How effective is allopurinol for gout?

How effective are the medications? Allopurinol and febuxostat are very effective at reducing uric acid levels. Studies on these medications showed that most participants were able to lower their uric acid levels to under 387 µmol/L (6.5 mg/dL).

Can you still get gout while taking allopurinol?

Sometimes starting allopurinol can trigger a gout attack. This is because some of the crystals can dislodge into the joint as they get smaller which can cause an attack. You may be given another medicine to reduce the risk of these attacks.

How long does it take for allopurinol to stop gout?

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.

How long should allopurinol take to work?

Allopurinol is used for the long-term treatment of gout. Allopurinol starts to work within a few weeks but it can take longer for existing urate crystals to dissolve. Allopurinol should effectively treat your condition, and stop it causing damage to your joints.

Is the gout curable?

Repeated bouts of gout can lead to gouty arthritis, a worsening form of arthritis. There is no cure for gout, but you can effectively treat and manage the condition with medication and self-management strategies.

Why does allopurinol worsen acute gout?

Allopurinol ‘does not worsen acute gout attacks’. Published on 17 April 2015. New research has discovered that the commonly-prescribed drug allopurinol does not worsen the impact of acute gout attacks. Traditionally, the treatment has not been used during attacks of gout due to concerns it would prolong pain.

Does starting allopurinol prolong acute treated gout?

Traditional teaching holds that starting allopurinol during an acute gout attack will prolong the attack. Recent expert opinion from the American College of Rheumatology Guidelines is that allopurinol may be started during an acute, treated gout attack.

What if I stop taking allopurinol?

If you stop taking allopurinol at this stage, you will extend the length of time you risk gout attacks. For this reason, you should not stop taking allopurinol if you have a gout attack. Stopping allopurinol will not change that attack, but it will put you at risk of more attacks than you would otherwise suffer.

Can allopurinol make gout attacks worse?

Allopurinol does not end a gout attack and in fact it will usually make it worse if started during a flare. Often confused as a gout treatment, allopurinol is designed to be used for prevention of future gout attacks and does this by lowering the amount of uric acid in the blood stream.