What happens when you stop taking upadacitinib (Rinvoq) for an extended period and then experience a whole-body flare?
Unfortunately, this is a really common and frustrating experience. Stopping a DMARD like upadacitinib — even for a legitimate reason like being sick — can trigger a significant flare-up. About half of people Show Full Answer
What happens when you stop taking upadacitinib (Rinvoq) for an extended period and then experience a whole-body flare?
Unfortunately, this is a really common and frustrating experience. Stopping a DMARD like upadacitinib — even for a legitimate reason like being sick — can trigger a significant flare-up. About half of people who stop biologic or targeted DMARDs experience a return of symptoms, and 8 weeks is quite a long gap. The most important next step is to contact your rheumatologist as soon as possible. They can help by:
- Assessing the severity of the flare
- Advising whether it's safe to restart upadacitinib now that the flu has passed
- Possibly prescribing a short course of corticosteroids to help calm the flare in the meantime
- Recommending pain relief strategies like NSAIDs if appropriate
While waiting to hear from your doctor, some self-care strategies that may help ease symptoms include:
- Applying heat (warm baths, heated blankets, hot water bottles) or cold packs to affected joints
- Getting extra rest
- Reducing stress as much as possible
- Very gentle movement, if tolerable Don't try to manage this flare alone for too long — whole-body flares can cause joint damage if left untreated. Your rheumatologist needs to know what's happening so they can get things back under control quickly.
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