Other Medications and XELJANZ
Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have taken recently, or may need to take any other medication.
Inform your doctor if you have diabetes or are taking medications to treat diabetes. Your doctor may decide that you need less diabetes medication while taking tofacitinib.
Some medications should not be taken with XELJANZ. If taken with XELJANZ, they may alter the level of XELJANZ in your body, and the dose of XELJANZ may need to be adjusted. Inform your doctor if you are using medications containing any of the following active ingredients:
XELJANZ should not be used with medications that suppress the immune system, including biologic therapies (antibodies), such as those that inhibit tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-17, interleukin-12/interleukin-23, integrin antagonists, and strong chemical immunosuppressants, including azathioprine, mercaptopurine, cyclosporine, and tacrolimus. The use of XELJANZ with these medications may increase the risk of adverse effects, including infection.
People taking corticosteroids (for example, prednisone) may have a higher risk of developing serious infections and fractures.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
If you are a woman of childbearing age, you should use effective contraception during treatment with XELJANZ and for at least 4weeks after the last dose.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you think you may be pregnant, consult your doctor before using this medication. XELJANZ should not be used during pregnancy. Inform your doctor immediately if you become pregnant while taking XELJANZ.
If you are taking XELJANZ and breastfeeding, stop breastfeeding until you speak with your doctor about interrupting treatment with XELJANZ.
Driving and Operating Machines
XELJANZ has no or limited effect on your ability to drive or operate machines.
XELJANZ 11mg prolonged-release tablets contain sorbitol
This medication contains approximately 152mg of sorbitol in each prolonged-release tablet.
Follow exactly the administration instructions for this medication as indicated by your doctor, do not exceed the recommended dose. In case of doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.
Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, and Ankylosing Spondylitis
The recommended dose is one prolonged-release tablet of 11 mg administered once a day.
Try to take the tablet (one prolonged-release tablet of 11 mg) at the same time every day, for example, in the morning or evening.
Swallow the prolonged-release tablets of XELJANZ 11 mg whole to ensure the full dose is released correctly. Do not crush, break, or chew them.
Your doctor may reduce the dose if you have liver or kidney problems, or if you are prescribed certain medications. Your doctor may also temporarily or permanently stop treatment if blood tests show low white blood cell or red blood cell counts.
If you have rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis, your doctor may switch your XELJANZ 5 mg film-coated tablets twice a day and XELJANZ 11 mg prolonged-release tablets once a day. You can start taking XELJANZ prolonged-release tablets once a day or XELJANZ film-coated tablets twice a day the day after the last dose of either tablets. Do not switch XELJANZ film-coated tablets and XELJANZ prolonged-release tablets unless your doctor tells you to.
XELJANZ is for oral use. You can take XELJANZ with or without food.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
If you take more XELJANZ than you should
If you take more prolonged-release tablets than you should, inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
If you forget to take XELJANZ
Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed prolonged-release tablet of 11 mg. Take the next tablet at the usual time and continue as before.
If you stop taking XELJANZ
Do not stop taking XELJANZ without consulting your doctor.
If you have any other questions about the use of this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Some may be serious and require medical attention.
Possible severe adverse effects
In rare cases, infections can be fatal. Cases of lung cancer, white blood cell cancer, and myocardial infarction have also been reported.
If you notice any of the following severe adverse effects, inform your doctor immediately.
The signs of severe infection (frequent) include
The signs of ulcers or holes (perforations)in the stomach (infrequent) include
Stomach or intestinal ulcers occur more frequently in patients also being treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids (e.g. prednisone).
The signs ofallergic reactions (unknown frequency) include
The signs of blood clots in the lungs, veins, or eyes (infrequent: venous thromboembolism) include
The signs of myocardial infarction (infrequent) include
Other adverse effectsobserved with XELJANZ are listed below.
Frequent(may affect up to 1 in 10patients): lung infections (pneumonia and bronchitis), shingles, nasal, throat, or tracheal infections (nasopharyngitis), flu, sinusitis, urinary tract infections (cystitis), sore throat (pharyngitis), elevated muscle enzymes in blood (signs of muscle problems), stomach pain (abdominal pain) (which may be due to stomach lining inflammation), vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, low white blood cell count, low red blood cell count (anemia), swelling of feet and hands, headache, high blood pressure (hypertension), cough, skin rash, acne.
Infrequent(may affect up to 1 in 100patients): lung cancer, tuberculosis, kidney infection, skin infection, herpes simplex or mouth ulcers (herpes labialis), elevated creatinine in blood (a possible sign of kidney problems), elevated cholesterol (including LDL), fever, fatigue (tiredness), weight gain, dehydration, muscle strain, tendonitis, joint swelling, joint sprain, abnormal sensations, insomnia, sinus congestion, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, skin redness, itching, fatty liver, painful inflammation of small pouches that protrude from the intestinal lining (diverticulitis), viral infections, viral infections affecting the intestine, some types of non-melanoma skin cancer.
Rare(may affect up to 1 in 10,000patients): blood infection (sepsis), lymphoma (white blood cell cancer), disseminated tuberculosis affecting bones and other organs, other unusual infections, joint infections, elevated liver enzymes in blood (sign of liver problems), muscle and joint pain.
Very rare(may affect up to 1 in 10,000patients): tuberculosis affecting the brain and spinal cord, meningitis, infection of soft tissues and fascia.
In general, fewer adverse effects were observed in rheumatoid arthritis when XELJANZ was administered alone compared to in combination with methotrexate.
Reporting of adverse effects
If you experience any type of adverse effect, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is a possible adverse effect not listed in this prospectus. You can also report them directly through the Spanish System for Pharmacovigilance of Medicinal Products for Human Use:www.notificaRAM.es. By reporting adverse effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medication.
Keep this medication out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medication after the expiration date that appears on the blister pack, bottle, or carton. The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.
This medication does not require any special storage temperature.
Store in the original packaging to protect it from moisture.
Do not use this medication if you observe visible signs of deterioration (for example, the tablets are broken or discolored).
Medications should not be disposed of through drains or in the trash. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the containers and medications that you no longer need. This will help protect the environment.
Composition of XELJANZ
Appearance of the product and content of the container
XELJANZ 11 mg prolonged-release tablets are pink and oval-shaped.
The tablets are presented in blisters with 7 tablets. Each container contains 28 or 91 tablets. The tablets are also available in bottles with silica gel desiccant containing 30 or 90 tablets.
Only some container sizes may be commercially available.
Marketing Authorization Holder
Pfizer Europe MA EEIG
Boulevard de la Plaine 17
1050 Bruxelles
Belgium
Responsible for manufacturing
Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland GmbH
Betriebsstätte Freiburg
Mooswaldallee 1
79090 Freiburg
Germany
For more information about this medicine, please contact the local representative of the marketing authorization holder:
Spain
Pfizer, S.L.
Tel: +34 91 490 99 00
Date of the last review of this leaflet:
Other sources of information
The detailed information about this medicine is available on the website of the European Medicines Agency:http://www.ema.europa.eu.
Have questions about this medication or your symptoms? Connect with a licensed doctor for guidance and personalized care.