So...Leflunomide or MTX?

Hala, I have had no personal experience with either drug because I have been on Plaquenil for 3 years. But on my last Dr visit, the PA suggested I consider Methatrexate. I can tell you that my mother was on both and she hated the MTX, but did okay with the Leflunimide. She got very hyper, though and I don't know if it was that or the steroids that caused it.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

I've not personally had experience of leflunomide. I injected mtx for a year with no Improvement in ra and maximum side effects. I'm currently struggling with sulfazalazine. I've a real prob with all the ra meds, so harsh on your body, just a matter of finding the right one for you.

Keep well.

Haha, I started on a low dose of Leflunomide when I was first diagnosed back in September. It took away my foot pain, but that was about it. It did cause weight loss, which I actually liked.

I asked my dosage to be increased to 20 mg but it still wasn't doing much. I ended up going to a new Rheumatologist and she told me the Leflunomide only does about 60% of what MTX can do and she put me on MTX at a 15mg dose which I'm on now. In my personal experience, the MTX does even less for RA.

Again, my new Rheumatologist told me that none of these DMARDS are going to do much for my RA; she says the Biologics like Enbrel are what I'll need to see marked improvement. I start on a clinical trial for Enbrel in May. I have to be on the MTX for 3 months before they'll accept me for the Enbrel clinical trial. I'm hoping the Enbrel works because neither the Leflunomide nor the MTX have worked for me.

I hope you can find what you need to help you!

I've watched this kind of question coming up in forums for years and all I can say is: experiment. Different drugs work for different metabolisms and each one of our bodies function differently. This is why there are so many drugs. What suits me won't necessarily suit you.

I've been n MTX for 8 years with no side or bad effects so far. But I got sick with leflunomide within a few weeks.

So try then out and see what works for you. Give each a few months and then move on.

Different strokes for different folks.