Manufacturer: Sanofi India Ltd
Salt Composition : Leflunomide(20mg)
Arava 20mg Tablet can be taken with or without food. You should take it regularly and at the same time each day to get the maximum benefit from it. Keep taking it as recommended by your doctor and complete the dose even if you feel better.
Using this medicine may cause some common side effects such as nausea, headache, dyspepsia, rash, diarrhea, increased liver enzymes, and respiratory tract infection. Consult with your doctor if any of these side effects do not go away with time or get worse. Your doctor may help with ways to reduce or prevent these symptoms.
To make sure the medicine is safe for you, before taking this medicine, let your doctor know if you have any problems with your heart, kidneys, or liver. Also, tell your doctor of all the other medicines you are taking. Your doctor may recommend regular blood tests to check and make sure the medicine is not harming your liver or effecting your blood counts. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should consult with their doctors before taking the medicine.
Leflunomide is an immunomodulatory drug that may exert its effects by inhibiting the mitochondrial enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), which plays a key role in the de novo synthesis of the pyrimidine ribonucleotide uridine monophosphate (rUMP).
Approximately 90% of a single dose of leflunomide is eliminated, 43% in urine, primarily as leflunomide glucuronides and an oxalinic acid derivative of M1, and 48% in faeces, primarily as M1. Elimination can be dramatically increased by using charcoal or cholestyramine.
Most side effects do not require any medical attention and disappear as your body adjusts to the medicine. Consult your doctor if they persist or if you’re worried about them
Common side effects of Arava
Nausea
Headache
Rash
Diarrhea
Increased liver enzymes
Respiratory tract infection
Dyspepsia
Leflunomide is contraindicated in severe hepatic impairment due to hepatotoxicity. Other contraindications include hypersensitivity, previous or current skin reactions, immunosuppression, and impaired bone marrow function.
Arava 20mg Tablet is highly unsafe to use during pregnancy. Seek your doctor's advice as studies on pregnant women and animals have shown significant harmful effects to the developing baby.
It is unsafe to consume alcohol with Arava 20mg Tablet.
Arava 20mg Tablet is probably unsafe to use during breastfeeding. Limited human data suggests that the drug may pass into the breastmilk and harm the baby.
Leflunomide is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with: active rheumatoid arthritis as a "disease-modifying antirheumatic drug" (DMARD), active psoriatic arthritis.
Some products that may interact with this drug include: warfarin, rifamycins (such as rifampin), drugs affecting the liver (such as methotrexate), cholestyramine, other drugs that weaken the immune system (such as tacrolimus, cyclosporine).
Do not chew, crush or break it. Arava 20mg Tablet may be taken with or without food
Store below 30°C
If you miss a dose of Arava 20mg Tablet, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule. Do not double the dose.
Consult a doctor before taking any medicines.
You have been prescribed Arava 20mg Tablet to control the symptoms and slow down the progression of rheumatoid arthritis.
It will take 6-8 weeks for Arava 20mg Tablet to work. Hence, keep taking the medicine.
Get blood tests done every 4 weeks. This is to make sure that Arava 20mg Tablet is not harming your liver or blood counts.
Avoid alcohol when taking Arava 20mg Tablet as it could harm your liver.
Do not take it during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while taking Arava 20mg Tablet.
Arava 20mg Tablet may increase the risk of infection. Avoid being close to people with cold, flu or other contagious illnesses.
Tell your doctor if you experience nausea or diarrhea.
Take this medicine in the dose and duration as advised by your doctor. Swallow it as a whole. Do not chew, crush or break it. Arava 20mg Tablet may be taken with or without food, but it is better to take it at a fixed time.
Q. Can Arava 20mg Tablet cause weight loss?
Yes, Arava 20mg Tablet may cause weight loss as a common side effect. However, weight loss due to this medicine is usually insignificant. The reason for this reduction in weight could be due to accompanying loss of appetite. Consult your doctor if your weight loss is significant.
Q. When should patients notify their doctor?
The doctor should be informed if one has lung problems like cough, shortness of breath or if one observes symptoms of infection like fever, weakens, and flu-like symptoms. Along with that, if a person experiences allergic reactions like hives rashes and liver problems like yellowing of skin, loss of appetite then it should be consulted with the doctor. One should also inform the doctor if there is a decrease in blood cell count causing easy bruising and recurrent infections. In addition to that, the doctor should be informed if one becomes pregnant during the course of treatment.
Q. Can I plan pregnancy after stopping Arava 20mg Tablet?
Arava 20mg Tablet takes fairly long time to get flushed out of your system. Hence, you should not plan pregnancy for at least 2 years after stopping Arava 20mg Tablet. This extensive time duration may be reduced to a few weeks by taking certain medicines which can help speed up the removal of Arava 20mg Tablet from your body.
Q. How long does it take to see improvement after starting Arava 20mg Tablet?
Arava 20mg Tablet may take about 4 weeks or longer to show improvement in the condition. It may even take 4-6 months to show full benefits. Hence, the medicine should not be stopped if there is no significant improvement. For any further query consult your doctor who will analyze the condition.
