Leflunomide
Leflunomide is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) used for active rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, sold here as Arava tablets in 10mg and 20mg strengths.
What leflunomide is used for
Leflunomide is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, or DMARD, used in active rheumatoid arthritis — the stage where joints are swollen, stiff and sore and the disease is not settling. It is used in psoriatic arthritis too. This is not a painkiller: the target is the immune activity that keeps joints inflamed, so the aim is fewer flares and less joint damage over the months that follow, not relief within the hour.
What it does inside the body
Once swallowed, leflunomide is converted into an active form that blocks an enzyme immune cells need in order to multiply. Fewer of those cells means less inflammation in the joint lining. The build-up is gradual. Some easing of swelling and stiffness often appears after about a month, and three to six months of steady daily dosing may pass before the full benefit is felt.
Taking the tablets, and what to avoid
Leflunomide is a one-tablet-a-day medicine, taken at a time that is easy to repeat. Meals do not change how it works, so timing around food is up to you. Here it is sold as Arava in 10mg and 20mg, and the strength on the box is simply the amount in each daily tablet. A cool cupboard is enough for storage.
The liver does much of the work here. Leflunomide can raise liver enzymes on its own, which is why blood tests are part of the course, and a regular drinking habit or another liver-taxing drug such as methotrexate piles more on top. Its effect on warfarin can also be stronger. Pregnancy is ruled out: the drug can harm a developing baby and remains in the body long after the last tablet, so a washout with cholestyramine is used when a pregnancy is planned.
Side effects
Trouble usually starts in the gut or on the skin. Loose stools come first, then nausea, an upset stomach, headaches, mouth ulcers and rashes. Some people lose hair in the first months, and blood pressure may creep up, so it is measured alongside the blood tests.
The serious problems are uncommon, and each has a recognisable sign. Liver damage can announce itself as a yellow tinge to the skin or whites of the eyes, tea-coloured urine, or an ache high on the right side of the abdomen. Lung inflammation brings a new cough or breathlessness. A serious infection begins with fever and chills, falling blood counts with unusual bruising or bleeding, and nerve damage with numb or tingling hands and feet. Severe skin reactions are a further risk, and so is a severe allergic reaction, where the face or throat swells and breathing becomes difficult, which needs urgent treatment.
Arava 10mg and 20mg
Arava is the only leflunomide product here, a tablet sold in 10mg and 20mg in the Autoimmune Care range. Both strengths hold the same drug; the milligrams per tablet are the only difference.
Sources
- Leflunomide: MedlinePlus Drug Information — National Library of Medicine
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) - symptoms, causes, complications and treatments - Healthdirect — Healthdirect Australia
Can I order Leflunomide online in Hong Kong?
Leflunomide can be ordered online with delivery to Hong Kong. The product here is generic Arava tablets in 10mg and 20mg. Tracked courier delivery to Hong Kong takes 5 to 9 business days and comes with online tracking.
How much do Leflunomide products cost in Hong Kong?
The price depends on the strength and pack size you choose. The Arava page shows current prices in HKD or the currency you select.
Does PockDose sell generic Arava?
Yes, generic Arava is listed as 10mg and 20mg tablets and contains leflunomide. That is the only version shown for this ingredient, so there is no separate plain leflunomide product here.
What are the brand names for leflunomide?
Arava is a brand name of leflunomide, which is also sold as Lefno and Lefra. Here, leflunomide can be bought online as generic Arava. These are generics, not the original brand.
Can I drink alcohol while taking leflunomide?
Alcohol and leflunomide are both processed by the liver, and regular drinking alongside the tablets makes liver problems more likely. Many people cut alcohol out for the duration of treatment rather than take the chance. An occasional drink is a different matter from a nightly habit.
Does leflunomide cause hair loss?
Hair thinning is a known effect and usually shows up within the first few months of taking the tablets. It tends to be mild rather than dramatic, and hair commonly grows back once the medicine is stopped and cleared from the body.
What is the difference between Arava 10mg and Arava 20mg?
Only the amount of leflunomide in each tablet. A 20mg tablet holds twice as much as a 10mg one, and both are ordinary tablets taken once a day. The daily dose you take decides which strength you order.
Is leflunomide the same as methotrexate?
No. They are different DMARDs that both calm the immune attack on the joints, and they work through different chemistry — leflunomide blocks pyrimidine synthesis in immune cells. Leflunomide can be taken on its own or alongside methotrexate.
How long does leflunomide stay in your body?
Months, and in some people up to two years. The active form is cleared slowly and can still be found in the blood long after treatment ends. That long tail is why pregnancy is avoided for a period after the last tablet.