Michael S: A success story 15 years in the making
Music track and RINVOQ logo throughout.
RINVOQ USE
RINVOQ is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older with moderate to severe eczema (atopic dermatitis) that did not respond to previous treatment and their eczema is not well controlled with other pills or injections, including biologic medicines, or the use of other pills or injections is not recommended.
Individual results may vary.
Please see Safety Considerations within this video
MICHAEL S.: For almost 15 years I was misdiagnosed.
I feel like some of my doctors treated me differently because I was black. I don’t know if it’s a fact. Maybe they hadn't had a lot of experience with people of color with eczema. But it was plenty of times when I felt like I was just being pushed through the system, you know?
I kept records like the date I went to the ERs, the doctors I talked to, their comment, the different things I’ve tried, of course, I wrote all that down.
It was like it was a full-time job just trying to manage how I was going to take care of the skin.
My name is Michael, and I have moderate to severe eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis.
I had tried… topical creams, injections.
And nothing seemed to work, nothing seemed to work at all until I got to Dr. Dasilva, and he put me on the RINVOQ.
DR. RUIZ DASILVA: I’m Dr. Diego Ruiz Dasilva and I’m Michael’s dermatologist.
When I first saw Michael, I could tell that he was very itchy. He was fidgeting in the exam chair. It was evident that there were scratch marks, bleeding, scabbing.
A lot of my patients of color come in with itchy skin and they’ll tell me the other doctors who have seen them have just told them they have dry skin and no one’s actually tried to give them a formal diagnosis and treat them as such.
MICHAEL S.: I kept really, really precise notes because I had to advocate for myself, you know, because I had gotten diagnosed so many different times I just felt like I wasn’t getting the treatment that I needed.
It was just rough, man. It’s like I was living two lives. You know, my sister, she knows, I just played it off, and I dealt with it.
BARBARA: My name is Barbara. I’m one of Michael’s sisters.
Oh yes, I would notice him itching. We’d be sitting outside, and he’d be just scratching. But, you know, didn’t say too much, because I knew it bothered him.
What I most admire about my brother? That he stayed positive, that he didn’t give up.
DR. RUIZ DASILVA: It was important for me to let you know you're not alone. That I've seen folks similar to you. And to let you know that I wouldn’t give up.
And you trusted me, obviously, which meant a lot to me. Because, you know, it’s kind of hard. You see the new person come in and they tell you you’ve had the wrong diagnosis for 15 years.
MICHAEL S.: Literally within days I was calling your office because, the itching, it was almost gone.
It was just like, I could put my mind back on other things I had to, you know, deal with in day-to-day life.
And for my skin, it’s just, it just made it so much smoother.
DR. RUIZ DASILVA: When I heard about Michael’s results, I was ecstatic.
To see your skin looking better, to see you scratching less means a lot to me as your doctor.
MICHAEL S.: Today, I think my skin looks, it looks amazing. That's just my personal opinion. It looks amazing.
DR. RUIZ DASILVA: I agree with you, Michael. In my professional opinion, your skin looks amazing too, man.
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Safety Considerations
RINVOQ (upadacitinib) may cause serious side effects, including:
- Serious infections. RINVOQ can lower ability to fight infections. Serious infections, some fatal, occurred, including tuberculosis (TB) and infections caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses.
- Increased risk of death in people age 50+ with at least 1 heart disease risk factor.
- Cancer and immune system problems. Increased risk of some cancers, including lymphoma and skin. Current or past smokers have higher risk for lymphoma and lung cancer.
- Increased risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in people 50+ with at least 1 heart disease risk factor, especially in current or past smokers.
- Blood clots, some fatal, in veins of the legs or lungs and arteries. This occurred more often in people 50+ with at least 1 heart disease risk factor.
- Serious allergic reactions. Do not take if allergic to RINVOQ or its ingredients.
- Tears in the stomach or intestines; changes in certain laboratory test results.
Please see additional Important Safety Information on the page below.