Is allopurinol safe to take long term?

Allopurinol is considered very safe to take for a long period of time. There are unlikely to be any long-term effects. What will happen if I stop taking it? If you stop allopurinol treatment suddenly, there is a high risk that gout may get worse or you will get serious side effects.

How long can one take allopurinol?

Adults and children 11 years of age and older—600 to 800 milligrams (mg) per day, taken in divided doses for 2 to 3 days. Children 6 to 10 years of age—300 mg per day, taken once a day for 2 to 3 days. Children younger than 6 years of age—150 mg per day, taken once a day for 2 to 3 days.

Can allopurinol cause liver damage?

Allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor and a widely used medication for gout. Allopurinol is a rare but well known cause of acute liver injury that has features of a hypersensitivity reaction and can be severe and even fatal.

Is allopurinol bad for the kidneys?

Allopurinol can help lower serum urate levels to improve gout symptoms without an increased risk to the kidneys, they concluded. “Our results help to mitigate the concern that allopurinol is harmful to the kidney functioning of patients with gout,” said Dr. Vargas-Santos.

What are the common side effects of allopurinol?

The more common side effects of allopurinol oral tablet can include:

• skin rash.
• diarrhea.
• nausea.
• changes in your liver function test results.
• gout flare-up (if you have gout)

Does allopurinol weaken immune system?

Allopurinol alters the expression of cytokines and mediators of immune cells in the systemic 2 tissue by decreasing plasma urate. Allopurinol alters the expression of cytokines and mediators of immune cells in the systemic tissue by decreasing plasma urate.

Is allopurinol bad for your heart?

Yet another study of gout patients using Scottish database reported that compared to non-use, allopurinol use was associated with higher (not lower) adjusted hazards of cardiovascular hospitalization (including coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertensive heart disease, heart failure, stroke, other cardiovascular …

What are the long term side effects of allopurinol?

Serious side effects

• Severe skin rash. Symptoms can include: itchy hives (raised bumps on your skin) red or purple-colored spots on your skin. scaly skin. fever. chills.
• Liver injury. Symptoms can include: tiredness. lack of appetite. weight loss. right upper abdominal area pain or discomfort.

Is there an alternative to allopurinol?

Febuxostat, a novel nonpurine selective inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, is a potential alternative to allopurinol for patients with hyperuricemia and gout.

Does allopurinol raise blood pressure?

Allopurinol is associated with a small but significant reduction in BP. This effect can be potentially exploited to aid in controlling BP in hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia.

Who Cannot take allopurinol?

tell your doctor if you have or have ever had kidney or liver disease or heart failure. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking allopurinol, call your doctor. you should know that allopurinol may make you drowsy.

Does allopurinol cause memory loss?

Amnesia, agitation, and insomnia were reported in less than 1\% of patients.

What are the long term side effects of taking allopurinol?

Allopurinol: Most common is skin rash. May precipitate a gout attack during initiation of therapy. Possible SE’s: Some health issues that have been linked to long term Allopurinol use include elevated liver enzymes, hepatitis, jaundice, hepatocellular injury, enlarged liver, blood vessel inflammation & skin problems.

What antibiotics should not be taken with allopurinol?

These drugs should not generally be taken with allopurinol. Allopurinol may increase the risk of developing a rash if you take them with the antibiotics ampicillin (amp-ear-cil-in) or amoxicillin (a-mox-ear-cil-in). Allopurinol may increase the effect of warfarin and other drugs that thin the blood.

What is the best time of day to take allopurinol?

Allopurinol is taken as a tablet once a day. It’s usually better to take it just after eating. The tablet should be swallowed with water. It is important to drink plenty of water during the day.

How do you test uric acid levels with allopurinol?

Test the patient’s blood to get starting values for uric acid, kidney function, and liver function. 2. Start 100mg allopurinol per day. 3. Re-test within 2 to 4 weeks of starting allopurinol, and again every dose change. 4. Increase dose by 100 to 200mg until uric acid is low enough to dissolve uric acid crystals.