One glance at the warning label on just about any autoimmune medication is enough to make your jaw drop. The potential side effects of these drugs often include things like severe infections, heart problems, cancer, and more.
But new research uncovers what may be the worst risk of all. And it’s a threat to some of the most vulnerable folks possible.
Now I get it. Sometimes medications are unavoidable. And whether or not you choose to take one is a decision you need to make with the help of your doctor.
But it’s important to have ALL the facts when making that choice. And that includes knowing all the potential risks and any possible alternatives.
So today, I’m going to share the details on newly confirmed risks for one of the most popular rheumatoid arthritis drugs on the market.
Plus, I’ve also got some other options to consider that could help you avoid needing to take the med in the first place.
Autoimmune drug could have serious side effects
The drug in question is a JAK inhibitor called tofacitinib or Xeljanz. Tofacitinib is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. And the med has quite the reputation already.
Last fall, for example, the feds issued a warning over potentially elevated risk for “heart attack or stroke, cancer, blood clots, and death.”
And I’ll be honest, in this case, I don’t understand why the drug hasn’t already been yanked off the market for good.
But I also know if you happen to be taking it now, you might be numb to the possible dangers. After all, as I mentioned earlier, autoimmune drugs tend to come with a minefield of potential side effects.
So what’s one more warning when you’ve seen it all before, right?
Well, you might change your mind when you hear what could be on the line every time you pop one of those pills. Because new research shows how this drug goes above and beyond in all the wrong ways.
Scientists put tofacitinib to the test against other autoimmune drugs, adalimumab (Humira) or etanercept (Enbrel), neither of which will be winning awards for safety any time soon.
Yet even among that company, tofacitinib pretty much flunked by every measure you can imagine.
- First, major cardiovascular events increased by a third in patients taking tofacitinib compared to those other autoimmune meds.
- Second, their risk of cancer shot up by 48 percent.
- Third, their odds of serious infections such as herpes zoster and tuberculosis rose.
- Fourth, patients taking tofacitinib had a higher risk of death compared to the other meds – more than double the risk at the highest dosage.
Dial down inflammation and pain naturally
So you might be wondering the same thing I was after reading up on this study. If tofacitinib is potentially more dangerous than those other autoimmune meds, is it at least more effective, too?
Well, it turns out the answer is no. It had the same effectiveness as the others, which is hit or miss, to begin with.
Maybe this new research will finally light a fire under the FDA, and the agency will take the steps needed to give this bad news med the boot. But I doubt it.
Whether or not you opt to take tofacitinib is obviously a personal decision you will need to make based on your own situation and risks. And let’s face it, sometimes, there is no good choice.
But there are other autoimmune drugs available that come with lower risks. Plus, there are alternative interventions that could potentially help you lower your dosage of certain meds or even drop some altogether.
For autoimmune diseases, it’s often a good idea to see a specialist to get tested for food sensitivities or allergies. Many are undiagnosed and can trigger the overactive immune response that causes these conditions to spin out of control. Making some minor tweaks to your diet could help.
Plus, a naturopathic physician can work with you to find effective natural inflammation fighters. For example, Boswellia and curcumin have helped ease pain and inflammation for many folks battling autoimmune conditions.
And if it’s still chilly where you are, you should check out this cold-weather trick for slowing autoimmune conditions down to a crawl.
Latest posts by Alice Jacob (see all)
- Common “fat” could cut Alzheimer’s risk by HALF - June 25, 2022
- Men THIS threat is BIGGER than prostate cancer - June 24, 2022
- THIS could be Parkinson’s EARLIEST warning sign - June 24, 2022
