Understanding What Rinvoq is Used to Treat
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Autoimmune diseases may have met their match! Rinvoq, and its active ingredient upadacitinib, can treat a variety of inflammatory conditions—including autoimmune diseases, in which the body’s immune system turns on itself–-very effectively.
Rinvoq can deliver this disease-busting mechanism of action in a handy oral treatment, too, so patients don’t need to handle the complex logistics of injections or infusions.
However, since Rinvoq is a brand-new drug and its efficacy may be helpful for so many cases, figuring out precisely what it can and cannot do is key.
Here, we’ll discuss the various conditions that Rinvoq is poised to treat—and what you, as an informed patient, need to know.
Rinvoq Foundations: What is Rinvoq?
Rinvoq (upadacitinib) is a Janus kinase inhibitor.
Let’s break that down:
- Janus kinase inhibitors inhibit, or stop, the Janus kinase enzyme.
- The Janus kinase enzyme, which you’ll see abbreviated as the JAK1 enzyme, plays an important part in your body’s inflammatory response.
- For people with an overactive inflammatory response, or a response that’s attacking their own healthy cells, this is a problem.
- After an appropriate administration, Rinvoq shuts down the Janus kinase enzyme. This reduces the inflammatory response.
- Patients who are dealing with the fallout of a frustrating or dangerous inflammatory response should experience reduced symptoms shortly thereafter.
What Conditions Can Rinvoq Treat?
Since Rinvoq targets inflammation, it might be a good medication to treat inflammatory conditions.
Clearly, that’s a wide category of potential indications.
Right now, Rinvoq is used to treat:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Atopic dermatitis
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohn’s disease
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis
Depending on the condition, Rinvoq may be taken by both adults and children. Many doctors will recommend that a patient try other drugs, including topical treatments and antibiotics first before seeing if Rinvoq provides better results.
Dr. Brynna Connor, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician who specializes in regenerative medicine, reports that for inflammatory skin conditions like atopic dermatitis, often a topical steroid treatment is worth considering: “Steroids calm the immune system and stop skin cells from growing and dividing so quickly. They may come in the form of ointments, creams, gels, foams, or lotions.”
However, as she also notes, “Steroids keep skin conditions under control for many people, but don’t work for everyone.” In this situation, medications like Rinvoq can be key.
There is also a growing number of off-label uses for Rinvoq, or situations in which Rinvoq could be used to treat conditions other than the ones it’s specifically approved to treat. Using Rinvoq for autoimmune conditions currently falls into this category, and the scientific community is doing a lot of research to see how effective Rinvoq is and whether it could become an approved treatment.
How Much Does Rinvoq Cost?
In the United States, the retail price for a one-month supply of Rinvoq can be well over $6,200.00.
This is highly, highly expensive—and highly unfortunate, as it places this effective treatment squarely out of the reach of many of the people who need it most.
There is a fix, though: Thinking outside the US borders.
You can buy 30 tablets, or a 1-month supply, of brand-name Rinvoq for about $1,800.00 through NorthWestPharmacy.com.
Rinvoq Treatment Cases and Details: Your User Guide
Whether you are a loved one are suffering from joint pain, swelling, and stiffness (as is the case with arthritis), skin inflammation (dermatitis) or chronic GI issues (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), you stand to experience a lot of relief by using Rinvoq well.
Let’s take a closer look at how Rinvoq manages each of these chronic inflammatory conditions:
Rinvoq for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis experience daily, debilitating stiffness, pain, and swelling in their joints. RA patients may have other medications at their disposal, such as TNF (tumor necrosis factor) blockers, but not everyone responds well to this type of medication.
For patients who seem like a good fit for Rinvoq, doctors may prescribe a typical dosage of 15mg per day. Rinvoq can be used alone, or alongside other antirheumatic drugs.
Rinvoq for Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis comes with symptoms that can make a patient’s life very difficult, ranging from joint pain and swelling to skin lesions.
Rinvoq can help alleviate all of these symptoms, making the daily lives of psoriatic arthritis patients much more manageable.
The standard dosage of Rinvoq for psoriatic arthritis patients is 15mg once daily. Depending on a patient’s condition and ability to withstand a change in their routine, their doctor might recommend ramping up to this maintenance dosage.
Regardless, if you’re taking Rinvoq, your doctor will want to monitor your symptoms and adjust the dose as needed to optimize your experience and health.
Rinvoq for Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)
Ankylosing spondylitis, often abbreviated as AS, is a type of chronic inflammatory disease that affects the spine.
Patients who have AS deal with severe pain and stiffness on a daily basis. TNF blockers may be able to help some AS patients reduce their inflammation and find relief, but that’s not a solution that works well for everyone.
Rinvoq may be a great option for AS patients who have symptoms that haven’t responded to previous attempts at treatment. Your doctor will help you determine which starting dose will work best for you, but a typical daily dose for AS patients is 15mg of Rinvoq.
Rinvoq for Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA)
Inflammatory back pain without visible changes in the spine—that’s what characterizes a condition known as “non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis,” or nr-axSpA. This lengthy acronym and the frustrating disease it represents make going about day-to-day activities extremely difficult.
By taking Rinvoq at its generally useful dose of 15mg once daily, nr-axSpA patients should be able to experience much-reduced back pain and much-improved mobility.
As is the case with any disorder and treatment, your doctor will want to monitor your response to your treatment to help you work toward an optimal outcome.
Rinvoq for Atopic Dermatitis
We’ve touched on the many ways Rinvoq can help people who are experiencing chronic internal inflammation, but, as it turns out, Rinvoq may be able to help with external inflammation, too.
Atopic dermatitis, often simply referred to as “eczema,” is a condition that comes with inflamed, itchy skin. Eczema patients may be able to take Rinvoq to reduce their rashes, redness, and itchiness.
Adults and children (those over 12 years old) can take Rinvoq to treat moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.
(A typical adult dose is 15mg once daily, but a pediatric dose might vary depending on a child’s needs, goals, and weight).
Rinvoq for Ulcerative Colitis (UC)
Rinvoq may make a big difference in the quality of life for adults experiencing ongoing gastrointestinal issues, too!
Patients who have ulcerative colitis have to navigate life with chronic inflammation and even ulcers dotting the inside of their digestive tract. This can have a huge impact on their ability to enjoy, digest, and excrete food with any kind of reliability.
By offering patients with ulcerative colitis a solid way to maintain inflammation control, Rinvoq can help patients experience increased quality of life.
After ramping up to a 15mg once-daily maintenance dose of Rinvoq, patients can expect to see a reduction in symptoms such as rectal bleeding, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Rinvoq for Crohn’s Disease (CD)
Ulcerative colitis isn’t the only type of gastrointestinal condition that Rinvoq may be able to alleviate.
Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease that can affect any part of a patient’s GI tract. This can result in a host of symptoms that range from causing mild discomfort to resulting in life-threatening complications.
Rinvoq’s targeted inflammation reduction can benefit Crohn’s disease patients in many ways. If you or a loved one has Crohn’s and wants to manage your abdominal pain, diarrhea, or weight fluctuations, Rinvoq is one of a few types of treatment that can help you work toward better outcomes and an increased quality of life.
Additional Considerations for Using Rinvoq to Treat Chronic Conditions
If you’re taking Rinvoq, no matter which condition you’re hoping to alleviate with this powerful anti-inflammatory drug, you’re going to need some specific information to ensure you have a good experience while undergoing treatment.
Bookmark this guide for later or share it with your family: These are the side effects, administration tips, and other practical guidelines you’ll need to know about when taking Rinvoq.
Rinvoq Side Effects
Rinvoq may have a more favorable side effect profile than some anti-inflammatory medications, but there are some side effects that you will need to keep an eye out for.
The common side effects of Rinvoq include:
- Infections of the upper respiratory tract, which can result in symptoms like sore throats, runny noses, and coughs
- Mild to moderate nausea
- A low-grade fever
- Elevated liver enzymes, which indicate that your liver is stressed (and could result in later liver issues)
For the most part, these more common Rinvoq side effects should dissipate as your body gets used to your new medication.
If these symptoms do not appear to be going away or present an undue hardship in your day-to-day life, talk to your doctor to troubleshoot your treatment.
Serious side effects of Rinvoq include:
- More serious infections. Since Rinvoq works as an immunosuppressant, there’s a chance that taking it could leave a patient at a heightened risk for more severe conditions like tuberculosis, viral, or even fungal infections.
- Blood clots, which can form in the lungs or in the veins of the legs in a pulmonary embolism or a deep vein thrombosis
- The development of certain cancers, which is a rare effect but a potential risk with long-term use of Rinvoq
- Cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or strokes.
If you feel like you’re experiencing any symptoms associated with any of these side effects, talk to your doctor or call for emergency assistance at once.
Practical Tips for Using Rinvoq
Want to have the best possible experience with Rinvoq? Here are a few best practices to follow, as long as they align with your doctor’s recommendations.
Always take the amount of Rinvoq that your doctor has recommended and written down in your official prescription.
Take your Rinvoq every single day, at the same time every day. This is good for several reasons!
Making Rinvoq administration a part of your routine will make it easier to stick to your treatment plan—and taking it at the same time each day will help you achieve consistent blood levels of the drug, which can reduce your likelihood of experiencing frustrating or painful side effects.
Rinvoq can be taken with or without food. The important thing is to take it at the same time.
Pro tip: If you’re having a hard time taking the drug consistently, consider “habit stacking,” or pairing your Rinvoq administration with a habit that’s a little more cemented for you (like taking it with a bedtime snack, or with dinner, or as you brush your teeth).
If your doctor wants to schedule regular check-ups, attend those check-ups! These can seem like just an extra thing to do cluttering up your calendar, but they’re not. These check-ups will help your doctor make sure that Rinvoq is working as well for you as possible.
They’re also an excellent opportunity to talk through side effects or any other health issues you may be noticing.
The same goes for getting your blood tests done. Don’t procrastinate on those!
Get a nice coffee on the way home from completing a blood test, or something similar, to incentivize getting them done on time.
Keep a log of your side effects and general experiences with Rinvoq. Don’t assume that you’ll remember them over time—you won’t.
Instead, keep a note on your phone or a physical notebook in a central location in your home (like your kitchen or bathroom counter) to make it easy to jot down symptoms or note how you’re feeling.
This will make it much easier to provide accurate reports about how you’re doing to your doctor at your regular check-ups!
How Can I Afford Rinvoq?
In this guide, we’ve focused on the different inflammatory conditions that Rinvoq can treat. If you have Crohn’s disease, eczema, or any of the other indications we’ve described, Rinvoq can be a game-changer.
That is, if you can afford it. As we also noted above, Rinvoq can cost over $6,000.00 per month.
Luckily, at NorthWestPharmacy.com, we’re able to provide much, much lower prices on a wide range of safe, authentic, and brand-name prescription medications—including Rinvoq.
Interested in learning more about buying discount prescription medications through an online and international Canada pharmacy site? Whether you want to learn more about our safety standards, check on our CIPA accreditation, talk to our friendly customer service representatives or read through our hundreds of thousands of satisfied customer reviews, we’re here to help.
Then, when you’re ready to buy Rinvoq for less, place an order online or over the phone!
We look forward to helping you manage your inflammatory conditions!
