Going on the a drug
Here we go, here we go I am about to go on Allopurinol
My case: Age 53. Goodish health, moderately unfit, no hypertension,not particularly overweight but heavy regular beer drinker (fourpints a day). Gout for five years at the rate of a couple of (what Inow call) minor attacks a year led to major attack at the start ofthis year lasting six weeks.
In my opinion the cause of the major attack was a) heavy two monthperiod of DIY associated with a new loft extension, b) stress causedby work to submit a big tender by end of the year and c) typicalbinge eating and drinking over Christmas.
In fact the six weeker was clearly not just one single attack ofgout, it was one attack after another with very short remissions inbetween.
GP tried high doses of Indomethacin (200 mg a day) to stop the cyclebut apart from fuzzing my brain it had little effect.
The specialist Consultant then stopped the cycle with 0.5 mgColchicine taken max three times a day along with the Indomethacin 50mg three times a day. This mix knocked the cycle out in 24 hours.
I had no side effects from the Colchicine though if you read thepotential side effects listed on the packet you would never touch thestuff. Keep taking this drug until you vomit, what sort ofinstruction is that ?
The only thing that I would say is that I think that Colchicine isjust holding off the gout. Every morning both my feet and anklesfeel (what I can only describe as) leaden. Not painful as such butjust difficult to walk until I do my regular morning exercises andthen it goes away.
My specialist, who I believe to be one of the best in the UK, willnot let me onto Allopurinol for at least a month. In the meantime heis monitoring my uric acid levels and liver enzymes. Hopefully Istart on Allopurinol at the end of this week.
All my reading about this drug is that it is highly beneficial withlots of GOOD side effects, especially to do with the cardio vascularsystem. Always look on the bright side of life !
I only wish that I had monitored this notice-board years ago andforced my GP to check out my hyperuricaemia properly WHEN I WASFEELING PERFECTLY WELL BETWEEN EARLY ATTACKS - and then get me ontothe A drug. I believe that the ONLY reason that they don’t do thisis COST (of which not enough comment appears on this notice board there must be armies of people out there who can’t afford this drugand who must be in lots of pain).
Sabina Shamel on June 2nd, 2007
Allopurinol is one of the least expensive drugs on the market. Youcan buy three months supply for just under $8 dollars a month and ifyou get a years supply it comes down to about $6 dollars a month.
Shira Colon on June 3rd, 2007
So I wonder why the GP’s seem to be so loath to put people on it?
I asked this question of my pharmacist and she said that GPs in the UK are on a budget and that they don’t like putting people onto long term drugs because it eats into it.
Otherwise I can’t find any reason why someone with two attacks of gout and hyperuricaemia should NOT go on Allopurinol. I can’t find any references to hyperuricaemia getting better by any other means.
Maybe they are just stingy over here.
Sabina Shamel on June 3rd, 2007
With a perscription, you can purchase a year’s supply for under $100dollars and that will deliver you at least a year of relief from thecrippling effects of gout.
Insist-push and demand—you will be surprised that he will mostlikely give the perscription to you. Several people I know who werein a similar situation as you, reluctant GP that is, altered theirapproach and the doctors in every case, relented and wrote theperscription. I believe there have been several people who frequentthis web site who have also taken that position with success.
Brittny Lamarr on June 5th, 2007
So far I have had to have three prescriptions for three months supply. I toldthe doctor that I will be on allopurinol for at least the next five years. Hisonly response was to set up a repeat prescription that I have to collect everymonth which means I have to pay each month when i collect 6.90 ($10). You canbuy a one year prescription from a chemist that costs 80 and you can have asmany prescriptions as you need. (handy if you plan on a having a 12 month sickperiod)
I will challenge the doc about this next time as it is a pain in the butt.
Jonas Laramore on June 6th, 2007
(handy if you plan on a having a 12 month sick period)
Do you only take the allopurinol when you have a gout attack or on-setof one? Maybe I read this wrong.
Margert Vier on June 7th, 2007
handy if you plan on a having a 12 month sick period)
I was being ironic and mocking the system in the uk. I have been on allopurinol for ten weeks now and this is my third gout free week.
Jonas Laramore on June 7th, 2007
Congrats!! Sorry, I’m not too familiar with the UK system. Soundslike it is similar to the German system that I did have the priviledgeto use.