I've ben on Arava in the past.  The advice about resistance to infection
being lowered is applicable to ALL the DMARDs for arthritis.  The reality is
that DMARDs work by interfering with the action of the immune system and that
also lowers its ability to fight off other stuff.  But........ enbrel and
arava work by different mechanisms, affecting different parts of the immune
system's response.  So it is quite possible that individuals who are
particularly susceptible to infection with one of these DMARDs will not be as
suceptible under a different one.  

It's a bit scary, true, but it is the reality.  Also, I don't think arava
leaves one any more susceptible to infection than mtx does - and if you are
on arava, you most likely will not be on mtx as well - very few of us have
taken that combo as it's really rough on the liver.  So, you would be on only
one DMARD rather than the 2 you have been on so there will be only one med
interferring with your response to infection.  (I hope I'm making sense!  My
coffee has entirely kicked in yet.)

Meanwhile, the fact that they now know to avoid amoxicillin with you should
make any future battles with infection less torturous!  And should you get
really ill, there is a medication they can give you to clear the arava from
your system.  But when I stopped it for brief periods for viruses, I
definitely noticed that the bulk of its effect faded quickly so it doesn't
seem to stay at full force in your body for all that long.  Still, it will be
important to pay attention to any signs of infection of stop it when
something hits and get in to a doctor quickly should you think you need
antibiotics.  'Tis a pain, indeed.