severe back and shoulder pain, fingers, and joints. Also, upset GI tract. Two weeks after the last injection, I am still in great pain and hope this has not ruined my quality of life. I have stopped the med and notified the company and FDA of these side effects."

• Lu ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 13, 2019

For High Cholesterol "I took a total of 6 injections of Repatha beginning in the middle of March 2018. It is the worst mistake I ever made. Yes, it lowered my cholesterol, but the side effects it gave me are intolerable. It is now the middle of Jan 2019, and my pain in my neck, back, and legs keeps getting worse. I was told it would leave my body in 3 months, but that has not happened. I’m afraid I will have to live like this."

• Joe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 1, 2019

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "I have to admit it definitely lowered my cholesterol. But the side effects were unbearable for me. I suffered from unbelievable back pain. I do have a bad back. But it doesn’t cause me many issues. But after my third injection, the back pain was unbelievable. So I didn’t do another injection and took about a month to get out of my system. The back pain was completely gone. So I decided to give it another shot. I did another injection, and within about four days, the back pain came on with a vengeance. I have read many other people complain about this. It seems to affect people with bad backs."

• Pat...
• November 12, 2018

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "I was one of the original people in the blind study. At the time, I was a caretaker, and I started getting terrible back pain, but I attributed it to lifting my husband. The pain continued. After a year, my husband passed, and my back pain got worse, and then the leg pain started. I went to many doctors, and no one could find a problem. I even had cortisone shots, which did not help. After researching all my medications, I finally came to the conclusion that it might be Repatha. I decided to stop it for a few months. It didn’t seem to stop, but it did get a little better, but not enough for me to stop it altogether. I decided to go back on. Two months later, after four shots, it is worse than ever. I can hardly walk. After reading some more, I realized that I didn’t give it enough time. I am going off it again. Hopefully, the pains will go away. I read that it could take up to a year to completely go away, if at all. When I was on the drug, the expense was covered by the study. I am still on it."

• Maj...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 2, 2018

For High Cholesterol "1 shot Repatha 3 months ago, and at first I didn't feel I had any side effects. Then I started having pain in my hip and groin area and kept getting pain, which I thought was my lower back that was acting up. I couldn't afford the $1,800 copay, so I couldn't afford it. My family doctor gave me another sample injection 2 weeks ago. This time, all my joints are painful, I can hardly move my hip at all. The pain in my groin is much worse, my wrists and knees, which never hurt, are in pain, and I realize now it's this drug. I'm worried how long it's going to take to get out of my system and if all of this is reversible. I absolutely can't take this one. It is not any better than anything else I've tried. On the positive side, my cholesterol went down the first time I took the injection by around 80 points, so it does work, but the side effects are not worth it. I don't want to be a cripple, I can hardly get out of bed."

• Bet...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 3, 2019

For High Cholesterol "Took the Repatha shots twice. Both times I experienced severe back spasms. The first time, I didn't associate the back pain with the Repatha injection. The second time, I started thinking about anything I've done that could cause this problem. That's when I realized that the severe back pain started a day after the Repatha injection the first time. The second time, the spasms started the day after as well. They were so bad that I had to go to the emergency room. I was in the hospital for 3 days, and the doctors said it must be related to the injection. I will NEVER take this drug again. I still cannot walk, sit, or stand without severe pain. I cannot bend over at all. Hoping it will subside as the drug gets out of my system."

• kei...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2022

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "I'm from the UK. I wasn't tolerant to statin tablets. I had started on 80 mg atorvastatin, then my dose went down to 40 mg. I then got changed to pravastatin 10 mg - still no joy, joint pains all the time. I was then put on Repatha, and within 2 weeks, my cholesterol went from 5.3 down to 3.4, no side effects. That was early days, but then over the weeks, my joints started to hurt, I had constant headaches, UTI infections, collapsed lung, throat infections, post-nasal drip, severe low back pain. I can't walk from one end of the house to the other without pain. I have chest pain, but I also suffer musculoskeletal issues, so hard to say if it's Repatha causing that pain, but it probably is. I got blurry vision, now a tingling in my left arm and leg, and sometimes in the face. I've done urine tests that have shown my liver has issues. Now 16/7/2022, 3:28 am, and I haven't slept properly for months due to my anxiety and depression being at an all-time high. I just don't know which way to turn. I get no help from GP or hospital and don't know who to report it to."

• Mlm...
• January 9, 2018

For High Cholesterol "My total cholesterol was over 600, on Repatha, 370. LDL was 570, on Repatha, 240. HDL in the 40s. Repatha certainly dented my numbers, but I now have horrible back pain that’s getting worse with each injection. I’ve been prescribed PT. I will not continue Repatha if it’s going to take out my back. What exactly is it doing to my body?!"

• Joh...
• April 20, 2018

For High Cholesterol, Familial Heterozygous "I have been on the experimental drug Repatha for three years through my doctors. I agreed to take Repatha because I was taking the maximum dosage of the statin drug Lipitor. Lipitor was causing severe back, neck, and shoulder pain, and I felt like an 85-year-old man even though I was barely 58. I have been taking Lipitor for 28 years, so I'm sure it had some effect on my body. After taking Repatha, three injections every two weeks, I started noticing that I had severe back and leg pain. I also have severe hand and thumb discomfort where I can barely open a bottle. I had X-rays taken of my thumbs only to find most of the cartilage has disappeared. I've had both menisci repaired in both my knees. I am overweight, 270 pounds, and I am 6 foot 1. I noticed after taking Repatha that my eyes watered continuously, and I sought medical attention, saying it was dry eye. Again, I feel like an 85-year-old man, I can barely walk up."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 14, 2019

For High Cholesterol "I was afraid after reading all the negative reviews about Repatha, and my 1st month I did experience severe back pain in the middle of the night, but I'm happy to say that 10 months later I have not experienced that again. I don't know if it helps or will help others, but I do a few stretches before and after the shot. Nothing intense, just move my body around to get blood flowing. In my opinion, this helps with negative side effects. My count went from 360 down to 110 in the 1st month. Don't be afraid to try this!"

• Vit...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 13, 2023

For High Cholesterol "It does not help to reduce lipoprotein A. It was 60 and stayed the same now. I had significant back pain and a parched mouth. It is a useless drug. The impact on the kidney is unknown since doctors don't know what they are doing. A recent CT scan indicated significant blocking in the neck arteries."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2017

For High Cholesterol "I have been taking this drug bi-monthly for 2 months. The initial runny nose side effect was an irritant, but went away after a month. The muscle and back pain, however, have continued and gotten much worse. I will most likely be discontinuing this drug. Here it is a week before Christmas, and I am hosting my entire family throughout the holidays with this debilitating pain. Ugh!"

• Ybo...
• June 8, 2018

For High Cholesterol "I had a stroke in my basilar artery in July 2017. The clot was removed. I was put on a statin and 60 mg aspirin. I had a tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) event in late Oct. It turned out that the same area had another clot. I had muscle pain, developed carpal tunnel, foot swelling, and numbness from statins. I also noticed a decrease in brain function and memory. While I had the numb feet and swelling, I twisted my left foot going down the steps. After 5 months and 5 different statins, I was taken off of statins. Each time I changed statins, I had a few good weeks with no symptoms between the different statin types. All symptoms disappeared. My therapy was going well, I was walking without a cane, walking on a treadmill 45 minutes a day, biking on a stationary bike for 15 minutes a day, and taking classes and working out three days a week. Then I started on Repatha. After one shot and one week, I developed severe back and leg pain and numb feet. Haven't been back to the doctor yet."

• Big...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 4, 2018

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "I have taken my second shot of Repatha today, Sunday, November 4, 2018. I had a lot of negative issues after my first shot, including inability to focus, vision issues, malaise, and back pain. I have contracted some type of chest cold and am now on an antibiotic. I do not know if it was Repatha-related. I will report back after another week to update you."

• Tho...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 31, 2023

For High Cholesterol "I was on this medication for a year and a half, and it was very effective in lowering my cholesterol. However, I started experiencing horrible back pain. As a result, I decided to discontinue the medication 22 days ago. Unfortunately, I am still experiencing severe pins, needles, and pain. It seems that this drug remains in the body for several months. I am looking for comments from those who have had a similar experience and have gone a significant period of time since discontinuation. Have your symptoms improved, and if so, how long did it take?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2018

For High Cholesterol "I began experiencing back pain after the first injection. I have had 3 injections, and the back pain is escalating. I am seriously considering stopping therapy before the pain gets worse. I cannot tolerate the oral statins due to muscle pain. Now I am unsure what the next step should be."

• Mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 21, 2017

For High Cholesterol "Excellent blood panels following regular monthly injections. I’ve been on it for 24 months, with the past 8 months presenting with lower back/side pain, a strong burning sensation I mistook for lower back strain. Icing gave no relief, so I stopped for 6 weeks and back pain subsided. I recently took another injection, and 2 days later, my lower back pain has returned along with strong burning pain in my right thigh down to my kneecap, a very strong stinging sensation. Very disappointing. Doc states he may try me on another alternative therapy and stop Repatha."

• Mau...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 26, 2018

For Cardiovascular Risk Reduction "Have had great results but have a continuing problem with sneezing and a runny nose, also back pain and dizziness. Went to the allergist and checked nothing wrong there. Problem always gets worse after the shot."

• Cha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 5, 2023

For High Cholesterol "I have to say that the drug works, but at what cost. I can't take statins due to the joint and muscle pain it causes me. I have been on Repatha for 3 months now. I just recently went to my doctor with severe back, joint, and feet pain. I also complained about low energy. She thought maybe I had depression, which I quickly denied. So the next thing, she looked up the side effects and saw everything I have complained about. I really don't want to quit the medication, but I don't want to feel like this for the rest of my life. I will say that all my numbers were decreased by half or better. I honestly don't know if I will continue the drug. Can't stand the pain. I had to go on steroids to help with the side effects. All I can say is this may not be for me, but it does offer really good results. Keep an open mind about it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 16, 2022

For High Cholesterol "This medication is horrible. I started it for the second time and feel terrible. I am going to try contacting 60 Min. It should be taken off the market. Having shoulder pain, back pain, weekends, can't sleep, you name it."