Allopurinol
Information about Allopurinol
Allopurinol uses
Allopurinol is used in the treatment of gout.
How allopurinol works
Allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor. It works by decreasing blood uric acid, which is the chemical that causes gout.
Common side effects of allopurinol
Skin rash
Content Details
Last updated on:
31 Jul 2018 | 03:46 PM (IST)
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Expert advice for Allopurinol
- Your doctor has prescribed Allopurinol to reduce episodes of gout attack.
- Take Allopurinol at the same time every day, with or without food.
- Take plenty of fluids (2-3 litres) daily while on Allopurinol.
- Notify your doctor if you develop a rash. This could be a sign of allergy and should go away on discontinuing Allopurinol.
- When you first start taking Allopurinol, you might have more gout attacks. Do not stop Allopurinol on having an acute attack of gout as that could make an attack worse.
- Your doctor may check your liver function before starting treatment and regularly thereafter. Inform your doctor if you notice yellowing of eyes or skin, dark urine, or stomach pain.
- Do not consume alcohol while taking Allopurinol as it may cause your gout to flare up.
Frequently asked questions for Allopurinol
Allopurinol
Q. Is Allopurinol safe to use?
Allopurinol is safe if used at prescribed doses for the prescribed duration as advised by your doctor
Q. What is Allopurinol?
Allopurinol belongs to a group of medicines called xanthine oxidase inhibitors. It reduces the amount of uric acid in the body by blocking one of the processes that make it. It is used to treat gout (pain and swelling of the small joints due to elevated levels of uric acid in the blood and subsequent deposition in the joints), kidney stones, and to remove uric acid from the body in certain cancers.
Q. Can I take Allopurinol with Torasemide?
Allopurinol can be taken with Torasemide. Allopurinol is sometimes given to decrease the hyperuricemic effects of Torasemide. However, Allopurinol is not safe in patients with renal failure, so may need to be replaced with another similar medicine like febuxostat.
Q. How is Allopurinol different from febuxostat?
Both Allopurinol and febuxostat work in a similar way by lowering uric acid levels. However, as compared to Allopurinol, febuxostat is seen to be more effective and faster in its action. Also, in patients taking Allopurinol, a dose adjustment is needed if the patient has mild, moderate or severe renal failure while in the case of febuxostat a dose adjustment may be needed only in patients with severe renal failure.
Q. Can I take Allopurinol with febuxostat?
Both Allopurinol and febuxostat are uric acid lowering agents and work in a similar way. So, using both the two medicines together may not be very beneficial and can increase the risk of side effects. However, there have been studies where febuxostat when used with Allopurinol in patients with refractory gout, was quite effective in providing relief. So, a combined use would be best decided by your treating doctor depending on your condition.