Mycophenolate may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- pain, especially in the back, muscles, or joints
- prickling, tingling, or burning feeling on the skin
- muscle stiffness or weakness
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:- diarrhea, sudden severe stomach pain
- swelling of the hands, arms, feet, ankles, or lower legs
- unusual bleeding or bruising
- vomit that looks like coffee grounds
- yellowing of the skin or eyes
Mycophenolate may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).
Visiting Medline Plus, you get another window that reads:
Azathioprine may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer, especially skin cancer and lymphoma (cancer that begins in the cells that fight infection). If you have had a kidney transplant, there may be a higher risk that you will develop cancer even if you do not take azathioprine. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had cancer and if you are taking or have ever taken alkylating agents such as chlorambucil (Leukeran), cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), or melphalan (Alkeran) for cancer. To decrease the risk that you will develop skin cancer, avoid prolonged or unnecessary exposure to sunlight and wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any changes in your skin or any lumps or masses anywhere in your body.
Some teenage and young adult males who took azathioprine alone or with another medication called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker to treat Crohn's disease (a condition in which the body attacks the lining of the digestive tract causing pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fever) or ulcerative colitis (a condition which causes swelling and sores in the lining of the colon [large intestine] and rectum) developed hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL). HSTCL is a very serious type of cancer that often causes death within a short period of time. Azathioprine has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, but doctors may sometimes prescribe azathioprine to treat these conditions. If you develop any of these symptoms during your treatment, call your doctor immediately: stomach pain; fever; unexplained weight loss; night sweats or easy bruising or bleeding.
Azathioprine can cause a decrease in the number of blood cells in your bone marrow, which may cause serious or life-threatening infections. The risk that the number of blood cells that you have will decrease is highest if you have a genetic (inherited) risk factor. Your doctor may order a test before or during your treatment to see if you have this risk factor. Taking certain medications may also increase the risk that your blood cells will decrease, so tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following: angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril, enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril, lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), Ramipril (Altace), or trandolapril (Mavik); trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra); and ribavirin (Copegus, Rebetol, Virazole). If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: unusual bleeding or bruising; excessive tiredness; pale skin; headache; confusion; dizziness; fast heartbeat; difficulty sleeping; weakness; shortness of breath; and sore throat, fever, chills, and other signs of infection. Your doctor will order tests before, during, and after your treatment to see if your blood cells are affected by this medication.
Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking this medication.
But, if you keep reading you find a whole other list of side effects that can partner with those above.
Azathioprine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately.
- rash
- fever
- weakness
- muscle pain
This medication may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking azathioprine.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).
This injectable is no better. Matter of fact it could be the worse of them all. The side effects can cause much more than just discomfort, and can even be fatal. there are also different levels of side effects based off of age, weight, sex, so on and so forth.
Mild side effects
- eosinophilia (increased level of eosinophils, which are a type of white blood cell)
Serious side effectsSide effect focus
Joint pain- Stretch daily and before exercise to help maintain a healthy range of motion in your joints.
- Stay physically active to help keep your joints strong.
- Listen to your body and rest your joints when needed if they’re painful.
- Consider an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever. Some examples include acetaminophen (Tylenol) or a topical product that’s applied to the skin, such as diclofenac (Voltaren) gel. If you’re unsure if OTC pain relievers are safe for you, check with your doctor or pharmacist.
Eye problems
Cold sores due to herpes virusALLERGIC REACTION- flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)
- hives (raised, itchy bumps on your skin)
- erythema nodosum (reddish or discolored, painful lumps under your skin, usually on your lower legs)
- serum sickness (an immune system reaction that causes fever, rash, and joint pain or swelling)
Here’s a list of some of the mild side effects that Dupixent can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Dupixent’s patient information.
Mild side effects of Dupixent that have been reported include:
Mild side effects of many drugs may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may suggest ways to help reduce side effects.
* For more information on this side effect, see the “Side effect focus” section below.
Serious side effects from Dupixent can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from Dupixent, call your doctor right away. However, if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.
Serious side effects of Dupixent that have been reported include:
* For more information on this side effect, see the “Side effect focus” section below.
Learn more about some of the side effects Dupixent may cause.
Joint pain is a possible side effect of Dupixent.
Side effects of Dupixent, such as joint pain, may differ between people with different conditions. For instance, joint pain was a common side effect in studies of people who took Dupixent for chronic sinusitis (long-term sinus swelling) with nasal polyps. (Polyps are tissue growths that can make it difficult to breathe through your nose.)
But joint pain isn’t typically a common side effect in people who take Dupixent for eczema or asthma.
Joints are places in your body where your bones meet, such as your elbows, hips, and knees. Joint pain may feel like an ache or soreness that may get worse when you move around.
What might help
Joint pain from Dupixent may be relieved without medical treatment.
Here are some tips that you can do at home to help ease joint pain:
If your joint pain is not relieved with these tips, or it becomes severe, call your doctor. They might want to examine you for other causes of joint pain. Or they may suggest other ways to lessen the pain.
Some mild and serious eye problems have happened in people receiving Dupixent.
Conjunctivitis (pink eye) is a common side effect in people taking the drug for eczema. Though less common, this side effect is also seen in people receiving Dupixent for chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps. Conjunctivitis hasn’t been reported as a side effect in people taking the drug for asthma.
Conjunctivitis symptoms may include swelling, itching, and reddening of your eye and eyelid.
Serious eye problems, such as corneal ulcers, are also possible with Dupixent. Symptoms of this condition include eye pain, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light. If you develop these symptoms, it’s important to seek medical care right away.
It’s also possible that Dupixent could cause eye pain or cause problems with your vision. If you’re concerned about eye or vision problems with this medication, talk with your doctor.
What might help
Eye itching or irritation due to conjunctivitis can be bothersome, but it’s usually not serious. You may find relief with just a cool compress. You could also try over-the-counter eye itch relief drops, such as ketotifen (Alaway, Zaditor).
If you develop eye crusting or colored mucus, or a fever, it could be a sign of an eye infection. If this happens, or your eye symptoms become severe, call your doctor. They may recommend treatment with a prescription eye drop or medication.
If you notice vision changes or develop eye pain, you should not wait to see if it gets better on its own. To be safe, call your doctor. They can suggest next steps to help manage your eye problems.
Dupixent does not cause infections with herpes virus. But if the virus is already inside your body, Dupixent may increase your risk for cold sores (oral herpes). Cold sores are a common side effect in people taking this drug.
Cold sores may appear on your lips or mouth. They’re small, blister-like lesions that are commonly caused by the herpes virus. People sometimes notice an itch or tingling sensation in their lips or mouth before a cold sore appears.
What might help
Without treatment, cold sores usually go away on their own within 1 to 2 weeks.
Some over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) treatments can help cold sores heal faster. Examples of these treatments include:
Some people may have an allergic reaction to Dupixent. Allergic reactions were reported in studies of Dupixent, but they were rare.
Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:
A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. They can also include swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause trouble breathing.
Some people who had allergic reactions during studies of Dupixent developed the following symptoms:
Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Dupixent. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.
