Does anyone take Arava? If so, how did it work for you? Did you have any side effects? I have a Rx for it, but haven't filled it yet.
Phats
I don't take it, but seeing that your RD obviously thinks you should, it made me wonder how you are doing. Hope things are going at least pretty good.Actually, I'm doing terribly. I haven't been on Enbrel for several months and I'm in constant pain. I actually took the step and asked for pain meds today, but then changed my mind.
He wanted to put me on Humeria. I asked for a cheaper alternative and we agreed on Arava for now. I will be on Humeria before too long I think. He is concerned about liver function with the MTX and Arava.
I'm hoping for a miracle. I'm pretty miserable right now.
Thanks for asking!
Phats
I am supposed to start taking it when ever i get off antibiotics. Soon i hope.I am sorry to hear you are doing so crappy, Phats
The Arava worked ok for me, but it made me lose my hair really bad. I was bald and looked like a cancer patient. I have thin hair to begin with, so probably not much of a worry for you if you have a lot of hair.
Oh and it made me extra tired too. I mean I was going to sleep every night at 6pm and sleeping until 6am the next morning.
But other than that it was ok. Not as good as Humira, but it worked for the time being.
I hope it helps you.
Keep us posted.
Sorry you aren't doing so well Phats, hang in there. Maybe Santa will bring you a pain-free Christmas Day ~~ CathyArava has the usual undesirable side effects that so many meds have, some mentioned in previous posts. Arava has one lingering effect that you should be aware of prior to starting the medication. If for whatever reason you stop using Arava, the residule effect of the med in your system remains for as long as 2 years. This may be important to women of childbearing age because the med is not compatable with becoming pregnant. If such an event would occur, there is a "cleansing" med you use to assist in removing residule amount of the med from your system. I felt the cleansing process was kind of undesirable.Maybe I am unusual but I have been on Arava for about 1 1/2 years and I've had not one problem while on it. No side effects whatsoever,not even hairloss.
My current meds are arava and orencia.
My RD put me on Arava after I got no results from MTX, Humira, Embrel and Remicade.
I took it for about a month with no side effects, then had a problem with my Medicare Part D drug plan paying for it, so I missed it for several weeks and have just now got back on it. So I can't say whether or not it is going to do any good. I couldn't tell any improvement after that first month.
This probably doesn't help you very much! But good luck with it anyway....
I was on Arava along with MTX for a few months and felt it was O.K. Then I got peripheral neuropathy which is a quite uncommon result of mixing Avara and MTX. Went off the Arava, didn't notice any difference and now one of my docs has taken me off MTX saying I might be toxic to it. The RA is having a ball. As far as I know, Arava can work well so good luck. Cheers, Dessy.I took Arava for a while. MTX was rough on the GI track. Arava caused noHi Phats. Sorry to hear that you're feeling so poorly. I've been on Arava along with remicade for about 6 months I think. I've had trouble with hair loss so my doc has had me cut back to one 20mg. every other or every 3 days until my body gets more used to it. I did quit taking it all on my own for about a month and I really felt that my pain was worse. He wants me to be consistant with it so I'm really goning to try. My hubby said he will buy me a hairpiece.
Hair loss is the only side effect I've had. I'm very fatigued but as you know, RA brings that all on it's own. The other thing you should know is that you cannot donate blood for two years AFTER you've stopped taking arava. Good luck and I hope you feel better
mo3
Phats, I'm really sorry you're not well. I guess if I were you I'd take the chance and try the Arava. Like Bill said, I've read that it stays in your body for a long time. It seems like I also read that theirs something they use to fluch it out of your system more quickly
Here's something that might cheer you up, at least for the next couple hours..........It's a Wonderful Life is on tv.
I didn't know that it stayed in your system for so long. I didn't find that in the info and that is good to know.
I'm kinda nervous about taking it, but I'm so tired of being in pain I'll take almost anything (except Pred
I asked for pain meds, but then changed my mind. I can't take them at work and I can't take them at home since I am the single parent of two children. So, why have them if I can't take them?
Anyhoo, I'll keep you posted. I *know* I can't get preggo on it. It is really bad on the fetus. Thanks for all the posts and great info! Phats
I took my self off the drug as the softest toilet tissue felt like sand paper in the end.
Told my RD and all he said was , OH well, it's not for everybody.
The other thing was that I was loosing a lot of weight probably because I was continually dumping what went in at the top.
After more than two weeks things have returned to what was normal and the tissue feels like tissue again.
Arava actually gets into your liver salts. I was shocked when the dr. said
it was in you for 2 years as well. If you have a reaction to it or decide to
get pregnant there is an 11 day regimen of a med that they can give you
to flush it out of the liver. I have only heard of it and it seems that it is
not a fun time.HI Phats, so sorry to hear of your current problems, I did take Arava on and off for 2 years and it was the best drug for me in terms of relief, but as usual I was hypersensitive to it, ended up with constant tolilet problems, eventually bleeding from the bowel. I could not go anywhere as I needed to be near a toilet constantly. Then came the hair loss and peripheral neuropathy so I was taken off of it. You really should try it as I am not the normal run of the mill side effect sufferer, you'll probably be fine, as I said it really did work, in combination with MTX though. Best of luck, I hope it works and that you don't suffer from side effects. Regards Janie.
Hi, I have taken arava now for over a year. At first it was fantastic, i felt like i had a life again . but gradually over the last six months i started getting more pain, so enbrel was added to the mix. Now just the other day paquenil has also been added,but i still take arava. I hope you do well on it.Hey Phats. I've been on arava for a little over one year now. The dr. told me initially it could affect my stomach and if it did I should take some Immodium. Luckily I had no such side effect. The only side effect I had was some hair loss which has all grown back now. Dr. said it's almost as if the Arava puts the hair follicle to "sleep" for a while and once your body adjusts to the med, it grows back. Also, more interstingly, he started me on 1/2 the regular dose, I think the reg. dose is 20mg and I'm on 10mg - he said that way if I start to experience more pain I just get bumped up to the 20mg. So far so good. I have little aches and pains here and there but nothing like before.
I';m also on Enbrel. I hope that helps you! Take care.
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