What are the side effects of Deucravacitinib?
Last updated September 7, 2026.
**Most side effects of deucravacitinib (brand name Sotyktu) are mild, and the common ones are upper respiratory infections, cold sores, mouth ulcers, acne, and skin folliculitis.** Deucravacitinib is a once-daily pill that blocks TYK2 signaling to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. In studies it also raised blood creatine phosphokinase, a muscle enzyme, in some people without causing symptoms. Less common but more serious effects include shingles, other infections that need treatment, and changes in liver enzymes or triglycerides, which is why screening and follow-up labs matter. Unlike older JAK inhibitors, it does not carry a boxed warning, but your clinician still checks you for tuberculosis and hepatitis B or C before you start. Keep vaccines up to date before starting, since live vaccines are not recommended while you take it.
What to do
- Get screened first: Expect tuberculosis and hepatitis B and C testing before your first dose, plus baseline liver and lipid labs.
- Update vaccines early: Finish any live vaccines before starting, and stick to non-live options such as flu, COVID, and shingles vaccines afterward.
- Track mouth and skin changes: Photograph acne, folliculitis, or mouth ulcers and note when they started so your clinician can judge whether to treat or wait.
- Treat infections promptly: Report fever, chills, a lingering cough, night sweats, or burning with urination rather than waiting to see if they pass.
- Watch for shingles: A burning or tingling stripe of blisters on one side of the body needs antiviral treatment within about 72 hours, so call the same day.
- Keep the follow-up labs: Liver enzymes, triglycerides, and creatine phosphokinase are checked periodically, and skipping those draws hides problems that have no symptoms.
Related questions
- Are medication side effects worse at first
- Can i get health insurance outside open enrollment
- Can i see what my doctor wrote about me
- Can i text a doctor about medication side effects