Lefbivio Tablet 20mg (Leflunomide)

Adult dosage

Administer a loading dose of 100 mg once daily for 3 days. For patients with rheumatoid arthritis, administer a maintenance dose of 20 mg once daily. When administered at 25 mg once daily, some patients experienced adverse reactions such as alopecia, weight loss, and elevated liver enzyme levels. Therefore, the maintenance dose should not exceed 20 mg once daily. If the patient's clinical tolerability is poor, the maintenance dose may be reduced to 10 mg once daily. Administer a maintenance dose of 20 mg once daily to patients with psoriatic arthritis.

This medication contains active metabolites that can remain in the body for a long time, potentially causing side effects to appear or persist even after discontinuation. If serious side effects occur, or if rapid removal of the drug from the body is necessary, certain medications (cholestyramine or activated charcoal) should be used to expeditiously eliminate this medication. Since this drug is metabolized and excreted by the liver, patients with impaired liver function should use it cautiously, and it should not be administered to patients with a history of liver disease. Frequent liver function tests should be conducted before and during early use of this medication to check for liver damage, and if liver enzymes rise above a certain level, dosage adjustment or discontinuation may be necessary. This medication may suppress the immune system; thus, it is not recommended for patients with severe immune deficiency or infections, and if infection symptoms appear, immediate discontinuation should occur. Patients with lung inflammation or damage may experience serious respiratory side effects while taking this medication; therefore, the decision to administer should be carefully considered based on a physician's diagnosis and examination. Rarely, serious allergic reactions or ulcers may occur on the skin; if skin abnormalities present, medication should be immediately discontinued, and medical consultation should occur. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should not take this medication, and if pregnancy is confirmed during use, immediate consultation with a physician is necessary. This medication contains lactose; thus, patients with certain genetic lactose metabolism disorders should avoid it. Safety in children has not been established, so it is recommended that children under 18 do not take it. Elderly patients do not require specific dosage adjustments, but use must be based on overall health condition. This medication may interact with other drugs, so if taking other medications, consultation with a physician or pharmacist is essential, particularly when combining it with hepatotoxic drugs or immunosuppressants. In cases of overdose, symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and hematological abnormalities may appear, and treatment to remove the drug from the body may be necessary using cholestyramine or activated charcoal. Store this medication away from direct sunlight at temperatures below 25 degrees Celsius, and maintain transportation between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.

• Diarrhea
• elevated liver enzyme levels (ALT, AST)
• hair loss
• rash
• weakness
• flu-like syndrome
• upper respiratory infection
• injury accident
• pain
• abdominal pain

This medication is sensitive to light and should be stored in a container that does not allow light exposure. Additionally, it is important to store it at a cool temperature below 25 degrees to maintain its efficacy.

Appearance

Yellow to tawny triangular-shaped film-coated tablet

Package unit

30 tablets/bottle