Can allopurinol make gout attacks worse?

8 Jun 2010

Allopurinol is approved for treating gout. It works well for preventing gout attacks, although it is not very effective for treating a gout attack that is already occurring (in fact, it can temporarily worsen gout, especially at first). For these reasons, allopurinol is usually used along with other gout medications, especially when first starting allopurinol. Please seek advice from your healthcare provider, hope this helps?

12 Nov 2010

Allopurinol is a gout maintenance medication used to prevent gout by keeping the uric acid level down. It is not usually used to stop a gout attack, but it is usually used after colchicin is prescribed to stop the attack of gout. From what I have experienced, certain dietary changes such as discontinuing shell fish, red meat and adding cherries and cherry juice to the diet can keep the uric acid level down without medication. It is also important to drink lots of water to stay hydrated. I hope you are doing well.
annette 53