Precautions

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

It is very important that your doctor check your or your child's progress at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

This medicine may cause you to get infections more easily (eg, eye, mouth, skin, or upper respiratory tract infections). It is important to check with your doctor if you or your child have fever or chills, cough or hoarseness, runny or stuffy nose, pain, redness, swelling, dryness, or itching of the eyes, skin itching or scaling, sores or white patches on your lips, mouth, or throat, lower back or side pain, or painful or difficult urination.

You will need to have a skin test for tuberculosis before you or your child starts using this medicine. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your home has ever had a positive reaction to a tuberculosis test or been exposed to tuberculosis.

This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including angioedema. This may be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Tell your doctor if you or your child have a rash, itching, or large, hive-like swelling on face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs.

While you are being treated with ixekizumab, and after you stop treatment with it, do not have any immunizations (vaccines) without your doctor's approval. You should receive all your vaccines before starting treatment with this medicine. Ixekizumab may lower your body's resistance and the vaccine may not work as well, or you might get the infection the vaccine is meant to prevent. In addition, you should not be around other persons living in your household who receive live virus vaccines because there is a chance they could pass the virus on to you. Some examples of live vaccines include measles, mumps, influenza (nasal flu vaccine), poliovirus (oral form), rotavirus, and rubella. Do not get close to them and do not stay in the same room with them for very long. If you have questions about this, talk to your doctor.

Inflammatory bowel disease may occur or worsen while you are using this medicine. Tell your doctor right away if you or your child have rectal bleeding, severe abdominal or stomach pain, or severe diarrhea while using this medicine.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.