In the last few years, more people are asking if the autoimmune drug Xeljanz is dangerous. The answer is yes – Xeljanz is a dangerous drug that can cause fatal blood clots among other serious side effects. In fact, Xeljanz was rejected in Europe by the European Medicines Agency because of the adverse, dangerous side effects.

Are you taking Xeljanz? You could be at risk

If you’ve been prescribed Xeljanz, your health could be at risk. Your risk is significantly higher if you had existing cardiovascular problems prior to starting Xeljanz.

Talk to your doctor about using an alternative medication and then contact an attorney immediately. Seek legal counsel whether you have symptoms or not – you might have health problems you haven’t associated with Xeljanz. Sometimes it’s hard to connect symptoms with potential side effects of a drug when you’re used to those symptoms.

What makes Xeljanz dangerous?

Xeljanz was created to treat autoimmune disorders (like rheumatoid arthritis) and works by suppressing immune activity. People with autoimmune diseases benefit when their immune response is lowered. However, when immune function is suppressed, the risk of developing cancer (like lymphoma) increases along with the potential to develop other serious conditions.

Xeljanz targets the immune system

Xeljanz is classified as an anti-JAK (Janus kinase inhibitor) and targets a specific immune response at the cellular level that causes inflammation for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. This doesn’t sound that bad at first glance. People who suffer from RA benefit from a reduction in immune system activity. The problem is that Xeljanz doesn’t just reduce excessive immune activity.

Xeljanz causes serious side effects that can be fatal. The FDA issued an official warning on February 25, 2019 informing the public of the risks found in an ongoing clinical trial. The trial found that patients who took 10mg of Xeljanz twice per day were more at risk for blood clots and death than patients taking 5mg twice per day.

Dangerous Xeljanz side effects include:

• Blood clots in the legs

• Fatal blood clots that travel to the lungs (pulmonary embolism)

• Serious infections

• Lymphoma

• Non-melanoma skin cancer

• Elevated liver enzymes/liver damage

• Gastrointestinal bleeding

• High blood pressure

• Hypersensitivity

People taking Xeljanz who already have high blood pressure, cancer, liver problems, or are prone to blood clots are at high risk for increased health problems.

Do you have the symptoms of pulmonary embolism?

A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a dangerous blood clot that can travel to the lungs where it can become fatal. The following symptoms indicate a possible PE:

• Shortness of breath

• Trouble breathing

• Pain in the chest

• Coughing up blood

• Extreme sweating

• Slammy skin or blue skin

 If you have any of the above symptoms, seek medical help immediately and let them know you’ve been taking a drug known to cause PE.

Xeljanz lawsuits are coming to a head

Xeljanz is just one of hundreds of drugs approved by the FDA that turned out to be unsafe for a large number of people. In recent years, the number of lawsuits against drug manufacturers has skyrocketed with billions of dollars being paid out to victims.