Why Does Repatha Cause Back Pain

Rated For Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia Report

I’ve been useing Repatha twice a month for about a year now. Amazing what it did for my cholesterol. Can’t tolerate statins. Only possible side effect that started when I began Repatha is a cramp like pain on left side of abdomen. Won’t go away. Well worth the mild pain if that’s even the cause. It did take months for the Statin damage to finally go away. My bones and joints have never felt better.

Patients And Study Design

Three different data sources were analyzed: the EMC hospital registry the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb database and VigiLyze pharmacovigilance database maintained by the World Health Organization collaborating center for international drug monitoring Uppsala Monitoring Centre in Sweden.

EMC hospital registry

Full details of this registry have been published before. Briefly, patients with hypercholesterolemia, mostly patients with FH not reaching target LDL-C levels despite maximally tolerated statin and ezetimibe therapy who were eligible for treatment with PCSK9 inhibitors were recruited from the outpatient clinic in a tertiary university hospital setting. All patients fulfilled the Dutch criteria for reimbursement of PCSK9 inhibitors.

Patients started with a PCSK9 inhibitor or 420 mg subcutaneously every 2 weeks or alirocumab 75, or 150 mg subcutaneously every 2 weeks ) between June 2015 and November 2017 as part of clinical care. There was no preference for alirocumab or evolocumab. All patients had at least two PCSK9 inhibitor subcutaneous injections between baseline and on-treatment measurements. Only patients of whom at least one follow-up visit was available were included in the analysis. Patients who participated in a PCSK9 trial were excluded from analysis.

Lareb database

VigiLyze database

Questions About Repathas Dosage

Here are some common questions related to Repathas dosage.

• What if I miss a dose of Repatha? If you miss a dose of Repatha, take it as soon as possible as long as its within 7 days of the missed dose. If its more than 7 days since your missed dose and you usually take a dose every 2 weeks, skip the missed dose. Then continue on with your normal schedule. If its more than 7 days since your missed dose and you take a dose once every month, inject the dose as soon as you remember. Then begin a new dosing schedule each month from the date that you inject. If you missed your dose and you dont know when to take your next dose, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Theyll be able to recommend the best time for you to take your next dose.
• Will I need to use Repatha long term? How long should I take Repatha? Repatha is usually prescribed as a long-term treatment. If this medication is working for you, youll likely take it long term. Your doctor may recommend that you stop taking Repatha if it no longer works or if you have serious side effects from it.
• How long does Repatha take to work? Repatha will begin working as soon as you take your first dose.In studies, the drug lowered certain cholesterol levels in some people within 4 to 12 weeks.Keep in mind, you may not notice any difference in the way that you feel after starting Repatha. But its still important to continue taking the drug, even if you dont feel its effect.

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What To Do Before Your Dose

Before using Repatha, take the drug out of the refrigerator and allow it to warm to room temperature . Repatha shouldnt be warmed or heated by any other method. Warm the drug for the following times:

• If youre using the prefilled syringe or the prefilled SureClick autoinjector, allow it to warm for at least 30 minutes before using it.
• If youre using the prefilled cartridge with the Pushtronex system, it needs to warm at room temperature for at least 45 minutes.

Each form of Repatha contains a colorless or pale yellow liquid solution. Be sure to check for any discoloration or particles in your Repatha liquid before giving yourself an injection.

If the solution looks discolored or has particles floating in it, dont use it. Instead, use a new Repatha dose. Then call 844-REPATHA to report this issue to the drug manufacturer.

What Should I Know About Repatha Vs Praluent And Other Alternatives

Repatha and Praluent have similar uses. Theyre both prescribed to lower cholesterol levels. They also both reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with heart disease.

These drugs are also each given as an injection under your skin. But they have some differences, including their dosages and side effects.

View this article to see a detailed comparison of Repatha and Praluent. Check with your doctor to see which drug is right for you.

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The Big Results And Conclusions: Statins Were Not Good Pain Medications

• No matter what statin was used: Statin use was not associated with a lower risk of worsening pain. In other words, statins were not good pain medications.
• Atorvastatin use was associated with a reduced risk of developing pain, whilst rosuvastatin leads to a higher risk of developing pain.

From the researchers: The effect of statins use on knee osteoarthritis outcomes remains unclear, although in our study those using statins for over five years and those using atorvastatin reported a significantly lower risk of developing knee pain.

Confusing right?

• First, the Atorvastatin user was associated with a reduced risk of developing pain AS COMPARED to which lead to a higher risk of developing pain. So the Atorvastatin produced less knee pain risk, but still a risk.
• Either way, if you already have knee pain, cholesterol-lowering medicine will not help make it less painful or from it getting worse.

So again, all these research universities and national resources and a long-term study of over 1000 patients came to this conclusion: The effect of statins use on knee osteoarthritis outcomes remains unclear.

Serious Side Effects Of Repatha

Repatha may cause serious side effects. The list below may not include all possible serious side effects of the drug. For more information, you can refer to Repathas patient information.

If you develop serious side effects while using Repatha, call your doctor right away. If the side effects seem life threatening or you think youre having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects that have been reported with Repatha include:

Repatha may cause several side effects. Here are some frequently asked questions about the drugs side effects and their answers.

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The Peoples Pharmacy Bottom Line:

When people cannot tolerate statins it is important for doctors to follow the advice mentioned in the BMJ Open article above: physicians should not be too insistent on the patient continuing them

If statin-induced pain is so great that a patient cannot exercise or get a good nights sleep, the benefits may not outweigh the risks. Exercise and sleep are essential for good health.

Praluent may be a very good option for someone like Matt, but it will take a while before we know if lowering LDL cholesterol with this new class of medications actually leads to the outcomes that matter to people, i.e., longer, healthier lives.

What has been your experience with statins? Do you tolerate them well or have you experienced side effects. Please comment below and vote on this article at the top of the page. Should you wish to learn more about other ways to reduce the risk of a heart attack you may find our Guide to Cholesterol Control and Heart Health of some interest.

Repatha Side Effects Dose

The usual dose for adult with hyperlipidemia is as follows:

• 140 mg subcutaneously every 2 weeks using prefilled syringe or prefilled SureClick autoinjector, or
• 420 mg subcutaneously once a month using Pushtronex system

The medicine with such dose shouldnt be given in patients without atherosclerotic cardio vascular disease or familial hypercholesterolemia. Or, the Repatha side effects may occur worse than they should be.

While the usual dose for adult with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is as follows:

• 420 mg subcutaneously once a month

Measure low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels every 4 to 8 weeks after start using the drug.

If you miss a dose, use the missed dose within 7 days after the due injection time. Skip the missed dose if you pass more than 7 days for the injection.

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Repatha Generic Or Biosimilar

Repatha is a biologic drug thats available only as a brand-name medication. It doesnt come in a biosimilar form.

A biologic drug is made from living cells, while other drugs are made from chemicals. Drugs made from chemicals can have generics, which are exact copies of the active drug in the brand-name medication. Biologics, on the other hand, cant be copied exactly. Therefore, instead of a generic, biologics have biosimilars. Biosimilars are similar to the parent drug, and theyre considered to be just as effective and safe.

Like generics, biosimilars are often less expensive compared with brand-name medications.

Erasmus Medical Centre Hospital Registry

Of the 183 patients registered in the database, 19 were excluded 10 lacked follow-up data, 8 participated in PCSK9 trials, and 1 patient had missing baseline data. Therefore, 164 patients were included in the current analysis . The median age was 58 years = 4865 years), 55% were men. The majority of patients was diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia . Sixty-six percent of the patients had a history of CVD. All patients used LLT, however, more than a third of the patients used ezetimibe monotherapy because of statin intolerance. Baseline median LDL-C was 4.28 mmol/l . Alirocumab and evolocumab were used by 49.4% and 50.6% of the patients, respectively. There was no difference between baseline characteristics of patients using alirocumab and evolocumab .

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Repatha Side Effects List For Healthcare Professionals

The following adverse reactions are also discussed in other sections of the label:

• Allergic Reactions

Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice.

Adverse Reactions In Adults With Primary Hyperlipidemia

The data described below reflect exposure to Repatha in 8 placebo-controlled trials that included 2651 patients treated with Repatha, including 557 exposed for 6 months and 515 exposed for 1 year .

The mean age of the population was 57 years, 49% of the population were women, including:

• 85% White,
• 2% other races.

Adverse Reactions In A 52-Week Controlled

Trial In a 52-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial , 599 patients received 420 mg of Repatha subcutaneously once monthly.

The mean age was 56 years , 23% were older than 65 years, 52% women, including:

• 80% White,
• 6% Asian
• 6% identified as Hispanic ethnicity.

Adverse reactions reported in at least 3% of Repatha-treated patients, and more frequently than in placebo-treated patients in DESCARTES, are shown in Table 1. Adverse reactions led to discontinuation of treatment in 2.2% of Repatha-treated patients and 1% of placebo-treated patients.

• 85% White,
• 9% Asian
• 5% identified as Hispanic ethnicity.

Soon After Taking These New Cholesterol Medications I Felt A Sharp And Sudden Pain In My Knee

A patient comes in on a recommendation from a friend.

I am here because I have very bad knee pain . . . here is my story:

I went to the doctor for my check-up. My blood work revealed slightly elevated cholesterol and I was advised that I need to take and was given prescriptions for medications that would lower my cholesterol. I also told my doctor that my knee was hurting, could I get something for it? My doctor asked, when and how the knee pain started? I said I aggravated it with a new exercise program, one I would hope that would lower my weight and cholesterol. My doctor said, go easy on my knee.

Soon after taking these new cholesterol medications, I felt a sharp and sudden pain in my knee as my wife and I were walking to our car. My wife drove us home and she got me to the chair and we elevated my leg and got plenty of ice on it.

We made an appointment at the doctors. Here I was given the reason why my knee hurt.

• It must be the exercise program. I should go slower or completely rest.

After a week of not exercising at all, my knee pain, now the pain was in both knees, became so much worse, I could not sleep. My wife began looking up things on the internet. She showed me some articles that said it was the statins, the cholesterol medication causing the knee pain. In fact, she showed me, it is a well-known side-effect.

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Repatha Side Effects Precaution

Repatha shouldnt be used by anyone who has allergy to it or by anyone younger than 13 years old without prescriptions. Taking the medicine without advice from healthcare providers only worsen the Repatha side effects on its users. Here are the things you should tell your doctors to make sure that this medicine is safe for you.

• If you have kidney or liver disease,
• If you have allergy to latex,
• If you are pregnant or planning to be pregnant at the moment, because its still unknown whether Repatha can harm an unborn baby or not,
• If you are breastfeeding a baby since its also still unknown whether the medicine will pass into breast milk or not.

Dosage For Reducing The Risk Of Heart Attack Or Stroke And Reducing The Need For Certain Heart Surgeries In Adults With Heart Disease

Repatha is approved to lower the risk of heart attack or stroke, and to reduce the need for certain heart surgeries in adults with heart disease.

For these purposes, the recommended dose of Repatha is either:

• 140 mg by subcutaneous injection every 2 weeks
• 420 mg by subcutaneous injection once a month

If your doctor prescribes the 140-mg dose, youll use either a prefilled syringe or the prefilled SureClick autoinjector for your dose.

If your doctor prescribes the 420-mg dose, you can use the Pushtronex system to inject a prefilled cartridge over 5 minutes. Or you can use the SureClick autoinjector or prefilled syringe to give three consecutive injections within 30 minutes.

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Dosage For Decreasing Ldl Cholesterol In Adults With Primary Hyperlipidemia

Repatha is approved to decrease low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults with primary hyperlipidemia , including those with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia .

For treating primary hyperlipidemia, the recommended dose of Repatha is either:

• 140 mg given by subcutaneous injection every 2 weeks
• 420 mg given by subcutaneous injection once every month

If your doctor prescribes the 140-mg dose, youll use either a prefilled syringe or the prefilled SureClick autoinjector for your dose.

If your doctor prescribes the 420-mg dose, you can use the Pushtronex system to inject a prefilled cartridge over 5 minutes. Or you can use the SureClick autoinjector or prefilled syringe to give three consecutive injections within 30 minutes.

How Long Do Repatha Side Effects Last

Clinical trials for Repatha do not detail how long the side effects of Repatha last, therefore it is hard to find accurate information about this.

Often side effects last the length of time the medication stays in the body and side effects decrease as the amount of medication decreases in your body.How long a medication stays in the body depends on its half-life.Repathas half-life ranges between 11 and 17 days, depending on personal variation.So once you have had your last dose then in 11 to 17 days half of the medications will have been removed from your body, and then after another 11 to 17 days there will only be 25% medication left in your body, and so on. For a lot of medications the time for most of the medication to be removed from your body is 5.5 half-lives. For Repatha this would range from:

• 11 days X 5.5 = 60.5 days
• 17 days X 5.5 = 93.5 day

Therefore most of the medication will be removed from your body between 60.5 days and 93.5 days which is when you would hope to side effect free.

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Repatha For Lowering Ldl Cholesterol In Adults And Children With Hofh

Repatha is also FDA-approved to lower LDL cholesterol in adults and children with a condition called homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia .

HoFH is a rare condition caused by a genetic mutation in the genes that control how cholesterol is cleared from your body. The condition is called homozygous because the genes that cause it are inherited from both parents. People with HoFH have high levels of LDL cholesterol.

For treating HoFH, Repatha should be used along with the diet recommended by your doctor. In addition, your doctor may prescribe other LDL-lowering treatments, such as statin drugs, for use with Repatha.

Repatha is used in people with HoFH whove tried lowering their LDL cholesterol with diet and other treatments but still need help lowering their cholesterol.

Effectiveness for lowering LDL cholesterol in adults and children with HoFH

A 12-week clinical study comparing Repatha with a placebo found Repatha to be effective for lowering LDL cholesterol levels in adults and children with HoFH.

People in the study were randomly assigned to receive either 420 mg of Repatha or a placebo once a month. They also continued taking any other treatments to lower cholesterol that they were using before the study.

Researchers measured LDL levels before the study and again after 12 weeks. They found that:

• people who received Repatha had their LDL levels lowered by 22%
• people who received the placebo had their LDL levels increased by 9%