What is Leflunomide?
Category: Prescription Drugs
Most popular types: Arava
Leflunomide is a disease modifying antirheumatic drug used to treat active rheumatoid arthritis to reduce symptoms, retard structural damage and improve physical function. Also use as to prevent rejection in organ transplants.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 3357 | 141 | |
| Systemic lupus erythematosus | 45 | 21 | |
| Psoriatic arthritis | 16 | 10 | |
| Arthritis pain | 6 | 1 | |
| Joint pain | 6 | 3 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 40 | |
| Moderate | 41 | |
| Mild | 40 | |
| None | 60 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Leflunomide
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Diarrhea | 21 | |
| Nausea | 13 | |
| Hair loss | 11 | |
| Headaches | 6 | |
| Elevated liver enzymes | 4 | |
| Weight loss | 4 |
Duration
Stopped taking Leflunomide
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 34 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 56 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 40 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 22 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 20 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 8 | |
| 10 years or more | 2 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started taking Leflunomide after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Methotrexate (Apo-Methotrexate) | 60 | |
| Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) | 22 | |
| Azathioprine (Imuran) | 6 | |
| Sulfasalazine (Salazopyrin) | 6 | |
| Etanercept (Enbrel) | 4 |
Patients stopped taking Leflunomide and switched to:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Methotrexate (Apo-Methotrexate) | 13 | |
| Etanercept (Enbrel) | 11 | |
| Adalimumab (Humira) | 10 | |
| Sulfasalazine (Salazopyrin) | 7 | |
| Azathioprine (Imuran) | 5 |
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