Rinvoq (upadacitinib) is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and many other inflammatory conditions. Rinvoq typically stays in your system for 2 to 3 days after your last dose.

Rinvoq works by blocking the action of an enzyme (protein) in your body that leads to inflammation.

Rinvoq is an oral tablet that you take once daily, and it doesn’t stay in your body for very long after you take a dose. Most of the drug is out of your system within a few days.

This article describes how long Rinvoq stays in your system and what factors may influence your body’s ability to break down the drug.

Note: Rinvoq comes in two forms: an oral tablet and an oral solution that’s used in children, called Rinvoq LQ. This article covers the Rinvoq oral tablet.

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Rinvoq stays in your body for 2 to 3 days after you take it. This is based on the drug’s half-life.

A half-life is the amount of time it takes for a drug in your body to decrease by half. Medications with longer half-lives stay in your body longer and usually don’t need to be taken as often.

Rinvoq reaches its maximum concentration in your blood 2 to 4 hours after you take a dose. It has a half-life of 8 to 14 hours. After another half-life, the concentration in your blood is halved again.

For example, if you take 15 milligrams (mg) of Rinvoq, you’ll have about 7.5 mg left in your body after 8 to 14 hours. When another 8 to 14 hours have passed, the amount will have dropped to 3.75 mg, and so on until the concentration becomes too small to measure accurately.

According to experts, a drug is eliminated from your body after 4 to 5 half-lives have passed. By that point, 94% to 97% of the drug will have been eliminated from your body. (The amount left is usually considered insignificant.) For Rinvoq, 4 to 5 half-lives pass in 32 to 70 hours, or 2 to 3 days.

Your body can excrete drugs in several ways, such as through your:

  • urine
  • bile
  • sweat
  • saliva
  • breath
  • tears

Rinvoq is broken down by certain enzymes in your liver and then eliminated primarily through your urine and feces.

Interactions with Rinvoq

Sometimes interactions can affect how long a drug stays in your system.

Consuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice with Rinvoq can prevent your body from breaking down Rinvoq as quickly as usual. This can increase how long Rinvoq stays in your system and make levels of Rinvoq build up in your body, which can raise your risk of experiencing side effects.

Rinvoq is also known to interact with many medications, including:

Learn about other interactions with Rinvoq.

Ending your Rinvoq treatment is not known to cause withdrawal symptoms. (Withdrawal symptoms are side effects that occur when you stop taking a drug that your body has become dependent on.)

But because of how quickly Rinvoq is cleared from your body, symptoms of your condition may return rapidly once you’re no longer taking the drug. You should not stop taking Rinvoq unless your doctor recommends it.

For example, if you have eczema and stop taking Rinvoq without starting another treatment, you may have a return of symptoms such as skin that’s dry, itchy, or rough.

If you take Rinvoq for rheumatoid arthritis, stopping treatment may cause a return of symptoms that affect your joints, such as:

  • tenderness
  • warmth
  • swelling

Rinvoq is a prescription drug that’s used to treat many inflammatory conditions. Most of the drug is cleared from your body 2 to 3 days after your last dose.

If you develop side effects during Rinvoq treatment or after stopping treatment, talk with your doctor. Rinvoq is not known to cause withdrawal symptoms, but symptoms of your condition may return quickly after you stop taking Rinvoq. You should not stop taking Rinvoq without first talking with your doctor.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.