General information

Allopurinol is Xanthine oxidase inhibitor which is used primarily to treat hyperuricemia and its complications, including chronic gout. This prescription medication can prevent gout, high uric acid levels caused by cancer treatment, and kidney stones in people who have high uric acid levels. Allopurinol can help reduce the effects of angina in ischaemic heart disease by reducing the workload on the heart.

Directions

Use this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Allopurinol is usually taken one or more times per day, depending on the dose. Take it just after a meal. It is recommended to start at a low dosage for treating gout - 100 mg once daily. After that, your doctor may increase your dose by 100 mg per day each week, until the maximum dose 800 mg daily is reached. Doses of 300 mg or less can be taken as a single daily dose, but higher doses should be split up into a few smaller doses per day. The recommended dose for preventing calcium oxalate kidney stones is 200 mg or 300 mg per day, taken as a single dose. Never take more than the prescribed dose.

Precautions

Before taking Allopurinol you should talk with your doctor if you have liver failure, cirrhosis, or hepatitis, kidney failure, allergies to foods, dyes, or preservatives, if you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant and breastfeeding. You should stop taking Allopurinol immediately and contact your doctor if you develop a rash. Sometimes, a rash is the first sign of dangerous reactions to Allopurinol, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, liver damage, or even death. Allopurinol can cause drowsiness. So avoid driving. It is important to drink plenty of fluids, in order to help prevent kidney stones from forming.

Contraindications

You shouldn't use Allopurinol if you have hypersensitivity to the drug, renal impairment, hepatic impairment, acute attack of gout. It is not recommended in children under 14 years of age.

Possible side effect

Seek emergency medical help if any of these side effects occur: skin rash, weight loss, appetite loss, itching, painful urination, blood in the urine, swelling of the lips or mouth, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting. If you have questions about side effects, contact your doctor for medical advice.

Drug interactions

Allopurinol can potentially interact with: ACE inhibitors (Quinapril, Enalapril, Ramipril), ampicillin, antacids, cyclophosphamide, diuretics (Ethacrynic acid, Furosemide, Chlorothiazide), warfarin.

Missed dose

Take the missed dose as soon as possible. Skip the missed dose if it is time for your next scheduled dose. Don't take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Overdose

No overdose symptoms. If you think you have overdosed the medicine seek emergency medical help at once.

Storage

Store the medicine at room temperature 77 degrees F (25 degrees C). Keep all drugs away from reach of children and pets.

Note

The information presented at the site has a general character. Note please this information cannot be used for self-treatment and self diagnosis. You should consult with your doctor or health care adviser regarding any specific instructions of your condition. The information is reliable, but we concede it could contain mistakes. We are not responsible for any direct, indirect, special or other damage caused by use of this information on the site and also for consequences of self-treatment.