Hi there!

I know you must have a lot of questions about Xeljanz, so feel free to email me personally, as I can respond easier that way. My email is: susanmcadams@me.com

I want to make a couple clear statements to you in advance. First and most important, I am not in any way affiliated with Pfizer or those profiting from Xeljanz in any way. If you read my story, you will see that I am just like anyone else on this site--having been struck with AA and then AU and looking for a medication that could restore my devastating hair loss. I wanted to reclaim my life as I knew it, and so I volunteered to participate in the Stanford Trial back in 2015. My hair is back. I do continue to see my doctor up in Stanford every 4 months as a post-trial patient, and I also see a trusted dermatologist in Los Angeles where I live. I have blood work done every time I go back to Stanford, and for over 18 months have never had any negative results, illness or side effects from the drug.

Second, I am well aware of potential side effects that Xeljanz or ANY JAK Inhibitor drug can produce in certain individuals. That is precisely why I continue to have blood tests. Xeljanz is just one of dozens of JAK Inhibitor drugs out there designed to control various autoimmune diseases. They all work in the same way, but target different "pathways" within the immune system. That is why some JAK's work for certain autoimmune diseases, but not others. If you research JAK's, you will see that Xeljanz has not been as risky as others. Out of the hundreds of alopecians who have been on Xeljanz, there are very few cases of side effects. Please take time to inform yourself by doing the research. Dr. King at Yale is no quack. Neither is Dr. Angela Christiano, who both spearheaded the fight to make Xeljanz available to alopecians since it is currently only FDA approved for those with RA.

There is a post following yours with simply a link to a short and lacking article about the "deadly cost" of regrowing hair. Why is this scare tactic not being presented to those with RA? It is the same drug. Is alopecia not a legitimate disease, but RA is? I really don't get it. And I don't understand why some people on this website throw these posts of "doom" out there without adding what the research has demonstrated. Maybe those individuals cannot afford the drug or cannot take it because of individual health issues they may have. But, it is cowardly and rash, if you ask me.

I would never tell any individual what to do with his or her life. If one is concerned about possible health risks, then do not take the drug. But, to throw around scare tactics is just plain selfish. I made a personal, conscious choice to take Xeljanz with the mindset that if I were to develop negative side effects, I would then make a decision whether or not to discontinue the drug. But, as I said, 18 months later, I have all of my hair back and I am healthy. My discussion page is for those, like me, who decided to try Xeljanz and then keep each other informed. I made a post about a small relapse I had back in May. I did not want to hide that event. I shared honestly what my doctors said and how things have been since then. Currently, that patch of hair I lost is growing back. I am managing my stress as best I can to avoid any future relapse. So far, so good.

Feel free to email me, and I can give you more info about how Pfizer provides alopecia patients with $12,000 credit per calendar year. Also, certain pharmacies sell the drug for approximately $2,800 per month. And I don't understand why your dermatologist knows nothing about the three Xeljanz trials that took place throughout 2014-2015. That is downright irresponsible. The research is out there. Dr. King and Dr. Christiano are internationally known for their discoveries and efforts to control this disease. I also have three videos I can email you that are interviews by these doctors. They explain things in much more detail than I can. The