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 Date added. 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 | AS | adverse reaction in combination with any NSAID - racing heart, panicky sensation, unable to focus and concentrate, unable to sleep. | besides being ineffective in treating my symptoms, this drug caused dangerous interactions for me - taking it with even small (1/4 to 1/5 pill) doses of voltaren, aleve or any other NSAID caused extremely elevated heart beat and pronounced panicky sensation. I went to the ER because of this drug, before i figured out what was happening. I would give it a minus rating if it were available here. If I had taken what my doctor had prescribed, which was 20 mg arava along with two Aleves twice a day, I'd probably be dead of a heart attack by now. | M | 53 | 3 months | 10/18/2008 | 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 | racing heart, diarrhea,frequent urination,frequent pulmonary infections. | i am unable to take other ra drugs as i had a severe reaction to remicade. hopefully these problems will work themselves out. not too many rx options for me. | F | 44 | 4 months | 9/9/2008 | 5 | R/A | started on 20mg but got severe side effects,hair loss,diarrohea,headaches,tingling of hands aand feet,severe weight loss, .have been on the drug now for 2 years at the lower dose of 10mg and find the weight loss has stabilised,small hair loss,tingling of the hands and feet,poor appettite,always tired and hard too get to sleep,but has helped wonderfully and is worth enduring with the side effects as quality of life has improved and the pain is tolerable | Have severe R/A,Hashimotos thryoiditis,ankolysing spondilitis,uvetis. I'am also on mxt 7.5mg,prednisolone 5mg,plaquenil 400mg and opium patches for pain | F | 46 | 2 years | 9/1/2008 | 3 | R.A. | fatigue, heart racing | Not much relief yet. also on predisone....down from 10mg to 8 and trying to get off of it......weight gain. i think the racing heart is more due to predisone than arava, but not sure. I'm a recently diagnosed RA patient and I do not know how you others have lived with this kind of pain for so long. some days i wake up in screaming pain; other days are tolerable. how do you live with this? | F | 61 | 2 months | 8/23/2008 | 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 | 1 | RA | extremely tired, loss of apetite and losing weight which I really can't affort. | I've had juvenile onset ra, basicly all my life. This is probably one of the most horible drugs I've taken after methotraxate. So I won't be staying on this drug much longer! | F | 40 | 2 months | 5/3/2008 | 3 | RA - Fibromyralgia | Severe hair loss, diarrohea, tingling sensation in hands and feet,brittle nails, very dry eyes | appears to control inflamation of joints but the side effects are worrying and getting worse. am also on Plasmaquin, prednisone, folic acid , omega oils -B complex. surely there is a more natural way to treat this condition? | F | 45 | 6 months | 4/6/2008 | 2 | ankylosing spondylitis | Hair loss, diarrhea | F | 50 | 6 months | 3/2/2008 | 3 | RA | Hair Loss, Numbness and tingling in hands & arms, loose stools, frequent urination | Have been taking for 12 weeks now, symptoms started about 4 weeks ago gradually have become more noticable. A bit vague at first but convinced now it is due to this drug. I am also on methotrexate 20mg and prednisone 7.5mg. The hair falling out is a little worring, I am wondering if it will stop before I am bald!! The loose stools, not quite bad enough to stop the drug. The numbness and tingling in my hands and arms is driving me mad, keeping me awake and they ache all night long, during the day it feels like I have lead weights attached to my arms and if they are hanging down or I hold them up they ache. Also think this drug may be causing me to urinate frequently feels like I have the start of a urinary tract infection, but have been checked out nothing. Has anyone had these symptoms and continued the medication with success, i.e. the symptoms have decreased? My GP has told me to stop it as my rhuemy is away on vacation for a month, so I don't know what to do. | F | 37 | 12 weeks | 1/9/2008 | 1 | JRA | Hair loss | Did nothing for my RA, hair dried out and got quite thin (I was 22 at the time). 2yrs later my hair is no better. | M | 6 weeks | 1/2/2008 | 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 | 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 | 5 | rheumatoid arthritis | came off arava for 5 weeks on methotrexate which was useless all symptoms returned now back on arava no side effects brilliant medication now on 20mg arava per day 15mg methotrexate weekly feel like a new person | very expensive but the best | F | 45 | | 10/24/2007 | 3 | ankylosing spondylitis | Very bad diarreah that persisted for several months though lessened slightly as went forward. Bouts of intense itching. Finally utter sleeplessness night after night. This made me get off the drug as it was intolerable. | F | 55 | 4 months | 10/10/2007 | 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 | 1 | RA | Same symptoms as STEVENS JOHNSON SYNDROME..ALMOST DIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Stay away from this drug!!!!!! | F | 38 | 3 months | 9/21/2007 | 3 | Rheumatiod Arthritis | Mtx not working too well after 22 years of great success. Added 10mg Arava daily and have lowered my prednisone to 2mg from 5mg. | Only been on the Arava for a month but in the past week i have been extremely tired. Start yawning at noon and go to bed at 7.30pm instead of the usual 10pm. Has anyone had this problem as i'm not sure if it's related to the Arava? No other side effects so far. | F | 43 | 1 months | 9/12/2007 | 4 | Palindromic Rheumatism | Metallic taste leading to loss of appetite. Also have unexplained bouts of diarhea which are infrequent enough now to not cause me to stop taking it. I was on mtx and it made me so sick that I would lose at least a day of work a week and be laid up with fatigue | Right now side effects are not that bad that I will stop taking it. Accupuncture seems to help restore some of my taste for brief periods of time. | F | 53 | 5 months | 8/30/2007 | 4 | RA | Diarrhoea every so often, stomach cramps, frequent urinating, rash on legs and arms that itches more at night or when i'm hot, tiredness(not sure if its related, i'm always tired?), bleeding gums | Had RA for 8 years, pretty good on meds, been on mtx for years and its great, celebrex was okay but stopped working. Been on Arava for a while now, about 8 months and had a few liver problems but after stopping all my medication (was very interesting) for 2 months and going back onto MTX and Arava all problems ceased. Went off celebrex as it didnt seem to be doing much, also tried Prednisone but had horrible side effects, Extreme headaches everyday, yellowing of skin and eyes. Actually thought diarrhoea and stomach cramps was caused by dairy intolerance so stopped dairy but now might go back on as it seems Arava could be my problem. Had bleeding gums lately, not sure if thats related but cant explain it otherwise. Any questions or just wanna talk about RA e-mail me. | F | 20 | 8 days | 8/17/2007 |