Gout Forum - Uloric vs. Allopurinol

Conditions and Diseases > Gout Forum > Uloric vs. Allopurinol

Gout is a common type of arthritis and accounts for about 5% of all cases of arthritic condition. But what is gout and what are the stages of this condition?...

Q: Uloric vs. Allopurinol

asked by: dontang67 on August 18th, 2009

New User

I have had gout on and off for years but most recentley it will not go away. Over the last year it has gotten progressively worse because colchicine is not working like it did before. I was diagnosed 5 years ago and was told by the Dr to take Allopurinol but I did not like the risks associated with this Rx. Well my GP DR. just put/convinced me that my long term health is at risk so I need to take something to reduce my urinc levels (9.2) now and he wants 5.0.. I'm not a fan of drugs and so now I'm on a new drug called Uloric 40mg a day with one colchicine. Is there anyone else out there that has had a lingering pain for the last 6 months and familiar with this new Uloric drug. I also think the ball of my toe/foot has damage as it always hurts, is this common? I'm in good shape 5,10 190lbs and work out 3-5 times per week. I'm a weekend worrier and like to party ie drink and have fun!! Drinking does not seem to affect my gout except it may reduce pain if anything. Any advice and insights? I'm a first time poster and looking to help others as well. One more thing, the Dr put me on Buspar to reduce anxiety and help me sleep as I have a stressful career but that is normal for me in the last 10 years. Thank You

Replies(7)

jeafra10

replied on August 19th, 2009

New User

I am looking for help also. My husband has been on Allopurinol for about 3 years. About 3 weeks ago he had the worst Gout ever. The doctor changed his pill to Uloric. He now has gout every day all day. It goes from one ankle to the other, then to the elbow, back to the ankle, then in the knee, and this morning at 4:30 everything was terrible. Both ankles, elbow and knee. He takes the anti-inflamatory to help with the pain. If you read about Uloric it says you will have flare ups but this is terrible. Today he is not taking Uloric. Also he just had in the last week about 10 different blood test and his uric acid count was perfect, go figure. But something strange has changed his Iron count, it very low and the pill Uloric can make you be anemia. He is 80 years old and has never drank or smoked in his life, and also is on a diet and has lost 14 pounds, he is not that much overweight anyway but the doctor said he has to cut down. I think today I will be calling the doctor about a SED Rate Blood Test, of all the test he didn't take that one.

dontang67

replied on August 19th, 2009

New User

Hope he feels better soon. My dad had it and was taking 800mg of Ibuprofin which worked for him. Not sure he can take that but good luck

robags0817

replied on August 23rd, 2009

New User

yes Uloric will help you. as you know elevated uric acid causes Gouty attacks. your body can absorb about 6.8 mg/dl of uric acid before it begins to become saturated. If your uric acid is above 6.8( in your case 9.2) you begin to deposit monosodium urate crystals usually in your extremeties because the temperature there is cooler which makes the absorbtion of uric acid drop down to around 6.2. Taking a medication like Uloric should get your Uric Aacid down below 6 mg/dl and to your dr's target goal of 5. This will be very helpfull for you, because even in between gout attacks if your uric acid is still above 6.8. your body is still producing crystals which in tunr can do major joint damage over the years. As for your foot that is called podagra and it usually starts in the left foot's big toe. this is again due to temperature and your left big toe being the furtherst area away from your core body temperature so it is easier to deposit crystals. Best of luck with Uloric! there are 2 does 40 and 80 which should pretty much manage your hyperuricemia!

robags0817

replied on August 23rd, 2009

New User

jeafra10 wrote:

I am sorry to hear about your husband. basically to explain it to you once you start to develop tophi( a build up of those crystals that have been deposited in your joints) the only way to get rid of them is to take urate lowering medications such as Uloric. the only downside is that when you take them and lower your uric acid this causes what is called a mobilizational flare. it is only temporary because once your husbands uric acid gets below 6.0 mg/dl he shouldn't have any more flares because he is below the body absorbtion rate. as for his uric acid readings....when experiencing a flare your body recognizes that you have too much uric acid in your blood stream so what it does is actually increase the amount of uric acid in your urine. If your husband had is bloodwork done during a flare this would explain his false test. usually you want to wait 2 weeks after a flare to test uric acid levels as well as initiaite a urate lowering therapy. I hope your husband soon gets his uric acid below 6 and doesn't experience anymore flares. Sadly enough the only way to get there is to sacrifice a couple of flares along the way, but hopefully your doctor gave him some sort of a anti-inflammatory medication to help manage the pain. best of luck! Smile

jeafra10

replied on August 25th, 2009

New User

I wanted to post about my husband today. He is feeling so much better. I talked with the people that make "Uloric" and they explained how this pill works. When you first start taking this pill you will have flare ups, and then when the pill has gotten rid of all the crystals you will be feeling better. It gets in the joints and takes the crystals out. He is still taking the anti-inflamitory pill faithfully everyday till he can see it starting to clear up.

robags0817

replied on August 28th, 2009

New User

jeafra10 wrote:

that is fantastic news! yes the hardest part is the begging of treatment with uloric, because when you have any increase or decrease in uric acid levels a gout attack can occur, but I look at it as losing a battle to win the war. you might have to put up with 1 or 2 attacks in the early stages, but once your levels get below 6 your flares will stop as well as your body's depositing of crystals that damage your joints will stop. in most cases patients who have had gout for years actually get their uric acid levels down to around 5- 5.5 which actually dissolves any tophi that was there previously as well! i'm happy to hear your husband is seeing the benefit!

FawltyPawl

replied on October 24th, 2009

New User

25 years of Allopurinol 300 mg daily resulted in infrequent gout attacks (2-3/yr). U-acid most often <5.8 during that time, but last year a tendency for U-acid to remain >6.5 (threshold where I feel extreme discomfort and add colchicine to regimine (3 tabs in one hour produces diarrhea where I swear I could thread the eye of a needle, but dumps the pain). No adverse side affects with Allopurinol. Rheumatologist changed allopurinol to first 40 mg Uloric, follow up with increase to 80 mg Uloric daily. First metatarsal pain transitioned to overall ankle....perhaps diffusing tophi?? but at least a shoe or other foot covering is permissable. Initial concern was this new med is only being prescribed to further clinical trials or pad wallets by manufacturer. Years ago I thought cure might best be a chainsaw until spouse pointed out the gout would probably migrate to knee or other major joint.

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