Starting on Leflunomide and not feeling good.

I started taking Leflunomide at 10mg per day last Friday and don't know if the way I have been feeling is due to side effects from them or not. I am recovering from a major operation which I had in mid-November and had to come off Mtx for that, but I have now been back on it for four weeks. I am very tired and could just sleep all the time, but that was happening before I started on Leflunomide. Yesterday, I felt very low and tearful and am not nearly as bad as that today although I woke up at 5.30am with a migraine.

I also take Furosemide tablets and I asked about this by ringing and speaking to one of the rheumy nurses because it says in the leaflet with the Leflunomide tablets that they shouldn't be taken when on Furosemide. She spoke to the rheumatologist who said it would be alright as long as my blood tests are kept up and my blood pressure doesn't get to high.

I suppose I am just asking what other people's experiences are on Leflunomide and if anyone else takes both of these tablets.

[Hidden]

I'm on Leflunomide 20mg, Have been for about 10 years now. I take it with MTX and Pred. The only problem I've had is with my blood pressure, but it isn't the only drug I'm on that affects my blood pressure.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your reply. I will need to watch my blood pressure.

[AgedCrone in reply to Hidden]

Watch your appetite too HW...when I took Leflunomide it completely stole my appetite, but I feltOK.

I’m not a big eater anyway...but when I got down to a slice of toast for breakfast, and an apple+ cheese for dinner..I suddenly realised my weight was down about 12/15kg in 3 months....it is apparently a rare side effect of Lfl..

As soon as I stopped Lfl I was fine.

[Hidden in reply to AgedCrone]

Thank you for your reply AgedCrone, I would be happy to lose weight like that. I managed to lose two and a half stones last year and could do with loosing more.

[AgedCrone in reply to Hidden]

But not because of a drug affect HW.

I wasn’t taking anything else and so I noticed Lfl wasn’t doing me any good quite quickly. If I had been taking a mixture of drugs I would not have known which one was causing the lack of appetite.

Hope you settle on something that suits you very soon.

[sharon6768]

Hi Holly, I did not have any problems with Leflunomide (I take 20mg). However, Mtx just about did me in emotionally. With all that you have been through, you might want to talk with the doctor/surgeon and discuss it with her/him. Were you taking the furosemide prior to the surgery? I really think you should talk to the surgeon about this. After major surgery, you don't want mess anything up. Stay hydrated!