Understanding Allopurinol
Allopurinol is a strong prescription medication. It lower uric acid levels in the body! Patients take this medication orally the most. However, injections are available as well! Tablets are available in varying doses. Typically, this is in one, three, and five hundred milligrams! Most gout patients start at one hundred milligrams daily. Mild cases of this condition merit a maintenance dose of two to three hundred milligrams each day! Chemotherapy patients receive intravenous doses. They are between two to four hundred milligrams! The maximum dose of this type is six hundred milligrams daily.
This is a common gout medicine! It offers some patients immediate gout pain relief. Of course, many patients want an alternative to allopurinol for gout. Thankfully, there are other options for gout inflammation medicine! Patients looking for kidney stone treatment find success with this medication. It also helps those receiving chemotherapy treatment! Patients looking for natural remedies for gout pain and kidney stones do not need to rely as much on this medication. Of course, patients must understand how allopurinol works first!
How It Works
Allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitor. This means that it blocks the function of this enzyme in the body! It will also reduce how much uric acid the body produces. This acid is the result of purine metabolism!
Allopurinol prevents purine synthesis as well, as it is similar, but functionally different from a natural purine! Patients will absorb this medication in two hours after they take a tablet. Enzymes in their body metabolize it! Their kidneys excrete the product of this medication, oxypurinol, for eighteen to thirty hours.
Uncover information on the major benefits and uses for this medication next!
Uses
Allopurinol is a common gout medication! It prevents gout attacks from happening in the future. However, this medication is not meant for symptom treatment during one of these episodes! This medication also treats kidney stones. Patients undergoing chemotherapy also receive this medication. It reduces uric acid in their body!
It is also used as a seizure medication for certain patients! This medication also treats some infection types, pain from pancreatic conditions, and ulcer patient relapse. It even prevents rejection in many kidney transplant patients! Certain individuals undergoing heart bypass surgery take this medication, as it increases their survival rate!
Continue reading to reveal the medication's side effects next.
Side Effects
This medication has several side effects. The most common ones include headaches, drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting! Allopurinol also causes skin rashes and diarrhea quite often. Taste changes and an upset stomach are also side effects. Some patients will see abnormal liver function tests. Patients must tell their doctor right away when they deal with severe diarrhea, upset stomach, or drowsiness. They need to do this when these symptoms are persistent as well! Mild skin rashes also merit an immediate call.
Rare side effects include numbness and a tingling sensation. Few patients experience urinary issues. However, they must watch for decreased urinary output, bloody urine, and painful urination! All of these side effects require urgent attention. This medication causes liver issues in rare cases. Signs of these issues include stomach pain, fever and chills, and unexplained weight loss. Itching and appetite loss are two more examples! Patients need to report these symptoms to their doctor immediately.
Get the details on precautions for this medication next.
Precautions
Doctors must make sure that this medication is safe for their patients! Thus, patients need to inform them about their complete medical history. Items of note include a history of kidney or liver disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. A history of congestive heart failure also matters! Patients dealing with these conditions often find that allopurinol is not safe for them. Doctors need to know when patients are getting chemotherapy or are pregnant or breastfeeding before prescribing this medication. Individuals cannot drink alcohol on this medication due to side effects. They also have to avoid driving, as this medication impacts their reaction time. Patients also need to avoid activities that require increased alertness as well!
Patients are at an increased risk of bleeding when they are injured on this medication. This is because it causes a decreased white blood cell count in some patients! A low white blood cell count also means more infections. Thus, regular blood tests and doctor's appointments are necessary! Thankfully, patients can choose to take this medication with or without food. However, they need to do so with a full glass of water. This lowers their risk of kidney stones! Ideally, patients need to drink sixty-four to eighty ounces of water daily.
Discover the medication interactions next.
Medication Interactions
Allopurinol interacts with over fifty medications. There are sixteen major interactions within this! Thus, patients need to list their current medications and give the list to their doctor. They will check this list and reduce the risk of interactions! Of course, this list must include all prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements.
Certain antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, cause interactions. Other interactions exist with blood-thinning medications, chemotherapy drugs, diuretics, and some immunosuppressants! Patients need to tell their doctor about these medications before they take allopurinol. In many cases, they will need their dose adjusted! Switching to another medicine is also an option. Gout patients taking other medications need to talk with their doctor first as well.