Can further gout attacks be prevented?

Many people only have an attack of gout every now and then. All you may need is to have some anti-inflammatory painkillers on 'standby' to treat each attack. For some people, attacks occur more often. In this situation, you can take a medicine to prevent attacks.

Allopurinol is used to prevent gout attacks

Allopurinol does not have any effect during a gout attack, and it is not a painkiller. It works by lowering the level of uric acid in the blood. It takes 2-3 months to become fully effective. You need to take it every day to keep the uric acid level normal to prevent gout attacks.

When you first take allopurinol, it can sometimes cause a gout attack. This is because it may cause the level of uric acid to rise slightly before it falls. For this reason it is not normally started during a gout attack. It is best to start it about 3-4 weeks after an attack has settled. Also, an anti-inflammatory painkiller is often prescribed for the first 2-3 months after you start allopurinol, just in case it causes a gout attack. Once the level of uric acid has been brought down, taking allopurinol each day usually works well to prevent gout attacks.

The dose of allopurinol needed varies from person to person. Treatment is usually started with a low dose. A blood test is often done after a month or so to check that the level of uric acid has come down. If not, the dose may need to be increased. Most people end up taking about 100-300 mg each day to stop gout attacks.

If a gout attack occurs while you are taking allopurinol, you can still take an anti-inflammatory painkiller to relieve the pain. However, this may indicate that you need an increased dose of allopurinol. Side-effects are uncommon with allopurinol. If side-effects do occur, other medicines with a similar action are sometimes prescribed.