Covid and Lupus Medications - Guidelines from American College of Rheumatology Feb 2021

Considering or scheduled to get a COVID vaccine? Wondering how to take your medications when you do? Me, too! 

Thus, I was thrilled to receive an email from my rheumatologist's office with what appears to be the latest guidance (2/10/21) from the American College of Rheumatology regarding how to take various medications around the time of COVID-19 vaccinations that use mRNA (by Pfizer and Moderna):

You'll find the exact verbage from ACR below, but as with anything you read online, please talk with your doctor before making any changes to your medication regimen. As well, these guidelines are subject to change (as they already have since I inquired about the vaccine at the end of last year), so be sure to check with your doctor for the most up to date information. 

I was personally thrilled to see that Cellcept is currently on the "no need to change anything" list. Three cheers for status quo when your medication is working well!

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If you take any of the following medications, and your rheumatologic disease is doing well, do not take this medication for 1 week after each dose of COVID-19 vaccine:

Methotrexate (Otrexup, Rasuvo, Rheumatrex)

Xeljanz (tofacitinib)

Rinvoq (upadacitinib)

Olumiant (baricitinib)

If you take the following medications, contact ARA when you are nearing the time of your COVID-19 vaccination to plan scheduling the doses: 

Orencia (abatacept)

Rituxan (rituximab)

Cyclophosphamide intravenous only (Cytoxan)

If you take the following medications, you do not have to change your medication dosing schedule around the time of COVID-19 vaccination: 

 

Actemra	Guselkumab (Tremfya)	Remicade
Adalimumab (Humira)	Humira	Rizankizumab (Skyrizi)
Anakinra (Kineret)	hydrocortisone	Romosozumab (Evenity)
Apremilast (Otezla)	Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil)	Sarilumab (Kevzara)
Arava (leflunomide)	ibuprofen	Secukinumab (Cosentyx)
Azathioprine (Imuran)	Ilaris	Simponi
Belimumab (Benlysta)	Imuran	Simponi Aria
Benlysta	Infliximab (Remicade, Inflectra, Renflexis)	Skyrizi
Canakinumab (Ilaris)	Ixekizumab (Taltz)	Stelara
Cellcept	Kevzara	Sulfasalazine
Certolizumab (Cimzia)	Kineret	Tacrolimus
Cimzia	Leflunomide	Taltz
Cosentyx	Lupkynis	Tocilizumab (Actemra)
Cyclophosphamide oral only (Cytoxan)	Mycophenolate (Cellcept)	Tremfya
cyclosporine	Naproxen	Ustekinumab (Stelara)
Cytoxan (oral only)	Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)	Voclosporin (Lupkynis)
Denosumab (Prolia)	Otezla	Zoledronic acid (Reclast)
Enbrel	Prednisone
Etanercept (Enbrel)	Prolia
Evenity	Reclast

 

Reference link: American College of Rheumatology COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Guidance Summary for Patients with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases.

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