Leflunomide and Shortness Of Breath: 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."

• 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."

• For...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 20, 2021

Leflunomide for Rheumatoid Arthritis "My mother took this drug, Arava, and it completely changed her personality, it damaged her liver while already being in stage 3 kidney failure from 42 plus years of being on medications for RA. She had weakness, shortness of breath, liver failure, and a lot of other issues. Took her to the ER, she was admitted, and 10 days later she died. The medication caused her liver to fail, was bad for her immune system, and made her susceptible to an infection. She got sepsis while at the hospital and died. I honestly blame this medication for her death, she was on it for 18 months, and it made everything worse."

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

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "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."

• Lis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 29, 2018

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I took this medication for just under 3 months. It seemed to help a little the first month, but not much. I had some serious side effects and went off the medication: short of breath when going up a flight of stairs to the point I could not talk, high blood pressure (200/100) and needed to go on medications, muscle spasms and weakness to the point I could not stand long enough to load my dishwasher due to back pain/spasms, burning nerve pain in my arms and legs which could paralyze me in pain: especially upon getting up after sitting, easy bruising: had very dark bruises all over, but the worst was spontaneously getting a small hematoma on my buttocks which caused sciatica and I had to get shots... that happened twice. I went off and noticed a significant difference in a couple of days and the pain and other symptoms subsided, but is far from gone."

• 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."