Allopurinol for Gout

Is allopurinol for you? I can’t answer that question. Your doctor will have to look at your condition to decide if the answer is yes.

Even though I can’t tell you if allopurinol is for you, I can give you some facts about the drug.

Hopefully this information will help you decide if you want to use this drug to relieve your gout pain.

Allopurinol has a few brand names: Lopurin and Zyloprim

Why use Allopurinol for gout?

Allopurinol is a preventative type of drug. Allopurinol is used for gout because it helps your body prevent production of uric acid when digesting purines.  You will need to take this drug to prevent a gout attack.

But, it’s not clear sailing once you start taking this medication.  It might take a month or two of using allopurinol for your gout before your condition gets better.  You might experience a few more gout attacks than usual before the medicine kicks in. This is a chance you will have to take with this drug. The experts say this is normal.

But, just because some people have an increase in gout attacks at the beginning doesn’t necessarily mean you will.

Once the allopurinol starts to work you should be relieved from your gout attacks.

I have heard of some doctor’s prescribing colchicine to help deal with the gout attacks a person might have before the allopurinol starts to work. This might be an option you could consider going with.

If you decide to use allopurinol for your gout ask your doctor about this possible scenario.  Allopurinol is usually recommended to be taken once or twice a day after a meal. It is important that you follow your doctor’s directions when taking allopurinol for gout. If you miss a dose, don’t double up the next one unless your doctor prescribes you to. Doubling up on a dose can harm some people. Remember, your doctor is the boss. If you’re not sure about something, ask him or her!

Precautions When Using Allopurinol for Gout

If you have any of the conditions listed below you should let your doctor know about them before taking allopurinol for gout.

• Heart disease
• Liver disease
• Allergic reaction
• Pregnant
• Planning on getting pregnant
• If you are taking meds for high blood pressure

No drug is without side effects. Yes, if you use allopurinol for gout there are possible side effects. Some of the side effects are:

• Upset stomach
• Diarrhea
• Cramping
• Nausea
• Skin rash

If you’re not sure this drug is for you or just don’t like taking drugs, you can try lowering uric acid levels in your body naturally. There are some easy ways to lower uric acid that work very well.