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Anyone on Arava?

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 1/26/2010 1:14 PM (GMT 0)
I'm starting this today along with increasing my mtx.....so I just wanted to know if anyone here is on it or has been on it and how it worked for you.   Thanks!
Posted 1/26/2010 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Star,

I was on arava for about 3 months or so. I took it along with sulphasolasine and mtx and the 3 meds worked wonders for me. I got my life back, but then after 3 months I got the call from my rheumy to stop taking them my white bood cell count plummeted to 8, neutrapenia I think its called. So I had to drop it.

Side effect wise, I lost a lot of hair, my hair is still thin, so it may be the mtx and not the arava that caused this? Or a combination, but otherwise I felt ok, didn't realise I was losing white blood cells..LOL

Good luck, I hope it works for you, golitho
Posted 1/29/2010 6:22 AM (GMT 0)
I was on arava for a while to boost plaquenil. It helped quite a bit, but after about a year, I started having issues with high blood pressure. Everyone swore it couldn't be the arava. My BP rose for about 10 months until I ended up in ER one day. I decided to stop the med and things got better within 4 days. Granted, I'm quite overweight and that didn't help...but it was definitely the meds that was causing it b/c I'm still overweight nono  I know...not good....but I don't have a BP issue anymore.

Just be aware of your body when on all meds and don't take the doctor's word that side effects are impossible.

It turns out that high BP is now a documented side-effect of Arava. When I first started researchinig it, I could find nothing to confirm my concern.  Around the time I finally quit taking it, I did find documentation on it on the web.

Posted 1/29/2010 4:25 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks....yes I am very well intuned to side effects and watch my labs closely...I guess its the nurse in me ;) Time with tell with the Arava....hoping it will help!
Posted 1/29/2010 4:27 PM (GMT 0)
oh and I also need to watch the weight as the darn pred caused me to gain weight. I'm eliminating bad carbs and have lost 12 pounds this month... did this before and lost 40 pounds. I feel much better off breads and such. I believe I have a gluten intolerance.
Posted 1/29/2010 7:45 PM (GMT 0)
Someone once told me that all the auto immune issues are intertwined and issues with gluton often go hand in hand with people who have problems such as arthritis.

Good for you on the 12 pounds. Congrats. I need to follow your suit, that helped me in the past as well.

I hope the Arava works wonders for you.

Posted 2/1/2010 7:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hey thanks everyone! CAMama.....thanks! :)
Posted 3/1/2010 4:41 PM (GMT 0)
smile  You're welcome.
Posted 3/31/2010 3:39 AM (GMT 0)
I took Arava with Humira for just 3 months and after seeing tremendous hairfall stopped it
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