Before Using

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of baricitinib to treat rheumatoid arthritis and alopecia areata in children and to treat COVID-19 in children younger than 2 years of age. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of baricitinib in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related kidney problems, which may require caution and adjustment in the dose for patients receiving baricitinib.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Abatacept
  • Adalimumab
  • Adenovirus Vaccine, Live
  • Anakinra
  • Bacillus of Calmette and Guerin Vaccine, Live
  • Certolizumab Pegol
  • Cholera Vaccine, Live
  • Dengue Tetravalent Vaccine, Live
  • Etanercept
  • Fedratinib
  • Fexinidazole
  • Gemfibrozil
  • Golimumab
  • Guselkumab
  • Infliximab
  • Influenza Virus Vaccine, Live
  • Ixekizumab
  • Leflunomide
  • Measles Virus Vaccine, Live
  • Mumps Virus Vaccine, Live
  • Nitisinone
  • Poliovirus Vaccine, Live
  • Probenecid
  • Rituximab
  • Rotavirus Vaccine, Live
  • Rubella Virus Vaccine, Live
  • Ruxolitinib
  • Sarilumab
  • Secukinumab
  • Smallpox Vaccine
  • Teriflunomide
  • Tocilizumab
  • Typhoid Vaccine, Live
  • Upadacitinib
  • Ustekinumab
  • Varicella Virus Vaccine, Live
  • Voriconazole
  • Yellow Fever Vaccine
  • Zoster Vaccine, Live

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Levothyroxine

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Anemia (blood disease) or
  • Infection, history of or
  • Neutropenia (blood disease) or
  • Lymphopenia (blood disease) or
  • Stomach or bowel problems (eg, blockage, diverticulitis, perforation, ulcers), history of—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.
  • Heart or blood vessel disease or
  • Hepatitis B, history of or
  • Hepatitis C, history of or
  • Herpes zoster infection or
  • Tuberculosis, history of or
  • Weakened immune system—May cause side effects to become worse.
  • Infection, active or
  • Kidney disease, severe or
  • Liver disease, severe or
  • Tuberculosis, active—Use is not recommended in patients with these conditions.
  • Kidney disease, moderate—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.
  • Smoker, current or past—May increase risk for serious side effects.

Portions of this document last updated: May 01, 2024

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