Asked by: Wenlong Ortolano
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Why allopurinol is not given in acute gout?

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However, allopurinol should not be used to treat an acute attack of gout. This is because they may make the attack last longer.


Also to know is, can allopurinol be used in acute gout?

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, allopurinol is not initiated during an acute gout attack to avoid prolonging the painful arthritis. The treating physician determined therapy for the acute gout attack. Standard prophylaxis, with colchicine or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, was prescribed.

Likewise, why does allopurinol trigger gout? Allopurinol is used to prevent or lower high uric acid levels in the blood. A high uric acid level can cause gout or gouty arthritis (joint pain and inflammation). Allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor that works by decreasing the uric acid produced by the body.

Regarding this, should allopurinol be stopped during acute gout?

Do not start allopurinol during an acute attack of gout Allopurinol should not be started at the time of an acute attack of gout, however, if a patient is already taking it regularly, then it should be continued at the same dose.

Which is better for gout colchicine or allopurinol?

Lesson Summary Colchicine is used for acute flare ups of gout to act as an anti-inflammatory by reducing swelling and pain. Allopurinol is an antihyperuricemic which prevents the production of uric acid. Colchicine should be given in small doses to prevent side effects.

Related Question Answers

Tarsila Arias

Professional

Is allopurinol safe for kidneys?

Allopurinol Safe Even With Chronic Kidney Disease. Allopurinol is a safe and effective therapy for lowering urate levels in gout, even in patients with creatinine clearances (CrCL) < 30 mL/min. High doses of allopurinol are rarely needed to achieve acceptable urate levels in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Deicy El Haddaoui

Professional

Can allopurinol cause liver damage?

Allopurinol may adversely affect liver function tests, most commonly manifesting as asymptomatic elevations of transaminases and/or alkaline phosphatase. However, a few cases of serious and sometimes fatal allopurinol-associated liver disease have been reported.

Gervasio Weinspach

Professional

How much allopurinol should I take for gout?

The typical adult dose of allopurinol for gout is: Initial Dose : 100 to 200 milligrams (mg), once a day. Maintenance Dose : 200 to 300 mg orally, once a day, for mild gout or 400 to 600 mg a day in divided doses for moderately severe gout. You should take each dose of allopurinol with a full glass of water.

Milford Zschuntzsch

Explainer

What is the best treatment for acute gout?

Treatment
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs include over-the-counter options such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve), as well as more-powerful prescription NSAIDs such as indomethacin (Indocin) or celecoxib (Celebrex).
  • Colchicine.
  • Corticosteroids.

Angelberto Font

Explainer

Can you walk with gout?

Gout attacks can occur in joints that look normal, or in joints that have easily visible deposits of uric acid. Since gout attacks are usually quite painful and often make walking difficult, most gout sufferers will request specific treatment for their painful condition.

Yakira Biederlack

Explainer

Can you stop taking allopurinol?

Do not stop taking allopurinol suddenly unless you have a skin rash or allergic reaction. Speak to your doctor or nurse before stopping. Stopping allopurinol quickly can cause a flare up and make your gout worse.

Rickey Roshni

Pundit

How fast does allopurinol work?

It can take 2-3 months to become fully effective. It does not have any effect during a gout attack, although you should continue to take it regularly every day even if this happens. During the first few weeks of taking allopurinol, your blood levels of uric acid may rise for a short while before they fall.

Nahiane Novara

Pundit

Is gout a sign of kidney failure?

Gout may lead to kidney disease
When you have gout, you have too much uric acid in your blood. As your blood is filtered through your kidneys, uric acid can build up and form urate crystals. This kidney damage is thought to lead to kidney disease and failure over time, especially if your gout is left untreated.

Lydie Eckerl

Pundit

What are the long term side effects of allopurinol?

Allopurinol side effects
  • skin rash.
  • diarrhea.
  • nausea.
  • changes in your liver function test results.
  • gout flare-up (if you have gout)

Artiom Poggio

Pundit

Does allopurinol worsen acute gout?

Historically, there has been concern that starting urate-lowering therapy such as allopurinol could worsen or prolong the acute gout flare. Based on these trials, it is reasonable to start allopurinol during an acute flare of gout when combined with acute gout treatment as this does not prolong the flare.

Michiko Royall

Pundit

Is banana good for uric acid patient?

Bananas are low in purines and high in vitamin C, which make them a good food to eat if you have gout. Changing your diet to include more low-purine foods, like bananas, can lower the amount of uric acid in your blood and reduce your risk of recurrent gout attacks.

Kateryna Ibarguengoitia

Teacher

What vegetables are bad for gout?

Eat plenty of vegetables such as kailan, cabbage, squash, red bell pepper, beetroot, but limit the intake of vegetables with moderate purine content such as asparagus, spinach, cauliflower and mushrooms. Eat fruits high in vitamin C such as oranges, tangerines, papaya and cherries.

Kwasi Hansemann

Teacher

When should allopurinol be used?

Take this medication by mouth, usually once daily or as directed by your doctor. Take this medication after a meal to reduce stomach upset. If your dose is more than 300 milligrams a day, you will need to take several smaller doses during the day to get this amount (ask your doctor for directions).

Leonora Jitukhin

Teacher

Can a podiatrist help with gout?

The goal of treatment at first is get the gout under control and alleviate the pain from the gout attack. Our podiatrist will work to give a gout patient medicine to help alleviate the pain, and will discuss diet modifications to help reduce the amount of uric acid the gout sufferer is ingesting in their food.

Saraniu Klemper

Teacher

What is the first line drug of choice for treating gout?

The drugs of first choice for acute gouty arthritis are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), corticosteroids, and colchicine. Treatment with xanthine oxidase inhibitors (XOI) or uricosuric drugs is indicated for patients with a recurrent or severe course; the target uric acid value is <6 mg/dL.

Argelina Rusov

Reviewer

Is allopurinol used for pseudogout?

Long-term treatment is aimed at lowering the level of uric acid in the blood so that crystals do not form. Colchicine is often used at low doses for a period of time while drugs that lower uric acid levels are started. Allopurinol is one of the most commonly used long-term drugs. It prevents the formation of uric acid.

Elicia Valença

Reviewer

How do I start allopurinol?

Prophylactic colchicine or NSAID is recommended, starting 2 weeks before allopurinol whenever possible, and continuing for 3–6 months to prevent such attacks. An alternative is to start allopurinol at 50–100 mg/day and increase by similar increments weekly until the target serum urate is reached.

Izabela Tzederbaum

Reviewer

Can allopurinol raise blood pressure?

Hyperuricemia has been shown to raise blood pressure (BP) in normotensive rats, and this rise is attenuated by urate-lowering drugs. In 1 study, both allopurinol (a xanthine oxidase inhibitor that reduces the formation of uric acid) and probenecid (a uricosuric drug) were studied.

Layne Lintzhoft

Reviewer

Can allopurinol cause erectile dysfunction?

The short answer is yes, it may cause erectile dysfunction.
There was not a mention - so as a consumer on allopurinol-based medication you may not have read. Impotence (erectile dysfunction) and nocturnal emissions (wet dreams) are listed as potential side effects that MAY occurr.