For the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: The initial loading dose is followed by the maintenance dose of 10 to 20 mg daily. How long should Lefumide be taken? Lefumide does not work straight away. It usually starts showing improvement after 4 to 8 weeks. The full effect may be noticed after 4 to 8 weeks of the treatment. The intake of the drug continued for more than 10 years as long as it is effective and no serious adverse reactions happen.
If the treatment is stopped for more than a few weeks, there is a possibility that your condition will worsen. Continue taking the medicine unless advised by your physician. Missed dose of Lefumide Try not to miss doses as missing doses can delay your improvement. In case, you forget to take a dose take it as soon as you remember, but do not take it if the time to take the next dose is near. Skip the missed dose and take the next dose according to the recommended dosing schedule.
Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: Leflunomide may increase blood pressure. Your blood pressure should be checked regularly while you are taking this medication. This medication can lower the body's ability to fight an infection. Tell your doctor immediately if you develop any signs of an infection such as fever , chills , or persistent sore throat.
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction: Leflunomide can commonly cause a mild rash that is usually not serious. However, you may not be able to tell it apart from a rare rash that could be a sign of a severe allergic reaction. You may not experience the full benefits of leflunomide until 6 to 12 weeks after you start therapy.
If you miss a dose of leflunomide, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is close to the time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. You should store leflunomide in the original container that it came in.
Make sure that it is tightly sealed and kept out of reach of children. Do not take 2 doses at the same time or extra doses. Do not change the dose or stop this drug.
Talk with the doctor. What precautions should I take when taking Leflunomide: If you have an allergy to leflunomide or any other part of this drug. Make sure to tell about the allergy and what signs you had.
This includes telling about rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs. Leflunomide has not been studied in patients with a positive tuberculosis screen, and the safety of leflunomide in individuals with latent tuberculosis infection is unknown. Patients testing positive in tuberculosis screening should be treated by standard medical practice prior to therapy with leflunomide.
Renal Insufficiency Single dose studies in dialysis patients show a doubling of the free fraction of M1 in plasma. There is no clinical experience in the use of leflunomide in patients with renal impairment. Caution should be used when administering this drug in this population. Vaccinations No clinical data are available on the efficacy and safety of vaccinations during leflunomide treatment.
Vaccination with live vaccines is, however, not recommended. The long half-life of leflunomide should be considered when contemplating administration of a live vaccine after stopping leflunomide. Blood Pressure Monitoring Blood pressure should be checked before start of leflunomide treatment and periodically thereafter.
Information for Patients The potential for increased risk of birth defects should be discussed with female patients of childbearing potential. It is recommended that physicians advise women that they may be at increased risk of having a child with birth defects if they are pregnant when taking leflunomide, become pregnant while taking leflunomide, or do not wait to become pregnant until they have stopped taking leflunomide and followed the drug elimination procedure as described in WARNINGS: Patients should be advised of the possibility of rare, serious skin reactions.
Patients should be instructed to inform their physicians promptly if they develop a skin rash or mucous membrane lesions. Patients should be advised of the potential hepatotoxic effects of leflunomide and of the need for monitoring liver enzymes.
Patients should be instructed to notify their physicians if they develop symptoms such as unusual tiredness, abdominal pain or jaundice. Patients should be advised that they may develop a lowering of their blood counts and should have frequent hematologic monitoring.
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