ARAVA Reviews (LEFLUNOMIDE)Average Rating: 2.8 (217 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare ARAVA with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Gender males first. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on ARAVA: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ARAVA | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | RA | None at all. Possibly because of my age or possibly due to a stomach made of iron. | M | 52 | 12 months | 10/21/2006 | 5 | ra | Diarrhea | M | 54 | 8 months | 1/20/2002 | 5 | RA | I have noticed dry skin, and started loosing weight. Have lost 40+ pounds, not complaining though. (Possible weight loss product?!!) When I first started, diahrea, then just loose stools after the first couple of months. Has relieved my RA pain and stiffness, so I give it a high-five. | M | 56 | 9 months | 5/4/2007 | 5 | RA | I have noticed dry skin, and started loosing weight. Have lost 40+ pounds, not complaining though. (Possible weight loss product?!!) When I first started, Diarrhea, then just loose stools after the first couple of months. Has relieved my RA pain and stiffness, so I give it a high-five. | M | 56 | 9 months | 5/4/2007 | 5 | RA | Diarrhoea at the beginning and itchiness resembling scabies. Also SGOT and SGPT were elevated. After decreasing the dose from 20 to 10 mg per day side effects dissapeared. | Have been taking it for 14 months now combined with Plaquenil and Cortisone. The symptoms of the disease vanished. Still have trouble waking up and gained weight mainly due to cortisone i presume. | M | 32 | 14 months | 7/17/2007 | 4 | ps | diaroheae mainly at night | pain in joints reduced sometimes to zero. Periodic flare up easily controlled by steroid injections. | M | 49 | 3 years | 10/14/2008 | 4 | R A | makes me itchy in the upper arms, nothing serious though | i have just been put on the drug by my rhemo, about a month ago, my swelling much reduced as is the pain in my ankles. seems to help the mtx which i've been on for 2 years. rheumo says there are more good drugs available soon. let's hope so. mail me if you wanna talk symtoms or need somebody who knows what it's like. | M | 60 | 30 days | 7/18/2005 | 4 | rheumatoid arthritis | Rashes that I know are related. I can stop Arava and the rash disappears. When I start it again, the rash comes back ...mostly in the neck and lower leg areas. Works great on RA, but the publicity scares me. | M | 54 | 1.5 years | 3/17/2004 | 4 | RA | 1st took arava a couple of years ago after failing mtx,remicade. Worked ok, then great with enbril. Went off all med's for 18 mo's (yeah), just starting with Arava again. Having stomach cramps, gas and diarrhea. RA symptoms decreased after about 3 wks. | M | 52 | 2 months | 11/6/2007 | 4 | rheumatoid arthritis | M | 74 | 12 months | 4/24/2007 | 4 | Inflamatory Arthritis | Loose stools but knee now much better. Started Avara after 12 years on methotrexate, this used to knock me for six once a week and had ceased to be affective. | So far so good, 3 weeks without metho and 3 weeks on Avara. Swelling has gone in knee, aided by gym/physio exercise. Bloods all cleat, exercise has kept blood pressure in the right range, even managed to walk and play 18 holes of Golf for the first time in 4 months... fingers crossed it keeps working... | M | 43 | 3 weeks 20 1X day | 10/10/2012 | 3 | PA | Diarrhea, some tingling hands/feet, some stomach cramps, high liver blood results, much fatigue, short breathed, dizziness | Started on 20mg/day, now down to 10mg/2nd-day. Am getting constant bad test results (although not usually extreme) with my liver, one time I had to stop taking for 1 week to bring liver blood tests down. Swelling has decreased and pain is less, however still very stiff and extra joints continue to flair. The diarrhea was bad at the start but after reducing dose has settled. I am in 2 minds as to whether this has been a good experience but when I think about how I was and where I was going, I suppose it has helped. I do not think I will be able to continue with my liver results, wait and see. I hear that the next stronger meds have even worse side effects. | M | 44 | 8 months 10 1X day | 3/8/2010 | 3 | RA | Severe stomach cramps. Dizziness. Dry hair. Blurred vision. | Methotrexate quit working for me. Was on Humira, but developed heart problems. Has eased my flares somwwhat. Have had RA for 25 years. | M | 55 | 3 months | 4/27/2007 | 3 | RA | Intermittent fatigue, low B/P when arising in morning, typically 70/40, frequent nightly urination - 4/6 times, appetite loss, short of breath after minor exertion | Diagnosed with RA 30 yrs ago. Naproxyn,plaquenil not effective with increased symptoms in last few months. MTX side effects were similar, but spontaneous infections/pain put me in the E/R 3 times (admitted once for elevated WBC). Opted off MTX as quality of life was poor due to fatigue - sleeping 16 hrs/day & force feeding to keep weight up. Have been taking Arava every other day for 16 days. Was to start one/day yesterday, but due to side effects, will continue every other day & notify doc. | M | 66 | 16 days | 7/30/2008 | 3 | psoriatic arthritis | none realy at the moment but is early days as i have only been taken them for two month after taken methotrextrate for two years which were not agreeing with me,[rash problems] | M | 47 | 8 weeks | 11/4/2004 | 3 | Rheumatoid arthrities | Stomach problems every morning after taking them for 3 months. | I have had problems with my stomach with over drugs for RA so don't let it put you off | M | 45 | 6 months | 9/24/2002 | 3 | PS Arthritis | Headaches, loss of taste, itching around ankles and waist, mild stomach cramps. | I'm taking the generic version 20 mg daily and 5mg Prenisone daily along with Enbrel 50mg once a week. Diagnosed with PsA 3 years ago. Initially put on MTX and increased to 20mg weekly but it stopped working. Until I started Enbrel about a year ago, pain and swelling throughout my body had made me almost cripple but I still had to work fulltime. I will reach the lifetime maximum insurance coverage of $15,000 for Enbrel very soon so doctor has started me on Arava in hopes that it will work as well as Enbrel. If it doesn't, I'm probably screwed until I reach Medicare age unless new affordable drugs come to market. | M | 56 | 14 days | 1/2/2010 | 2 | connective tissue disorder | After 1 week of Arava I broke out in a severe rash covering my upper arms, legs and abdomen. The rash was so itchy I was frantic, antihistamines did not work. I had to take prednisone to deal with the rash which lasted 1 month. The rash felt like chickenpox x/1000. It made my life hell, I have also reacted to sulfasalazine and methotrexate. | M | 39 | 10 days | 5/23/2005 | 2 | psoriatic arthritis | extreme fatigue, racing/pounding heart, elevated heart rate | I have only been on for 8 days and I am hoping that these side effects subside. I will call MD re the pounding and elevated heart rate which is not constant. So far, no noticeable relief. | M | 50 | 8 days | 4/14/2009 | 2 | Psoriatic Arthritis | Tingling in my hands, intermitent diarrhea and today I am being sent to hospital by my local doctor for a CAT scan of my abdomen as she believes I have now developed a stomach ulcer. This meidication has treated my arthritis very well, but the side affects are terrible. My stomach gets upset every time I take the tablet (20mg). I am considering coming off the medication. | My Arthritis is aweful, but I am wondering if the side affects of this drug is worth it. | M | 42 | 6 months | 5/20/2009 |
ARAVA (LEFLUNOMIDE): This medication is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, a condition in which the body's defense system (immune system) fails to recognize the body as itself and attacks the healthy tissues around the joints. Leflunomide helps to reduce the joint damage/pain/swelling and helps you to move better. It works by weakening your immune system and decreasing swelling (inflammation). FDA Approval Date: 1998-09-10 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)