Yellow fever
Side Effects Of Taltz: What You Need To Know
Taltz is a prescription drug used to treat psoriasis and certain kinds of arthritis. Taltz can cause side effects that range from mild to serious, such as pink eye, injection site reactions, and serious infections.
Taltz is used to treat:
The active ingredient in Taltz is ixekizumab. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) The drug comes as a liquid solution inside prefilled syringes and autoinjectors. It's given as an injection under your skin.
Keep reading to learn about the common, mild, and serious side effects that Taltz can cause. For a general overview of the drug, including details about its uses, see this article.
Some people may experience mild or serious side effects during their Taltz treatment. Examples of Taltz's commonly reported side effects include:
* To learn more about this side effect, see the "Side effects explained" section below.
These are just a few of the side effects Taltz injections may cause. Read on to learn about the drug's other possible mild and serious side effects.
You may have mild side effects with Taltz.
Examples of mild side effects that have been reported with Taltz include:
* To learn more about this side effect, see the "Side effects explained" section below.
In most cases, these side effects should be temporary. And some may be easily managed, too. But if you have any symptoms that are ongoing or that bother you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. And don't stop using Taltz unless your doctor recommends it.
Taltz may cause mild side effects other than the ones listed above. See the Taltz prescribing information for details.
Note: After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks and reviews the side effects of the medication. If you'd like to notify the FDA about a side effect you've had with Taltz, visit MedWatch.
Taltz may cause rare but serious side effects.
Serious side effects that have been reported with Taltz include:
* To learn more about this side effect, see the "Side effects explained" section below.† This side effect was not reported in studies of Taltz, but it was reported after the drug became available.
If you develop serious side effects while using Taltz, call your doctor right away. If the side effects seem life threatening or if you think you're having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.
Taltz is used to treat plaque psoriasis in children ages 6 years and older.
Most side effects of Taltz are expected to be the same for children as for adults. But some of Taltz's side effects may be more common in children. Examples include:
* To learn more about this side effect, see the "Side effects explained" section below.
To learn more about your child's risk of side effects from Taltz, talk with their doctor.
Learn more about some of the side effects Taltz may cause.
Injection site reactionInjection site reactions are the most common side effects of Taltz. These are reactions that happen in the area where Taltz is injected. Examples include pain and discoloration of the skin.
What might helpTo lower your risk of injection site reactions, inject each dose of Taltz into a different area from your previous injection. You can inject Taltz into your upper thighs or belly. Or a friend or caregiver can inject Taltz into the back of your upper arms.
Don't inject Taltz into an area of skin that's bruised, hardened, or tender. And it's best to avoid injecting the drug into a patch of skin that shows symptoms of psoriasis.
If you have bothersome injection site reactions from Taltz, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can suggest other ways to ease your symptoms.
Allergic reactionLike most drugs, Taltz can cause an allergic reaction in some people.
Symptoms can be mild or serious and can include:
If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may suggest treatments to help manage your symptoms. These can include an over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamine you swallow, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine), or a product you apply to your skin, such as hydrocortisone cream.
If your doctor confirms you had a mild allergic reaction to Taltz, they'll decide whether you should continue using it.
If you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or difficulty breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms could be life threatening and require immediate medical care.
If your doctor confirms you had a serious allergic reaction to Taltz, they may have you switch to a different treatment.
Inflammatory bowel diseaseInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a rare but serious side effect of Taltz. If you already have IBD, using Taltz may worsen your condition.
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are two types of IBD reported in studies of the drug.
Symptoms of IBD can include:
What might helpIf you have symptoms of IBD during Taltz treatment, tell your doctor. They may recommend tests to check for IBD. If you develop new or worsening IBD, your doctor may have you stop Taltz treatment.
If you already have IBD before starting treatment with Taltz, tell your doctor. They may recommend a treatment other than Taltz for your condition.
HivesIn rare cases, you may develop hives while using Taltz.
Hives are raised areas of skin that are often red or discolored. They can be small or large, and they can appear in batches all over your skin. Hives may cause symptoms such as itching and stinging.
Keep in mind that hives can also be a sign of a mild allergic reaction, which is another possible side effect of Taltz. For details, see the "Allergic reaction" section above.
What might helpIf you have symptoms of hives while using Taltz, tell your doctor right away. They may want to examine you to make sure you aren't having a more serious allergic reaction.
You can ease symptoms of hives with OTC antihistamines you swallow, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine). But before you take any new medications with Taltz, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They'll make sure these drugs don't interact with Taltz.
Keeping track of side effects
During your Taltz treatment, consider keeping notes on any side effects you're having. Then, you can share this information with your doctor. This is especially helpful when you first start taking new drugs or using a combination of treatments.
Your side effect notes can include things such as:
Keeping notes and sharing them with your doctor will help your doctor learn more about how Taltz affects you. And your doctor can use this information to adjust your treatment plan if needed.
Get answers to some frequently asked questions about Taltz's side effects.
Can Taltz increase the risk of cancer?No, an increased risk of cancer wasn't reported as a side effect in studies of Taltz.
But other drugs approved for certain kinds of psoriasis and arthritis can increase the risk of cancer. For example, adalimumab (Humira) is used to treat several of the same conditions as Taltz. Humira has been reported to increase the risk of skin cancer and blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma. These are rare but serious side effects of Humira.
If you have questions about the side effects that Taltz may cause, talk with your doctor. They can discuss possible risks and benefits of receiving the drug.
Does Taltz cause weight gain or weight loss?No, Taltz isn't known to cause weight gain or weight loss. Weight changes weren't reported as side effects in studies of the drug.
But serious infections and inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)* are known to cause weight loss. These are rare but serious side effects of Taltz. If you have weight loss while using Taltz, talk with your doctor right away. They may ask if you're having other symptoms of these conditions.
If you're concerned about weight changes while using Taltz, talk with your doctor. They can advise on other ways to manage your weight.
* To learn more about this side effect, see the "Side effects explained" section above.
Is hair loss a side effect of Taltz?It isn't likely. Hair loss wasn't reported as a side effect in studies of Taltz.
Taltz treats psoriasis, which can affect the scalp. And this can lead to temporary hair loss. So it's possible you may have hair loss while using Taltz to treat this condition. But the hair loss is likely a result of the psoriasis, not Taltz itself.
If you have questions about your risk of hair loss while using Taltz, talk with your doctor.
Does Taltz cause liver problems?No, Taltz isn't known to cause liver problems. These side effects weren't reported in studies of the drug.
Among other conditions, Taltz is used to treat psoriatic arthritis and plaque psoriasis. Other medications used to treat these conditions are known to cause liver problems. An example is Trexall (methotrexate).
If you're concerned about your risk of liver problems while using Taltz, talk with your doctor.
Taltz may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. Before you start Taltz treatment, talk with your doctor about your health history. The list below includes factors to consider.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): This drug can cause new or worsening IBD, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. If you have IBD, tell your doctor before starting Taltz. Your doctor will let you know whether it's safe for you to use Taltz.
Infections: Taltz can weaken your immune system, which can lessen your ability to fight infections. If you have an active infection, be sure to tell your doctor before starting Taltz. Your doctor may temporarily delay treatment with Taltz until after your infection is treated.
Before you start using Taltz, your doctor will order a test for you for tuberculosis (TB). If you have TB, they'll delay your Taltz treatment until your TB is treated. It's also recommended that you get any vaccines that you need before starting Taltz treatment.
Allergic reaction: If you've had an allergic reaction to Taltz or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Taltz. Ask your doctor what other medications are better options for you.
Alcohol and TaltzThere aren't any known safety issues with drinking alcohol while using Taltz.
However, drinking alcohol may trigger a flare-up of certain conditions that Taltz treats. These include ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and plaque psoriasis. If you know alcohol is a trigger for your condition, it may be best to limit your alcohol intake while you're using Taltz.
If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about how much you may be able to consume while using Taltz.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding while using TaltzIt's not known if Taltz is safe to use while pregnant or breastfeeding.
If you're pregnant or breastfeeding or planning to become pregnant or breastfeed, talk with your doctor before using Taltz. They can discuss with you the risks and benefits of using the drug during these times.
Note that a pregnancy registry is available for this drug. If you use Taltz during pregnancy, you may want to enroll in the registry. The purpose of a pregnancy registry is to collect information about the safety of a drug when taken during pregnancy. For more information about Taltz's pregnancy registry, call 800-284-1695 or visit the program website.
Taltz is used to treat psoriasis and certain types of arthritis. Some people may have mild side effects while using the drug. In rare cases, others may have more serious side effects, such as IBD.
If you have questions about side effects from Taltz, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Below are a few questions you may want to ask:
To learn more about Taltz, see these articles:
To get information on different conditions and tips for improving your health, subscribe to any of Healthline's newsletters. You may also want to check out the online communities at Bezzy. It's a place where people with certain conditions can find support and connect with others.
Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.
Ways To Cut TB Drug Side-effects Found
Vadodara: The probability of new anti-TB medicines that would minimize the commonly observed side effects on kidney and liver has brightened with the discovery of new compounds by the researchers of the MS University.The researchers from the Faculty of Pharmacy screened at least two lakh compounds to identify these novel anti-TB agents, which basically inhibit the action of an enzyme responsible for the drug's reaction that damages other organs. The researchers got a patent from the government of India, and their scientific paper has been published in the prestigious UK-based Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics."We virtually screened the compounds using the developed pharmacophore model and other filters like the latest molecular modelling techniques to identify these novel anti-TB agents," said Dr Prashant R Murumkar from the Faculty of Pharmacy, who, along with his PhD student Dr Monica Chauhan, has been granted the patent.The patent was granted for their discovery of the potent anti-tubercular agents.Currently, TB is treated with a mix of antibiotics that are used to kill the bacteria that cause the disease. "For most cases, the standard drugs are isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. If the bacteria resist these drugs, other options like fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, bedaquiline, and delamanid are also used. Using a combination of these drugs helps to treat TB effectively and prevent the bacteria from becoming resistant," said Murumkar."However, the currently used drugs can result in hepatotoxicity (drug-induced liver injury) and nephrotoxicity (the process that occurs when kidneys are damaged by a drug, chemical or toxin resulting in chronic kidney disease). They can cause other side effects to the human body," said Murumkar.However, the research team at MSU adopted a novel method for TB research."Our target was an enzyme which is exclusively present in mycobacteria. The newly designed compounds have the potential to block this enzyme. They can break the cell wall synthesis of the bacteria by inhibiting the DprE1 enzyme," he said. This ultimately results in the death of the bacteria."Since DprE1 is exclusively present in mycobacterium and not in the human being, the side effects in the human body, especially on the kidney and the liver, decrease," he said.The researchers say the newly developed molecules are the first of their kind, representing pyrazolo-pyrimidine containing scaffold having DprE1 inhibitory anti-TB activity.We also published the following articles recently
Fluid dynamics impact bacterias disease-causing ability: IISc studyResearchers from IISc discovered that fluid environments greatly impact bacterial physiology and disease causation. The study showed that various conditions like evaporating droplets and flowing fluids can influence bacterial survival, virulence, and genetic changes. These insights could help address real-world issues like disease transmission and antibiotic resistance by incorporating fluid dynamics into microbiology research. Identify teens abusing drugs before they turn addictsTG-Anti Narcotics Bureau officials inspected registered private de-addiction centers and government hospitals in Telangana. The state recently opened 26 government-run de-addiction centers, each with 10 beds. Efforts are underway to identify and correct teen substance use early, with community workers and teachers playing a crucial role. In Rangareddy, 2,200 people have participated in de-addiction sessions over the past six years.A Day In The Life Of India's 'tuberculosis Warrior'
On world tuberculosis (TB) day, public health specialist Chapal Mehra describes the work of Dr Zarir Udwadia, who has been working tirelessly to fight the disease in its often untreatable forms.
When Dr Udwadia, an acclaimed pulmonologist, wrote in a medical journal in 2012 about a virtually untreatable form of TB, the ordinary Indian did not know who he was.
But the letter set off a frenzy in the medical community and eventually made him one of India's best known doctors, and a man who reminded the country of its growing epidemic of TB and drug-resistant TB (DR TB) - a type of tuberculosis which is unresponsive to at least two of the first line of anti-TB drugs.
India is is the global TB epicentre - the country records 2.8 million new tuberculosis cases annually, of which more than 100,000 are multi-drug resistant (MDR), according to the World Health Organization.
The disease kills 400,000 Indians every year, and costs the government around $24bn (£19.2bn) annually.
Why is TB diagnosis a challenge? "Because India continues to rely heavily on outdated diagnostic techniques, some of which miss about 50% of all TB cases," says Dr Udwadia, who is based in the western city of Mumbai, India's financial capital.
He believes India needs to adopt newer technologies such as the GeneXpert, a molecular test that detects the presence of TB bacteria.
"We need to scale up the GeneXpert and make it the first test for everyone like they do in South Africa."
Dr Udwadia is often termed the miracle worker or the saviour by his patients. The most critical patients, often those with virtually no hope, and their families, crowd his free clinic, waiting with files of records and X-rays. Many wait overnight hoping to be seen by him.
Even though the government once found his findings questionable, it has more recently discovered in him an enabling critic who is helping India's fight against the deadly infection.
"TB is much more than just a medical affliction caused by a specific bacterium," says Dr Udwadia. "It is a strange, terrible and fascinating entity. Every death from TB is an avoidable tragedy. It is our task to reverse the tide."
Though treatable, TB kills an Indian every minute and is an engine of poverty, debt and suffering. It remains India's severest health crisis- one which needs urgent action.
"Normal TB is really easy to treat, four drugs over six months at a cost of $5 will almost always cure you," says Dr Udwadia.
But, he adds, if patients are given the wrong drugs or incorrect doses, or are irregular with their medication, the TB bacteria becomes resistant to the drugs.
This drug-resistant TB takes far longer - up to two years - and thousands of dollars to treat. It requires many more drugs - 250 injections and 15,000 pills, to be precise.
"When stacked up [the pills] equal a 30-storey tower," says Dr Udwadia. And the drugs that are toxic can have severe side effects, he adds. "They can make you deaf, blind, give you kidney failure and leave you psychotic."
TB can cause damage to the lungs
Drug-resistant TB
"Every now and then, I come across patients who are virtually untreatable," he says.
Dr Udwadia describes MDR-TB, which is resistant to multiple drugs, as a "ticking time bomb" that could reverse the progress India has made so far in its battle against the infection.
"In our crowded communities, each MDR patient infects 10-20 others with the same deadly strain ensuring the epidemic amplifies relentlessly."
He recalls one of his patients, Salma, a poor woman who lived in Dharavi, a sprawling slum that lies at the heart of Mumbai. Nearly a million people are estimated to live in an unending stretch of narrow lanes, open sewers and cramped homes.
It is "an incubator of TB by virtue of its poverty and overcrowding", according to Dr Udwadia.
Salma, he says, had spent five years trying to cure herself of her TB infection. She had travelled for more than 1500km (932 miles), visited at least four government TB clinics, seen 12 private physicians and received multiple drugs in various combinations.
"What could be more soul destroying than taking five years of treatment but finding yourself getting worse, not better?" asks Dr Udwadia.
Salma, who was resistant to every single TB drug, died four days after a surgery.
"So who killed Salma? Who let her down? We did! Drug-resistant TB is a collective indictment of us all."
In the last year alone, Dr Udwadia says, 10 million people across the globe have got sick with TB, two million have died of it and about 150,000 patients of drug-resistant TB in India are desperate for a cure.
"All they get is delays, disruptions and disillusion," he says.
Referring to India's launch of its first bullet train project in September 2017, he adds, "forget your bullet trains, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and just help our patients get on this one.
"Give us the new drugs we need to treat, give us the labs and tests to diagnose early, give us more funds, not more cuts in the TB budget, and give us social change, because TB is the perfect expression of an imperfect civilisation."
Photographs by Shampa Kabi.
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