Baricitinib
Description
Baricitinib is a medicine that contains Baricitinib as an active ingredient. It is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (the symmetrical swelling of the joints). It is used to treat pain, stiffness, and swelling at joints occurring due to due to rheumatoid arthritis. Baricitinib is used alone or in combination with other medicines like methotrexate and DMARD's (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs). This medicine blocks the release of a chemical that causes pain and swelling.
Baricitinib causes certain side effects like headache, nausea, abdominal pain, skin rash, sore throat, diarrhoea, etc. Consult your doctor if these side effects persist. Do not use this medicine if you are allergic to it. Baricitinib is not recommended for use in children below 18 years of age as safety is not established.
Baricitinib should be taken with or without food as advised by your doctor. The dose of this medicine and duration of treatment will be decided by your doctor based on the severity of the pain. Do not stop taking this medicine without consulting your doctor. Never take more than the prescribed dose. For ease of remembering take this medicine around the same time as every scheduled dose.
Baricitinib should be used with extreme caution if you have any liver, kidney or lung problems. This medicine is not recommended for use in some health conditions like tuberculosis, hepatitis, any infections, blood clots in your legs, etc., as it may worsen your conditions. Hence, inform your doctor if you have any such conditions. Also, let your doctor know if you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding. Inform your doctor of your ongoing medication to avoid interactions.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Baricitinib
- Headache
- Nausea
- Weakness
- Sore throat
- Diarrhoea
- Running nose and cough
- Skin rash
Uses of Baricitinib
What is it prescribed for?
- Rheumatoid arthritis
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Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionBaricitinib starts showing its effects within 1 hour after taking it.
- Duration of effectThe time required for Baricitinib to remain active in the body is 72 hours.
- Safe with alcohol?Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
- Is it habit forming?No habit-forming tendencies were reported for Baricitinib.
- Usage in pregnancy?Baricitinib is not recommended to be used in pregnancy as it may harm your foetus. Consult your doctor before using this medicine.
- Usage while breast-feeding?Baricitinib is not recommended for use in breastfeeding as it may pass into breast milk and causes irritation to your infant. Consult your doctor before using this medicine.
Allergy
Do not take Baricitinib if you are allergic to it. Inform your doctor if you have a history of allergy to this medicine. If you notice any symptoms such as a skin rash, itching/swelling anywhere on your body, dizziness, breathing difficulty, etc., seek medical attention immediately.
Severe kidney disease
Baricitinib should be avoided for use if you have severe kidney disease associated with creatinine clearance less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 as it may cause serious side effects and may worsen your health condition.
Severe liver disease
Baricitinib is not recommended for use if you have severe liver disease due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects and worsening your health condition.
Active infections
Baricitinib is known to worsen your infection severity and thereby results in serious side effects if you have any active or localized infections.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
Baricitinib is not recommended to be used in pregnancy as it may harm your foetus. Consult your doctor before using this medicine.
Breast-feeding
Baricitinib is not recommended for use in breastfeeding as it may pass into breast milk and causes irritation to your infant. Consult your doctor before using this medicine.
General warnings
Use in children
Baricitinib is not recommended for use in children below 18 years of age as the safety and efficacy data is not available.
Tuberculosis
Baricitinib may not be used if you have active tuberculosis (a lung infection) as it may increase the risk of serious side effects and also worsen the infection severity. Inform your doctor if you have any such infection on priority.
Thrombosis
Treatment with Baricitinib is known to increase the risk of thrombosis (formation of blood clots due to damage in the blood vessels). Hence caution should be maintained while taking this medicine and any undesirable side effects should be reported to your doctor.
Missed Dose
If you missed taking a dose of Baricitinib, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule. Do not double your dose to make up for a missed one.
Overdose
Never take more than the prescribed dose of Baricitinib. In case you have taken an overdose of this medicine, seek emergency medical attention.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Instructions
Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine
Probenecid
Aspirin
Diclofenac
Live attenuated vaccine
Disease interactions
Infections
Baricitinib is not recommended for use if you have any active infections as it can worsen the infection severity and cause serious side effects.
Liver disease
Avoid taking Baricitinib if you have liver disease. The metabolites of this medicine can accumulate in the liver and lead to liver damage.
Kidney diseases
Baricitinib has to be used with caution if you have kidney disease. Consult your doctor before taking the medicine. You will also be advised to undergo a kidney function test while on treatment with Baricitinib.
Baricitinib is not advised to use in severe kidney disease with a creatinine clearance rate of less than 60 mL/min.
Gastro-intestinal bleeding
The use of Baricitinib can cause gastrointestinal disease. Any symptom indicating ulceration and bleeding like chronic indigestion, the appearance of coffee coloured dry blood in stools or blood vomiting should be reported immediately to your doctor.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Baricitinib is used in the treatment of RA. It can be taken with or without food as advised by your doctor. Do not take more than the prescribed dose. Do not stop using this medicine without consulting your doctor.
Consult your doctor if you have any undesirable side effects. Do not share this medicine with others even if the symptoms appear to be the same.
Inform your doctor if you have liver, kidney, lung problems or any disease like hepatitis, active infections. Your doctor may advise a blood test for checking your liver and kidney functions while on treatment with this medicine.
Baricitinib is not recommended for use if you are pregnant or are breastfeeding women.
Keep the medicine out of reach of children. Do not take medicine after the expiry date. Ensure that unused medicine is discarded properly.
Miscelleneous
How it works
Baricitinib works by blocking the release of certain enzymes (JAK1 and JAK2 enzymes) that increase pain and swelling. Thus, this medicine provides relief from pain and reduces discomfort in your physical movements.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Janus Kinase Inhibitor or JAK inhibitors
Schedule
Schedule H
Accessdata.fda.gov. 2021. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 7 September 2021].
Tga.gov.au. 2021. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 7 September 2021].
Medicines.org.uk. 2021. Olumiant 2 mg Film-Coated Tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc). [online] Available at: < [Accessed 7 September 2021].
Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2021. DailyMed - OLUMIANT- baricitinib tablet, film coated. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 7 September 2021].
Information on this page was last updated on 13 Sep 2021
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.