Q. I developed severe depression while taking Repatha, the injectable cholesterol-lowering drug. It took me a horrible nine months to realize the drug was making me suicidal. If I wasn’t sleeping, I was crying. I couldn’t think straight anymore.

My adult daughter helped me realize Repatha was causing my depression. I slowly started feeling better after stopping the injections.

Of course, my doctors said the drug couldn’t have been responsible because depression wasn’t listed as a side effect.

A. Your doctor was correct that depression and suicidal thoughts do not appear in the official prescribing information for evolocumab (Repatha) or a similar drug, alirocumab (Praluent). Both are injectable medications that lower LDL cholesterol through a pathway called PCSK9.

We found one case report that mirrors your experience (Cureus, July 2, 2025). A woman with no prior history of depression began having crying bouts and persistent low mood within two weeks of starting Repatha. Three weeks after discontinuing the medication, these symptoms disappeared.

An analysis of the European pharmacovigilance database found that depression was reported for both evolocumab and alirocumab (Drug Safety, Dec. 22, 2020). Other database analyses, however, did not find such a connection. Detecting psychiatric side effects of medications can sometimes take years.

Q. I had the flu really bad. I took Tamiflu and was better in one day!

A. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is a prescription antiviral drug to treat influenza. It works best when taken as soon as possible after symptoms begin.

It can also help keep others in a household from catching the flu.

Readers have reported a wide range of reactions to Tamiflu.

Some, like you, report that it can be highly effective at speeding recovery. Others tell us that it did not work well, if at all.

Many visitors to our website complain bitterly about side effects. One person wrote: “I ended up getting the flu even though I had a flu shot. At urgent care, I was prescribed oseltamivir. The first pill made me so sick with vomiting that I decided not to take any more. Instead, I just rode the flu out.”

Q. I’ve been taking a low-dose Jardiance pill for two years. The endocrinologist at the hospital put me on it after my heart attack and triple bypass. My blood sugar is under control, and I have experienced no noticeable side effects.

I purchase the drug from a Canadian pharmacy. It costs me about $400/year.

A. If you were buying Jardiance (empagliflozin) without insurance in the U.S., the monthly price tag could run more than $600. Purchasing your medicine from a legitimate online Canadian pharmacy would bring the price down substantially.

You can learn more about the pros and cons of using Jardiance to treat Type 2 diabetes in our “eGuide to Preventing and Treating Diabetes.” We also discuss how to safely purchase medications from Canada in our “eGuide to Saving Money on Medicines.” These online resources may be found under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

Q. Guaifenesin is a miracle drug for me. For most of my life, I’ve had sinus problems. Even with a big sinus infection, guaifenesin clears the congestion within a day or two. Nothing a doctor has prescribed has ever been better.

A. Guaifenesin is sold over the counter as an expectorant.

That means it is supposed to loosen mucus and ease congestion. We’re glad you get such great relief from this very old drug. Researchers have recently raised questions about its effectiveness, though (Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, May 28, 2024).

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 300 W. 57th Street, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”