Allopurinol
Allopurinol Introduction
All you need to know about allopurinol in the following categories:
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 Treatment Information
- Title: Patient information on allopurinol. Date published: May 2009. Author: Australian Rheumatology Association.
- Alipurinol
- Alipurinol is a common misspelling of allopurinol. These gout images and PDF reports are about allopurinol.
- Allopurinol Topics
- Allopurinol is the best way to control your gout. Read how to make the most of it to fix your gout, and avoid the pitfalls.
Allopurinol Side Effects
Common allopurinol side effects.
- Allopurinol Side Effects
- Allopurinol side effects are worrying to many gout sufferers. But you must distinguish between minor discomfort & real danger.
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:
- When you first try it
- Whilst you are dissolving old uric acid crystals
- Whilst you are maintaining uric acid in the blood below 6mg/dL (0.35 mmol/L)
Allopurinol For Gout
Other implications of taking allopurinol for gout
- Lower Uric Acid PDF
- Lower uric acid shrinks tophi. Reduce it more to beat tophaceous gouty arthritis.
- Lower Uric Acid
- Did you lower uric acid to cure your gout fast? Is it low enough? Maximum reduction gets faster results.
Other Allopurinol Drug Uses
Other use for the allopurinol drug:
- Kidney Function & Allopurinol
- Allopurinol drug takers worry about kidney problems. This report explains the issues with a new twist.
- Allopurinol Tablets
- Allopurinol tablets are a must for gout. See how the allopurinol drug can help if you also have kidney disease.
Allopurinol Misspellings
- -nal ending: allopurinal, alopurinal, allipurinal, alipurinal
- I instead of first O: alipurinol, allipurinal, alipurinal
- Single L: alopurinal, alopurenol, alopurinol
- O instead of U: allupurinol, alluporinol
- Other: allopurino, alluporinol
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.
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