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 |
| 2 | RA | I immediately experienced loud ringing in both ears and such an uptick in numbness and tingling mostly in my hands that I stopped the medication myself. This was a quality of life issue for me and I do not give any doctor permission to make that choice for me. | F | 54 | 2 days 20mg 1X day | 4/16/2023 | 2 | Mixed connective tissue disease | Some weight loss very little hair thinning but the pain always had low back calf and ankle pain but since starting arava I have pain in every joint and muscle in my body also burning in my back not sure if it's kidney pain | Most likely going to stop this medication I was going to give it the 6 wks that's when my dr says it starts working but after reading these reviews I'm terrified if any one has any advice please message me | F | 43 | 29 days 10 mg 1X day | 10/13/2021 | 2 | RA | Hair loss, insomnia and diarrhea, took activated charcoal for 1 week and got rid of it. | F | 44 | 4 months 20MG 1X day | 5/24/2021 | 2 | Mild psoriatic arthritis | On second day, extremely tired and foggy. Next few days seemed better in terms of not noticing any side effects. For next 2 weeks was mostly ok - got more tired at night than usual. Did find I was having trouble getting to sleep- never have problems like that. By about 2 1/2 weeks lots of problems. Racing heart, tickle in throat/cough, foggy, tired, inability to focus and affecting my ability to work. About 1 1/2 - hours after taking pill I would feel awful and would not go away. Felt dizzy and sort of like being tipsy or drunk. Did not feel safe driving either. Called doctor on day 22 to explain and they told me to stop medication. That was 3 days ago. Still not feeling back to normal though today was a little better. | This drug is not going to work for me. In addition, reading about side effects such as maybe losing my hair made me extremely anxious- which probably made my side effects worse. | F | 50 | 3 weeks 10 1X day | 9/4/2016 | 2 | RA | Horrible sun sensitivity. To the point my skin hurt after mowing and ended up with little red raised itchy spots all over. I never put 2 and 2 together, but I have also had the diarrhea others have mentioned for the last 2 years. In the last 2 months, my joint and muscles have not felt as good and I have had absolutely HORRIFIC hair loss. Lose much more and I will have to get a pixie cut and look like I have mange it is so bad. I emailed my doctor today and told him I'm not taking it anymore. Honestly, I felt better taking just plaquenil and prednisone for years. Disgusted at rheumatologic therapies. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to post today. Just keeping it real. | F | 44 | 2 years 20 mg 1X day | 7/25/2015 | 2 | psoriatic arthritis | I started with 10 mg per day, suffered 2 bouts of bronchitis, asthma was worse. After 2 mos. Rheumatologist decided to up dose to 20mg per day. PA pain under control and felt great for 21 days. Then acute diarrhea. I couldn't leave the house. Urgent care doctor put me on 2 doses of strong antibiotics no relief. I finally made the connection with arava/leflunamide. I have been advised to stop taking it. That was yesterday. Diarrhea is still acute. Hope it ends soon. | I wish I had known more about the side effects. I also experienced brain fog, nausea and gastrointestinal distress. | F | 51 | 4 months 20mg | 2/10/2015 | 2 | RA | I got off all drugs and apple cider vinegar worked for 3 years. After a flare up nothing worked for long and I had to change my diet; no white rice or bread. I find the best treatment is physical therapy with cold and hot water bathing and some rub on creams with arthritic gloves for the night. It takes time as you have to teach the body not to attack itself when sleeping (the autoimmune). | M | 59 | 30 days 20 mg 1X day | 11/16/2014 Patient History | 2 | RA | frequent nausea and diarrhea | So far, I have not seen the RA get better with leflunomide but it has not gotten worse either. The nausea is really hard to deal with, however, and I wonder if it is self-limiting. | F | 32 | 4 weeks 10mg 1X day | 5/23/2014 | 2 | rheumatoid arthritis | Feverish feeling, fatique, sore eyes, blurriness, light sensitivity, slight itchy rash | F | 61 | 6 weeks 20 mg. | 5/20/2014 | 2 | RA | Minimal hair loss, fatigue, muscle weakness, blurry vision, persistant cough, involuntary muscle spasms, loose stools, memory loss. | F | 42 | 1 months 20mg | 4/14/2014 | 2 | RA | I have been feeling nauseous a few hrs after taking the pill and will then throw up. I am always feeling itchy but there is never any rash. I get terrible headaches that can last almost all day. I also have been needing to constantly pee and have stomach cramps and occasionally chest pain. | F | 18 | 3 weeks 20mg | 3/16/2014 | 2 | Psoriatic Arthritis | Hair loss, decreased appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, abdominal pain, ITCHING(!!!), pneumonia. | I started Arava for psoriatic arthritis towards the middle-end of April. Initially the side effects seemed to be tolerable...weight loss and mild diarrhea. Recently I came down with a chest infection that turned into pneumonia. I ended up in the hospital on IV antibiotics for 6 days. I have since resumed the Arava, and now I am noticing quite a bit of hair loss. Most recently, I have discovered that it is making me very itchy. I have stopped it and restarted it twice, due to the pneumonia. Each time I restart it, within a few days, I become very itchy again. It is literally from head to toe, but there is no rash that I can see. I was previously on MTX, which was helping, but I was diagnosed with liver disease and am unable to take MTX at this point in time. However, given these new side effects, I may talk to my rheumatologist about switching back to MTX. I am also unable to take biologics at this point in time, due to a rare Remicade reaction. | F | 31 | 2 months 20 mg 1X day | 6/14/2013 | 2 | RA | Considerable fatigue, constant dry mouth/eyes/skin, tingling in feet/fingers, some hair loss. Extreme joint pain/swelling/immobility and muscle achiness. | RA Dr. doubled my dose yesterday to 20 mg a day, because I haven't had any relief from the 10mg daily dose.After reading everyone's experiences here, I'm a little nervous as to the worsening side effects. Sure hope this helps because I don't want to go on Biologics. | F | 53 | 6 months 10 MG 1X day | 2/1/2013 | 2 | Lupus/RA | Bad diarrhea for a day yesterday, but it hasn't helped feet pain so far | Was taking MTX for 5-6 years, but liver played up, so rheumatologist has switched me to Arava. Feet very painful still - I wonder if that will subside... | F | 66 | 3 weeks 10mg 1X day | 10/26/2012 | 2 | RA | After MTX respratory problems, Enbrel severe reaction, no effects with Orencia after 9 months (even though tolerable),3 weeks on Arava, i am exhausted and the last three days have had heart palpitations and increased blood pressure (this am 160/100), cough like i had on MTX - not looking good | F | 49 | 3 weeks 10 1X day | 8/6/2012 | 2 | RA | I just recently started the med. Stomach tore up bad and cramping daily. Irritability. So far I have increased pain.. in areas where I wasn't before. Will check back often. | M | 51 | 2 weeks 20mg | 7/29/2012 | 2 | Psoriasis flairing, no help with PSA | I have Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriasis...my psoriasis is 100 x worse than when I started this drug and my arthritis is not getting bette...not to mention the bronchitis and asthma that has only started in the last two weeks! This drug sucks | F | 41 | 21 days 20 mg 1X day | 9/8/2011 | 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 | 2 | RA | rashes, high BP | I have found natural solutions; please provide your actual e-mail address and not just your acronym if you want answers. many of you are suffering for nothing. | M | 55 | 6 months 20 mg 1X day | 1/13/2011 | 2 | RA | Mouth sores that lasted forever, itchy red bumps (looked like bites) on face, neck and chest. Finally rash spread all over arms and my doctor discontinued Arava and all is now healing. | F | 48 | 20 mg 1X day | 12/13/2010 |