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 Satisfaction highest to lowest. 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 |
| 1 | Ra | Loss of taste and smell diarehha but didn't start until about 6 weeks after starting medication | F | 63 | 2 months 10 mg | 7/13/2015 | 1 | OSTEOARTHIRITS/PSORIS | WHOLE BODY HAS RED SPOTS AFTER A GASTROINTESTINAL REACTION,MOUTH ULCERS.,URINE INFECTION | I AM VERY AFRAID TO TAKE THIS MEDICATION ANYMORE BECAUSE I CANNOT ACCEPT THIS SIDE EFFECTS | M | 59 | 6 days 10MG 1X day | 5/19/2015 | 1 | Arthritis | Took 5 pills First morning, then 1 a day for 2 days. Though I was going to have a seizure or something, felt like I was trembling all over, couldn't sleep and felt edgy. Called doc, she did't think it was the med, but take a break & try again. Next week, started with one pill, by end of 3 rd day trembling started again...glad I didn't take the bigger dose. Stopped pills again, feeling gone after 24 hours. | Really wanted this to work but the way I felt was scary | F | 59 | 20 days 1X day | 12/9/2014 | 1 | RA | Hair loss started right away. And chest pains and blood pressure was very high. My rheumatologist never told me about the bad side affects. Make sure you know how bad you can feel on this medication. I finally went off of it when I was getting very sharp pains in my chest like I was being stabbed. My blood pressure was high. My primary care physician told me to get off of the drug because of the high blood pressure and chest pains. My rheumatologist said my hair loss would stop when I stopped taking the leflunomide and I should see a dermatologist if my hair loss was still a problem. He sure is not very knowledgeable about it staying in your system for up to 2 years. Got a new rheumatologist. He said it does stay in your system up to 2 years. You have to be your own advocate for your health. | F | 59 | 5 months 20mg 1X day | 12/1/2014 | 1 | RA | headache, nausea, loss of appetite (but not worth death) sweating profusely as in sopping wet on my clothes sheets, extreme weakness in legs and feet, chest pain, vision, confusion or just blah brain, worsening of dry eyes, nose and mouth, dizziness, sleepiness and also sleeplessness, over all feeling of severe side effects started on 4th day of taking the medication. Took for 3 more days and then just had to stop it. After 3 days off side effects are going away and first noticable was sweating and headache thank god. | I have been on just about everything and methatrexate started to make me feel sicker then usual after 12 yrs on it. Very strange that I started to suffer all of the worse side effects after so long. So then the PA said, OH LETS try Arava, wihtout telling me anything about these horrible side effects I now read about. This is insane to take this medication as I have felt I was dying and I still do not feel well at all. I am still on Humera but now hesitate to take this weeks dosage. Anyone is free to contact me about this drug or any other RA information. Do I have to take that other drug to get 7 days of Arava out of my system??? | F | 54 | 7 days 10 1X day | 10/21/2014 | 1 | spondylitis | severe hair loss, cysts/cystic acne, headaches, high blood pressure, rash, itching, chronic yeast infection | I started on the 10 mg dose and was fine, increased to 20 mg after a month and my hair was coming out by the hand fulls. Headaches and cysts in my face followed. I literally have a small hole in my cheek one was so deep. I had bug bites on my legs that grew into what looked like eczema and needed a week or two of rx hydrocortisone to heal. I had a chronic yeast infection-not sure if related, that took numerous OTC treatments, diflucan and finally resorted to coconut oil to control it. I stopped the drug and my hair continues to fall out, and now I am starting to itch all over and am nauseous with cramping. I plan to do the wash out-not sure what is worse the side effects, especially the hair loss, or the stress from all this. I have lost at least half the hair on my head, and it is to the point that I am afraid to brush my hair as I blow dry it as it pulls so much out. This is emotionally devastating. | F | 43 | 3 months 20 1X day | 10/7/2014 | 1 | ra | Got verry ill i got confused memory loss tingling left side went numb frequent urine vomiting severe stomach ache light color stools insomnia and my daughter thought i had a stroke it cause neurological problems stroke symptoms i fell out while at the store this medication almost killed me i wouldnt wish tht on anyone the ra meds they have are dangerous i have tried methotrexate embriel amd now this make sure if ur gonna take tgis medicine do research first they were gonna do surgery cause thwy thought i was suffeeing from gallbladder problems | F | 51 | 7 days 10 | 9/14/2014 | 1 | RA | I took this approximately ten hours ago for the first time ever. I immediately felt nauseous which subsided somewhat after eating. I then began feeling anxious for some reason and then came the nonstop itching. I can't seem to stop. My throat itches, my neck itches, my scalp itches, my torso itches. I should have been to sleep three hours ago, and have had no relief from the itching two hours post-benadryl. I hate this drug. I can't imagine what it is doing to my organs. | I was diagnosed with RA a year ago. Fortunately, I worked at my job for 21 years and received STD and LTD until my SSD was approved. What a ride. I have tried methotrexate, Plaquenil, prednisone, Humira. The drugs for this disease have caused me to be so sick at times I thought I would die. The worst was the methotrexate cough that turned into bronchitis. I literally laid in bed for five weeks taking monstrous antibiotics which seemed to make me more sick. I have a bad feeling about this Arava and will be calling my rheumatologist in the morning to report the annoying itching and anxiousness. This drug isn't for me. | F | 49 | 1 days 20mg 1X day | 9/11/2014 | 1 | arthritis | lethargy, severe hair loss that has not abated. | what a nightmare! I stopped the drug a month ago and my hair's still coming out in clumps (even though I've been taking 10mg biotin, 3mg folic acid, and using Rogaine every day). I started the cholestyramine wash-out a few days ago. Still losing hair in clumps, worried about bald spots on otherwise waist length hair. Arava made me lethargic, the cholestyramine's not slowing the hair loss yet, but it's making me sick and I'm missing work because of this. Horrifying experience. | F | 50 | 2 months 20mg 2X day | 9/10/2014 | 1 | Ankylosing Spondylitis | Horrible drug. Very harsh and irritating to my body. Got over the stomach issues that happened first, but got severe headaches all the time. The pain from inflammation and join pains got worse. I got off the drug after six days because I feared for my life. Felt like I was going to have a stroke. My PCP said that Arava made the inflammation in my sinuses worse and probably made vascular inflammation worse. Got off it asap. | I understand the drug stays in your system for two entire years. One has to take another horrible drug with side effects to 'wash out' the Arava. Never will touch this poison again. It's not worth it. | F | 67 | 6 days 30 MG 1X day | 3/3/2014 | 1 | RA | Loose stools, bad stomach cramps, badly blurred vision, fatigue, nausea. I ended up in ER over holidays. Thought it was influenza but it was Arava and it was awful. Stopped med for 3 weeks and started again to be sure...it is the Arava. It works wonders for the RA but I lost three jean sizes in 3 weeks from the side effects...too sick to eat. | F | 48 | 4 weeks 10 mg | 2/3/2013 | 1 | RA | loose stools, nausea, blurred vision, tingling/numbness in feet/arms/face | I had no side effects with humira and mtx but after my baby was born, they weren't as effective. Changed to Actemra and MTX but rheumatologist was still not happy with results so replaced MTX with leflunomide. Worked wonders for my RA but the side effects negated the positives. Took cholestyramine to flush leflunomide out of my system 2 weeks ago but still recovering. Going back to MTX pills. | F | 34 | 3 months 20 mg 1X day | 11/14/2012 | 1 | RA | Fatigue (more like complete exhaustion), shortness of breath, heart palpitations, persistant cough, hair loss (hair down to my waist. I had to cut it up to my shoulders. It was coming out in handfuls) | F | 36 | 4 months 20mg | 7/23/2012 | 1 | rh | burning sensation hands & feet . Head aches .ulcr type rash | M | 54 | 4 months 10mg daily | 6/10/2012 | 1 | RA | Started Arava 10 mg daily "test" dose late 2/2012 w/out obvious incident after a MISERABLE failure of methotrexate. Dose increased to Arava 20 mg daily 3/1/2012 w/immediate improvement in pain, fatigue BUT ALSO SIDE EFFECTS. These started w/ SEVERE BLURRED VISION, BURNING SOLES OF FEET, SEVERE BRUISING, RECTAL BLEEDING, NEW ONSET SUPRAVENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA (SVT) REQUIRING HEART TO BE "STOPPED"/"RESET" IN E.R., NEW ONSET ANGINA. *I* am a Physician Assistant and know in my gut that this IS due to the drug as I have normal cholesterol, hormal blood pressure and no risk factors for heart disease other than family history. Was initially thrilled to be painfree for the first time in over a decade but AFTER READING THESE POSTS (FOUND AFTER MY HEART EPISODE) REALIZE THAT THE RISK:BENEFIT PROFILE IS **NOT** WORTH TAKING THIS MED. | Did Arava 10 mg "test" dose X 15 days, then was on 20 mg X 15 days before heart went into SVT and had to be stopped to "reset" in addition to multiple other side effects. | F | 50 | 15 days 20 mg 1X day | 3/19/2012 | 1 | ra | Just gathering data. Not taking it yet. Want to know what I'm doing. I have my rx on my nightstand, but I'm afraid. | F | 37 | 3 days 30? | 1/12/2012 | 1 | RA | I am a Senior Nurse Educator, so I know what I am talking about, and Arava almost killed me. I started taking it Oct 4, 2011, and by October 31, I was admitted through the Emergency with DKA, and I had never had diabetes in my life. My blood sigars were uncontrollable, I had nausea and vomitting, and diarhea the whole time I was taking the medicine. All food tasted strange with a horrible after taste ( when I could eat a bite). My Amylase, and ALT were extrememly high as was my Creatinine. They though I would need dialysis. I had a UTI, and uncontrollable blood sugars when I was admitted. I had problems with feet, numbness and tingling, and massive echymosis from any blood draw. I have a cough that makes me pee my pants even 2 months later. I will be diabetic, and take insulin the rest of my life, had foggy brain, and even forgot words at times. I almost died in the hospital where I was admitted for 10 days while they tried to get my body back to normal. It did work on my RA pain, but | F | 50 | 25 days 20mg 1X day | 12/26/2011 | 1 | RA | I went to see my RA doctor and she was out, her PA was there and told me she was starting me with Arava She told me that if I had diarrhea, not to stop taking Arava because after one month the diarrhea would eventually go away. I followed the doctors instructions, after four weeks of diarrhea I started having severe rectum pain, I was not able to move without hurting. I could not urine without my rectum hurting. I continued to take avara not realizing that it was the cause of my pain. After a month and one day, I stopped taking avara and my diarrhea stopped but, I still continued with severe rectum pain, I made an appointment with a Rectum specialist and two months later I was diagnosed with a fissure. A fissure is caused by repeated episodes of diarrhea, I ended up having surgery. One month after surgery I am still in pain and I have to wait until my appointment next month, Oct 2011 to see what else can be done. I would have rather put up with the pain and suffering of RA t | If you develop diarrhea don't let it go to far. Stop taking Arava. | F | 50 | 1 months 20mg 1X day | 9/25/2011 | 1 | psoriatic arthritis | My brother was taking this and it killed him. | Don't take this, it is highly toxic and very dangerous. Look at natural remedies instead, they may take a little longer to work but they'll fix the problem rather than mask your symptoms | M | 34 | 1X day | 8/29/2011 | 1 | Arthritis | Enlarged Heart, Fluid around lungs and Heart, Loss of Hair and Eye Lashes, Severe Indigestion | Taken with Methotrexate. Would never take either of these drugs again even though Arthritis symptoms were a lot less. Far too many side effects. | F | 61 | 10 months 10 1X day | 7/6/2011 |