Leflunomide User Reviews & Ratings (Page 4)

• Kri...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 26, 2018

Leflunomide for Rheumatoid Arthritis "One year on Arava so far. Has greatly improved joint pain. The side effects I have noticed are some skin lesions, thinning eyebrows, migraine headache increase, and elevated liver enzymes. It has given me back movement, which is important for overall health. I will take the side effects compared to ruined joints for now. I did have liver enzymes normal a week after steroid shop for a bad headache. I would think the medication could reduce swelling in the liver."

• swe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 24, 2019

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I took this leflunomide drug for my arthritis about 3 years ago. I only took it for 3 months. I stopped it myself after I noticed my hair falling out in clumps and I was becoming very short of breath. I have chronic bronchitis, so I went to my pulmonary doctor. He told me I had something called interstitial pulmonary disorder. When I told the nurse practitioner at my arthritis doctor about it, she said that's why they used it because it had no side effects. I told her she needed to do more reading on the subject. I've been on meds for my COPD, and so far I'm better in that respect, but my hair has not yet come back in. I'm very upset over it. I should never have taken that medication. It should be taken off the market."

• TX ...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 9, 2023

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Be aware of any symptoms that you may have while on this medication. Report them to your doctor as soon as you can, and pay attention to your body. My rheumatologist prescribed leflunomide after no success with MTX, sulfasalazine, Plaquenil, and Humira. While on this drug, I developed terrible side effects including tingling/numbness in my feet and hands, high blood pressure (never experienced before), extreme weakness and fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, ringing in the ears, increased back pain (which led to another surgery), 2 ruptured Achilles tendons (surgeries pending), and a continuous tearing/shredding feeling at joints, loss of sensation and motor function in my lower extremities, including sexual dysfunction and incontinence, severe hair loss, heart palpitations (diagnosed as SVTs), severe muscle cramps, difficulty swallowing, vision changes, and diarrhea/stomach issues among other things. Once it was discovered I had leflunomide toxicity, I did a cholestyramine flush. It's been over 2 years, and I have had minimal improvement."

• dis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 11, 2018

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Started Leflunomide on 12/8/17 (and it worked well for my RA). By 1/24/18, I had an intense itchy red rash all over my upper body and extreme dehydration in my mouth, making it almost impossible to talk clearly. I stopped Leflunomide on 1/27/18 and went to a dermatologist. Biopsies on the eruptions (red blotches that gradually turn into peeling skin) showed a form of eczema that was treated with a topical ointment. Today (3/11/18), the rash is still prevalent and now appears on my legs, with newer rashes on my hands and wrists. No idea how long this eczema will last, but it's not pretty and is extremely itchy. Unfortunately, neither my rheumatologist, dermatologist, nor my primary physician can explain the dehydration, so I'm drinking about a gallon of water daily to alleviate the dryness in my mouth. I can see evidence of dehydration on my skin. I need to know how long these symptoms will last."

• Suj...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 25, 2023

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Following some years of taking methotrexate for RA, my doctor switched me to leflunomide at first 10 mg, and then 6 months later to 20 mg daily doses. She says my RA is in remission, but my joints still bother me. The biggest problem is severe and explosive diarrhea. I read that this is common in a third of patients taking leflunomide. She cleared me to take loperamide, a common OTC pill for diarrhea, but it doesn't adequately control diarrhea, which prevents me from enjoying meals or traveling."

• OSa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 3, 2021

For Psoriatic Arthritis "In 2016, I got diagnosed with PsA. I almost had no skin condition, but my joints were really hurting. I avoided 2 years of taking harsh medication, and my condition got worse. In July 2018, I started to take Leflunomide 20 mg a day. Back then, I was in so much pain, from small joints (fingers, toes) to big joints (shoulders, wrists, elbows, lower back). I was in bad shape, extreme pain, couldn't sleep, couldn't walk, nor sit on even an orthopedic recliner chair. I started taking Leflunomide on July 11th, and exactly 6 weeks after, at night, I woke up and had no pain. I thought I was dreaming (still brings tears to my eyes). After that, I lost my hair, but the hair loss stopped, and my hair grew back fully (also took folic acid). I have been very grateful to Leflunomide. However, after 2.5 years, my pain is creeping back. Four months ago, it started in my toes, now my shoulders and hands are in pain. Today, I woke up having a hard time walking. I think my body plateaued on Leflunomide. I am quite sad about it. I am 45 years old, female."

• Aph...
• April 8, 2018

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I had nausea, severe nausea. I had diarrhea to the point where sometimes I had to wait until everything was emptied out of my guts. I had severe stomach pains. I had no energy whatsoever. I could wake up feeling great, but when I took it, I just lost all of my energy. I felt sick to my stomach, and even after being off of it for days, I'm still having side effects with my stomach: diarrhea, cramps, and also the pain in my back from going on. My muscles are sore and achy. It's hard to keep water in me, it made me feel extremely dehydrated. No matter how much water I drink, nothing that I can think about this medication."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 22, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "It has helped with inflammation and pain to a degree, but not enough to negate some of the side effects. Diarrhea, to being 'very regular,' was tolerable, but the pneumonia was not. Have been experiencing otitis media for almost 3 weeks, and the onset anxiety has been keeping me awake/waking me up several times a night. To be fair, I do not tolerate meds very well at all (maybe being a redhead/drug interaction issue), so hopefully a different result for others. Not sure if I truly want to stop or not as it did help with the pain initially, and possibly more if I stay on it."

• Pia...
• December 2, 2015

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "This medication has really improved my quality of life one hundred percent. My concern is whether there is a difference in terms of manufacturer. I took Apotex for years, but I guess they discontinued it. I started taking Northstar RK, and I am not responding so well. I am now experiencing back pains."

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2019

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Leflunomide was not good for me, OK for a short while but developed severe nausea and bowel issues, not ideal when you commute via train to work daily. After ceasing, it took me over a year to come right. My advice, stick with methotrexate."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 9, 2019

"I was diagnosed with dermatomyositis about nine months ago, and Plaquenil wasn't enough, so I started MTX (methotrexate) in late spring. I was not able to tolerate the side effects, which made life a nightmare (nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, headache, fatigue, hair loss, blurry vision, etc.). I stuck with it for four months before asking my rheumatologist to move me in a different direction. After coming off MTX, we did a course of prednisone and then ramped up on Arava. Miracle! After experiencing serious muscle weakness, mechanic's hands, joint pain, and fatigue, I'm at the gym four days a week and now fully able to take on all of life. Have a few minor side effects (most notably headache and nausea), but not enough to keep me down! I love this drug!"

• And...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 4, 2020

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I started on Leflunomide 10 mg for two months and did not notice any differences or side effects. My rheumatologist increased my dosage to 20 mg, and I have been experiencing debilitating headaches and high blood pressure (156/100), which I never had before. My doctor said to discontinue this drug, and today is the third day of not taking it, and I still feel terrible. Hopefully, I will feel better soon."

• Mad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 9, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "This medicine did nothing to help with Sjogren's syndrome or other connective tissue issues. The major side effect I had was major loss of hair. Had to stop after 3 months due to such significant hair loss and no positive benefit."

• Spa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 31, 2019

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I also have to say this drug has been amazing for me. Along with Celecoxib (Celebrex), I am perfectly fine. Before, I could not button my shirt and really could not do much activities. Now, I golf and exercise every day. Wondering if others have seen a significant increase in the price."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 29, 2022

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I took 20 mg of this medication about 6 months ago for 10 days. After a few days of taking it, I developed a very itchy rash on my arms, legs, belly, and back. After that, I stopped taking it, so I don't know if it would have helped with my RA symptoms. I take allergy medicine every day to calm it. The rash has remained and has spread more after I was put on blood pressure medication and began using a steroid cream (2 months ago). It has been slowly diminishing since then. I had a blood test to see if the drug was still present. It's there but in small amounts, .018 mcg/mL, where .020 mcg/mL is considered eliminated. But I can't see how it can be anything else causing the rash because it started right after taking it, is a common side effect, and can remain in the body for a long time. But my rheumatologist, a dermatologist, and an allergist are convinced the leflunomide is not the cause of the rash. I'm convinced it is."

• Anonymous
• October 4, 2009

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I had high hopes for this medicine, but aside from not helping my inflammation or pain. I'm experiencing itching, red skin, blisters on my tongue, and a lot of my hair falling out. Not sure I can stand the itching 'til my blood work up in November. Here's hoping the side effects will decrease."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2019

For Psoriatic Arthritis "While leflunomide seemed effective, as did methotrexate, my liver labs shot through the roof! I've now reacted to those two, as well as three IV infusions, as I can't afford the $1700 a month it costs for Humira and the like, which unfortunately, when on Disability, you can't get into their $10 a month deductible plans! Why?!!"

• Nea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2022

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Diagnosed with RA in Sept of 2021 after ultrasounds of hands and feet, as blood work had not shown RA. Took prednisone with methotrexate for a month. Taken off due to feet and ankle swelling. Took either acetaminophen or ibuprofen for continuing pain and trouble sleeping. Taking 10 mg of leflunomide once daily for the past week but no relief yet. Hands and feet throbbing and burning. Experiencing nausea and headache in the mornings. Assume it’s side effects but going to try to continue until the next rheumatologist appointment in 2 weeks. Worried about possible increase in blood pressure, poor liver function, and hair loss. I take 20 mg (recently upped from 10 mg) lisinopril for moderate high blood pressure. Diagnosed with morphia since I was 12 years old, fibromyalgia at 33, and RA at 69. At 70 now and wondering if I should go to Johns Hopkins for a complete workup. I am surprised and worried that this drug stays in your system so long and often needs another drug to remove from the system."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 7, 2022

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I have rheumatoid arthritis, and my doctor prescribed me leflunomide and 2.5 mg of prednisone, and I take it every other day because I feel like I'm better without this medicine. I told my doctor I don't feel good with this drug, and I feel worse. She told me it's not leflunomide that makes you feel bad and said I had better take something. But this drug I feel is not good, and it has a black box warning. Why are they still prescribing this drug?"

• Anonymous
• June 22, 2016

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Stopped the doxycycline because of blue spots on my face and legs, upped the Arava from 10 to 20 mg daily now, am experiencing back pain and stomach pain, some headaches also. I think I'll be able to handle all this, nothing left for treatment that insurance will cover, very little arthritis pain."

• pot...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 26, 2021

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Leflunomide has been life-changing for me, reducing my pain by 90%, but it hasn't reduced my inflammation. I have had some mild side effects of rash, which I treat with antihistamine and mild GI issues."

• mel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 22, 2023

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "My mother has been taking this drug for some time. At first, she had great results and all the pain went away, then, all of a sudden, she suffered from some massive side effects and ended up in A&E. She has lost blood and is now in the intensive care unit. After days of tests, we were told her symptoms are related to this drug. It should be put on the blacklist."

• 03m...
• April 20, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "After taking Leflunomide for 5 weeks, I broke out with a skin rash under my arms and around my waist, stomach, and my arms. My doctor advised me to discontinue the meds. I see him today to see what I do next. I took prednisone the first 4 weeks with it and had no problems. I also woke up in the mornings with a slight headache that went away shortly after getting up."

• Ter...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 30, 2023

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Have tried so many other RX's from pills to injections and I finally have decent relief of Psoriatic Arthritis symptoms with Leflunomide 20mg 1 a day! FYI I'm also on Benlysta injection 200mg 1 a week, treatment for my Lupus SLE. This combination has given me decent relief from symptoms of both autoimmune diseases! Haven't had to take steroids for any flares for about 12 weeks now!"

• RAS...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 23, 2022

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Leflunomide made me extremely tired, and it made my beautiful hair fall out. It has taken so long for it to grow back. Also, I got pneumonia after I started taking it with Humira. My hands were less swollen, but I was still in a lot of pain from swollen joints."