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Xeljanz (Tofacitinib Citrate): My experience on the trial
I have received a lot of interest from others on here in my involvement with the Xeljanz trials at Yale.
I thought it would be nice for everyone if I documented my progress on here.
Xeljanz is a Jak3 inhibitor and is believed to work with alopecia by turning off the distress signal relayed by the hair follicle to the attacking immune system which is the cause of the hairs falling out. Xeljanz comes in a strength of 5mg per pill and a full box contains 60 tablets. The recommended dosage for arthritis is 1 tablet in the morning and another in the evening each day.
The trial is set in a series of stages and there are requirements before participating. These include monthly visits and blood tests every 2 weeks. Dr Brett King is absolutely fantastic and is an inspiration to me. His positivity and enthusiasm gives me the much needed hope I have craved for over a decade. I have been put on a low dose to start with which is 1 tablet every other day. My dosage has now been increased to 1 tablet every day and next month it could be increased to 2 tablets per day depending on the results.
I have completed my first month and have already noticed my alopecia has stabilised . I have not lost any existing hairs. In addition to this I have seen little hairs growing in my chest area as well as eyebrows. Fingers crossed! To date, I have experienced no side effects.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Merry on
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I don't think it would be nearly potent enough to cause regrowth by itself, but it could decrease inflammation slightly which could boost regrowth in someone already taking Xeljanz.
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Hi Everyone, I'm posting some pictures of my growth. First a little history of me. I was first dx w/ Alopecia Areata age 14, which stayed Areata until age 39. Then progressed quickly to AU. I have tried practically everything: DNCB, Cyclosporine, etc.
I started Xeljanz on July 2, 2015. 5 mg 2x a day. I fist saw hair within a month. Growth was very slow, so my doctor added Plaquenil 400 mg. a day in June 2016. That really moved things along for me. I also get cortisone injections every 4 weeks on scalp and eyebrows. I've had a few scares where my hair started shedding A LOT but it was usually the white hair that initially grew in. In the last couple of weeks my hair has been falling out a lot. I'm hoping that stops! Here are some pictures.
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Great regrowth HS. Can I just ask how do you know if it's the xeljanz working for you ? As I have heard the steroid shots can cause regrowth. In other words how much growth did you get on xeljanz alone before the steroid shots ?
Kind regards
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Did you have any weight
Gain from Xeljanz and Plaquenil alone or taken together?
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here's the 4th picture I could not get to post with the others.
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Congratulations!
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Permalink Reply by Suzie on
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Has Thank you so very much for sharing! Your progress is awesome and am so happy for you! Please keep us posted with your progress and I wish you continued success. Have you thought about hair supplements, vitamins or laser therapy to add to your routine?
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Permalink Reply by Jcortez05 on
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5 months since I shaved my head after it was thinning
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IMG_7106.JPG, 3 MB
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Another
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IMG_7104.JPG, 3.3 MB
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