Generic Name: Allopurinol for Gout (allopurinol)
Allopurinol for Gout Reviews
"Developed noticeable gout symptoms at 35 years old. Condition became progressively worse. Blood test showed my UA level to be 11.0! Was having frequent gout attacks due to lifestyle. Tried homeopathic and natural 'cures' (GC, Cherries, Cherry Juice, etc.) not much relief. Gout was moving into elbow, wrist, knee, and thumb. Allopurinol has lowered my UA from 11.0 to 4.0. I have my life back. Waited and suffered too long fearing the potential side effects, of which I have had none. I'm a lifer now. What a difference."
Aloprim (allopurinol) "I have had experience with gout since 1975. Anyone with similar experience knows by now the pain gout inflicts. There were early periods when my use of allopurinol was intermittent. This proved to not resolve the problem for me. Since 1977, my daily use of allopurinol has resolved the problem. Hopefully, others have had similar relief."
"I was on allopurinol for 3 weeks, and I never felt worse in my life. This drug turned toe pain into severe joint pain in both my feet and hands. I had a headache, my entire body felt weak, and I couldn’t stay awake. Allopurinol made me disabled, and I lost my job. I was not able to walk or get out of bed. My doctor prescribed me more and more painkillers to help me tolerate a drug that my body wouldn’t. I skipped 1 dose of allopurinol for 1 day, and I felt completely back to my normal self. I stopped all the prescription drugs, and it was like coming out of a fog. My toe hurts a little, but I’m working on my diet, taking supplements to help get rid of the uric acid, and I have never felt better. Praise God!"
"Spent a year in foot pain hell as one doctor after another misdiagnosed my gout. I was in a bad way, spending night after day after night in 10 out of 10 pain, wondering what the point was. I finally found a podiatrist willing to *listen* to my symptoms and put two and two together. After going on 300 mg allopurinol/day three years ago, I'm essentially symptom-free with uric acid bouncing around 6.0. Like others on this board, I spend a couple of days a year with a slight stiffness in my arch. But otherwise, I am functioning normally. I simply can't imagine going back to my life without Allopurinol - truly a miracle."
Zyloprim (allopurinol) "This medication has been very effective. I was almost debilitated with gout attacks and continued use of indomethacin. It only has one bad side effect for me, and that is excessive sweating. Sometimes I will have hot coffee for breakfast and have to change my shirt afterwards. At times in public, it is embarrassing. But it's a lot better than having a gout attack."
"Started taking allopurinol at age 54 after trying to manage gout through lifestyle and diet for 14 years. Adopted a vegetarian diet, limited use of alcohol, and was not overweight. What finally 'cracked' me was a severe attack in one of my ankles, whereas previous attacks (about 1/year) always struck the left toe joint. Attacks were typically prompted by severe exertion and dehydration. Uric acid level had crept up to 7.2 and stayed there. Started on a regimen of 300mg allopurinol and 10mg colchicine. It prompted an initial minor flare-up, but none since. Stopped the colchicine after 6 months and am continuing the allopurinol 300mg once daily. Most recent uric acid level is 5.2 and have had no issues or side effects."
"First had gout at 38 - too much booze (about 50-60 units a week for years and years) plus a diet rich in oily fish. Didn't know what it was for a couple of years - diagnosed at age of 40, 18 months ago, and went on daily Allopurinol. Haven't had a twinge since. Am trying to drink less, albeit not very successfully - nevertheless, would recommend this drug 100%."
"I got terrible gout and played ice hockey when it first appeared. I'd be out of the lineup for weeks. The Doc had me on various medicines... none worked. I read about allopurinol on a web search, suggested it to him. Only time I feel the gout coming is when I forget my daily dose. It's been 10 years of success with no side effects."
"I first started getting attacks of gout when I was 21. My first doctor told me to put my feet up. I decided after my third incapacitated week of illness to find a rheumatologist, who prescribed Allopurinol and Colchicine. I didn't experience the side effects, but I know I'll be on these pills the rest of my life. No problem, though, because it beats having a gout attack! :) Allopurinol is a life saver!"
"30-year-old male. Had gout for 1 year. 1st attack was so bad that it developed tophi in my big toe joint. Uric acid was 9.6 at the time. Made some diet changes, but that only brought me down to 7.4. I have gout attacks quite often, but most are mild. I've been on 100mg allopurinol for a month with no side effects. Uric acid is now 6.2, so I had my dosage increased to 200mg to get to below 6. It is very important to get on daily colchicine (0.6mg twice a day) while starting allopurinol. I learned the hard way."
"I used to get gout from age 60 on, sometimes very bad, used colchicine and voltaren. Cherries and avoiding carbonated drinks and seafood. Now I consume these with gusto. I am on Allopurinol for more than a year and feel fine but the skin on my face is rough, and I get more dandruff. A small price to pay for painlessness. I am 77 now."
"I'd put ZERO, but probably won't show! Two weeks after taking it, I started to itch. PA should have taken me off. Four weeks after starting, my kidneys started to fail. Five weeks after, my face, hands, and feet started to swell and flake. My doctors investigated, and I had a syndrome called DRESS, Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms. Allopurinol is one of a handful of meds that causes DRESS. I've also read that it has an 8% mortality rate, which is MUCH too high!"
"I suffered debilitating gout foot pain, due to my love for animal-based protein. With allopurinol daily, I can eat those foods again... just in moderation now. I am a fit, lean 51-year-old Mountain Biker, who rides 3-4 times a week. Side effects are nighttime itchy arms and back. I hate taking any meds - but allopurinol is cheap and now part of my daily dosing. I also had to stop taking daily aspirin (325mg) as it was amplifying my uric acid levels."
"I am 47 years old, 6’ tall, and 183 lbs. I had some routine blood tests done to check cholesterol, PSA, etc. They came back with high triglycerides (561) and uric acid at 8.4, so the MD has put me on Lipod for the triglycerides and allopurinol for the uric acid, even though I’ve never suffered from gout. I must admit I like a few beers a night, and my diet is mostly fish as I don’t eat meat. I’ve been on the combination of meds for a month now, and I have lost all energy, and maybe not depressed, but I certainly don’t have the get-up-and-go I used to have, and my sex drive is pretty much zero."
"41-year-old male, been dealing with gout for about 5 years now. At first, I didn't know what it was, I just started getting pains in my feet. Long story short, it progressed into frequent attacks in my ankles with pain beyond belief. I tried all the natural remedies, and they helped a little, especially cherry juice, but I was losing the battle. I've never been so depressed, and I was literally going out of my mind. I finally started allopurinol per my doctor, 100 mg at first, then 200 mg. At first, I got more attacks for about a month. But then they subsided, and I've been attack-free since. Godsend. No side effects, but maybe some dry skin. If you are suffering with this, try this drug. It could save your sanity, it did mine. Just remember it is better to start it between attacks (while you don't actually have gout), and your gout might get worse before it just goes away."
"While I haven't had any problems with gout since I started taking Allopurinol over 2 years ago, I have struggled with erectile dysfunction and very low libido as a result of taking Allopurinol. Dr. even prescribed generic Viagra, and it has done no good. Stopping Allopurinol for a while to test my hypothesis."
"I've had undisguised symptoms for 20 years causing mild discomfort, e.g., uric acid buildup on earlobes. Chronic wrist pain. Two moderate attacks, all annoying, but I never figured it to be gout or realized the horror about to unleash itself on me at a fit 49 years old. I exercise, only about 10 lbs overweight, and eat healthy. I was a heavy beer drinker, though. Last year, my left wrist and thumb swelled to the size of a red grotesque boxing glove. No pain medication could touch it. Imagine bone fracture pain with no relief. I was in chronic pain, depressed, despondent, and close to suicidal. Because I had ignored symptoms for so long, the rheumatologist told me I had 'entrenched' gout and the allopurinol was going to make it worse before it got better."
"After a multi-year personal trial, it was found that if I consumed anything with Canola Oil, it affected the efficacy of the allopurinol. As long as I take my daily 300mg and avoid Canola, then beef and beer (in moderation) are back in the diet. No full-blown attacks in 18 months."
"I'm 68. Have had chronic gout with tophi for over 15 years. Was experiencing debilitating gout flares at least twice a month. Couldn't walk during attacks with excruciating pain. Finally decided to take allopurinol 200 mg daily as recommended by my doctor. Quit alcohol, red meat, HFCS-containing foods/drinks, and drastically reduced sugar intake. During the first 18 months, I continued to get severe attacks that only prednisone could relieve. After almost 2 years, my uric acid has gone down to 5.3 and have not gotten a severe attack in the last 6 months! It took a while, but I had faith and continued taking my allopurinol even if it seemed like it wasn't working. FINALLY, I am enjoying being free from gout attacks and much happier! Allopurinol works. It just takes time."
"I am 56 and have suffered gout in multiple joints since I was 20. I have tried every drug available with no great relief and a lot of side effects. I went on allopurinol in early 2016 and after some pain due to how allopurinol initially works, I am pain-free and it is great. No side effects so far. All of my tophi appear to have dissolved."
"First gout attack in the big toe at 42 lasted two months. I couldn't wait to get on allopurinol. I started at 100 mg for a week, then 200 mg for a week, then 300 mg steady. I am also taking 0.6 mg colchicine. UA went from over 10 to less than 5 in a month and no flare-ups. Side effects include aching foot and fatigue, but overall, it's definitely worth it."
"I experienced attacks of gout from my 20s on - debilitating pain in a foot joint being the most common symptom. I'd have half a dozen attacks of this per year lasting a few days. I finally went to a doctor in my early 30s and was put on a daily allopurinol regimen, and I haven't had an attack since. I'm currently in my mid-60s. Over the past 6 years, I've significantly altered my lifestyle, dropped 60 lbs, exercised far more often, and no longer eat meat, so I'm considering asking my doctor if I should try going off the medication. But overall, it has been a blessing to me."
"Been on it for a year with no side effects. My uric acid is consistently in the 6-7 range, and the debilitating attacks have ended. However, I still do get the occasional stiffness in the arch of my foot as well as an infrequent bout with pain (although much less in intensity). Without it, I was crippled and bedridden during my frequent attacks. With it, I live a normal life."
"After 40 days on this med, my gout attacks are more frequent, more severe, and longer lasting. I can't walk or sleep because of the pain. How could they sell a cure that causes the disease? I read it does make it worse at the start while the body is getting rid of uric acid, and the doctor should only start it when the gout is clear, or they should give something to treat the gout at the same time as you start. Once it starts working, it should be great. They say the trick is to start at a low dose, get your uric acid levels checked, and increase the dose slowly until your uric acid levels are good."
"I am a middle-aged male and have suffered from periodic gout since my late 20s. I get it in my big toe, and the pain is so awful that even the strongest prescription painkillers only dulled it. It seems to be food-triggered; in my case, beef and certain fish. I tried eating cherries, drinking pure cherry juice, and several preventative medicines. This is the first medication I have taken that has actually worked. Side effects have been minimal. Five months and totally gout-free, regardless of diet."
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