Arava? | Arthritis Information

Hi-My 7 yr old daughter has been on Mtx for 1 1/2 years and it is awful on her stomach. Doc suggested trying Arava but I can't find any kids who have been on it. Have any of you been on Arava and what were the side effects like? Thanks!!Personaly I could not tolerate Avara, it literally had me sitting in the outhouse (or very close) all day.
For others it has been good.
Unfortunately I couldn't tolerate Arava either. I had monthly periods so painful and heavy that they have blotted out the memory of the other side effects I had (and I did have other side effects, just can't remember them now, you could try searching the forum on Arava).

May I suggest asking your daughter's doctor about Imuran? It is a similar medication and I've had no side effects at all using it for more than a year. My teenage stepson has also been on it without any problems.

Another possibility, but one that's probably not very helpful for a 7-year-old, is to take the mtx by injection rather than orally. I hear most stomach upset occurs from the oral version only.

I hope you find something that works well for her.

InnerGlow2008-12-19 19:23:44She is already on injection. It isn't just nausea, she has diarrhea for days. Sometimes all week. And stomach cramps. I haven't heard of Imuran, what is that? Thanks for the info!Does she take folic acid, it helps with side effects? I was on Arava, best drug for me by far in terms of relieving my arthritis but absolutely 24/7 stomach probs, lived in the toilet, couldn't go anywhere, and it caused numbness in my hands and feet, (peripheral neuropathy) so I had to stop it, regards Janie. I really hope you find something soon. Sorry CJ, misunderstood about the stomach and then assumed she was taking it orally. Here's a bit more info about Imuran: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DR601561. Basically it's another immunosuppressive agent that is used for transplants as well as RA. It can be taken orally as I am doing, or by IV.She is on 3 mg of folic acid and leucoveorin. It doesn't seem to help much (but then I have trouble getting her to articulate a difference). It sounds as though the majority of those on Arava have trouble with their tummy. I think I am leaning toward starting Enbrel. Thanks for the help! Have a wonderful Christmas. If the Enbrel alone isn't enough, you can pair it with a traditional DMARD like Imuran for better chance of success. Hope Enbrel helps your daughter start to feel better. Happy holidays to you and your family.Thank you! Merry Christmas to all of you and thank you for the advice.Hi. Take my input with a grain of salt--I had no problems with my stomach on MTX, and have suffered from constipation for the past few years. But I have just started Arava. Not sure if side effects will get worse after 3 weeks, but so far not bad at all. I have had some gas that I think is the Plaq that I also just started. I would say that I no longer have issues with constipation, maybe leaning a little bit the other way, but only had one day where I had 2 trips to the bathroom in a short time. But mostly I don't think about it.

Also, when I posted about Arava recently, I mostly got positive endorsements and people said the side effects were worth it.

It hasn't done anything for me yet but I imagine it may take a bit longer.

I had flu like symptoms with the Arava. Had no side effects at all with the Enbrel. I hope whatever you choose for her will help. Sorry that she is having to deal with this at such a young age. I haven't taken Arava, but I did take injectable MTX for over a year. It really started messing with my stomach after a while so I had to stop (and it also caused heart palpitations for me!) Enbrel was ok and I took it over a year until I started developing a lupus-like butterfly rash. I actually just started Imuran - so I don't know how well I'm going to handle it. I'm hoping smooth sailing, but I'm starting to feel like crap. LOL

I hope your able to find a med that doesn't cause such horrible side effects. No one should have to live with that. It makes you wonder, take the pain or take the side effects?? When are they going to come up with an instant gratification no side-effect drug?

Arava is one of the few remaining options left for me and I've been wondering about the experiences others here have had with it lately. It doesn't sound too favorable especially since I'm usually so sensitive to meds. This stinks. I've also never tried injectable mtx either so maybe that's an option worth exploring. Right now the only thing keeping the RA monster at bay is a high dose of steroids but I'm quickly growing tired of the side effects which seem to multiply daily.

I did well on Enbrel when I first took it a few years back. No really bothersome side effects just the normal injection site tenderness and a little redness but nothing alarming. I did have issues with sinus infections, maybe two or three a year mostly in fall and winter though. I hope you find something that helps your daughter soon, I developed my RA (well JRA actually) at the age of nine and know it's no fun to deal with as a child.

Bob H.

Bob, my RD up at Vandy (very experienced) said that only 1 in 10 people have a bad GI reaction to Arava. And if you do, there is a drug you can take to get it out of your system ASAP. Probably worth a try? I think it would be worth a try too. If I had a rheumatologist, I don't have one now and can't get in to see any others around for months. But it will definitely come up in the conversation with whomever I find to be my doc.

Bob