Index
It is a medicine prescribed to treat or fight rheumatoid arthritis.
This condition is the condition of the immune system to recognize the body itself, attacking the healthy tissues around the joints.
Treatment with Leflunomide helps to reduce the damage caused by the nervous system to the joints, thus decreasing pain, inflammation and improving the mobility of the affected limb.
Administration of Leflunomide
This medicine can be ingested before or after meals, usually the dosage is once a day or as recommended by the treating doctor.
It is important that the person to treat follow the letter of the specialist to achieve optimal results and reduce the condition that it has in the joints.
If the ailments are very strong, the doctor may recommend a higher dose during the first days of treatment.
Side effects
This drug is usually very strong for the body while adapting to its components, sometimes and depending on the person can cause:
- Sudden dizziness
- Nausea or vomiting
- Stomach upset or diarrhea
If these symptoms persist in the person being treated, you should contact your specialist doctor.
Among the serious side effects that this medicine can produce and in some cases be harmful to the health of the affected person are:
- Numbness in the extremities of the body.
- Hair loss.
- Chronic cough.
- Tingling in the hands or feet.
- Sudden pain in the chest.
- Cardiac arrhythmia .
- Muscle pains.
- Cramps.
- Difficulty to focus or visualize things well.
- Bruising or sudden bleeding without previous or low impact injuries.
- Weightloss.
- Tiredness continues.
- Apathy when doing any activity.
Those who are under treatment with Leflunomide should be in constant check-up or medical check-up, because they usually reduce the effects of antibiotics when a disease or other important health-promoting medicines are being cured.
This negative effect increases the chances of acquiring or maintaining an infection in the body such as:
- Shaking chills.
- Increase in body temperature to reach very high fevers.
- Pain in the extremities of the body without apparent lesions.
- Sore throat when swallowing
- Swelling of the lymph nodes.
Additionally, in some cases there have been signs of arterial elevation, which is why the patient must notify his treating physician if he / she has this condition.
Leflunomide rarely causes allergic reactions but anyone who is in treatment should pay attention if you have the following allergy symptoms:
- Rash on the body
- Inflammation in the tongue, throat, face or around the eyes.
- Redness in some parts of the face.
In some cases and depending on the body, a skin rash may appear that does not represent a serious problem for the health of the affected person but should be followed up to prevent future complications.
Leflunomide overdose
If the patient exceeds the dose of the treatment without notifying his treating doctor, he may suffer from an overdose, for which he will be instructed to suspend the treatment and ingest another medication such as Cholestyramine with the objective of eliminating the components of Leflunomide from the system.
Precautions
Leflunomide can be maintained in the body for up to 2 years after the end of treatment.
In the case of women, if they wish, plan or become pregnant, they must notify their doctor to purify their body and prevent the unborn from developing in the placenta with abnormalities or born with a deficiency due to the effects of the medication.
On the other hand, women who are breastfeeding can not start treatment with this medicine because its components can have counterproductive effects on the development of the baby.
The consumption of alcoholic beverages should be avoided, since its union with Leflunomide can cause dizziness or disorientation.
Storage
Leflunomide should be stored in places that maintain an ambient temperature, away from moisture and sunlight. Its cooling is not recommended.
It should be out of the reach of children and pets to prevent altercations or complications, because it can be counterproductive to their health if accidentally ingested.
