Second Injection of PCSK9 Inhibitor

11. September. 2015

Second injection of the PCSK9 inhibitor the only difference was that this was the first time that it was to be administered at home.  So....five minutes prior to the first kick-off of the 2015 NFL game, hubby did the deed.  No problem, 90 degree angle listened for the click in the beginning and watched the window slowly turn yellow-no click at the end but an easy read of all medication delivered.  Once again, no pain from the needle, but a slight burn during the 20-30 seconds of delivering the medication. One note for all the female mommy's the directions did state not to administer on a stretch mark-so tummy, thigh, arm make sure not to target a stretch mark area.

I decided to take it easy and went upstairs to read for the remainder of the evening.  Upon climbing the stairs I was very light headed and a few minutes later felt quite nauseous...within 30 minutes all of these effects passed. No problems sleeping.

The morning was a bit slow, I went to my usual Yoga class and soon found myself a bit foggy with maximum balance issues-continued in class with a slight modification.  The remainder of the morning I gardened, cooked and completed light domestics.  Noticed my usual pep was altered but kept pushing regardless.  Weekend guests will be arriving later this afternoon and they may just have to make their own beds! But heh, what are friends for anyways. Had a steady feeling of "getting out of an elevator" for about 48 hours-slight nausea.

The first basket of tomato's harvested today to dehydrate, freeze and serve 

(total 4 baskets picked today)

Packaging for the PCSK9 Inhibitor

PCSK9 inhibitor, Treatment for Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH)

August 27, 2015


Once again, I am beginning a treatment for the genetic condition of Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH.) The treatment consists of an injection given every two weeks from the drug Praluent (Alirocumab) a PCSK9 inhibitor class of drug. In these early days of treatment it is my at-tent to describe treatment and potential side effects while providing information on the condition of FH as I understand it.  I am a patient.  Twenty-four hours later, I have no visible side effects at the injection site, experiencing a slight metallic taste in the mouth otherwise feeling very excited for this treatment and thankful to my team of physicians.

 Dr Huth, Lipidologists Appleton,

                             WI. Heart Institute

What is Familial Hypercholesterolemia?  

FH is short for Familial Hypercholesterolemia. It is an inherited disorder that leads to aggressive and premature cardiovascular disease. This includes problems like heart attacks, strokes, and even narrowing of our heart valves. For individuals with FH, although diet and lifestyle are important, they are not the cause of high LDL. In FH patients, genetic mutations make the liver incapable of metabolizing (or removing) excess LDL. The result is very high LDL levels which can lead to premature cardiovascular disease (CVD). 

Did you know?

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The vast majority of the cholesterol circulating in a person’s body is produced by the liver. Cholesterol is a necessary component in the structure and function of human cells. Individuals with FH are unable to recycle this natural supply of cholesterol that their bodies are constantly producing. Therefore, the cholesterol levels of an individual with FH are exceedingly high. Over time the elevated blood cholesterol can lead to blockages in the arteries of the heart and/or brain. The longer a person experiences high LDL-C, the more likely he or she will be to experience a CV event. As FH is a genetic disorder, even when affected children are still in their mother’s womb they are “bathing” in their own high cholesterol. The process of vascular disease therefore can have its origins even prior to our children’s birth.

There are two forms of FH. If you have inherited this genetic mutation from one parent, then you will have Heterozygous FH (HeFH). HeFH occurs in 1 in 200 to 500 people worldwide. If you inherit FH from both parents, it is much more severe in its consequences. This form of FH is called Homozygous FH (HoFH). It is very rare, occurring in about 1 in 160,000 to one million people worldwide.

We measure blood cholesterol in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

Adults with FH may have untreated LDL-C levels that range from 190mg/dL to 400mg/dL or even higher. Children with FH generally have LDL-C levels above 160mg/dL, but in pre-teens, levels can be even lower.

• High HDL-C levels are desirable and somewhat protect against coronary heart disease (CHD).
• High LDL-C levels are undesirable and contribute to CHD risk.

Triglycerides, another blood fat, come from the diet and are also produced in the liver. When extremely elevated, triglycerides can cause pancreatitis and can also increase the risk of developing CHD. High triglycerides are generally not present in people with FH. http://thefhfoundation.org/about-fh/what-is-fh/

U.S. National Library of Medicine describes the protein PCSK9 in the link below

http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/PCSK9