Xeljanz User Reviews & Ratings (Page 2)

• kar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 27, 2016

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I started Xeljanz 1-1/2 years ago, after all the years from 2008, having pain and stiffness and some relief. This Xeljanz so far has been a miracle to me. I'm down to 2-1/2 mg of Prednisone, which I hope to be able to completely be off it, except for flare-up times and needing a tapering of it. I still have chronic pain every day, but don't we all? There's so much less of it though, that life is of more quality. I'm doing more. My right wrist is deformed and so eroded, that I can't bend that much at all, so I just try to avoid moving it so much. It doesn't hurt anymore with it being idle! My feet are the very worst though. I try to limit my walking, but it's hard. I'm 57 and appreciate this drug very much!"

• Kev...
• May 5, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "My experiences have been very good with Xeljanz. Before that, I could barely move, I could barely walk down the stairs. It was horrible, my husband had to pull me out of bed. Now I'm able to function today, but if I do overdo it, I start getting sore. I've been on it for 2 years. I have no bad side effects."

• yer...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 29, 2015

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "This drug had almost a methamphetamine effect on me. I could almost feel my blood going through my veins. Couldn't think straight. Had extreme pressure in my eyeballs, headaches, and couldn't sleep. Went to a half dose with no change in symptoms. Went off of it 4 days ago, and all of the negative symptoms have disappeared."

• SHE...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 7, 2020

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Woke up with a severe migraine the morning after starting treatment. Took it for 4 weeks, headaches constantly, like my head and eyes were in a vice. Backache. Nausea burning in stomach, chest, and throat. Stopped after 6, as I couldn't stand it anymore, quality of life was zero by then."

• EJL...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 18, 2018

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Taking for 3 weeks now and noticed major improvement after one week. Increased energy and able to get out of bed and walk down steps without any issues. I would recommend this drug. No side effects as of yet."

• Tro...
• May 24, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I have been taking Xeljanz for RA for a few months. It has really helped my RA, however, I have recently developed severe diverticulitis and migraines. I have had major abdominal pain, constant nausea, and almost nightly headaches (many of which are migraines). I am attributing this to the Xeljanz, and I plan to discontinue it immediately."

• Egi...
• November 7, 2016

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Within 2 weeks, Xeljanz was working amazingly for my rheumatoid arthritis. But had to stop after 8 weeks because of complete insomnia and depression/anxiety. This drug brought on depression, insomnia, and anxiety so hard and so quickly. I just could not continue. This had the same effect on me as prednisone. My system cannot tolerate that either. Too bad because both work so well for the arthritis. Luckily, these side effects have gone away after stopping the medicine."

• Dum...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 20, 2019

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Started in November and started great. Blood work showed great improvement, and I only had headaches and nausea, but from there, it was all downhill. I got shingles, my skin broke out in painful acne, my headaches got worse, my lungs would burn every morning with coughing, running nose, sneezing, and I had no energy. I’d fall asleep on my couch every night with no warning. I got multiple cold sores, which I hadn’t had in years, and that’s when my rheumatologist took me off of it. They think it destroyed my immune system. I’ve been off it for a few days, and my cold sores are gone, my energy is up, and I overall feel much better. We may go back to a low dose as I’m running out of treatment options, and I’m only 29, but I don’t know if it’s worth it."

• Sti...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 4, 2015

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Medication started making my joints feel better, but after a month of taking it, I developed migraine headaches that would come on about an hour after taking the medication. Had to stop due to the severity of the headaches."

• Sha...
• December 13, 2016

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I have started taking this in January 2014, and it started working within 2 weeks. I have had a few flare-ups, but more as time has gone on. I take methotrexate with this. I have my cholesterol tested every 6 months. I have never had any cholesterol issues. After taking this for 2 years, my cholesterol is in the high range due to this medicine, which puts me into a whole different category of heart disease/attack. I will be going off. It was a good run, but it isn't worth it!"

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 3, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Six days after beginning Xeljanz, I awoke during the night with complete sinus blockage - as in zero airflow through the passages. I have facial numbness from forehead to chin, nausea, abdominal pain, and dizziness. All of this continues, though I discontinued the med 2 weeks ago. I am on prednisone to help calm the reaction, and it is doing very little. I called the company to report the reaction, and they steered me to a 'medical help' line rather than the proper process to report this severe reaction."

• Rub...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 5, 2020

For Ulcerative Colitis "I’ve been on Xeljanz now for almost four months. I was diagnosed with UC about 3 years ago, and I’ve been in an almost constant flare since then, with no medication or steroids able to keep it in check. After 3 weeks on Xeljanz, I genuinely feel like a new person, my symptoms are almost entirely gone, and my energy levels improved substantially. I hadn’t been able to exercise outside without fear of being ‘caught’ for years, and that has all totally changed now. I’ve been on 10 mg twice a day, and I’m about to drop that down to 5 mg twice a day."

• MBe...
• February 15, 2018

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I have been taking Xeljanz 11 mg once daily for a year now. It has given me much improvement. I have been able to cut my pain meds down to less than half. The swelling I experienced has completely gone. My RA is extremely severe, advanced, and I was having terrible problems with huge rheumatoid nodules on my tailbone and hands, which had burst and were very painful. Since Xeljanz, they have almost all healed, it truly is a miracle drug for me. The only problem is it is too expensive. They allowed me to get the medicine free under their hardship program all last year, but now they have not approved it for 2018, and I cannot afford over a thousand dollars a month for this med. I have congestive heart failure and am taking 20 other meds. So as much as this medicine helped me, until a generic is out there, I am now out of this medicine, unable to pay the steep price they demand."

• Dus...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 22, 2016

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I take Xeljanz for severe rheumatoid arthritis. I've been on it for about 3 years. It is excellent for inflammation but doesn't do much for pain. My doctors do say they think it has stopped my progression, which is the first and foremost goal for those who have RA. I do not notice any side effects."

• shr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 24, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Been on Xeljanz XR 11 mg for about 10 days now. I've tried most of the infusion drugs and methotrexate, and none have worked. It's a little early to tell for sure, but I think it's helping. I don't have typical RA, no flares, I am in a constant flare. No coming and going, unfortunately. I also have whole body swelling, lucky me. But I am noticing a slight reduction in swelling. I had gone up a full ring and shoe size. Today I could get on a ring I haven't been able to wear in years... yay! I have had some strange side effects: extreme fatigue, depression, skin crawling, and a little paranoia. Not typical for me, and I don't think for this drug either. I seem to always have the rare side effects with all medications. I'm hopeful though."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 8, 2016

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Felt the drug working within a week. Don't know how the drug could be paid for if you don't have insurance and copayment assist. My copay was 300 before copayment assist. Has really helped with minimal side effects."

• RA2...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2015

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I took one day of medicine. The next day, I had a full-blown sinus/upper respiratory irritation. Headache, fever, the whole nine yards. Five days later, I am still fighting the effects of a cold/infection. I have been taking Arava for 18 months and have not had one infection. The only reason I tried this is because the gastrointestinal problems with Arava are bothersome. There are new biologics heading to the market that, based on the first two phases, are safer and more effective than all these that are currently on the market. I will wait for the new ones."

• Moo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 25, 2019

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Over 23 years, I have been on many pills for arthritis. The latest is Xeljanz. It's only been 9 weeks. I cannot stand the pain. I struggle to climb the stairs. I've had flu-like symptoms, upset stomach, yet something else that doesn't work."

• Tee...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 19, 2019

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I have been through the wringer, 16 years of trying one drug after the next. A year ago, my doctor suggested Xeljanz. I started it in July, and it worked almost instantly. For the next 3 months, I didn't have one sore joint, it was incredible! Then, slowly, I began to be sore again. Finally, by December 16, I had to seek emergency medical intervention in the form of steroids and pain meds. That gave me roughly 2 weeks, and then I was back to the hospital for more (my doctor was shut down for vacation during the Christmas holidays). When he came back, he doubled up my dose, but it hasn't helped. I have excruciating pain in most of my upper body joints. I'll likely go off this medication when I see my rheumatologist next month. On the plus side, I'm completely off my medication for ulcerative colitis!!"

• liz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 22, 2020

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I began using Xeljanz 5 mg in February 2019 and stopped using it in September 2019 after feeling no relief from the medicine. It seemed as if my rheumatoid arthritis was worse than ever while on the Xeljanz. I noticed that I suffered from acid reflux after I started the medicine. I was diagnosed with acid reflux, and the only thing that I can attribute it to is Xeljanz because I never had an issue with heartburn or acid reflux prior to the medicine, and this is one of the side effects of this drug."

• Sti...
• December 13, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Tried Humira for seven months and then Enbrel for nine months. Both worked, but side effects and health issues resulted in the discontinuation of these treatments. I have been on Xeljanz for five months and feel a lot better. Prior to this medication, I felt like the Tin Man and moved about at the same speed. Prednisone only hides the effects of the arthritis, and bone density becomes a huge issue. All in all, Xeljanz has been a great improvement for me. It is not a cure by any means, but it has made a huge difference in my day-to-day life. Regarding mobility and joint swelling, I would rate this medication an eight out of ten."

• Pjh...
• February 9, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Xeljanz has made a huge improvement in my ability to function. Early meds like methotrexate and steroids only had bad side effects. Costs made Remicade no longer affordable. Enbrel and other injectables did nothing. In the year I have used Xeljanz, I can use my hands much better. My psoriasis is gone. I still know when the weather is changing. I no longer suffer like I did."

• Aio...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 11, 2019

For Ulcerative Colitis "After initial success with my first biologic, Remicade, I had a year of remission. My UC came back full force, but since I had stopped the Remicade, my blood tests showed I had antibodies to Remicade. Then Humira - fail, Entyvio - fail, injecting 3 vials of Sandostatin a day - fail. Then I got my entire colon/rectum removed and a J-pouch in late 2014. Since the surgery, I’ve suffered severely with pouchitis and cuffitis. Ugh! So as soon as Xeljanz was available and reviewed by my doc, he asked if I’d try it. I started in January. Now it’s 9 months later, and I can finally say I have some real quality of life back!!! I never thought I’d get here. It took about 4-6 months of 5 mg twice a day. Xeljanz is giving me some life quality back! I’ve had some weird viruses, so I’m staying on 5 mg. Hoping for more positive post-release data!"

• Deb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 10, 2019

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "This medication does help with my arthritis symptoms, but the side effects are chronic fatigue, stomach pain, and diarrhea. After being on it for just two weeks, I don't think I will stay on this medication. I can do nothing but sleep all day. I have tried several medications, and only one worked somewhat that didn't cause fatigue, but it didn't stop the pain. However, because I got migraines, I couldn't increase the medication. Leflunomide may be my only choice. Desperate."

• Din...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 24, 2019

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "For the first two months, I felt great, energy, gardened, worked more physically than I have done in a long time. Then the sinus infections came, the doctor took me off. Still trying to get the sinuses straightened out."