Leflunomide for Rheumatoid Arthritis User Reviews (Page 2)

• CaA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 9, 2016

"Oh wow, what a relief. I was on weekly injections of 17.5 mg MTX and got to feeling toxic. I have switched to a daily 10mg tablet of Leflunomide and feel great. No more couch surfing from tiredness, depression, or pain. I feel great, however, my hair is falling out and has thinned to a stage of embarrassment :("

• fra...
• April 7, 2009

Leflunomide "I have been on Arava for 1 month. So far, hardly any side effects. It has improved the quality of my life in that I am not experiencing any pain. I will continue to monitor any side effects over the next few months."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 3, 2020

"Leflunomide has brought me back to life in just 2 months on it. (And my thick hair is no different than prior!) I see hair loss can be a side effect. Not for me. Grateful to my MD for starting this medication."

• Bud...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 20, 2020

"I developed shortness of breath. I stopped this drug about nine months ago. The shortness of breath continues. I discontinued Leflunomide on my own due to the side effect of shortness of breath. My blood pressure was also elevated while on this drug. This shortness of breath has decreased the quality of my life. This drug is awful. I hope my breathing will get better over time. I am very angry, I wish I could go back in time and never start this drug. I am very angry if this will be my life now. The drug did not help the pain."

• PK ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 25, 2019

Leflunomide "Taking Arava for about 3 weeks for RA, it gave me a bad headache. My head hurt really badly, and my neck, I couldn't turn my head. My hands got very weak, it felt like I had sprained them. My finger joints were inflamed, and there was burning pain, and ALL my joints hurt worse. I stopped using it, and the headache, neck, and hand pain got better."

• MaB...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 27, 2020

"I have had RA for 35 years and have been on numerous drugs, including every biologic on the market. In March of 2019, while taking Humira, I developed a skin condition initially diagnosed as psoriasis. I then went through three more biologics, which made my condition worse. Finally, my dermatologist determined that the skin condition was a reaction to all the biologics in my system. My rheumatologist then put me on Arava. I have been taking it for 26 days, and my hair has fallen out, every joint in my body has been painful and swollen, and my back (I have an existing problem with back pain) has hurt to the extent that I cannot stand long enough to take a shower. I have been bedridden for the past week, so this morning I called my doctor and told him to take me off this medication."

• Anonymous
• May 31, 2009

Leflunomide "I've been taking Arava for 12 months or so now. It worked in the early days but now, I have quite severe pain and am looking at starting to take Infliximab alongside the Arava. With regards to side effects, none apart from the persistent, annoying tickly cough, which I've had now for about 7 months."

• She...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 29, 2020

"I have been on leflunomide 10 mg for almost a month, no side effects, just some hair falling out. Then the doctor raised it to 20 mg, so for about over a week I have been nauseous, headache. My eyes feel like they are burning, and I feel more muscle aches, swelling hands, hair loss. Can anyone tell me if this gets better, being on the 20 mg? I don't see muscle aches as a side effect, so I'm not sure if it's my fibromyalgia? I just overall feel blah."

• cla...
• October 9, 2019

"I couldn't take it. I took it for 12 days only because it took my doctor that long to get back to me. My head hurt really badly, and my neck, I couldn't turn my head, my hands got very weak, and they burned, and all my joints hurt. My doctor told me to go to the ER and stop taking it. It was really awful for me. I hope I can get it out of my system. It made my arthritis much worse. I stopped taking it two days ago, but my head and neck still are in a lot of pain! It was a horrible experience, to say the least. More like a nightmare of agony!!!"

• Evi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 12, 2017

Leflunomide "I'm posting this for my mother, who is not able to type like she once did as a result of this medication. Methotrexate was also a difficult med, which caused confusion, depression, loss of balance, hair loss, and an INCREASE in joint pain. Arava had similar effects, but instead of 5 weeks as with Methotrexate, she was only able to tolerate 3 days of Arava! (at 1/2 dose per rheumy recommendation). She had symptoms very much like a stroke the evening of the third day - unable to speak more than a word or two, not to mention absolute terror as well as the effects listed above. For anyone keeping track: she waited a full 2 weeks between stopping Methotrexate and trying the Arava. After 5 weeks now, she's ALMOST back to normal. Beware!"

• Kir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 19, 2019

"Diagnosed with RA in May 2018. I was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma in 2004 and breast cancer in 2013, so am limited in which RA drugs I can take. I tried Plaquenil, but it did nothing and my inflammation markers actually went up. Switched to Leflunomide last October. I was feeling much better, aside from the diarrhea, and my inflammation markers were in the normal range. Then in mid-February, my hair started falling out, plus I was still going to the bathroom 3 to 5 times a day. I tried to hang in there with it, but I was having severe PTSD from losing my hair again, just like after chemo. Plus, I got hemorrhoids from so much time in the bathroom that required surgery. My doctor took me off it and prescribed cholestyramine to wash it out of my system. My rheumatologist is at a loss on what to prescribe next. There may be nothing."

• Jef...
• August 30, 2019

"Leflunomide has put me in nearly 100% remission of RA in 3 weeks, and after 9 weeks, I have no side effects. I just hope and pray none develop, as they have for many respondents on this forum! History: I was diagnosed with sero-negative RA in June of 2018 (writing this in August 2019) at age 62 and started with methotrexate immediately with limited, though meaningful benefit. Went through 6-18 week trials of 6 different biologics (currently taking Olumiant) without full remission, but achieved about 60% reduction in all RA symptoms. My rheumatologist and I, not satisfied with my only partial remission, decided to add leflunomide to the mix (20 mg/day) about 2.5 months ago. As stated above, I am close to complete remission! I do get occasional pain in a few finger joints that goes away in a few hours, and otherwise, it has been like a 'miracle cure!'"

• Miz...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 25, 2016

"I have been taking leflunomide for about 8 months. The results have been very good. It took about three or four months to kick in, but my pain is virtually gone. Oddly, I have developed very brittle fingernails, and my hair has gone from straight to wavy. The only other medicine I take is a blood pressure pill. So I can only assume this change came from the leflunomide."

• sne...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2018

"I was prescribed Leflunomide by my rheumatologist for severe R.A. I took it for only 4 weeks before I broke out in a rash all over my arms, legs, and buttocks. The rash wasn't the worst part, it was the itchiness that was horrible. It has been 2 weeks since I stopped taking it, and the rash and itching have not let up, now my skin is peeling."

• Mar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 26, 2015

"My doctor first prescribed me methotrexate. I couldn't tolerate it very well, so she switched me to leflunomide. It has been a big life changer in a positive way, even though it may not be as strong as the methotrexate."

• way...
• February 1, 2012

"I have been on leflunomide since 2007. It took a bit to kick in, and once it did, I felt better. I was having a lot of diarrhea, so my doctor decreased my dose from 20 mg/day to 10 mg/day. It made no difference in the diarrhea, so we decreased it, and I tried Imuran. About 2 weeks after switching, I was still having issues with diarrhea, and it was clear the Imuran was not helping. So we went back to leflunomide 20 mg/day ASAP. In the beginning, I had some nausea, but I began taking my dose at bedtime and had no other problems. I now take it in the morning with no nausea. I have hair loss, but not enough that others notice. I simply take folic acid to combat that."

• Bre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 15, 2018

"Finally, after 10+ years of RA crisis after another, I feel hopeful. I definitely need to take the leflunomide with food in my stomach and before going to bed at night. I’m still very tired, but bone/joint pain has diminished. This must be the 6th different RA med I’ve tried since diagnosis, and I wish I’d have done it earlier. I continue to have regular lab work done to monitor liver levels, and I monitor my BP daily. When I see my BP creeping up, I skip one nightly dose of the leflunomide, and it comes back down. Hair is definitely thinning, and I see my scalp through my thin hair, but I don’t care. I can walk, feed myself, shower myself, which is fantastic!!! I still require some assistance with daily tasks, but my quality of life has tremendously improved."

• Anonymous
• December 16, 2021

Leflunomide "Caused stomach upset, worse the first two weeks and then slowly subsided. It really did help with pain. However, I was only on it for about two months and lost a substantial amount of hair. As a middle-aged woman, thinning hair is another issue to deal with as you face all the challenges of aging, and this was really a disappointment because I’m questioning if my hair will grow back now that I’ve stopped the medication. It also gave me mouth sores and some acne, which otherwise I have always had clear skin. Pain relief vs. hair? It’s awful that we have to find out if that will be the effect the drug will have on each individual, for its effects are different for all. But personally, I can’t handle this amount of hair loss, maybe a little hair loss I could have tolerated, but not at this level."

• 38y...
• August 25, 2015

"Started this medicine very slowly (10 mg every other day) for 4 weeks, as I was nervous about a couple specific side effects (stomach and higher blood pressure). The only side effect during that time was headaches. Then I couldn't wait to increase to 10 mg every day due to a great deal of pain, and my stomach and blood pressure were stable. Just by increasing it from 4 tabs a week to 1 tab every day, I've only had a couple small headaches, and pain was greatly decreased in my fingers. So far (at 3 weeks), still leaves a lot to desire. My wrist still hurts a great deal, having moderate upper GI problems (extra 'severe' acid reflux), hair thinning, and concerns about the future and/or long-term side effects. Will stay on it for now."

• cla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 5, 2020

"I have been taking Arava for about 3 weeks now. I take 20 mg per day. At first, there were severe side effects: headache, tingling sensations in the feet, restless legs, severe dizziness, lethargy, and muscle rigidity. After about 2 weeks, these symptoms began to slowly decrease. I have not been taking this medication long enough to know if it will help me, but I did wake up today feeling better than I have felt in years. Hoping it’s not just a fluke or a coincidence."

• Cat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 13, 2018

"I have been on this medicine for only 1 week. Every day I am feeling worse, not better. I have zero energy, I have a general feeling of discomfort, headache, clammy, and more pain than before I started. I kept thinking this would go away, but after reading some other reviews, I don’t think I want to wait for the rash, high BP, and hair loss. Calling my Dr tomorrow!"

• Hol...
• November 30, 2019

"I have only been on this medication for about 1 month. It is November 2019. I have so far immediately experienced lots of hair loss, my IRA to be worse now than it has ever been, even before I was ever treated with anything for rheumatoid arthritis. I am also experiencing lots of other sore areas, like my shoulder, neck, arm, back of my legs, and thighs, and they aren't necessarily joint pains, more like a muscle tissue type of soreness, but just popped up out of nowhere for no reason. I definitely believe it's all connected somehow. Right now, the soreness in my left arm, shoulder, and neck is so bad I cannot lift my arm by itself without my other arm holding it to reach up over my head. I've never had this problem before. Definitely going to be calling the doctor Monday."

• rat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 22, 2025

"Taking it for three months, and I am getting from mild to worst acid reflux. It's working better than methotrexate, I can feel it. But if these side effects get out of control, I think I am going to stop taking it. My arthritis is in my right hand. Mild feelings of the disease. I just don't want it to spread farther in my body. I think my left hand can be next."

• Mic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2021

Leflunomide "I had taken medication for approximately 10 days. A week into it, I experienced severe weakness, high blood pressure, dizziness, and numbness/tingling to the right side of my face. After a few hours, it passed. Then, 5 days later, my BP was stroke-high, I couldn't walk, and my head felt like it was going to pop. I was hospitalized for symptoms. They said it's just a migraine! Not!!! Finally, the doctor listened and gave me medication to get it out of my system."

• Dia...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 8, 2020

"I was taking it for 8 months, and I started having a funny feeling in my arms about 4 months in, which I reported, but the doctor did not think it was a concern. Over the next 3 months, I started to have more weakness in my arms and then what I would describe as internal vibrations. I have just stopped taking the drug and hope the vibrations stop before too long."