I have recently started taking arava and I am having a problem with my appetite. I am finding I just don't fancy food I was wondering if anyone else had similar problems.
Sallyx

Hi Sally,

I didn't get that side effect with Leflunamide.
The only times I've lost my appetite have been when my liver enzymes were raised , have you had a blood test recently?
Hope it settles down for you soon.

Love, Doreen xx

Hello Sally

Yes understand completly. I experienced this after I had to come off Leflun due to migrane type
headaches. I went off my food and had also loss of appetitie for a good 4 / 5 months. I lost
a well needed 1 stone and 2 clothe sizes, but I must admit that it is a horrid feeling when you don't
want to eat and nothing sets your taste buds alight.

x

I've not really lost my appetite but I have lost a lot of weight on this drug. Also, it seems to be affecting by blood while badly. Has anyone else had a raised blood calcium level with Leflunomide? Not sure if it is from the calcium tabs as the con put me on oral steroids as I was at the end of my rope with the mtx not working and my knees swelling up again. So far the drugs have caused more probs than the disease!
Jan

I had some slight appetite loss and lost about 10lbs which was great. Now I've stopped taking it I've put the lot back on

I found it worked well, but not well enough to stop the RA moving around and nibbling elsewhere. The reason I stopped taking it was because I got severe tingling/electric shocks/numbness in hands and feet, travelling to elbows and knees respectively. Cue nerve conduction tests and another round of x-rays which proved everything was ok and I chalk up yet another adverse reaction to a DMARD.

I did suffer horrendous sweating and hot flushes which I controlled with manganese supplements and soya isoflavones. I did wonder if it was 'my age' (46) but bizarrely, since stopping the lef (and the aforementioned supplements) I haven't had one hot flush/sweat so figure that was a side effect also.

Otherwise I tolerated lef ridiculously well.