ARAVA Reviews (LEFLUNOMIDE)

Average Rating: 2.8 (217 Ratings)

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 ANTIARTHRITICS

 Type: Rx Drug

  

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)

  

Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken longest to shortest.

Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11


RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR ARAVACOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 5  R/A No side effects. Take with MTX. Tried MTX w/o Arava and it doesn't work. Blood labs are fine. Guess I'm lucky. F 65 12 years
20 mg 1X day
7/23/2010
 5  rheumatoid arthritis At 20 mg initial dose experienced hair loss. Went down to 10 mg daily and no hair loss. No other side effects and blood work every 2 months was normal. Almost complete remission for 10 years with just occasional flares. Last Nov. it began to lose its effectivness. F 59 10 years
10 mg 1X day
7/7/2010
 4  Ra Didn't notice any side effects Was bedridden for months when first diagnosed with ra. Plaque nil was useless and methotrexate caused severe nausea. Very happy with arava results but now I've stopped due to concerns with messed up immune system F 43 10 years
20mg daily
4/10/2016
 4  RA I'm good with Arava. It's the cost of it lately that has caused me not to take it everyday, so my soreness could be due to that or just because I have RA. F 52 10 years
20mg 1X day
5/19/2016
 2  RA diarrhea,red spots on chest, hair loss, muscle pain, and just now after 10 yrs, elevated ALT and AST(2x the norm), stopped taking due to ALT 84 ,now rash on arms and legs (symmetrically) that really doesn't itch, top lip numb. Why now??? Anyone know??? Please help. Arava did help a little but I still had lots of pain. I knew when a storm was coming 1 day in advance. Taking 5 mgs of prednisone.I stopped taking the Arava 12-31-10 , and oh god I feel better than ever?? I don't know why. My doc prescribed the questran to get it out because of the rash and elevated liver enzymes. I hope this works.. I just hope this rash isn't serious. I am going to see my p.c.p. tomorrow and talk to a dermatologist to see what going on. I don't think this medicine is as good as it seems. I even contacted Arava makers and they didn't know what to tell me... UGHHH!!! F 43 10 years
20MGS 1X day
1/18/2011
Email
 5  RA Arava has worked wonders in my life and I'm almost symptom free of joint pain, swelling and fatigue, BUT I'M LITERALLY ALMOST BALD AND IT DEPRESSES ME! F 39 8 years
10 MG
2/18/2014
Email
 4  RA Initially, I experienced reduction in the severity and length of flair-ups with the help of steroids. After 6 months, hair started falling out in handfuls, numbness in balls of feet and toes, rash under the arms. Also, weight gain from intermittent steroid use. Dermatologist cured rash, Rheumatologist recommended folic acid for hair loss (taking 2400 MCG per day to stop hair loss). Still have numbness in feet that is tolerable. Blood sugar has slowly creeped up along with cholesterol and am borderline diabetic. I moderate diet by almost eliminating red meat and sugar. Eating more salmon and chicken and eliminating wheat helps. I also take ibuprofen and Hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg when i sense the occasional flair-up coming to reduce symptoms. If the flair is severe, I have to add a dose of steroids, too. Early on, my rheumatologist recommended a dose of MTX with Arava. I could not tolerate it, so have managed to moderate my RA for years with Arava only. I go through spurts of fair ups and then nothing for months. I guess you could call me lucky that I don't experience some of the more drastic counter interactions of this drug. I wish i could be off of Arava indefinitely but am glad that it has brought my symptoms somewhat under control. I am investigating taking an Indian homeopathic called Zyflamend recommended by a doctor to reduce inflammation. Have not tried this yet. F 65 8 years
20 1X day
10/14/2012
 3  RA abd AS Been on Arava off and on for over six years. Side effects were the usual, hair loss and hair dryness, nailbed problems, gastro problems, but the main problem was and remains vertigo and loss of balance. When I go off Arava I never trip over my own two feet, but on Arava I loss my balance and fall once or twice a week, have a tough time with uneven pavement or stairs. Has reduced frequency and duration of flares but I'm still wondering if the side effects are worth the moderate relief. Sort of stuck here, though, can't take Enbrel (dangerously elevated my liver enzymes) or MTX, am running out of options. F 62 6 years
11/11/2006
Email
 5  RA unpredictable diarrhea is the most bothersome side efect. Non-itchy rash on legs. Came off it briefly (3 Months) and was soon experiencing swelling fingers, morning stiffness, joint pain. F 55 5 years
6/19/2007
 5  RA no side effects , works brilliantly for me. F 46 5 years
20 mg
4/18/2013
 4  Severe RA I do get diarrhoea with this drug especially if I eat wheat. My hair became very thin. When I first started taking Arava it gave me a new zest of life. Especially less fatigue. I came off Arava when I started taking Humira early in the year when I experienced a nasty flare. Not a good idea!!! So now back on Arava again. Flare has worsen and currently taking Enbrel too. Hope this goes well.I also take Methotrexate and Mobic. Good luck! F 36 5 years
10/25/2007
 4  R.A. and SLE Lupuss In beginning, awful diahria. Better now on 10mg. On for 5 years +. Beginning to get high blood pressure, high cholesterol, anemia, extreme itching, after shower or shaving; in arms and legs. Would like to know if anyone else has taken this long, and if they experienced the side effects after long term use? F 42 5 years
1/3/2006
 4  RA Arava helped for five years, though frequent diarrhea, some hair loss, fatigue and dry skin. Now diarrhea got so violent that social life became intolerable. Off the drug for two months now but no easing up. Still think it's the Arava, but my physician doubts that - i doubt my physician. F 69 5 years
10 mg 1X day
10/24/2010
Email
 3  Rheumatoid Arthritis Paresthesias of the hands. Hair loss, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, diarrhea, off balance, feel like I'm going to fall over. Have now come off this drug as I was told this was the cause of my hand paresthesias after already having carpel tunnel surgery. F 58 5 years
10/3/2007
 5  psoriatic arthritis gastro only, but had problems before taking Arava. Monthly lab work clean Psoriasis symptoms gone. I couldn't put my weight on my left leg due to psoriatic arthritis in knee. Within days, I was able to do so. After 3 years, I am 90% free of pain and discomfort. Sometimes better. What I do still notice is manageable, but I do miss curling my leg up in the chair before sitting - just can't bend the knee comfortably that far! F 51 4 years
6/16/2009
 5  RA no side effects at all F 46 4 years
30 mg
12/18/2012
 5  exhausted all other RA meds eccept Diarrhea Many Times a day& frequent urination F 56 4 years
5 mg
4/6/2014
Email
 4  Rhemutoid Arthiritis Arava helped me a great deal. The side effects that I experienced were mouth sores and hair loss. Once I discovered the mouth sores I would simply skip a does and the mouth sores would go away. My hair has gotten thinner but not so thin to the point where I would rather stop the Arava and continue with pain. It has helped me alot in my case. F 16 3 years
4/3/2006
 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
 3  RA & OA Loss of libido. Very red, itchy rash on sides of thumbs and wrists, where the bone is close to the skin. As I cut down on my dosage, the rash started to subside. The doctor was not familiar with this side effect, but told me to discontinue for the time being. F 72 3 years
12/9/2009
  

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)

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