How long does it take for Baricitinib (Olumiant) to work?

[ubound]

I thought that Olumiant was special because it works fast. But I've been on it for 10 days now (4mg per day) and I don't see any difference at all. How long did it take to work for you? Any experiences will be very much appreciated!

[wishbone]

Just a couple of days for it to start working but a lot longer for the full effect. Even then my RA is not properly controlled and I still need strong pain relief daily, but I'm only taking 2mg.

[ubound in reply to wishbone]

I did think I felt a slight relief after the first pill already but it only lasted a couple of hours and could be just me imagining things. I still have to take the same amount of steroids to function, and feel completely broken when steroids effect wears off at night. Thanks for your reply!

[Pinkplum]

I’ve been on it 6 weeks and no change yet, hopefully will work a lot quicker for you .

[ubound in reply to Pinkplum]

Hope it will work for both of us!

[Hidden]

I’m due to start this drug so following with interest

[Rafandready70]

I started on it 4 weeks ago and not noticing any improvement yet. Methotrexate and Benepali both worked very quickly for me so I’m quite disappointed! Hope it kicks in soon as I’m really in a lot of pain in my knees, ankles and elbows 😬

[Green230461 in reply to Rafandready70]

Me too! Already looking for prospective three legged race contenders! Hope it works soon.

[Green230461]

Hello!

I am on my third box and I can now straighten my leg for the first time in ten months. I felt the same after the first two months - what’s the point but I am feeling a little better now. So good luck 😉 and keep at it

[ubound in reply to Green230461]

Thank you, this helps a lot. I have no patience at all!

[Rafandready70]

Thank you, that gives me hope! I’ve just started my second box 🤞🏻

[Green230461]

Blood work last week rheummy said pain level down 40 percent since I started three months back. Knee still very painful but going in the right direction. Next check after Christmas. 👍

[ubound in reply to Green230461]

Just to make sure I understood it right: does the blood work show 40 percent improvement but you feel only a slight improvement but going in the right direction? I am asking because I had such experience once, but I thought it was an anomaly.

[Green230461]

They said 40 percent improvement but my knee was in such a painful place to begin with i could hardly tell. My knee is less swollen and I can straighten it out now. They said I will probably need a replacement because of the RA but not until I am 65 six years away. I was on humira which was great for nine years then stopped working!! So now on baricitinib. It is a slow starter for

me but there is improvements so don’t lose hope. 👍

[ubound in reply to Green230461]

Being able to straighten my knees and elbow without Prednisone would be fantastic. Hope Baricitinib works for both of us!

[RAexperiences]

I was on 2.5 I think it was for some months (maybe 5?) and felt no improvement at all. Got severe edema and had to stop it. On etanercept now...early days yet. Best wishes to you!

[ubound in reply to RAexperiences]

Hmmm... There are only 2 and 4 mg options.

[RAexperiences in reply to ubound]

Sorry bout that couldn’t quite recall exact dosage-been a while. It was definitely 2 mgs then. 5 mgs is not an approved dose in Canada.

Good luck! I hope it works well for you.

[ubound in reply to RAexperiences]

Thank you!

[juliea793]

Good Morning. .It worked pretty quickly for me. I had my first dose on 8th April this year. And by end of April I felt much better. But it took 2 months to get the full good effects. I am still on 4mgs. Enbrel worked quickly for me also but I had to stop that drug after many years of taking it. .Good luck...

[ubound in reply to juliea793]

Thank you so much for sharing! I am on day 14 and nothing yet. So maybe I will feel better in a week or so like you did.

[juliea793 in reply to ubound]

Hopefully you will..

[RAexperiences]

It never really worked for me at all but I sure hope it does for you!

[jaybee380]

Been on it for 6 weeks, not noticed a difference yet.hoping it kicks in as want to get off prednisalone

[Darkrose58]

A very slow burner for me, have now been on it for 10 months, quite clearly there’s improvement but it’s not kicking it enough, disease is still quite active, will I ever get of the prednisone 🙁 Looks like a change in meds is coming soon, I think that will be number 10 🙄

[ubound in reply to Darkrose58]

That's how it was for me, but then they took me off it due to high creatinine number and I am a complete disaster, much worse than before I started. Actually I came to ask people if they had similar experience.

[Darkrose58]

My rheumy told me it can take up to a year to work 😳

I hope you find what works for you soon, it’s a bloody miserable disease 😔

[ubound in reply to Darkrose58]

A year is a lot of time. But then we still have a chance. I found this study about baricitinib and they have an efficacy chart at week 12 vs week 24. It seems like almost everybody benefits from it, but just under 20% get 70% or more relief progressnp.com/wp-content/u...

[Darkrose58 in reply to ubound]

Thanks, I’ll check it out 🤗

[Green230461]

That is very interesting! I am on my fourth box now!Had to stop for a week to have my tooth out and went back to the beginning!! Then restarted again and feeling better after two weeks. Crazy disease this is. How are things with you now?

[ubound in reply to Green230461]

I am temporary off it due to bad creatinine result. But I took it with some other meds and ate too much chicken around the test time, so I hope I can go back on it.

[Green230461 in reply to ubound]

Too much chicken? What is the creatinine score?

[ubound in reply to Green230461]

it's 1.12 now. It was 0.7 before I started Olumiant. I mentioned chicken because I know cooked meat can raise your creatinine levels, although some sources say only for 12 hours. But I know when I went on a strict low protein diet, my creatinine fell to 0.5

[Green230461 in reply to ubound]

Thank you! You only ever hear about the trouble with sugary foods or salt!

[Darkrose58 in reply to Green230461]

Yes I had the same problem when I stopped for my recent knee replacement, I went into a real bad flare and I have to stop again next week for a tooth extraction 😳 My rheumy said it washes out within two days so I’m gathering that’s why it hit me bad? 🙁

[Green230461 in reply to Darkrose58]

That’s what happened to me I went right back to the beginning again😬

[Green230461]

Crazy how one little red pill can make so much difference. Hope knee replacement went well. I have to wait until I am 65 for mine😡

[Darkrose58 in reply to Green230461]

Can I ask you how long you were told to come off the drug for the tooth extraction? How comes you have to wait till your 65 for a knee replacement? I’ve had both mine done in the last 18 months, I could hardly stand let alone walk, they were real bad 😳 I’m 62.

[Green230461]

I was told to come off baricitinib for a week before extraction and had very strong antibiotics three days before. My hospital won’t do knee replacement before 65 they say they only last 15 years so the longer you can hold out the better. So hobbling with a stick.