Olumiant Tablets

Before taking this medicine

You should not use Olumiant if you are allergic to baricitinib, or if you have any kind of infection.

To make sure Olumiant is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• a chronic infection;
• liver or kidney disease;
• hepatitis B or C;
• a stomach or intestinal problem such as diverticulitis or an ulcer;
• a perforation (a hole or tear) in your esophagus, stomach, or intestines;
• a blood clot;
• cancer;
• low white or red blood cell counts; or
• if you are scheduled to receive any vaccine.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had tuberculosis, or if anyone in your household has tuberculosis. Tuberculosis and some fungal infections are more common in certain parts of the world, and you may have been exposed during travel.

Using Olumiant may increase your risk of developing certain cancers, such as lymphoma or skin cancer. Ask your doctor about this risk.

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

You should not breast-feed while using baricitinib.

How should I take Olumiant?

• Take Olumiant exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets.
• Before you start treatment with this medicine, your doctor may perform tests to make sure you do not have tuberculosis or other infections.
• You may take Olumiant with or without food.
• Baricitinib affects your immune system. You may get infections more easily, even serious or fatal infections. Your doctor will need to examine you on a regular basis.
• Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Olumiant dosing information

Usual Adult Dose for Rheumatoid Arthritis:

2 mg orally once a day

Comments:

• -This drug may be taken with or without food.
• -This drug may be used as monotherapy or in combination with methotrexate or other DMARDs.

Use: For the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response to one or more tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist therapies

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Use the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not use two doses at one time.

What should I avoid while taking Olumiant?

Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using Olumiant. The vaccine may not work as well and may not fully protect you from disease. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), polio, rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), and zoster (shingles).

Olumiant side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Olumiant: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

You may get infections more easily, even serious or fatal infections. Call your doctor right away if you have signs of infection such as:

• fever, chills, sweating;
• skin sores;
• tiredness, muscle pain;
• increased urination, pain or burning when you urinate;
• stomach pain, diarrhea, weight loss; or
• cough, shortness of breath, coughing up pink or red mucus.

Further doses may be delayed until your infection clears up.

Also call your doctor at once if you have:

• shingles - burning pain, numbness, tingling, itching, skin rash or blisters;
• signs of a blood clot in the lung - chest pain, sudden cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, coughing up blood;
• signs of a blood clot in your leg - swelling, warmth, or redness in an arm or leg;
• signs of perforation (a hole or tear) in your stomach or intestines - fever, ongoing stomach pain, change in bowel habits; or
• signs of tuberculosis: fever, cough, night sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss, and feeling very tired.

Common Olumiant side effects may include:

• sores on your lips (cold sores);
• nausea; or
• cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur.

What other drugs will affect Olumiant?

Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially:

• methotrexate;
• probenecid;
• steroid medicine such as prednisone or dexamethasone;
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), celecoxib, diclofenac, indomethacin, meloxicam, and others; or
• other drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis - abatacept, adalimumab, anakinra, azathioprine, certolizumab, cyclosporine, etanercept, golimumab, infliximab, rituximab, sarilumab, tocilizumab, tofacitinib.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with baricitinib, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

References:

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/2434/smpc

https://www.olumiant.com

https://www.nps.org.au/medicine-finder/olumiant-tablets

https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-174074/olumiant-oral/details

https://www.rxlist.com/olumiant-side-effects-drug-center.htm

https://www.drugs.com/olumiant.html