Key takeaways

  • Common side effects of Dupixent include injection site reactions and mouth or throat pain.
  • Serious side effects can include severe eye problems and certain conditions involving white blood cells, requiring prompt medical attention.
  • Dupixent is not known to cause cancer. Some studies suggest a possible link to weight gain.

Dupixent is a prescription medication that’s used in some cases to treat the following conditions in adults and certain children:

Dupixent is also used in adults to treat:

Keep reading to learn about the common, mild, and serious side effects that Dupixent can cause.

Some people may experience mild or serious side effects during their Dupixent treatment. Examples of Dupixent’s more commonly reported side effects include:

  • mouth or throat pain
  • cold sores
  • injection site reactions
  • eye-related side effects

For more information about some of these side effects, see the “Tips for managing side effects” section.

Examples of mild side effects that have been reported with Dupixent include:

  • injection site reactions
  • mild eye-related side effects
  • cold sores
  • joint pain
  • mouth or throat pain
  • toothache
  • difficulty sleeping
  • gastritis (inflammation in the stomach)
  • eosinophilia (increased numbers of white blood cells called eosinophils)

In most cases, these side effects should be temporary. And some may be easily managed, too. But if you have any symptoms that are ongoing or that bother you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Do not stop treatment with Dupixent unless your doctor recommends it.

For more information about some of these side effects, see the “Tips for managing side effects” section.

The preceding list does not include all the side effects of Dupixent. For more information on the drug’s side effects, see the drug’s prescribing information.

Serious side effects of Dupixent reported in studies include:

  • serious eye-related side effects
  • eosinophilic conditions (conditions involving increased numbers of white blood cells called eosinophils)

For more information about these side effects, see the “Tips for managing side effects” section.

If you develop serious side effects during Dupixent treatment, call your doctor right away. If the side effects seem life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

Dupixent skin side effects

After Dupixent became available on the market, the following skin-related side effects were reported: psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, facial skin reactions, such as rash, scaliness, itching, and swelling, and skin papillomas.

It’s unclear whether Dupixent was the cause of these conditions, as studies of Dupixent did not report them.

Note: After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks and reviews side effects of the medication. Sharing your experience helps make medication safer for everyone by giving doctors and researchers more information about how the drug works in real life. If you develop a side effect during Dupixent treatment and want to tell the FDA about it, visit MedWatch or call 800-332-1088.

Allergic reaction

For some people, Dupixent can cause an allergic reaction.

In general, symptoms of an allergic reaction can be mild or serious.

What might help?

If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may suggest a treatment to manage your symptoms and can determine whether you should continue treatment with Dupixent.

If you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or difficulty breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms could be life threatening and require immediate medical care.

If your doctor confirms you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Dupixent, they may have you switch to a different treatment.

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about Dupixent’s side effects.

It’s possible. Weight gain was not reported as a side effect in clinical studies of Dupixent. However, other studies have looked at weight gain with dupilumab (Dupixent’s active ingredient).

One study found that weight gain was higher in people who received dupilumab than in people who took other systemic medications for atopic dermatitis. (Systemic means a treatment that affects the whole body.) A review of studies also suggests weight gain is a possible side effect of dupilumab.

In addition, weight gain is a common side effect of steroid medications taken by mouth. These are often used to treat severe atopic dermatitis, asthma, COPD, and rhinosinusitis, which Dupixent also treats.

If you have concerns about weight gain with the medications you take, talk with your doctor. They can suggest ways to maintain a weight that’s healthy for you.

No, that’s not likely. Studies have not found any increased risk of cancer in people who receive Dupixent.

There is an increased risk of cancer with certain immunosuppressant medications used to treat severe eczema or asthma. Immunosuppressants reduce certain functions of your immune system, which is your body’s defense against disease. These medications can reduce your body’s ability to find and kill cancerous cells.

But Dupixent does not weaken your entire immune system. It only affects a couple of immune system proteins. So it’s unlikely to affect your body’s ability to find and destroy cancerous cells.

Learn more about some of the side effects Dupixent may cause.

Joint pain

Some people may have joint pain (also known as arthralgia) during treatment with Dupixent. But in studies, arthralgia was reported only in people who took Dupixent for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (long-term swelling in the nasal passages and sinuses with nasal polyps). This side effect was not particularly common.

If you have joint pain from Dupixent treatment, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about ways to manage this. For example, some of the following remedies may help:

  • applying hot or cold packs to affected joints
  • getting gentle exercise, such as swimming
  • practicing relaxation techniques, such as meditation or breathing exercises

If you have joint pain that’s bothersome, ask your pharmacist to recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever. Examples include acetaminophen (Tylenol) and anti-inflammatory gels, such as diclofenac (Voltaren). However, if you have asthma, avoid taking oral anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen (Advil). (“Oral” means taken by mouth.)

Eye-related side effects

Dupixent commonly causes ocular (eye-related) side effects. Mild eye-related side effects that have been reported with Dupixent include:

Serious eye-related side effects that have been reported with Dupixent include keratitis (inflammation of the cornea, the outer surface of the eye). If keratitis is not treated, it can damage your eyesight or cause other problems, such as corneal ulcers.

Symptoms of eye-related side effects may include:

If you wear contact lenses or have any current eye problems, talk with your doctor before starting Dupixent treatment. They can determine whether Dupixent is right for you. They can also suggest ways to help avoid eye-related side effects.

During Dupixent treatment, contact your doctor right away if you have eye-related symptoms or any new or worsening eye problems. Your doctor will check your eyes and recommend a suitable treatment, depending on the symptoms you have.

Keeping track of side effects

During your Dupixent treatment, consider keeping notes on any side effects you’re having. Then, you can share this information with your doctor. This is especially helpful when you first start taking new drugs or using a combination of treatments.

Your side effect notes can include things such as:

  • what dose of drug you were using when you had the side effect
  • how soon after starting that dose you had the side effect
  • what your symptoms were from the side effect
  • how it affected your daily activities
  • what other medications you were also taking
  • any other information you feel is important

Keeping notes and sharing them with your doctor will help your doctor learn more about how a drug affects you. And your doctor can use this information to adjust your treatment plan if needed.

Dupixent can sometimes cause harmful effects in people who have certain conditions. This is known as a drug-condition interaction. Other factors may also affect whether Dupixent is a good treatment option for you.

Talk with your doctor about your health history before you start Dupixent treatment. Be sure to tell them if any of the following apply to you:

Disclaimer: While Healthline strives for factual, comprehensive, and current information, this article is not a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional’s expertise. Always consult a doctor before taking or discontinuing any medication. Drug information is subject to change and may not cover all uses, directions, precautions, warnings, interactions, reactions, or adverse effects. The lack of a warning does not guarantee a drug’s safety, effectiveness, or appropriateness for all patients or specific uses. Learn more about our approach to content integrity.