Howie Jacobson asked:
Once your doctor has made a diagnosis of gout, there are several medicines he or she may prescribe to relieve the pain, avoid future attacks, and prevent long-term joint damage. You will also be advised to rest, drink plenty of water, and modify your diet if appropriate.
Different medicines are prescribed for acute gout (early episodes) or chronic gout (advanced stage). The medicines cannot cure gout. Rather, they are prescribed to relieve the symptoms. As with most medications, there are potential side effects, which your doctor should discuss with you. Not everyone will experience these side effects. They vary from person to person depending on the dose, type of medication, illness, or other medications you might be taking.
As shown below, some side effects are more serious than others. Again, your doctor will discuss these risks with you.
Acute Gout Medications
The medicines for acute gout decrease the pain and inflammation of the joints. They include:
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
This category of drugs, pronounced “ensayds”, includes indomethacin, ketoprofen, oxaprozin, diclofenac, ibuprofen, etodolac, naproxen, sulindac and others. NSAIDs are considered to be the best medical treatment currently available. NSAIDs control pain and swelling in the joints and decrease stiffness. NSAIDs are taken by mouth three or four times a day for as long as the symptoms last. Low doses of NSAIDs control pain but higher doses are needed to help the inflammation.
Side effects of NSAIDs include stomach upset, headache, skin rashes, and sometimes ulcers. Because NSAIDs inhibit the blood’s ability to clot properly it may interact with blood-thinning medications. Kidney disease is a rare but potential side effect.
(Note: in late 2004, many NSAIDs were taken off the market or given severe warning labels because of some very nasty side effects. Check the FDA’s web page on this issue for more details: http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/cox2/default.htm
Colchicine
This drug has been used for over 2,400 years to help with gout for and works well to eliminate pain. It is most effective if taken immediately after the beginning of an attack. However, many patients cannot tolerate the side effects, including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
There are also dangerous and deadly risks such as severe anemia and extremely low level of white blood cells. Because of these problems, colchicine is considered as a second line of therapy used only in patients who cannot use NSAIDs for health reasons.
Corticosteroids
Drugs in this category include prednisone, prednisolone, and triamcinolone. Some of the steroids are injected directly into the affected joint or surrounding muscle to relieve the pain. Corticosteroids are not as effective as NSAIDs and are a ‘last resort’ therapy in patients who cannot use NSAIDs or colchicines. Side effects generally are rare when used for a short time. If used over a long time, corticosteroids can weaken cartilage, remove minerals from the bone, and may result in immune suppression or increase the risk of infection. Since corticosteroids can have interactions with other medications, it is very important to tell your doctor if you are taking anything else.
Chronic Gout Medications
Once gout is at a severe stage, the goal of treatment is to prevent further acute attacks. Medications are usually given in combination with other efforts to reduce uric acid levels in the body, such as diet modification.
Medicines for chronic gout include:
Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitors
Alluporinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, decreases the amount of uric acid your body produces. This is the most widely used treatment for people who produce excessive amounts of uric acid.
However, many people get allergic reactions to allopurinol, such as rashes. A rare but severe side effect is a potentially fatal condition known as ‘allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome,’ which includes fever, skin lesions, and liver dysfunction.
Uricosuric Agents
These agents, such as probenecid or sulfinpyrazone, help the kidneys get rid of excess uric acid. They help stop the formation of new uric acid crystals (tophi) in the blood and reduce the size of any already present. They also help lessen the chance of recurrent episodes. These agents are never started during an attack but are used for the long term results of lowering uric acid levels.
Common side effects include headache, rash, kidney stone formation, and stomach problems. Rarely, a serious side effect is bone marrow problems.
While many people rely on medications alone to ease the symptoms of gout, others use a combination of conventional and alternative treatments and some opt for alternative solutions only. Keep in mind that even alternative remedies may have side effects, so they should always be discussed with your doctor.
Here’s the deal about drugs that deal with the symptoms of gout: they all have potential side-effects, some of which are worse than gout itself. And they just treat the symptom, while ignoring the cause: high uric acid levels caused by a combination of a genetic predisposition and a disease-promoting diet.
If you’re in current gout agony and you need a drug to relieve the pain short term, that’s a reasonable option. But why rely on these drugs long-term when a healthy diet can eliminate future episodes and produce a host of positive side effects – like reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other lifestyle diseases?
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Once your doctor has made a diagnosis of gout, there are several medicines he or she may prescribe to relieve the pain, avoid future attacks, and prevent long-term joint damage. You will also be advised to rest, drink plenty of water, and modify your diet if appropriate.
Different medicines are prescribed for acute gout (early episodes) or chronic gout (advanced stage). The medicines cannot cure gout. Rather, they are prescribed to relieve the symptoms. As with most medications, there are potential side effects, which your doctor should discuss with you. Not everyone will experience these side effects. They vary from person to person depending on the dose, type of medication, illness, or other medications you might be taking.
As shown below, some side effects are more serious than others. Again, your doctor will discuss these risks with you.
Acute Gout Medications
The medicines for acute gout decrease the pain and inflammation of the joints. They include:
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
This category of drugs, pronounced “ensayds”, includes indomethacin, ketoprofen, oxaprozin, diclofenac, ibuprofen, etodolac, naproxen, sulindac and others. NSAIDs are considered to be the best medical treatment currently available. NSAIDs control pain and swelling in the joints and decrease stiffness. NSAIDs are taken by mouth three or four times a day for as long as the symptoms last. Low doses of NSAIDs control pain but higher doses are needed to help the inflammation.
Side effects of NSAIDs include stomach upset, headache, skin rashes, and sometimes ulcers. Because NSAIDs inhibit the blood’s ability to clot properly it may interact with blood-thinning medications. Kidney disease is a rare but potential side effect.
(Note: in late 2004, many NSAIDs were taken off the market or given severe warning labels because of some very nasty side effects. Check the FDA’s web page on this issue for more details: http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/cox2/default.htm
Colchicine
This drug has been used for over 2,400 years to help with gout for and works well to eliminate pain. It is most effective if taken immediately after the beginning of an attack. However, many patients cannot tolerate the side effects, including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
There are also dangerous and deadly risks such as severe anemia and extremely low level of white blood cells. Because of these problems, colchicine is considered as a second line of therapy used only in patients who cannot use NSAIDs for health reasons.
Corticosteroids
Drugs in this category include prednisone, prednisolone, and triamcinolone. Some of the steroids are injected directly into the affected joint or surrounding muscle to relieve the pain. Corticosteroids are not as effective as NSAIDs and are a ‘last resort’ therapy in patients who cannot use NSAIDs or colchicines. Side effects generally are rare when used for a short time. If used over a long time, corticosteroids can weaken cartilage, remove minerals from the bone, and may result in immune suppression or increase the risk of infection. Since corticosteroids can have interactions with other medications, it is very important to tell your doctor if you are taking anything else.
Chronic Gout Medications
Once gout is at a severe stage, the goal of treatment is to prevent further acute attacks. Medications are usually given in combination with other efforts to reduce uric acid levels in the body, such as diet modification.
Medicines for chronic gout include:
Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitors
Alluporinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, decreases the amount of uric acid your body produces. This is the most widely used treatment for people who produce excessive amounts of uric acid.
However, many people get allergic reactions to allopurinol, such as rashes. A rare but severe side effect is a potentially fatal condition known as ‘allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome,’ which includes fever, skin lesions, and liver dysfunction.
Uricosuric Agents
These agents, such as probenecid or sulfinpyrazone, help the kidneys get rid of excess uric acid. They help stop the formation of new uric acid crystals (tophi) in the blood and reduce the size of any already present. They also help lessen the chance of recurrent episodes. These agents are never started during an attack but are used for the long term results of lowering uric acid levels.
Common side effects include headache, rash, kidney stone formation, and stomach problems. Rarely, a serious side effect is bone marrow problems.
While many people rely on medications alone to ease the symptoms of gout, others use a combination of conventional and alternative treatments and some opt for alternative solutions only. Keep in mind that even alternative remedies may have side effects, so they should always be discussed with your doctor.
Here’s the deal about drugs that deal with the symptoms of gout: they all have potential side-effects, some of which are worse than gout itself. And they just treat the symptom, while ignoring the cause: high uric acid levels caused by a combination of a genetic predisposition and a disease-promoting diet.
If you’re in current gout agony and you need a drug to relieve the pain short term, that’s a reasonable option. But why rely on these drugs long-term when a healthy diet can eliminate future episodes and produce a host of positive side effects – like reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other lifestyle diseases?
Carisoprodol soma
