Cost, side effects, dosage, uses and more

Like most medicines, Olumiant can cause mild or serious side effects. The lists below describe some of the more common side effects that Olumiant can cause. These lists do not include all possible side effects.

Keep in mind that the side effects of a drug may depend on:

• your age
• other health problems you have
• other medicines you are taking

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Olumiant. They may also suggest ways to help reduce side effects.

Mild side effects

Here is a short list of some of the mild side effects Olumiant can cause. To find out more about other mild side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, or read Olumiant prescribing information.

The mild side effects of Olumiant that have been reported include:

The mild side effects of many medications can go away within days to weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects of Olumiant can occur, but they are not common. If you experience any serious side effects from Olumiant, call your doctor immediately. But if you think you have a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects of Olumiant that have been reported include:

* For more information on this side effect, see the “Side effects overview” section below.

Focus on side effects

Learn more about some of the side effects Olumiant can cause.

Boxed warnings

Olumiant a framed warnings on serious infections, blood clots and Cancer. A boxed warning is a serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Boxed drug warnings are described below.

Serious infections. Taking Olumiant increases the risk of serious infections. This is because Olumiant works by weakening your immune system. Rarely, these infections can be life threatening and require hospital treatment. This includes tuberculosis (TB), for example.

What could help

Call your doctor immediately if you have symptoms of infection while taking Olumiant. These include:

Your doctor will test you for tuberculosis and other infections before you start taking Olumiant. You should not start this medicine if you have an active infection. If you have an infection it will need to be treated before it is safe to take Olumiant.

Blood clots. Rarely, taking Olumiant can cause blood clots, such as:

What could help

Call your doctor immediately or see a doctor if you have symptoms of a blood clot while taking Olumiant. These symptoms include:

Cancer. Olumiant weakens your immune system. This can increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer, including skin cancer other than melanoma and lymphoma.

Cancer doesn’t always cause symptoms. But if you notice any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

What could help

Be sure to tell your doctor if you have ever had cancer before starting Olumiant. They may decide that other treatment is safer for your condition.

Serious heart events. Recent studies have looked at Xeljanz, which is another medicine used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These studies showed that the drug increased the risk of serious heart events, including heart attacks and strokes.

This risk has not been reported with Olumiant. But because it works the same way as Xeljanz, Olumiant might increase that risk as well, in theory. For this reason, the FDA has applied a Warning to Olumiant for serious cardiac events as well.

If you already have risk factors for heart events, you may be at an increased risk for these if you take Olumiant.

What could help

Talk to your doctor to find out if you have any risk factors for cardiac events. If you want to know more about this risk associated with treatment with Olumiant, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Increased risk of death. Recent studies with Xeljanz, another medicine used to treat RA, have shown that the medicine increases the risk of death. This risk has not been reported with Olumiant. But because the drugs work in the same way, Olumiant might increase this risk as well, in theory.

For this reason, the FDA has applied a Warning to Olumiant for this risk as well.

What could help

Talk to your doctor if you want to know more about this risk associated with treatment with Olumiant.

Gastrointestinal perforation

Although very rare, taking Olumiant can lead to gastrointestinal perforations. These are holes in the stomach or intestines.

People with diverticulitis or stomach or intestinal ulcers, may be at greater risk of this side effect with Olumiant.

You are also at a higher risk if you take certain medications. These include:

Symptoms of gastrointestinal perforation can include:

What could help

Be sure to tell your doctor about your medical history before you start taking Olumiant.

This should include if you have or have had diverticulitis or stomach or intestinal ulcers. You should also tell them about any medications you are taking. They can check to see if any of them increase your risk of a gastrointestinal perforation if taken with Olumiant.

Call your doctor immediately if you have symptoms of gastrointestinal perforation. This is especially important if you have a fever, stomach pain that does not go away, or a change in your bowel habits.

Allergic reaction

Some people may have an allergic reaction to Olumiant. Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:

• itchy skin
• itching
• rinsing (temporary warmth, redness or deepening of skin color)

A more serious allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction may include swelling under the skin, usually in the eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. They can also include swelling of the tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause difficulty in breathing.

Call your doctor immediately if you have an allergic reaction to Olumiant. But if you think you have a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.