Xeljanz XR for autoimmune disease?
I’m curious to know if anyone has taken Xeljanz XR for their autoimmune disease?
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Autoimmune Diseases Support Group.
I’m curious to know if anyone has taken Xeljanz XR for their autoimmune disease?
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Autoimmune Diseases Support Group.
I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and am currently on Xeljanz XR for this. I've already been through years of treatment with all the usual TNFi biologics. Enbrel worked for about 8 years; then I was put on Humira, & eventually a couple more, ending with Actemra which didn't help at all. My rheumatologist put me on Rinvoq, a newer JAKi, but I started having multiple issues with infections right away. The drug was helping with my RA, but I was sick constantly, with upper respiratory infections, yeast infections and something called JAKne, which is a type of acne, that is pretty common, apparently. My lipid levels also became alarming. I had to begin statins. Anyway, she opted to switch me to Xeljanz XR and I have been on it for two months now. I'm beginning to get some arthritis relief, but the infection issues have persisted. I now have a serious ongoing sinus infection and I'm taking antibiotics for that. My ENT believes this will be a never ending issue with a JAK inhibitor, so he's going to be closely following me. I'll be using a specially compounded antibiotic nasal/sinus wash. His goal is to be able to keep me on the Xeljanz obviously. I'm 69 years old and I have had RA since I was 52. I understand that not all patients on JAK's have all of these issues and my case is complicated by my need for daily steroids due to severe adrenal insufficiency, which further weakens my immune system, making me catch anything that comes down the pike! However, I have to emphasize that I am more than willing to deal with these so called "side effects " if I can preserve joint function and reduce the pain. My story may not be yours, so I encourage you to try the meds recommended and see how it goes. It may be exactly what you need! Good luck.
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