{"id":20862,"date":"2021-11-16T21:50:28","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T21:50:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goutpatients.com\/?p=20862"},"modified":"2023-01-04T21:09:55","modified_gmt":"2023-01-04T21:09:55","slug":"allopurinol-for-gout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goutpatients.com\/allopurinol-for-gout\/","title":{"rendered":"Allopurinol for Gout – Administration, Dosage, Side Effects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that causes severe pain. It mainly manifests itself on the big toe(s), but it can also be evident on other joints. The affected joint inflames, swells, may appear reddish and may feel hot or warm. Gout is treatable and manageable, and one way to manage it or prevent an attack is by using allopurinol for gout. Allopurinol works for most gout patients, and in this article, we offer you details about how it functions and its administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How gout develops<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gout develops as a result of a build-up of uric acid crystals around a joint<\/a>. Uric acid is what is formed after the body breaks down protein<\/a> substances known as purines. Purines are naturally found in the body<\/a>, and they are also found in certain foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, uric acid is meant to dissolve into the blood, be filtered out by the kidneys, and passed as urine. However, there are cases when the body produces too much of it, or the kidneys are not fully capable of filtering it out. This may be due to kidney disease. As a result, the uric acid accumulates and forms sharp or needle-like crystals around a joint. This is what is referred to as gout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does allopurinol work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Allopurinol is an oral tablet<\/a> whose brand names are Zyloprim and lopurin. It belongs to a drug category referred to as xanthine oxidase inhibitors<\/a>. These are drugs that work similarly during treatment. It lowers serum uric acid levels in the bloodstream and the urine.  It reduces the quantity of uric acid produced by the body cells. This drug decreases the uric acid levels through the blockage of xanthine oxidase, the enzyme which is responsible for the production of uric acid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Administration and dosage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Allopurinol for gout is strictly available on prescription, and administration is individualized for every patient. It comes as 100 and 300mg tablets. To attain complete gout control and reduce the serum uric acid to normal or close to normal depends on how severe a patient\u2019s case is.  For those with mild gout, the average intake is 200-300 mg daily. Those whose condition is relatively severe may require to take 400-600 mg in a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doctor advises on how many tablets to take and the times of administration. As you take allopurinol, you will have regular blood tests. These are meant to confirm and monitor the levels of uric acid. If the levels do not go down enough, the dosage can be increased to 800mg, especially for very severe cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allopurinol is also available in an intravenous form, and a health professional must only administer this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to take allopurinol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Swallow the tablet(s) with water after eating. For most cases, allopurinol is taken once a day, but for those on high doses, the physician may advise that they split the amount. Dosage above 300 mg needs to be divided.  The minimal effective allopurinol dosage for gout in a day is 100-300 mg, and the maximum dosage is 800mg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, the doctor may prescribe that a patient takes the drug with lots of fluid. Try to take 2-3 liters of fluids daily. Such a sufficient fluid intake will yield slightly alkaline or neutral urine or the desired output. It is recommended that you take the doses at the exact times every day. However, it can be taken at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those on a once-a-day dosage, if by any chance you forget to take your medication, take it the moment you remember.  Those meant to take it twice or more a day; if you forget a dose, skip it until the next one. Don\u2019t double dose as compensation for a missed dose.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Do the doses go lower or higher?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A patient will typically begin treatment on a low dose. Based on the uric acid levels results, it may be increased or reduced. To reduce the chances of developing a flare-up, the recommendation is that a patient starts with a low dose of 100mg per day. This is increased in weekly intervals until the desired levels of uric acid are attained. Normal serum urate levels will mainly be achieved in one to three weeks. The uppermost limit for men and postmenopausal women is 7 mg\/dl and 6 mg\/dl for those that have not hit menopause.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kidney mainly expels allopurinol and its metabolites. Due to this, an accumulation of the drug can result in renal failure. It is therefore always crucial that administration is consequently reduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Side Effects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The very prevalent among the drug\u2019s side effects are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n