What food should I avoid while on Stelara?
There are no known interactions between Stelara (ustekinumab) and food. However, there may be interactions that have not yet been studied, and it’s important to ask your health care provider if you’ll need to make any dietary changes while on Stelara.
Be sure to also tell your health care provider about any drugs you take, including vitamins and supplements, which can have unknown or potentially dangerous interactions with other medications. Dietary changes may be recommended according to your condition. For example, patients taking Stelara for moderate to severely active Crohn’s disease may be advised to avoid foods known to worsen their symptoms.
Taking Stelara may increase your risk of infections, and patients being treated with Stelara may be advised to make changes to protect themselves, such as staying away from sick individuals and uncooked or potentially contaminated foods. Infection with salmonella from eating undercooked meat, poultry and eggs may be more serious in some patients taking Stelara.
Patients will not be able to receive “live” vaccines while taking Stelara and should avoid individuals who have recently received a live vaccine, such as those used to protect against measles/mumps/rubella, rotavirus, smallpox, chickenpox and yellow fever.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). STELARA® (ustekinumab) injection, for subcutaneous or intravenous use. June 2018. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2018/125261s147lbl.pdf. [Accessed June 1, 2022].
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Crohn’s Disease. September 2017. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/crohns-disease/eating-diet-nutrition. [Accessed June 1, 2022].
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Vaccine Types. April 29, 2021. Available at: https://www.hhs.gov/immunization/basics/types/index.html. [Accessed June 1, 2022].
Read next
Who is the actress in the Stelara commercial?
The 2022 advertising campaign for Stelara, called “Move towards Relief” features an unknown actress because the campaign aimed to include authentic and diverse adults living with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis to represent a real community. Continue reading
Does Stelara treat ulcerative colitis?
Yes, Stelara was approved by the FDA on October 21, 2019 for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC). This was the fifth approved use for this medicine. UC is a serious and long-term inflammatory disease that affects the large intestine (colon) and rectum. Continue reading
Is Stelara an immunosuppressant?
Yes, Stelara (ustekinumab) is an immunosuppressant. It is approved to treat certain forms of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and moderate to severe Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Continue reading
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Drug information
- Stelara Information for Consumers
- Stelara prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side Effects of Stelara (detailed)
Related support groups
- Stelara (20 questions, 68 members)