Xeljanz 5mg Tablet

No, you should not take tocilizumab along with Xeljanz. Xeljanz affects the immune system, so you should avoid taking it with any other immunity-affecting medicine. Taking both medicines together can further increase the risk of infection and may lead to further complications.

Xeljanz usually takes about 2 to 8 weeks before you start feeling better, and it can take 3 to 6 months to feel the maximum effect of this medication.

You may need to get your blood tests done before you start Xeljanz or while you are taking it. Blood tests are done in order to check if you have a low red blood cell count (anemia), low white blood cell count (neutropenia or lymphopenia), high blood fat (cholesterol) or high levels of liver enzymes. It also helps to ensure that treatment with Xeljanz is not causing problems. In addition to this, your doctor may advise you to get tested for tuberculosis before starting Xeljanz, as using Xeljanz may make an existing infection worse.

Xeljanz is a medicine that affects your immune system. This may reduce your ability to fight infection and may increase the risk of getting a serious infection including tuberculosis. It may also include infections caused by severe fungal, bacterial or viral infections that spread through the body. In some cases, these infections can be life-threatening and may even cause death. Hence, it is advised to treat these infections in a hospital.

Xeljanz is approved for use in people with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. It is an inflammatory disease of the joints. It is used if previous therapy did not work well or did not suit the patient. However, it can also be used earlier in treatment if the person does not respond well to the prescribed drugs. It can be used alone or together with some other medicines, such as methotrexate.

Inform your doctor if you have liver problems, before starting Xeljanz. This is done because in some cases Xeljanz may cause an increase in liver enzymes. Therefore, your liver function needs to be investigated before starting Xeljanz. Although, Xeljanz can be given to patients with mild to moderate liver function impairment, but should not be prescribed to patients with severe liver impairment.

Xeljanz may increase the chances of developing the risk of certain cancers (lymphoma and other cancers including skin cancers) by affecting the working of the immune system. Hence, inform your doctor if you ever had or have any type of cancer.