Leflunomide and Dizziness: What Users Say

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

Leflunomide for Rheumatoid Arthritis "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!"

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

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "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."

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

Leflunomide for Rheumatoid Arthritis "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."

• Fox...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 20, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I was diagnosed a year ago in December. I started on Methotrexate (initially supplemented with prednisone). This combination worked well, I regained almost full ROM, and most pain was gone. After 5 months on this, I developed constant daily nausea, vomiting, then dizziness, mouth sores, tinnitus (which I still have 4 months after discontinuing the drug), and liver damage. I went off this, fought with my ins. company for 4 months, and finally went on Leflunomide 2 weeks ago. In the last 2 days, I have now developed even more severe mouth ulcers, nausea, vomiting, chills and flu symptoms, and am becoming increasingly dizzy as the days progress. I stopped taking this yesterday. The pain of RA is severe, but the treatment has been so much worse."

• 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."

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

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Experienced hair loss at 30 is really hard from this drug. Been off for 3 days. Flu-like symptoms, dizzy."