This Common Arthritis Drug Boosts Shingles Risk 137%

Could some of the most popular pain drugs around leave you with one of the most painful conditions of your life?

Millions of Americans take powerful inflammation drugs every day for aching joints — and even for gut pain and skin flare-ups.

And while they may ease symptoms temporarily, new research is exposing a disturbing tradeoff.

Some of the most popular inflammation drugs, called JAK inhibitors, are shutting down the very immune defenses your body depends on to fight infection.

And that’s a problem, because once you hit your 60s, your immune system is already weaker than it used to be.

And now a brand new analysis found these drugs may raise the risk of shingles by a staggering 137% compared to older biologic drugs.

That matters because shingles isn’t just a rash.

For seniors, it can trigger months, or years, of nerve pain.

JAK inhibitors are prescribed for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, and other autoimmune diseases.

They work by blocking inflammatory signals. That sounds good in theory.

But here’s the problem:

Inflammation isn’t always the enemy. It’s part of your immune defense.

Think of it like a fire alarm. Yes, constant false alarms are exhausting.

But disabling the alarm system entirely? Now the fire spreads unnoticed.

That’s essentially what happens here.

A major meta-analysis found JAK inhibitor users had up to a 60% higher rate of serious infections, depending on the drug and dose.

And they were a staggering 137% more likely to develop shingles.

Another real-world study found users had a 245% higher rate of serious non-shingles infections compared to IL-6 inhibitor users.

And these aren’t rare infections we’re talking about.

This includes pneumonia, dangerous bloodstream infections like sepsis, and so-called opportunistic infections—things like fungal lung infections, tuberculosis, or viral reactivations (like shingles) that a healthy immune system would normally keep in check.

For younger patients, that risk may be manageable.

But for seniors? It can mean hospitalization, dangerous complications, or a recovery the body simply doesn’t bounce back from the way it used to.

So why does this happen?

Well, JAK inhibitors interfere with interferons, critical immune messengers that help keep viruses like herpes zoster dormant.

Block those signals, and sleeping viruses can wake up. That’s shingles.

And it’s often brutal in older adults.

Burning pain, blistering skin, and lingering nerve damage.

And here’s the thing…

Whenever a drug “turns down” inflammation, ask what else it turns down.

Because inflammation isn’t just pain. It’s communication. Defense. Repair.

If you’re taking one of these drugs, or considering one, ask your doctor:

“What’s my infection risk?”
“Should I get the shingles vaccine first?”
“What’s the lowest effective dose?”
“Are there safer options?”

Because relief matters. But not at the cost of weakening the immune system you’ll need for the next battle.

To your health,

Ray Thatcher
Research Director, Health Sciences Institute

Sources:

• Yoshida, S., Miyata, M., Suzuki, E., Kanno, T., Sumichika, Y., Saito, K., Matsumoto, H., Temmoku, J., Fujita, Y., Matsuoka, N., Asano, T., Sato, S., & Migita, K. (2024). Incidence Rates of Infections in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Treated with Janus Kinase or Interleukin-6 Inhibitors: Results of a Retrospective, Multicenter Cohort Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(10), 3000. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13103000
• Choi, S. R., Shin, A., Ha, Y. J., Lee, Y. J., Lee, E. B., & Kang, E. H. (2023). Comparative risk of infections between JAK inhibitors versus TNF inhibitors among patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a cohort study. Arthritis research & therapy, 25(1), 129. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-023-03111-w
• Bechman, K., Subesinghe, S., Norton, S., Atzeni, F., Galli, M., Cope, A. P., Winthrop, K. L., & Galloway, J. B. (2019). A systematic review and meta-analysis of infection risk with small molecule JAK inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology (United Kingdom), 58(10), 1755-1766. https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/kez087
• Bertrand, A., Amiot, A., Martin, A., et al. (2026). Serious infection in inflammatory bowel disease patients treated with vedolizumab, ustekinumab, JAK inhibitors, anti-TNF, or aminosalicylates. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2026.04.015