Allopurinol

Allopurinol is used to treat gout and kidney stones. It's available as a tablet that you typically take every day. Since it can take some time to feel the effects of Allopurinol, you may also be given other medicines to help manage your symptoms in the meantime.

Gout is a type of arthritis that makes the soft tissue in your joints painful and swollen. It occurs when your body doesn't get rid of enough uric acid or urate, a waste product that can accumulate in your body.

This build-up can lead to the formation of tiny sodium urate crystals that gather around the spaces between your joints. Inflammation begins when these crystals form a growing lump known as tophi. This can affect your bone and cartilage, potentially causing permanent joint damage if not treated.

Allopurinol helps reduce the production and accumulation of uric acid. It's this build-up in your joints that leads to gout symptoms. It also helps prevent kidney stones, which are caused by excess uric acid.

It helps by lowering the level of urates in your blood. With fewer urates, there's less chance of sodium urate crystals forming. This is how all medicines in the xanthine-oxidase inhibitors group work.

Allopurinol comes in two doses: 100mg and 300mg. Typically, you'll begin with the 100mg dose and increase to 300mg if the lower dose isn't effectively relieving your symptoms.