I cannot imagine where I would be were it not for allopurinol and a good diet.

Allopurinol has worked very well for me. You still need to watch your diet (I need to be very strict), but it certainly has helped prevent attacks for me.

Ray

Side effects?

I have not experienced any side effects with allopurinol.

Ray

allopurinol is helpful during atacks in my experience

I was initially put on a regimen of 300mg of Allopurinol as an everyday preventative. Just one day after taking my first pill I had severe ankle pain and extreme pain in my pubic bone area. My doctor gave me some indocine and lowered my Allopurinol dosage to 100mg/day. Even with that small dose, the extreme pelvic pain came back. I was checked for kidney stones, but there were none found.

I gave up on treating my gout with Allopurinol after these two incedents---Until I met a very intelligent Rheumatologist. He told me Allopurinol affects your uric acid level when you first take it. It makes one heck of a horrible gout attack. He prescibed me 300mg Allopurinol AND .6mg of Colchicine everyday. The Colchicine counteracts the level changes of uric acid caused by the Allopurinol. I was seriously scared to take the Allopurinol again., but the Doc was right. He has gotten the tophi in both of my knees and elbows to disappear and I can walk without a limp now.

Today I am just on 300mg of Allopurinol as a regimen.

Thank You Dr. Morris.

rleslie25,

A thing to remember is if you suffer from and attack again do not repeat do not stop taking your alopurinol. Back in 1991 when I had my first attack after having my knee drained twice by my Rheumatologist he put me on Alopurinol and said "Jeff this will prolong the attack a bit however you need to get this in you". Well I did listen and the first attack slowly went away. However during the second attack dumb me stopped taking it. I tuffed out this attack with colchinne only and when it went away I commenced taking Alopurinol again. You guessed it the gout came back in full glory.

I'm taking 600mg of Alopurinol and 2000mg of Probenicid a day now. Wish I had the success you have had with the limp. I have not been as lucky.

V/R
Jeff

Hi Jeff,

May I ask what is your blood uric acid level and 24-hour urine uric acid excretion rate? Thanks.

JYY

JYY2,

Typically around 10.8. Has been as high as 14. I have been on alopurinol and probenicid now for 8 months.

Back in 96 I was on both of these drugs for a little over a year and my Rheumatologist was able to get me down into the low 8's and then removed the probenicid regimen.

Think you and I have exchanged e-mails in the past. Just this past year the gout has really been kicking my butt. Been off the prednisone now for about 30 days however my blood sugar levels have not returned to anywhere near normal. Being a diabetic (type 2) not overweight taking avandamet and shooting insulin is no fun. Last test about and hour ago 336. Sure would like to know if all the prednisone is out of me yet and if I will be shooting insulin for the long term. Next doctors appointment is 2 weeks away and fingers are crossed.

Very Respectfully,
Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Thank you for the reply, as well as, your replies to my earlier questions in another thread.

I was wondering after taking high doses of Allopurinol and Probenecid, what your 24-hour urine uric acid excretion is like. And, if it is high, e.g. greater than 800~900 mg/day, are you taking urine alkalizers?

Have you looked into the use of Rasburicase? It has been reported to be highly effective and safe in lowering the uric acid level. In a study of 49 adults (please see Ref. 1 below), Rasburicase treatments lowered their uric acid level from a median of 11.9 mg/dL (range: 7.0 ~ 24.3) to 0.7 mg/dL (range: 0.0 ~5.0)! Many other studies also reported the similar results and stated that Rasburicase treatments for hyperuricemia is cost effect. While, most Rasburicase treatments have been given to hyperuricemic tumor lysis patients, it seems to me, it can also be given to hyperuricemic gout patients where the conventional gout drugs don't work very well. As a matter of fact, the new drug Puricase which is still in Phase 3 clinical study is a similar uricase-type drug. Your rheumatologist must have better info.

Wish you the very best,

JYY

Ref. 1 -- http://www.nature.com/leu/journal/v15/n10/ pdf/2402235a.pdf