Side effects
To prevent dehydration when you are ill, sip water frequently and in small amounts. A skin rash or redness should be reported to a doctor right away if you notice it because Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a potentially fatal skin condition, can result. It may also occur if allopurinol is abruptly stopped for a few days and then resumed at the same dosage. Flu-like symptoms first appear, then a rash that is red or purple develops and blisters. Additionally, it is best to wait at least two weeks before beginning allopurinol if you have recently received a vaccination, viral infection, or rash from another source. The dose should be lowered first, then gradually increased. In the first eight weeks of using allopurinol or when the dose is increased too quickly, it is more likely to occur. Serious side effects from taking allopurinol are unusual. Allopurinol can have side effects, like all medications can, though not everyone experiences them. Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare side effect of allopurinol. Tell a doctor straight away if you: get yellow skin or the whites of your eyes go yellow – these can be signs of a liver problem get a high temperature, sore throat and swollen glands or feel generally unwell – this could mean there are problems with your white blood cells have bruising for no obvious reason or bleeding gums (which takes a long time to stop) when brushing your teeth are unusually thirsty, going to the toilet to pee a lot, unusually tired, losing weight without trying, blurred vision – these could be signs of diabetes In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to allopurinol. Eventually, the damaged skin dies and flakes off. The most frequent side effects are feeling or being sick. These can be reduced if you eat little and often and drink lots of fluids such as water or squash.
Interactions
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Especially tell your doctor if you take: an ACE inhibitor cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) mercaptopurine (Purinethol) azathioprine (Imuran) blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) chlorpropamide (Diabinese) probenecid (Benemid) cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) didanosine (Videx, Videx EC) sulfinpyrazone (Anturane) a diuretic (thiazides) ampicillin (Omnipen, Principen, Polycillin) amoxicillin (Amoxil, Trimox) This is not a complete list of allopurinol drug interactions. Inform your doctor about all of the medications you take, including vitamins, herbal supplements, prescription and non-prescription drugs.
Contraindications
Drowsiness is a side effect of allopurinol. Even though it is used to prevent gout attacks, allopurinol can initially cause flare-ups of gouty arthritis. Until you understand how allopurinol affects you, avoid operating machinery or driving a car. To avoid kidney stone development while taking allopurinol, drink plenty of water or other fluids every day. Some individuals who took allopurinol experienced kidney failure. Allopurinol has caused severe allergic reactions, including fatalities. Allopurinol use has resulted in severe liver issues. If you experience a skin rash, stop taking this medication and consult your doctor. Although these occurrences are uncommon, let your doctor know if you experience itching, loss of appetite, or weight loss. To stop these flare-ups, your doctor may advise taking allopurinol initially in combination with another medication, such as colchicine. Tests to evaluate the function of your liver will likely be performed by your doctor.
Keep out of the reach and sight of children. If you are taking allopurinol for cancer then treatment with allopurinol will begin before treatment with cancer drugs. o Fever, swollen lymph glands, joint pain, swollen blood vessels, inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes), kidney damage (blood in the urine) or fits.
These steps may reduce the risk of xanthine and/or oxipurinol deposition complicating the clinical situation. It is important to ensure adequate hydration to maintain optimum diuresis and to attempt alkalinisation of urine to increase solubility of urinary urate/uric acid. 100 mg/day to reduce the risk of adverse reactions and increased only if the serum urate response is unsatisfactory. Reduced doses should be used in patients with hepatic impairment. If urate nephropathy or other pathology has compromised renal function, the advice given in section 4.2 Renal impairment should be followed.
We performed a randomized, controlled study of the efficacy of allopurinol plus meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime), as compared with meglumine antimoniate alone, in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis, who were recruited from a village in southeastern Colombia. Previous studies in vitro have shown synergism between allopurinol and pentavalent antimony in tissue-culture systems. An inexpensive, orally administered compound would be a substantial advance in treatment. There was no significant difference between the cure rate with allopurinol plus meglumine antimoniate and that with allopurinol alone.
Your doctor may also instruct you on how to decrease acid in your urine (e.g., avoiding large amounts of ascorbic acid/vitamin C). If your doctor has directed you to drink less fluid for other medical reasons, consult your doctor for further instructions. Allopurinol works by reducing the amount of uric acid made by the body. It is also used to prevent increased uric acid levels in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy.