Leflunomide and Nausea: What Users Say

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 20, 2020

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Put on Leflunomide 10 mg 7 weeks ago for Polymyalgia Rheumatica. Increasing symptoms of weakness, diarrhea, nausea, cramps, palpitations, pins and needles, migraines with aura, and the most awful shortness of breath. I came off Leflunomide 3 days ago and expect I shall have to suffer the effects for at least 6 months before the drug leaves my poor body. My rheumatologist says these symptoms are not caused by Leflunomide. I feel so weak and helpless. I wish I had been warned. I feel angry with my rheumatologist, who took two weeks to respond to my cries for help. Be warned."

• Apr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 17, 2020

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I was on methotrexate injections for RA, which was working but caused me to have constant nausea. So my doctor switched me to leflunomide, and on the third day, I started having shortness of breath and chest pain, flu-like symptoms. I thought I was coming down with the flu. I stopped taking the medicine until I felt better. I just started it again, and same thing. I'm laying in bed, completely drained of energy, feel flu-like aches and pains, and difficulty breathing...shortness of breath."

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

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "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."

• way...
• February 1, 2012

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "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."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 9, 2018

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I went on this drug in November 2017 (0.20 mg), and the biggest side effect at first was diarrhea, which was tolerable. My skin cleared up 100%, as well as any joint pain, and I thought I had found my miracle drug. But after 4-5 months, I now have nausea, have lost 10 pounds, all I want to do is sleep, and I am emotionally in a very dark place. My rheumatologist doesn't think it's the leflunomide, but I feel as badly as I did when I went on methotrexate, (which I couldn't tolerate). The symptoms are the same. So I went off of the leflunomide a week ago, but still no relief from side effects. Does anyone know how long it takes for this drug to get out of one's system?"

• hur...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 9, 2019

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Leflunomide has been the only med that I am able to tolerate as I am the queen of side effects. If there is one to be had, I will have it. My first time on Leflunomide was at 20 mg/day. After a few months, the nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea were ridiculous, and I had to stop. At that point, I had lost about 15 pounds. After a couple of months off, I started again at 10 mg/day. It took 3 months to get to the extreme nausea and another 6-8 pounds off. I stopped about 2 weeks ago. I am able to eat now, but nausea persists (not as severe). Since this seems to be the only drug I can handle, I will consider restarting yet again but need a breather first."

• 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."

• 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!"

• 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?"

• 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
• March 2, 2009

Leflunomide for Rheumatoid Arthritis "This medicine gave me very bad indigestion, acid reflux, and severe nausea. My doctor cut me down to one pill every other day and it did cut all of these effects basically out."