Guest guest Report post Posted March 29, 2006 I didn't have any side effects like that when I was on Arava. But taking it before bedtime might help to alleviate that feeling. Sue On Wednesday, March 29, 2006, at 09:29 AM, kringlemom@... wrote: > ok, so i took it last night and did not like the way my head felt. i > was > wondering if anyone else experienced this, maybe if i take it before > bed? any > ideas?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 29, 2006 I only had two reactions from Arava...1 - it didn't work for me, and 2 - I lost weight effortlessly on it...which I thought was good considering I was seriously morbidly obese at the time, but my rheumy did not think that was a good way to lose the weight...he was suspect at was going on. So, it was off the Arava. Gentle hugs... Tess Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted April 3, 2006 Hi a, , June and all who responded. I think of you all so often. Esther has a mild case of pancreatitis... so they say.... but she says the pain is great. She is scheduled to have a colonscopy and at same time they are going to scope and see if she has any ulcers. She has been on so much medication since the age of eight....now she is 36. I am hoping this is a side effect of the Arava because if so, the Gastro doctor said once it is out of her body....(.could take up to 6 weeks), then her symptoms will go away. He too said that Lupus patients develope pancreatitis also. She still has to have another blood test for the Lupus. Her Rhuemmy has her on this powder....Cholestyramine...mixed with water 3 times a day. He said this will get the Arava out faster. ????? Actually of all the medications she has ever taken only prednisone worked. Also, aspirin....which has a bad rap. She was on aspirin when her Still's Disease first started and it worked great until she had a major flare around the age of nine. After that, she has never been put back on it....but I think it worked a lot better than these others. She was on Kineret for about 8 months. She kept getting bladder infections and then finally last Nov. she had both a urine and a blood infection. Was in hospital for 3 weeks with that.....came home on IV antibiodics and then in Dec. developed a totally different bacteria urine and blood infection. was back in for another week. I told her Rheummy that I thought Kineret was the blame. Then he started her on this Arava. He had also tried methotrexdate (spg.??) and that made her blood go wacky. I really don't think she can take these stronger arthritis drugs. Didn't mean to write a book, LOL Gentle hugs to all of you, Carol aka Esther's Mom a Papola wrote: > I'm so sorry Esther is suffering with this. Although pancreatitis is > a listed side > effect of Arava, I don't know of anyone here that has had this happen > as a > result of Arava. > Do her doctors expect it will be reversible upon discontinuation of > Arava? > > a > > > On Mar 31, 2006, at 2:16 AM, Esther Finlaw wrote: > > > My daughter has been taking Arava and now she has pancreatitis which > > they think came from Arava. The pain of this is greater than the > > pain of > > her arthritis and she cannot enjoy food right now. Just wonder if > > anyone > > else had this side effect. > > > > Carol.....Esther's Mom > > > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted April 3, 2006 Carol, I am so sorry to read about all the problems Esther is having. I have had pancreatitis and the pain is terrible. Even if it is a mild case I am sure she is in awful pain. I know I had many attacks. I hope they can find out what is wrong and help her. I have had problems with so many of the Ra drugs, that it is frustrating. I will be praying for Esther and hoping all will be well soon. Lynn (MeMom) Re: [ ] arava > Hi a, , June and all who responded. I think of you all so often. > > Esther has a mild case of pancreatitis... so they say.... but she says > the pain is great. She is scheduled to have a colonscopy and at same > time they are going to scope and see if she has any ulcers. She has been > on so much medication since the age of eight....now she is 36. I am > hoping this is a side effect of the Arava because if so, the Gastro > doctor said once it is out of her body....(.could take up to 6 weeks), > then her symptoms will go away. He too said that Lupus patients > develope pancreatitis also. She still has to have another blood test > for the Lupus. Her Rhuemmy has her on this > powder....Cholestyramine...mixed with water 3 times a day. He said this > will get the Arava out faster. ????? > > Actually of all the medications she has ever taken only prednisone worked. > Also, aspirin....which has a bad rap. She was on aspirin when her > Still's Disease first started and it worked great until she had a major > flare around the age of nine. After that, she has never been put back on > it....but I think it worked a lot better than these others. > > She was on Kineret for about 8 months. She kept getting bladder > infections and then finally last Nov. she had both a urine and a blood > infection. Was in hospital for 3 weeks with that.....came home on IV > antibiodics and then in Dec. developed a totally different bacteria > urine and blood infection. was back in for another week. I told her > Rheummy that I thought Kineret was the blame. Then he started her on > this Arava. He had also tried methotrexdate (spg.??) and that made her > blood go wacky. I really don't think she can take these stronger > arthritis drugs. > > Didn't mean to write a book, LOL > Gentle hugs to all of you, > Carol aka Esther's Mom > > > > a Papola wrote: > >> I'm so sorry Esther is suffering with this. Although pancreatitis is >> a listed side >> effect of Arava, I don't know of anyone here that has had this happen >> as a >> result of Arava. >> Do her doctors expect it will be reversible upon discontinuation of >> Arava? >> >> a >> >> >> On Mar 31, 2006, at 2:16 AM, Esther Finlaw wrote: >> >> > My daughter has been taking Arava and now she has pancreatitis which >> > they think came from Arava. The pain of this is greater than the >> > pain of >> > her arthritis and she cannot enjoy food right now. Just wonder if >> > anyone >> > else had this side effect. >> > >> > Carol.....Esther's Mom >> >> >> Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted May 5, 2006 That’s the one I started with and didn’t have much luck. I then switched to Methotrexate with about the same luck. We added Remicade at 3 mg/kg with a little luck so we slowly increased to 6 mg/kg and that works pretty well for me. Everyone is different so some do fine with either Arava alone or Methotrexate alone. I hope it works well for you. God bless. From: Rheumatoid Arthritis [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ] On Behalf Of snowdrift52003 Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 3:10 PM Rheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Arava Hello! Unfortunately, I never paid much attention when people wrote about Arava here--now I'm to try it. Experiences to share? Sierra Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted May 5, 2006 Sierra- Google Arava. It works through your digestive tract. Side effects are abdominal in nature. Diarrhea and weight loss are common but some people dont mind that. It seems well tolerated in people who cant tolerate MTX. I was 150 pounds in 2000, was on that for 2 weeks and lost 10 pounds. I had a hyperactive thyroid but didnt discover that until 2002. I am down to 105 now. Thyroid problems are common with autoimmune disorders I have found. Good luck with Arava. My advice is start slow. Take half what the doctor recommends. Its powerful stuff. I never got nausea from it like I do on MTX but I was in the bathroom all the time. Hugs, Deborah On 5/4/06, Harold Van Tuyl <hvantuyl@...> wrote: That's the one I started with and didn't have much luck. I then switched to Methotrexate with about the same luck. We added Remicade at 3 mg/kg with a little luck so we slowly increased to 6 mg/kg and that works pretty well for me. Everyone is different so some do fine with either Arava alone or Methotrexate alone. I hope it works well for you. God bless. From: Rheumatoid Arthritis [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ] On Behalf Of snowdrift52003 Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 3:10 PM Rheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Arava Hello! Unfortunately, I never paid much attention when people wrote about Arava here--now I'm to try it. Experiences to share? Sierra Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted May 6, 2006 > Hello! > Unfortunately, I never paid much attention when people wrote about > Arava here--now I'm to try it. Experiences to share? I was on it for 2 months and it didn't help, although I had virtually no side effects. I did develop stomach problems which are probably an ulcer, but we're pretty sure that's not Arava related... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted June 20, 2006 I was on Arava for a couple of months. It was the first med that really helped... I felt almost normal. Then, unfortunately, just when I thought I might get my life back again, my liver values went sky high and climbing. I had to stop taking it. Now I'm waiting for my liver values to go back down again, then it's back to the drawing board again. I'm still on Mtx, but that doesn't help me much on its own. In the mean time, I'm taking higher doses of prednisone, and will see the doc Friday again. I sue WISH the Arava hadn't affected my liver... to feel that good from one pill a day was great!!! > > > > I am new to all this. My doctor has decided to put me on Arava. I > > would be interested in hearing about others who have been on it, or are > > on it, side effects, how long it took before they saw results, etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
