Arava and Hair Loss: What Users Say

• Tin...
• March 6, 2014

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I've been on Arava for over 10 years now. At first (following the loading dose) I was taking 20 mg daily. I went from not being able to dress myself to being completely independent and relatively pain-free. I do have fibromyalgia, so there has been some muscle pain with that. I lost quite a bit of hair at first, but that stopped. After 7 or 8 years I asked my doctor if I could try to taper down. I went from 20 mg daily to 20 mg every other day. I have mild psoriasis, which flared when I cut back, but eventually it cleared up again. After a year, my doctor decreased it to 10 mg every other day. The psoriasis flared again, but is now gone, and I am maintaining at 10 mg every other day and doing well."

• kri...
• January 24, 2013

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Was on Arava for a little over a year. The hair loss, pain from the hair loss, gastrointestinal problems, and the infections are just too much. My hair is so thin. I went to my doctor and had it stopped. I lost another 6 lbs in 2 months, and that is with the introduction of Ensure. I hope others have a better experience than what I did. I am 27 years old, and every day I felt life leaving me little by little."

• cho...
• December 31, 2012

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I started taking Arava in Sep. 2012. Two months ago I noticed my hair was falling out in the shower, and now in December my hair is so thin you can see my scalp. I also have to blow my nose at least twenty times a day. And now I am getting sores in my mouth. I am not sure if I want to stay on it."

• cho...
• December 31, 2012

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I started taking Arava in Sep. 2012. Two months ago I noticed my hair was falling out in the shower, and now in December my hair is so thin you can see my scalp. I also have to blow my nose at least twenty times a day. And now I am getting sores in my mouth. I am not sure if I want to stay on it."

• Anonymous
• June 3, 2009

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I took Arava for about one year. It worked fabulously for the rheumatoid arthritis. I was even going to aerobics and kickboxing. However, my hair started to fall out and I ended up with no eyebrows. Needless to say, I stopped taking it and my rheumatoid arthritis has not been good ever since. My hair grew back but in some spots it did not. I still have some bald spots in my eyebrows. I was not very happy about that as I am only 35."

• Anonymous
• June 3, 2009

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I took Arava for about one year. It worked fabulously for the rheumatoid arthritis. I was even going to aerobics and kickboxing. However, my hair started to fall out and I ended up with no eyebrows. Needless to say, I stopped taking it and my rheumatoid arthritis has not been good ever since. My hair grew back but in some spots it did not. I still have some bald spots in my eyebrows. I was not very happy about that as I am only 35."

• Evi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 12, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I'm posting this for my mother, who is not able to type like she once did as a result of this medication. Methotrexate was also a difficult med, which caused confusion, depression, loss of balance, hair loss, and an INCREASE in joint pain. Arava had similar effects, but instead of 5 weeks as with Methotrexate, she was only able to tolerate 3 days of Arava! (at 1/2 dose per rheumy recommendation). She had symptoms very much like a stroke the evening of the third day - unable to speak more than a word or two, not to mention absolute terror as well as the effects listed above. For anyone keeping track: she waited a full 2 weeks between stopping Methotrexate and trying the Arava. After 5 weeks now, she's ALMOST back to normal. Beware!"

• Anonymous
• December 16, 2021

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Caused stomach upset, worse the first two weeks and then slowly subsided. It really did help with pain. However, I was only on it for about two months and lost a substantial amount of hair. As a middle-aged woman, thinning hair is another issue to deal with as you face all the challenges of aging, and this was really a disappointment because I’m questioning if my hair will grow back now that I’ve stopped the medication. It also gave me mouth sores and some acne, which otherwise I have always had clear skin. Pain relief vs. hair? It’s awful that we have to find out if that will be the effect the drug will have on each individual, for its effects are different for all. But personally, I can’t handle this amount of hair loss, maybe a little hair loss I could have tolerated, but not at this level."

• Sal...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 11, 2014

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "Not ONLY the pain from rheumatoid arthritis - Arava made my hair fall out, lump in esophagus, and chronic throat infection."