Help needed

[Laine52]

Hi does anyone know if I can start antibiotics if I'm on Leflunomide tabs?

or do I need to wait until I stop taking them for a while.

[Sophie17]

I was on antibiotics and got told to stop taking leflumide until I had stopped the antibiotics. But you could check with your rhuemy nurse first or your g p. Hope this helps .

[oldtimer]

It depends on the opinion of the person that you ask.

As Leflunomide is one of those drugs that takes time to build up effectiveness and time to be out of your system, it may be a long time before you start them!

Most pharmacists and doctors seem to think that you should just continue with your DMARDs, but others advise that you stop them as they are given to reduce your inflammatory response. An increased inflammatory response will get rid of the infection quicker.

[Hidden in reply to oldtimer]

I've never stopped Leflunomide while on anti biotics. Considering it can take up to two years for Leflunomide to leave your body (according to my rheumy team) I could have died of Pseudomonas in my lungs before I'd started them.

[Scottiedottie in reply to Hidden]

Check if you are not sure but i am on permanent antibiotics and still had leflunomide (until it was stopped due to raised liver levels)