As we have stated numerous times in the past, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must first approve any prescription drug before it hits the market. They follow a thorough process that ensures that the drug works like experts designed it to, and its medical benefits outweigh the inherent risks. After all, while prescription drugs do provide relief and aid in treating many medical conditions, they often come with other side effects.

Xeljanz is no different. Since the FDA first approved the drug in 2012, new side effects of the drug have emerged. While the FDA initially discovered a handful of side effects in their initial tests, other adverse reactions came to light in the findings of an interim analysis, which began in 2012. In their results, the FDA discovered that Xeljanz leads to an increased risk of blood clots and death.

This recent discovery led to the FDA releasing a safety announcement, as well as including a black box warning on the drug. Additionally, it also led to many patients filing Xeljanz lawsuits against the drug manufacturer (Pfizer). While these new side effects are grabbing headlines, what about the other side effects of Xeljanz that the FDA had already recognized?

The FDA discovered a handful of side effects when they ran their initial tests during Xeljanz’s approval process. Some are more serious than others, but it is vital to understand what they are. If you or a loved one suffered an injury while taking Xeljanz, contact the dangerous drug attorneys at Wormington & Bollinger and let us fight for you.

Xeljanz Side Effects

The FDA initially approved Xeljanz as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis in 2012. They then approved its use in treating psoriatic arthritis in 2017 and ulcerative colitis in 2018. As is the case for virtually all prescriptions, Xeljanz came with inherent side effects.

Some of these side effects are minor, while others, such as blood clots (pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT)), are far more deadly. While most attention is on blood clots since the FDA’s safety announcement in July 2019, there are still many side effects you should know.

Symptoms

Many of the conditions listed below share similar symptoms with each other. While some are minor and pose little threat, some may indicate a greater issue, so it is essential to catch them before it’s too late.

Some symptoms to keep an eye out for include:

  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle aches
  • Chills
  • Rash
  • Cough
  • Unexplained weight loss or gain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Labored breathing
  • Chest pain

Many of these symptoms only last for a short period, going away after several days or a few weeks. However, once you recognize many of these symptoms, and they persist for several weeks, contact a healthcare expert right away. Doing so may save you from potentially life-threatening diseases.

Mild Side Effects

Like we said before, the side effects of Xeljanz can range from mild to severe. However, the most common side effects are often far from deadly. In some instances, these symptoms will go away on their own in a couple of weeks or even days.

Some of these include:

  • Diarrhea
  • Headaches/migraines
  • Rash
  • Increased cholesterol levels
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Hypertension
  • Urinary tract infection
  • Upper respiratory tract infection
  • Cold-like symptoms

Some of these side effects can cause discomfort and can worsen if you are not careful. If these symptoms do not go away or appear severe, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Severe Side Effects

While most Xeljanz side effects are minor and cause mild reactions and discomfort, there are several that are much more severe. Even before the FDA’s recent discovery of the increased risk of blood clots, there were several severe side effects that they knew about and warned doctors and patients.

Some of these adverse reactions include:

  • Serious allergic reactions
  • Shingles
  • Anemia
  • Increased risk of bacterial, fungi, or viral infections
  • Pneumonia
  • Cellulitis
  • Certain cancers (such as lymphoma and skin cancer)
  • Gastrointestinal perforations (tears in the digestive tract)
  • Deep vein thrombosis
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Enlarged fatty liver

Xeljanz can also affect your lab values by impacting your white blood cell count, hemoglobin, cholesterol, and liver enzymes. Regardless, each of these side effects can prove to be fatal if you are not careful. Those with a preexisting heart condition are also at an increased risk of death while taking Xeljanz.

Seek medical attention as soon as possible if you begin to experience any of these conditions and diseases. If you treat these conditions early, you reduce your risk of suffering severe reactions.

Xeljanz and Your Immune System

Xeljanz is used as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. What all three of these conditions have in common is that they each cause an overactive immune system. The immune system starts attacking healthy tissue and cells, which leads to these conditions.

Xeljanz is a Janus kinase inhibitor (JAK inhibitor), which means the drug works to disrupt message pathways to your brain to calm the immune system down to ease inflammation. However, it is this fact that may lead to many of the potential side effects listed above.

By relaxing your immune system, it leaves your body more susceptible to infections and other diseases.

Contact a Dangerous Drug Attorney

Over the past year, more and more dangerous drug lawsuits have emerged against Pfizer for the increased risk of blood clots and death. Many claim that Pfizer improperly designed the drug, implying that the manufacturer was aware of the dangers and failed to update their product before approval and release.

Lawsuits have also claimed that Pfizer failed to warn doctors, pharmacies, and patients about the increased risk of blood clots. While they did have side effects listed (many of the above), they did not include blood clots until after July 2019.

Regardless, if you suffered an injury or disease while taking Xeljanz, you may be entitled to compensation. To learn what your options are, contact the Xeljanz attorneys at Wormington & Bollinger and let us fight for you.