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)

  

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

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RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR ARAVACOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 2  Immunosuppressant/Anti-Infection Extreme hair loss after less that one week. Stomach cramps are debilitating at times, along with intermittent loose stools. I want OFF of this medication but doc says I need it to fight the Polyoma virus that's struck my new kidney. This particular use of this drug is off-label. F 55 3 months
9/6/2006
 1  RA Extreme hair loss, gallbladder/liver pain, diarrhea, nausea I've only been on ARAVA for 4 months. Initially it worked great, but the last month it seems to have become toxic in my system. I've lost 1/2 of my hair mass and it continues to fall out. The stomach cramping and diarrhea are fairly moderate. I stopped taking ARAVA this morning and have made an appointment with a homeopathic doctor. Previosuly on methotrexate for 2 years until severe side effects occured. I'm so over putting this poison in my body. F 54 4 months
7/26/2006
 5  RA Initial scary hair loss so stopped the drug. Approx 1 yr later, started again at 10mg: now minimal hair loss, minimal inflammation, running again after 5 yrs of no running. Also on 20mg metho, 100g celebrex (prn) Haven't had a period for 10 weeks- not sure if it is related F 35 2 months
7/13/2006
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 1  RA diarrhea, after three weeks, afraid to eat out, in the bathroom a short time after eating, after being off it for 4 weeks i still have cramping, diahhrea and weight loss. red spots on chest and waistline. it's a horrible drug F 71 4 weeks
6/12/2006
 3  RA Intense taste perversion (constant metallic taste), headaches, rash Took 10mg/day for 3 months and had to quit because headaches and bad taste became intolerable. Experimented with dose for several months, and now take 10mg for two days, then a day off, then back on for two days,etc. This seems to be minimizing symptoms, while still providing joint relief. I'm also on methotrexate 20mg/week, prednisone (5mg/day) and relafen. F 51 8 days
6/4/2006
 3   F 55 21 days
4/4/2006
 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
 3  RA rash on my hands, mouth sores/thrush (can't even eat spicy foods) some diarrhea off and on, Overall I feel like Arava has helped by general stiffness but I am still having flares in various joints off and on so I am not sure the side affects are worth taking the medicine. Everything I eat hurts my mouth. I am using a rinse for my mouth but so far it just gives me a numbing relief.. hasn't made it go away. F 51 4 months
2/20/2006
 2  RA explosive diarrhea I have been taking Arava for 6 months. I have been feeling great but I am also on Enbrel and have been on Prednisone as well. I have finally weaned off of the Prednisone as of about 1 month ago. For the past month I have had increasing bouts of diarrhea with the last week being unbearable. If I eat at all I can expect to run to the bathroom every 7-10 minutes for about 4 hours. I am either starving or in the bathroom. My Rheumy has told me to stop taking it and is giving me something to have it rapidly removed from my system while binding me up. I will pick it up tomorrow. I am worried about another drug in its place since I have had no other side effects until now. F 34 6 months
2/16/2006
 5  ra none I feel soooo good. Finally I feel like I did before ra. mtx worked temporarily previously and now I was able to stop that and prednisone! F 40 2 months
2/5/2006
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 1  rheumatoid arthritis I started Oct 04 and started to experience diarrhea within 6 weeks or so. By Feb 05 I was living on Immodium for the daily diarrhea that was starting to wake me up at night. After a couple of "accidents" I saw a GI doc who could find NO reason for my diarrhea and rapid transit time. I stopped taking it in June and the diarrhea ceased within a few weeks. I have not had this problem since stopping this medicine. F 57
1/29/2006
 1  RA Hair loss. rashes that itches like crazy x/1000 chicken poz. I agree. Trying to get out of system for a month. Still lossing my hair and still have the rash. F 41 4 months
1/4/2006
 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
 3  rheumatoid arthritis chronic headache and fatugue, weight loss somehow helped me with lower part of my body (hardly any swelling) but upper half worse than ever. not sure if it's arava but haven't had to see doctor to remove fluid from my knees for about a year now. if only it would start helping my upper body.. F 28 1.5 years
11/12/2005
 3  psoriatic arthiritis slight nausea,palpitation and for some weird reason i've had my period for 12 days so far which has never happened b4 so i'm thinking the new medication. The Arava seems to be helping a little,my hands don't feel quite so sore and are nowhere near as swollen,but the rest of me still feels the same,maybe i'll try it a little longer and see what happens. Anyone interested in contacting me to swap stories feel free. F 48 4 weeks
11/8/2005
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 1  ra EXTREME HAIR LOSS went on arava for 6 wks, and it did nothing for me, but within 3 wks after stopping arava(the drug from hell) my hair fell out in clumbs!!! I'm still trying to get it out of my system,(remember all users it F 52 6 weeks
8/20/2005
 2  RA Diarreha, frequent urination, extreme rash, headaches. Although the drug did help the RA symptoms, it has made me very sick. The rash is the worst; extreme itching that keeps me awake and it on my abdomen and legs. The general feeling of weakness and headahes are also very difficult. It's very disappointing since I have had this terrible disease for 50 years. If it's not the RA it's the drugs! F 81 30 days
8/18/2005
 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
 3  RA When I initially started, I had no side effects but also did not have any relief. After about a month on Arava, I started to get loose stools all the time. During the 2nd and 3rd month, I started getting really bad diarrhoea every 3 or 4 days which would last a long time unless I took tons of Imodium and Ditropan. Then my rheumy doubled my Arava dosage and within a week, the diarrhoea became scarily horrendous! I also became extremely tired to the point where I had to stay in bed. I also started feeling really weird. She lowered the dosage and doubled my Plaquanil dosage but I still kept getting the diarrhoea although not as badly as on the double dose or Arava. I finally stopped the Arava and she is starting me on Methotrexate and continuing my Plaquanil. The Arava probably helped my RA about 20%. My neck and shoulder stiffness got much better although my finger joints were still pretty bad. My ankles are still swollen and my hips hurt all the time. I still had to go on 20 mg Prednizone if I needed to do anything that required some physical activity. F 51 4 months
7/11/2005
 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

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