Gout Medication Types

Types of Gout Medications

If you are just learning about gout, it can be overwhelming at first. Not only do you have to learn a whole new way of eating and a whole new lifestyle to control the flares, you also have to understand all of the different gout medication types so that you can make an informed decision about treatment. There are many different types of medications to treat gout and they all do something different. Here is a list of some of the medications used for gout:

Allopurinol (Zyloprim)

Allopurinol helps to lower the levels of uric acid in your blood. It keeps levels of uric acid in your body balanced to prevent them from forming crystals that cause gout symptoms. This can help prevent future gout attacks if you take it long-term.

Side-effects include; Stomach discomfort, diarrhea and drowsiness.

Analgesics

Analgesics are pain relievers prescribed to relieve the discomfort of gout symptoms. They do not actually treat or cure gout and do not reduce uric acid levels. They can help the fevers you may experience during an acute gout flare. Simple pain relievers like; acetaminophen (Tylenol), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and Codeine do not relieve the inflammation of gout, but can help pain in the beginning of attacks.

Side-effects include; nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, decreased reflexes, and dependence on Vicodin and Codeine. Acetaminophen does not usually have any side-effects, but too much can cause liver damage.

Colbenemid

This medication is a combination of a popular and long-used gout medication Cholchicine (see below) and Probenecid. Colbenemid works to help with the acute onset of gout and future gout attacks. It relieves symptoms by both blocking the action of uric acid crystals and lowering uric acid levels.

Side-effects include; stomach issues, nausea, diarrhea, dizzy spells, headaches, hair loss, and increased urination.

Cholchicine

Colchicine works by blocking the effects of uric acid crystals in the body to help relieve pain and inflammation. Some people take this medication at higher doses for a short period of time, or smaller doses long-term to prevent future gout flares.

Side-effects include; nausea, diarrhea, headaches and stomach issues.

Corticosteroids

These work by reducing the inflammation in the body. They are not commonly used due to sometimes serious side-effects and risks, but may be used in more severe cases of gout. Doctors often use steroids when people did not get relief from other anti-inflammatory medications. It is either given as an oral medication or as injections directly into the affected joint(s).

Side-effects include; bone loss, weight gain, fluid gain, disruption of the body’s natural steroid production (serious), and increased susceptibility to infection.

Losartan (Cozaar, Hyzaar)

This is usually used as a medication for high blood pressure, but has been found to help lower uric acid levels in the body. This medication may not be used with people who already have low blood pressure.

Side-effects include; dizziness, changes in your heart rate, muscle cramping, fatigue, headache, wheezing, cough, and more. There is a major drug interaction when taken with NSAIDS, so you may need a different anti-inflammatory medication along with it.

NSAIDS or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

These medications lower inflammation in the joints and can also help relieve pain. They can be taken during an initial flare up, but not usually used for long periods because of the effects on the stomach. Aspirin is an NSAID but not used for gout because aspirin can increase uric acid levels.

Side-effects include; nausea, vomiting, ulcers, and increased risk of bleeding.

Probenecid (Benemid, Probalan)

Probenecid can help lower the levels of uric acid in the body by increasing the amount of uric acid excreted by your kidneys. This medication is often used for people with chronic gout.

Side-effects include; fast heart rate, rash, puffy eyes, lower back pain, trouble urinating, cough, and fast breathing.

Sulfinpyrazone (Anturane)

This medication helps the body balance uric acid levels and can even help with prevention of gout attacks. It is commonly used in people who have both chronic gout and those who have intermittent gout flares.

Side-effects include; stomach upset, ulcer, anemia, and sometimes rashes.

Regardless of the medication you and your doctor decide is best for you, it is important to make healthy lifestyle and dietary changes to help you heal from gout faster.

Gout Natural Antibodies

Natural Antibodies and Gout

Gout is a form of arthritis that is said to be one of the most painful forms one can ever experience. It begins in the great toe, but can affect any of the joints in the body. This condition stems from an overproduction of uric acid that forms into crystals which deposit into the soft tissues and joints. This can irritate and inflame the joints and cause severe pain and swelling.

What Is Uric Acid?

Uric acid is a waste product that helps to break down purines in the blood. Under normal circumstances, your body breaks down the uric acid and flushes it out via the kidneys and urine. There are certain factors such as; heredity, medications, diseases, and being overweight that can predispose you to gout.

When your body cannot break down uric acid, crystals form and deposit inside the joints and the soft tissue near them. The inflammation can cause severe disability during an acute flare and interfere with normal daily tasks including: walking, standing, wearing shoes, and certain movements.

Anti-inflammatory medications such as; Advil or Naproxen Sodium can help relieve the inflammation and pain. There are several home remedies that can also be effective in controlling gout symptoms.

Home Remedies for Gout

For centuries, certain herbal substances have been safely used to treat pain and inflammation. These home remedies for gout are all-natural with no reported side-effects or even drug interactions. These remedies may even be in your cabinet ready to use and if not are actually quite inexpensive:

Cherry – Eating whole cherries or drinking cherry juice can help lower uric acid levels and can relieve the inflammation associated with arthritis. Try drinking cherry juice a few times daily or eat a couple handfuls of cherries as snacks. Not only do they help relieve symptoms, they are very good for your health overall!
Charcoal/Flaxseed poultice – Take ½ cup activated powdered charcoal and 3 Tbsp. Ground Flaxseed and mix with warm water to form a paste. Apply the paste to the affected joint or tissues and wrap it in a towel or plastic. You can leave this on while you sleep or during the day for 4 hours at a time.

Cod Liver Oil – If you can tolerate it, try taking 1 teaspoon of cod liver oil by mouth daily. This contains high amounts of vitamin A that helps to flush out uric acid.
Berries – Increase the amount of fresh berries in your diet. Berries can help reduce uric acid levels in the body and include: strawberries, blueberries, goji berries, raspberries, and blackberries.
Epsom Salts – Epsom salts are pure magnesium salts. Magnesium helps to relax muscles and relieve inflammation and swelling in the body. You can add a cup or two of Epsom salts to your bathwater or 3 Tbsp. to a pan of hot water for a foot soak.

The decision for treatment is up to you and your personal physician, and it is important to receive an accurate diagnosis before beginning gout treatments. No matter which treatment you use, always include a healthy diet, lifestyle, and exercise to help relieve the symptoms and improve your total body health.

Gout Relief

Relieving Gout

Anyone looking for gout relief is often overwhelmed by the many treatments for gout on the market today. If you are suffering from gout pain, you may be frantically looking for anything that can help reduce your symptoms. When gout comes on the pain can be severe, walking may be nearly impossible and your quality of life is diminished. The good news is with a little education, you can begin to find the gout treatment best for you.

Finding the right form of gout pain relief will help you feel better faster. Always make sure that you see your doctor first for proper diagnosis and to discuss any treatment methods you are thinking of using.

What Causes Gout Attacks?

In order to know which type of gout relief you need, you need to know what are the causes of your gout attacks.

Gout triggers can differ from person to person, and what triggers someone else’s gout, may not trigger yours and vice-versa. Keep a diary of what you do, what you eat, your weight, and your activities. Also, journal your pain and symptoms. This way you can match up what is making you feel bad. This will help you use the right gout relief methods for you.

Gout Relief Options

Most gout relief options focus on reducing the uric acid levels in your body, reducing inflammation, and reducing pain. When gout first strikes, you will need anti-inflammatories to help reduce the inflammation and pain that occurs. After the initial attack subsides, you will need to start doing something to start lowering the excess uric acid in your body. Some people with severe enough inflammation may need steroids to get them through the initial flare-up.

Important note: One medication not approved for gout relief option is, aspirin. Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory, but can actually raise the uric acid levels by stopping the kidneys from flushing out the excess. If you suffer from gout, do not take aspirin.

Over-The-Counter Gout Relief

Once you have checked with your doctor, one option for gout relief is over-the-counter medications. These come in pills, lotions, sprays, creams, and patches. They are designed to relieve pain or numb the affected area. Your doctor may even recommend over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications like Advil or Motrin. Know that any medication can have side-effects or drug interactions, and you must check with your doctor first to make sure what you choose is okay to take.

Natural Gout Relief

You may decide to use one of the many all-natural gout relief options out there on the market. Choose carefully and make sure the product you choose has plenty of ingredients to help relieve and treat gout. It needs to contain ingredients to reduce inflammation, pain as well as, uric acid in the body.

You also need to check with your doctor before using natural remedies. These can be found online and in local health stores.

One important point in treating gout naturally is that you have to modify your diet. Omit any foods high in purines such as: red meat, organ meat, sardines, and alcohol. Foods high in purines raise uric acid levels because uric acid is a waste product of purine digestion.

Eating cherries is a known way to reduce inflammation in the body naturally. Cherries contain chemicals that block the effects of inflammation in types of arthritis. You need to eat at least ½ pound of cherries a day or drink cherry juice.

Wear properly fitting shoes. If you have pain in your big toe, you will need shoes that allow room for the swelling and reduce the friction to the area. During the first acute attack, you may just be comfortable in slippers for a little while.

Whatever you decide for gout relief, make sure you discuss it with your doctor, and follow your treatment plan carefully to prevent future attacks.

Stabilizing Gout

How to Stabilize Gout

If you have suffered from your first acute flare from gout, then your first goal is to lower the inflammation and pain in your body. Stabilizing gout takes the use of anti-inflammatory medications, dietary changes, lifestyle changes, and rest. This reduces your symptoms and gets your body ready for the actual gout treatment.

After your done stabilizing gout and the inflammation levels are lower, you and your doctor can decide on the best treatment to reduce your uric acid levels. Uric acid is the main culprit in gout attacks and high levels need to be brought back to normal in order to fully heal from gout.

Stabilizing Gout

Once you have seen your physician and received a diagnosis of gout, he or she will begin medications to help your body in stabilizing gout. This means reducing the inflammation in the body to help with pain relief and make your body more responsive to treatment. The following medications can help:

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) – This is usually the first line of treatment at the onset of an acute flare. Stabilizing gout requires the inflammation in the body to come down first to help alleviate the severe pain and begin healing. This treatment is stopped after symptom relief is obtained.
Corticosteroids (Prednisone) – These are only used if the above NSAIDS were not effective in reducing inflammation and pain. Doctors can prescribe a dose pack and taper them down or give a single injection. Corticosteroids are never used long-term due to the risk of adverse effects.
Colchicine – Colchicine blocks the effects that uric acid has on inflammation in the body. It does not reduce uric acid levels, but keeps the body from reacting to it. It has some side-effects, so doctors usually use the lowest effective dose to help reduce the inflammatory response.

Treating Uric Acid Levels

Once you have stabilized, you can begin to work on reducing the uric acid levels in your body. There are many therapies out there that help lower uric acid and encourage the kidneys to flush it out. Doctors can prescribe other medications to help with lowering or blocking uric acid in the body.

Treatment also requires lifestyle and diet changes to prevent future attacks to the body. Chronic recurrent gout attacks can cause permanent joint damage. If you continue with lifestyle changes, dietary modification, and treatment, then gout symptoms will eventually subside and you may be able to live normally for the rest of your life.

People who have the following risk factors should keep uric acid levels low in their bodies:

High uric acid levels in the blood
Kidney stones
Osteoarthritis
Family history of gout
Colchicine treatment failure during acute gout flares

If you have suffered an acute gout attack in the past or you are at risk for gout because of the above risk factors, follow a healthy diet plan and lifestyle to prevent gout attacks. One important thing you must do in stabilizing gout is to lower your consumption of red meats, organ meats, seafood, and alcohol. Drink extra water, start to exercise and try to lose any extra weight.