Arava (Leflunomide)

What is Arava?

Arava (leflunomide) is used in inflammatory and degenerative diseases of the locomotor system.

In what kind of disease treatment, Arava is helpful?

This medication has shown to be effective as a basic treatment for active forms of rheumatoid arthritis in order to reduce symptoms and delay the development of structural damage of the joints; as well as for the active form of psoriatic arthritis.

Arava treatment should be under the supervision of an experienced physician, so check with a specialist who is experienced in treating diagnoses similar to yours.

What should I tell my health care provider before I take Arava?

The product is contraindicated for women of childbearing age who are not using adequate contraceptive measures.

Men who are undertaking treatment with leflunomide should be warned about the possible foetotoxic effect of the drug and the need to use appropriate contraceptive devices.

Other disturbances of health, which could alert your medical practitioner, may be:

•        Hepatic dysfunction

•        Severe immunodeficiency states (including AIDS)

•        Expressed disturbances of bone marrow hematopoiesis or anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia resulting from other causes (other than rheumatoid arthritis)

•        Severe course of infection

•        Moderate or severe renal impairment

•        Severe hypoproteinemia (including with nephrotic syndrome)

•        Pregnancy

•        Breastfeeding

•        Childhood and adolescence up to 18 years

•        Hypersensitivity to the components of the medication

How should I take Arava?

The tablets should be swallowed whole, washed down with sufficient amount of liquid, regardless of food intake.

The therapeutic effect appears after 4-6 weeks from the beginning of the reception and can increase during 4-6 months.

Arava dosage information

Treatment starts with a shock dose of 100 mg daily for 3 days.

As maintenance dose for rheumatoid arthritis is advised intake of 10 to 20 mg of the medication 1 time / day; in psoriatic arthritis — 20 mg 1 time / day.

Patients aged 65 years and older and patients with mild form of liver failure do not need special dosage adjustment. You can easily purchase the drug in your regular pharmacy or buy Generic Arava online.

What may interact with?

There is no data about the effectiveness and safety of vaccination in terms of leflunomide therapy. Nevertheless, it is not recommended to be vaccinated with live vaccines.

In a study in which leflunomide was given to healthy female volunteers together with three-phase oral contraceptive containing 30 mcg of etinilestradiol, reduction of the contraceptive effect wasn’t observed, and pharmacokinetics of A771726 completely fit into the prescribed range.

Amplification of adverse reactions may occur in case of recent or concomitant use of hepatotoxic or haematological drugs or when intake of these drugs was started after treatment with leflunomide without "cleansing the body" procedure.

Concomitant use of leflunomide with colestyramine or activated carbon leads to rapid and substantial reduction in the concentration of A771726.

Currently there is no information on the concomitant use of leflunomide with antimalarials used in rheumatology.

A list of these reactions is not complete and is only intended for general familiarization. For additions please contact your medical practitioner.

What should I watch for while taking Arava?

The drug can disrupt the normal functioning of the liver in order to protect you from further problems, take regular blood tests.

Before beginning of treatment a diseased should be a hundred percent sure of the absence of pregnancy; consult your doctor about the most suitable techniques of birth planning. Once you have the first signs of pregnancy, contact your doctor forthwith.

The preparation can depress your immune system. Avoid contact with people sick with the flu or a cold. Arava tends to remain in the human body for a long time (even up to 2 years). Before starting a new course of treatment, or taking other medications, ask your physician about the risks and effectiveness of such mixing.

Arava side effects

Among patients treated with Arava were instances of side effects. But this in no way means that you will also feel any discomfort from the treatment of this remedy.  But the realization that there is a small chance of danger and knowledge about how the side effects manifest themselves needed if we are talking about responsible use of medical substances.

These undesirable expressions include:

•        Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, lesions of the oral mucosa (aphthous stomatitis, mouth ulceration), abdominal pain, hepatitis, jaundice, cholestasis; very rare - severe liver disease (liver failure, acute hepatic necrosis that may be fatal) pancreatitis

•        Interstitial pulmonary process (including interstitial pneumonitis), potentially lethal

•        Weight loss, asthenia

•        Headache, dizziness, fatigue, paresthesia; atypical - taste disturbance, anxiety; very rare - peripheral neuropathy

•        Tendonitis, tendon rupture

•        Mild allergic reactions, rash (including maculopapular), pruritus

•        Leukopenia

•        Developing of severe infections (including opportunistic) and sepsis; may increase the incidence of possible infections (rhinitis, bronchitis and pneumonia)

•        Mild hyperlipidemia; uric acid level is generally reduced

•        Cannot be excluded the possibility of a reversible decrease in sperm concentration, total sperm count and motility

•        When using immunosuppressive drugs increases the risk of cancer and certain lymphoproliferative processes

•        Mild increase in blood pressure

Where can I keep Arava?

Do not store the medication in the washroom, on the window sills or in the vehicle. High humidity and direct sunlight can make the drug unsuitable for use. Take care that children will not be able to find or reach the medicine. When buying the drug, always check the expiration date. The use of medicines after their expiration date can be life-threatening. Store Arava at temperatures below 25°C. Shelf life for Arava is 3 years. Check the validity and integrity of the packaging at a pharmacy or order Arava online with international shipping.