Hello -- I haven't posted in a loooong time but hope someone can offer an opinion now. I have been sick with colds / upper respiratory stuff since October, the same time I started Arava. I mean really sick. I'd just get over one when another would hit. Dr (gp's nurse practitioner) said she could hear stuff in my lungs but I wasn't coughing. Have been on atb's 3 times since December; latest one starts today. Could the Arava be to blame for being so sick so much? It has helped me a lot with fatigue and I'd hate to stop it, but I can not go on being so sick all the time. I am seeing my rheumy on Friday and will ask her about it then, but would love to know if I am crazy for making such a connection beforehand. Any experiences? Thanks!
It could absolutely be the Arava. All of these immune-suppressing drugs (DMARDs and biologics) leave us more susceptible to illness, and particularly to sinus and respiratory infections. Right now I've had my latest sinus infection for 6 weeks and I'm on my 3rd course of antibiotics which aren't doing anything to help.
Talk to your rheumy about it. It may be that another DMARD would work better for you, or maybe you will need to stop it temporarily to get the other sicknesses under control.
aropple, I wish I could be of more help! I had a terrible time on Arava I am glad it's working for you. It sounds like your immune systom is taking a beating. He may have you stop it for awhile so you can catch up. I know everytime my grand daughter gets sick I seem to get it sooner or later. I hope it's not the nature of the beast. Take care
a-nut
Yep, could be the Arava. Arava made me sleepy. Pretty neat it has helped you with fatigue. Goes to show we all respond differently to meds.
Hope you get some answers from Rheumy.
Keep us posted.
Is this one she's supposed to come off while on antibiotics?
Confused,
Pip
My doc never asked me to come off of my DMARD while on antibiotics, and so far I've had mtx, then Arava, and now Imuran. I think that's more with the biologics, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.Thank you Joonie for saying the Arava made you sleepy. I was starting to think something else was wrong with me. I started on it a month ago. I have been so tired that I am having a hard time waking up in the morning and I keep nodding off during the day.It could be the arava, it could also be the RA if it is aggressive. It can also be an allergy to something that might be in your body at this time.
I stopped Arava last year because of a 26day period and extreme asthma attacks. I found out a year later that it was a dairy allergy that caused the asthma and last year i found out the prednisone caused my other problem. It was upsetting because arava was working but i had to stop all drugs and it took a year before they would try it again.
I would hate to see you stop a drug when it works and not have it be the problem.
Yep, it would be the Arava. These drugs we take are immune suppressing.[QUOTE=midnitestich]Thank you Joonie for saying the Arava made you sleepy. I was starting to think something else was wrong with me. I started on it a month ago. I have been so tired that I am having a hard time waking up in the morning and I keep nodding off during the day. [/QUOTE]
I was taking Arava when I was just starting to have a lot more problems with morning stiffness and swelling. I remember I would be sooo tired I just could not wait to get home and go to sleep. I would fall asleep on the in-laws couch and sleep until it was time to go home so daughter could go to bed and have enough sleep for daycare.
I mean I literally had to go to sleep at 7pm and no later, I just could not sit up pass 8pm and it was a struggle to stay awake to that time. And I would sleep until 7am not even wake up either like I do now. Nope.
But soon after I stopped taking the Arava, I was back to my "normal" nocturnal habits and did not feel so fatigued. So... it was the Arava, because that and 5mg of pred is all I was on at the time. Yep... yep... Arava made me very fatigued.
I don't remember the Arava causing me extra fatigue, however, I have been extremely drowsy since this latest sinus infection. Sleeping 9-10 hours a night, trouble staying awake around 5 pm and again at 9 pm. I can't stand it.