Allopurinol

Allopurinol Introduction

Allopurinol is the most potent and the most effective treatment for gout

Though newer ways to reduce uric acid are now available, and more are being researched, allopurinol remains the first choice.

Allopurinol works by inhibiting an enzyme that our bodies produce which breaks down purines into uric acid. The enzyme is called xanthine oxidase, thus allopurinol is classed as a xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitor.

Other treatments to lower uric acid are available. I explain these alternatives to allopurinol elsewhere in the Gout Treatment section.

Over the years, I have produced many articles on various aspects of allopurinol. Apart from explanations of what allopurinol is, how it works, and why it sometimes fails, most articles deal with allopurinol side effects or allopurinol dosing.

Strangely, allopurinol seems to be the most misspelled medicine I’ve ever encountered. Perhaps it is because it is used very frequently, or perhaps it is just hard to spell. It does not matter to me how you spell it, but I include these misspellings to try and avoid confusion, and to clarify that the different spellings all relate to the same medication – allopurinol.

I am currently summarizing all allopurinol information here, and adding some information of allopurinol interactions with other drugs and food. In the meantime, I have tagged the old articles with appropriate topic names, in the following categories.

Allopurinol: What, Why & How?

What is allopurinol, how does it help your gout, and why does it sometimes fail?

Allopurinol        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Allopurinol is more than just a gout beating drug - it is a lifesaver. But is your dose right, or is it making gout worse?
Allopurinol Gout Treatment        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Allopurinol gout treatment is the best for curing gout. But most gout patients get it wrong. Learn 5 better ways to fix gout.
Allopurinol Side Effects        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Allopurinol side effects take many forms. Most are adverse, but some have surprisingly unexpected benefits.
Buy Allopurinol        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Why buy allopurinol - it's a waste of time for 76% of gout patients. See what works better for gout sufferers like you.
Allopurinol Treatment Information        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Title: Patient information on allopurinol. Date published: May 2009. Author: Australian Rheumatology Association.
Allopurinol Blog        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
The allopurinol blog gives you vital news about the best of all gout medications. Take it every day.
Allopurinol And Alcohol        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Allopurinol and alcohol is a hot gout topic. We know that allopurinol lets us eat what we like, but what about drink?
Allopurinol Dosage Blog        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Allopurinol dosage articles bringing the latest information about using (and abusing) this potent gout treatment.
Allopurinol For Gout        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Allopurinol for gout is the best way to control it, but are there any implications? Some good, some bad, but which affect you?
Allopurinol Benefits        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Authors: Pacher P, Nivorozhkin A, Szabó C. Title: Therapeutic effects of xanthine oxidase inhibitors
Alipurinol        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Alipurinol is a common misspelling of allopurinol. These gout images and PDF reports are about allopurinol.

Allopurinol Side Effects

For common side effects of allopurinol, and associated information, please see the allopurinol side effects page.

Allopurinol Dosage

What is the correct dose of allopurinol at different phases in your gout treatment. You need to understand the differences between the dosage of allopurinol:

  1. When you first try it
  2. Whilst you are dissolving old uric acid crystals
  3. Whilst you are maintaining uric acid in the blood below 6mg/dL (0.35 mmol/L)
Gout Drug Utilization        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Gout drug utilization is not good enough. Do not be part of the majority that never get their gout fixed. Insist on treatment.
Where Is Your Gout Going?        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Are you lost on the journey to gout freedom? Trapped by misinformation & bad advice. Follow GoutPal pointers - be free from gout
Allopurinol Dosage Blog        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Allopurinol dosage articles bringing the latest information about using (and abusing) this potent gout treatment.
Allopurinol: Not For Life        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Allopurinol dosage means lifetime allopurinol to most gout patients, but this is rarely true. Lifetime uric acid tests are vital
Allopurinol For Life?        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Allopurinol is often seen as a lifetime gout medication, but this is just lazy. See what truly determines how long to take it.
Allopurinol & Acute Gout        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
When your doctor says stop allopurinol during a gout flare you know it's wrong. Turn to our gout support forum to learn why.
Allopurinol & Heart Disease        (Main Gout Related Page)
Can allopurinol help heart disease? We know it is good for gout, but is it good for the heart? Yes, but is your dose safe?

Allopurinol For Gout

Other implications of taking allopurinol for gout

Allopurinol Gout Treatment        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Allopurinol gout treatment is the best for curing gout. But most gout patients get it wrong. Learn 5 better ways to fix gout.
Allopurinol Medication        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
You are sick of gout pain. It gets worse and more frequent yet nothing works. Allopurinol medication helps but why does it hurt?
Lower Uric Acid        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Did you lower uric acid to cure your gout fast? Is it low enough? Maximum reduction gets faster results.
Allopurinol For Gout        (Main Gout Treatments, Cures & Remedies Page)
Allopurinol for gout is the best way to control it, but are there any implications? Some good, some bad, but which affect you?
Lower Uric Acid PDF        (Main UDRP2: Urate Deposits Page)
Lower uric acid shrinks tophi. Reduce it more to beat tophaceous gouty arthritis.

Other Allopurinol Drug Uses

Other use for the allopurinol drug:

Allopurinol & Kidney Disease        (Main Gout Related Page)
Allopurinol tablets are a must for gout. See how the allopurinol drug can help if you also have kidney disease.
Kidney Function & Allopurinol        (Main Gout Related Page)
Allopurinol drug takers worry about kidney problems. This report explains the issues with a new twist.


Allopurinol and other xanthine oxidase inhibitors are the topic for many recent and ongoing research programs.

Allopurinol Misspellings

Like many medicines, allopurinol is often misspelled. Though spelling is often overrated, it pays to take extra care with medicines, as a misunderstanding might cause treatment problems in the unlikely event of a similar sounding drug being taken mistakenly.

Allopurino
Missing final l.
Alluporinol
lupo changed to lopu.
Allupurinol
lop changed to lup.
Alopurinol
allo changed to alo.
Alopurenol
allo changed to alo, and purin changed to puren.
Alipurinol
allo changed to ali.
Alipurinal
allo changed to ali, and nol changed to nal.
Allipurinal
allo changed to alli, and nol changed to nal.
Alopurinal
allo changed to alo, and nol changed to nal.
Allopurinol
This is the correct spelling of allopurinol - the most common gout treatment for lowering uric acid.
Allopurinal
nal ending changed to nol. This is the most frequent mis-spelling of allopurinol
Alupurionol
Allo changed to Alu, and extra o added before nol.

If you are aware of other alternative spellings, please share them on the gout forum.

Allopurinol: Next Steps

These articles about allopurinol cover a lot of ground, but they reflect just how important allopurinol is to managing gout.

You have learned how allopurinol fixes gout by lowering uric acid, and in other parts of the Gout Treatment section I explain other ways to reduce uric acid.

By now, you should be aware of how important uric acid lowering is, and how important it is to keep checking uric acid levels to ensure that your dosage is correct at different phases of your gout treatment.

Please check with your doctor if you are unsure of any part of your uric acid management plans. If you want help knowing the questions to ask about allopurinol, help understanding your doctor’s advice, or simply want to share your experiences and opinions, please visit the gout forum.

Leave The Allopurinol Summary To Browse Other Gout Medications


Allopurinol was published February 23, 2011, from an original created on July 26, 2010.

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