Details

Allopurinol reduces the production of uric acid in your body. Uric acid build-up can lead to gout or kidney stones. Allopurinol is used to treat gout or kidney stones, and to decrease levels of uric acid in people who are receiving cancer treatment. Do not use allopurinol if you have ever had a serious allergic reaction to allopurinol. Allopurinol can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections. This can make it easier for you to bleed from an injury or get sick from being around others who are ill. Your blood may need to be tested often. Allopurinol comes as a tablet to be taken by mouth, with food.

Typical Uses

Allopurinol is used to treat gout and certain types of kidney stones. It is also used to prevent increased uric acid levels in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. These patients can have increased uric acid levels due to release of uric acid from the dying cancer cells. Allopurinol works by reducing the amount of uric acid made by the body. Increased uric acid levels can cause gout and kidney problems.

Side Effects

Stop using allopurinol and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash the first sign of any skin rash, no matter how mild pain or bleeding when you urinate nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, weight loss, dark urine, clay-coloured stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes) urinating less than usual or not at all joint pain, flu symptoms severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness or easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin.

Drug Interactions

• Allopurinol+azathioprine- Using allopurinol together with azathioprine can cause fever, chills, sore throat, body aches, weakness, muscle pain, easy bruising or bleeding, mouth sores, pale stools, darkened urine, or severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

• Allopurinol+benazepril- Combining allopurinol with benazepril may increase the risk of severe allergic reactions and infections. You should seek immediate medical attention if you develop shortness of breath throat tightness swelling of the face, lips, or tongue itching rash fever, muscle pain or weakness.

• Allopurinol+captopril- Combining allopurinol with captopril may increase the risk of severe allergic reactions and infections. You should seek immediate medical attention if you develop shortness of breath throat tightness swelling of the face, lips, or tongue itching rash fever, muscle pain or weakness.

• Allopurinol+didanosine- Combining allopurinol with didanosine can increase the blood levels of didanosine to dangerous levels. This may increase the risk of severe injury to the pancreas, liver, muscles, and nerves.

• Allopurinol+fosinopril- Combining allopurinol with fosinopril may increase the risk of severe allergic reactions and infections. You should seek immediate medical attention if you develop shortness of breath throat tightness swelling of the face, lips, or tongue itching rash fever, muscle pain or weakness.

Mechanism of action

Allopurinol belongs to a group of medicines called enzyme inhibitors (xanthine oxidase). It reduces the amount of uric acid in the body by blocking one of the processes that makes it.

Pregnancy Category : C