arava drug

I just wanted to say that the arava was the best drug i have taken up until i was put on the embrel. I live in B.C, Canada and we are given the cheapest drugs at first and if they don't work we get put on the next cheapest and this is how we eventually may find a drug that works for us. It takes along time going this route but this is the only way medical will cover us. My next drug will be rituxan, which is suppose to work well.

My father has severe rheumatiod arthritis. He has been on a combination of Arava 20 mg ( Hydroxychloroquine) and Plaquenil (Leflunomide) . He has been going severly downhill since January and has lost 40 pounds, has constant mucous drainage that he chokes on especially after meals, and has severe shortness of breath. Can these symptoms be a result of the medications he is taking? Is it safe for him to take two synthetic DMARDS at the same time?

I have an Auto Immune Disorder of the connective tissue as labeled by my Rheumatologist. I take Plaquenil 200mg, and Arava 20mg daily. I have been on the Plaquenil for over a year and the Arava for 5-6 months. I am still having flares and experiencing pain on a daily basis. I'm a 28 year old male. My tested positive for ANA but the doctor hasn't labeled me with Lupus. I see my Rheumatologist on the 18th of December and I'm looking for the next step in my treatment.

I know I have all the symptoms and do get worse when I am off of my Arava but I also wonder if I could have Lupus because I have a lot of the symptoms of it and my sister has it. My mother has fibro so I wonder if maybe that is what I have instead as well. Things are continuing to get get worse and my dr is wanting to start injection therapy for my symptoms. I just want to be sure I have ra before I begin these injections they really scare me!

Thanks. I HATE drug side effects stories. My elderly mom's hgb dropped to 8.5 on Arava (for rheumatoid arthritis), I had a personality change on Ambien (so bubbly I couldn't even stand myself). We have to really be on the watch every time we add a new medication. I worry the most about people who require multiple meds. Think I will start taking B-12. Thanks again.

0) I was wondering if anyone here has taken Arava (Leflunomide) and their side effects? I started it almost 3 weeks ago for the RA and Sjogrens and have started to have nausea, hair loss, skin sensitivity, burning or tingling of skin, and restless legs (already had, but much worse now), vivid dreams, and torso pain like a cramping sensation in back and sides. I have read too much bad stuff about this medicine and I am hoping someone has had a good experience with it.

Has anyone tried this drug, rituxan? If so what was the out come. I am going to have my first infusion on april 14th, and I am a little concerned with side affects. I am hopeful that this will be the drug that helps, would like to hear from others who may have tried it.

i am 22 years old..i have RA(still desease) from about 10 years, i have tried almost everything..metothrexate(didn't well work),arava(had a baaad effect on me!!),remicade(no improvement),humira(had it about 4 times but had lots of problems with purshasing it and without good effects also),and i had also a both replacement surgeries for my hips ..

Prior to that she was on Arava for five months and it almost killed her. She lost 60 lbs, had heart issues, urinary tract infections, had no appetite and was incredibly weak. Her RA doctor said it was not the Arava. It was. I took her to the Lahey Cllinic and they confirmed it. I had taken her off the medication before going to the Lahey Clinic but it was a binding med. so it stayed in her system for months afterwards.

This medication is classified as a DMARD, a disease modifying drug. There are other DMARDs that may be tried in place of Lefora. Examples would include Methotrexate, Imuran, Arava and Plaquenil. Another approach you may want to try is to have the doctor add a medication to protect her stomach and keep her on the Lefora since it is controlling her arthritis.

I have heard that it can cause nodules also. I am now on enbrel,and arava, folic acid for my RA. I have not been able to get my RA under control as of yet. When i have flare up where can't get out of bed, need help dressing i usually take steroids, that is a great drug for giving you your mobility back. I hope you don't end up with them everywhere, they are painful on the bottom of the feet, and palms and fingers, makes it difficult to do anything.

My pain hasnt been relieved totally with this med and the rheumatologist wants me to start on Arava in combination. Im scared of the hep c coming back with both of these meds. Opinions needed.

Hi Jen I am 23 and was DX with PA beginning last year. Probably had it since 17 cause that is when my back pain first started. I am currently on Arava. Methotrexate didn't work, was on it for a year. Worked fine in small joints like my fingers but did nothing about my back. I don't think the Arava is working either. Doctor wants to start Humira end of the year. My diet doesn't make the pain better, certain things does make it worst though like alcohol.

Have you tried xenazine ( chemical name is tetrabenazine)? We've also found clonex gives some relief.

I had a sonogram and a Hida scan (sp?) They told me I had Fatty Liver, to lose weight and to stop taking my Arava. I did and levels went back down. This was maybe a year ago. Now it is back and it sometimes it makes me sick to my stomach and I have a lot of gas. Also, my bowel movements are mostly yellow soft to almost runny (sorry). My urine is bright yellow almost neon. Recently, my husbands ins plan changed and we have to pay a lot more now.

About 1 week after stopping MTX, I stopped my folinic acid and my hair loss seems to be worse and also my nails are splitting and my tongue is sore. ( I also had 2 Remicaid infusions 2 months ago in August and 1 week of Arava in May and am on Plaquenil (past 4 months and for awhile in the past).

are you on any other medications? i was also on arava when i started the humira and got a terrible rash on my hands and feet. i stopped the arava, took cholestyramine to get it out of my system. rash went away. still taking humira. no more rash, so that's good, but i'm not sure where these twitches are coming from. they started about three weeks ago. i'm so sorry you've been having this reaction. sounds like you've had quite a history. i wish you the best. hang in there.

I do get the cramoing sometimes for a day or two after the enjection. With the embrel the cramps do go away. I also take arava so maybe the combination of the drugs. Hope it it gets better.

The doctor thinks that this is because I am on yet another medication and my body has to adjust. Is anyone familiar with this drug? Has anyone gone as far as to have a second opinion for their RA? I just find it scary to give you one drug to have to counteract side effects with another. Then they add more. I know this is a crippling disease if not put under control. It caught me by surprise. Please comment.

I started out on plaquenil but have added methotraxate low dose prednisone and arava to the mix.. My knees still feel like rubber and in the evenings i head to bed early. But it is helping with the pain dring the day. I just pray that the disease will eventually burn it self out.

I am on Cellcept 2000 mg a day and I have noticed a that it has worked better than Plaquenil, Arava, Methotrexate did. How long have you been diagnosed and without meds?

One article described continuing the drug in 2 patients and their episodes resolved, but most articles concluded that the drug should be stopped. There have been several patients, though that went on to develop Definite MS after stopping the Anit-TNF drug. No one knows, however, whether the Anti-TNF drug actually caused the MS or whether it "unmasked" a latent disease. That is, maybe the people had MS that just hadn't showed up yet.

Just recently my Dr put me on methotrexate injections and arava after which my symtoms got worse.I went back to the RA DR and now she thinks I have Polymyalgia Rheumatica.Right now I'm in the processs of finding a second opinion. They say the symtoms of Polymyalgia can come on rapidly like the symtoms you discribe.

I recently started taking Arava for my rheumatoid arthritis. My dr. added this to the Methotrexate and Prednisone I am already taking because I really wasn't getting much relief. Now I am getting a read rash behind my knees, ankles and calfs. has this happened to anyone else? Also, occasional bruises to my stomach area.

I am trying to get her to have her lithium levels checked but she thinks she is fine (part of the disease), she is not sleeping well and not resting, physically pushing herself which makes swelling and pain from RA worse (had to stop Enbrel, Arava and Methotrexate to begin chemo). Still using patch and morphine tabs for pain, ambien for sleep and there are more meds.

Remicade worked wonders for my Posriatic Arthritis but I had a side effect that is not common, Muscular Distonia (sp) so I had to stop taking it. I am now on Methortexate, Humira, Arava, prenatals and steriod shots. The Methotrexate makes me sick but seems to help with the rashes. Nothing helps the pain. I am currently not on anything for the Hep C.

Right now my doc is tring Cellcept. The jury is still out. But I have been on steroids, Plaquenil, Arava, Methotrexate and now Cellcept.

t understand why you are still on basically the same meds with little to no releife. Have you tried, Remicade, Rituxan, Humira, Enbrol, Arava, Cortisone shots and or creams? Theraputic massage? Anything for the pain? Narcotic or non narcotic??

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arava