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Apremilast Patient Tips

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Aug 27, 2025.

1. How it works

2. Upsides

3. Downsides

If you are between the ages of 18 and 60, take no other medication or have no other medical conditions, side effects you are more likely to experience include:

Note: In general, seniors or children, people with certain medical conditions (such as liver or kidney problems, heart disease, diabetes, seizures) or people who take other medications are more at risk of developing a wider range of side effects. View complete list of side effects

4. Bottom Line

Apremilast is used to adults and children 6 years of age and older (> 20 kg) with psoriatic arthritis or plaque psoriasis and candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy. It is also approved for oral ulcers associated with Behçet’s Disease in adults. Apremilast has been associated with severe diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting and the initial dosage should be increased slowly up to the recommended maintenance dose.

5. Tips

6. Response and effectiveness

7. Interactions

Medicines that interact with apremilast may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with apremilast. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of the medications; however, sometimes it does. Speak to your doctor about how drug interactions should be managed.

Common medications that may interact with apremilast include:

Apremilast may also increase the metabolism of modafinil and armodafinil.

Note that this list is not all-inclusive and includes only common medications that may interact with apremilast. You should refer to the prescribing information for apremilast for a complete list of interactions.

Related/similar drugs

Frequently asked questions

References

Further information

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use apremilast only for the indication prescribed.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

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