How to Use

To guarantee the safe use of Allopurinol, let your doctor know if you suffer from or have a history of any of the following conditions:

• Diabetes
• Liver disease
• Kidney disease
• Congestive heart failure
• High blood pressure
• If you are receiving chemotherapy

Allopurinol should be taken exactly as prescribed. Don’t take the drug for longer than prescribed or in smaller or larger doses than directed. The doctor may tweak the dose occasionally to help achieve the best results.

Take the tablets with plenty of water. You should take 8 to 10 glass of water/ fluid every day to reduce the risk of kidney stones while taking Allopurinol. It is common to experience gout attacks more than often when using this drug. Your doctor might recommend other medications to take with allopurinol. Let your doctor know if the symptoms don’t improve after months of treatment.

FDA Pregnancy Classification

Category C

It is unknown if allopurinol can cause harm to an unborn baby or if it can pass into breast milk and cause harm to a breastfeeding baby. Let your doctor know if you are pregnant, become pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant during the course of treatment.

Storage

Store at room temperature and away from heat, moisture and light.

Side Effects

Serious

• Headache, sore throat, and fever with severe peeling, red skin rash or peeling
• Skin rash – irrespective of how mild
• Bleeding or pain when urinating
• Upper stomach pain, nausea, loss of appetite, dark urine, jaundice, clay-colored stools, itching
• Urinating less
• Flu symptoms, joint pain
• Severe numbness, tingling, muscle weakness
• Easy bruising, red or purple pinpoint spots under the skin, unusual bleeding

Common

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Drowsiness
• Muscle pain
• Changes in sense of taste

Safety

Allopurinol should not be used by patients with severe allergic reactions to allopurinol. You should stop using the drug and contact your doctor immediately if you notice any skin rash. Take the doses with plenty of water to reduce the risk of kidney stones. It is recommended to take 8 to 10 glasses of water or any fluid every day during treatment.

Allopurinol has the potential of lowering the blood cells that fight infections. This can make you more vulnerable to excess bleeding or cause you to fall ill easily. Regular blood tests may be required by your doctor to see how the drug is affecting you.

Don’t take alcohol while using Allopurinol. Alcohol will worsen the side effects.

Allopurinol will impair your reactions or thinking. Be hyper vigilant when driving or handling tasks that require alertness.

Interactions

Allopurinol has interactions with 135 drugs.