Side Effects Of AllopurinolThe side effects of allopurinol concern many gout patients.
Many side effects are merely a nuisance, but Allopurinol Hypersensitivity Syndrome is serious - often a killer. It is unlikely to affect most gout sufferers, but if you also have impaired kidney function, you are particularly at risk. But excess uric acid can impair kidney function, and allopurinol is the best treatment to lower uric acid. So how do we balance allopurinol side effects?
Allopurinol is the mainstay of urate-lowering therapy for patients with gout and impaired renal function. They note that deadly Allopurinol Hypersensitivity Syndrome (AHS) is a rare, but real, risk. A risk that increases with kidney impairment. They are concerned that current dosage guidelines do not accurately reflect real life risks for developing AHS. Sometimes allopurinol doses below the guideline levels can induce AHS, and sometimes higher doses can be tolerated with few adverse effects. Like many aspects of gout, particularly when complicated by other diseases, they recommend that each case is managed individually. Taking into account recent research data, they advocate: gradual introduction of allopurinol according to current treatment guidelines, with close monitoring of serum uric acid concentrations. In patients with severe disease and persistent hyperuricemia, allopurinol dose escalation above those recommended by the guidelines should be considered, with careful evaluation of the benefits and risks of therapy. Most importantly, they conclude that more work is needed to clarify the safety and effectiveness of increasing allopurinol dosage, especially with patients who have impaired kidney function. Are you affected by the issues raised in this report? Discuss side effects of allopurinol in the gout forum. See my allopurinol pages for more information about other effects of allopurinol.
Side Effects Of Allopurinol Page Created: 23rd September 2008 - Last Reviewed: 23rd September 2008
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