THERAPY OF LEFLUNOMIDE AND METHOTRXATE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS

Objective: To study the profile of safety of (LEF + MTX) in a combined form in patients along with active Rheumatoid arthritis at the time duration of 3 & 6 months.

Material and Methods: This study was conducted at Allied / DHQ hospital Faisalabad and the duration of this study was from July 2020 to December 2020.  72 patients with active Rheumatoid arthritis in spite of the maximum medicine which was 20 to 25 mg per week of (MTX) were enrolled & leflunomide at 20 mg per day was also added. Both the clinical & laboratory reviews were taken at 0, 1, 3 & 6 months to check any of the side effects.

Results: 72 subjects were included with an average age of ± SD (51.5 ± 9.1) years & a mean disease time as (8.25 ± 6.1) years. All the subjects have baseline active disease having mean activity of disease score as DAS-28 of (6.2 ± 0.7). At a time after six months, most of the side effects were nausea & abdominal pain. Total 57 subjects at 79.1 % were continued with combination therapy. Due to raised (ALT) & vomiting, just 3 ceased treatment temporarily & 12 discontinued treatment because of diarrhoea, intensive oral ulcers, evidently increased (ALT) which affected two patients, abscess, vomiting, chest infection, (MTX) induced pneumonitis which affected one patient.

Conclusion: If vigilant clinical & laboratory monitoring is confirmed then (MTX + LEF) combination is very safe in using in all Rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Keywords: Vigilant, Diarrhoea, Inflammatory, Leflunomide, Pneumonitis, Anti- Rheumatoid Drugs.