Leflunomide and Weakness: 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."

• 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."

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

Leflunomide for Rheumatoid Arthritis "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."

• cla...
• October 9, 2019

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "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!!!"

• 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."

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

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "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."

• 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."

• JNN...
• April 18, 2015

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I am 61 years old. Took this medicine for 8 days. Kept getting weaker and weaker. Then, barely breathing. Spent 4 days in the hospital."