How long After Gout Flare To Start Allopurinol (And Why)?

Exact Answer: After One Week

Gout falls under the category of medical conditions, and it is a type of Arthritis. In this medical condition, the joint becomes red and swollen, and a patient also feels a lot of pain in the joints. In this medical condition, the patient suffers a lot of pain, and the pain keeps on increasing rapidly and reaches a maximum point in twelve hours.

In more than fifty percent of cases of Gout, the joint of the toe is the concerned area, and it becomes swollen, and a patient might also feel a burning sensation in the joint. It is known to cause kidney damage as kidney stones are identified in the patient. It is a severe medical condition and needs to be treated at the earliest.

How Long After Gout Flare To Start Allopurinol?

The real meaning of the word Gout is a drop of a liquid or any other fluid. But it was used for medical reference for the first time in the year 1200 AD. At that time, the toe of a person became swollen and enlarged. It becomes so large that it looked like a big drop of fluid. There was no medical name for this disease then, so this condition was termed Gout, and since then, this name has been widely used to refer to this medical condition. The treatment of Gout at that time was very costly, so it was termed as the King of diseases or a rich man’s disease. However, modern technologies evolved, and now Gout can be medically treated at a very affordable rate.

The most common sign of a person suffering from Gout is that some part of the body inflammations and becomes red and swollen. This mostly happens on foot but can also happen anywhere else on the body. The most basic reason for this condition is because the uric acid present in the body crystallizes, and hence its amount in the body increases. Since Uric acid is a very dense fluid, it is present in more numbers in the lower body, and hence this disease mostly hits the foot or the lower body. If the amount of Uric acid in the body becomes more than required, it is a major concern.

If the Gout flare is acute, then Allopurinol should be started after two weeks. In contrast, if the flare is major, it is advised to start Allopurinol in two weeks.

Why Does It Take That Long After Gout Flare To Start Allopurinol?

Allopurinol which is also popularly sold with other brand names like Zyloprim and Caplenal, is a medication used to treat increased uric acid levels in the body. It is either administered by the mouth, or it can also be injected into the veins of a patient. The molecular formula of Allopurinol contains five carbon atoms along with a solitary oxygen atom. Four atoms of Nitrogen are also present in its structure. The Hydrogen atom is responsible for filling the remaining valences.

The medication structure has two rings, and the compound is aromatic, and its molecular mass is 136.114 grams per mole. There are certain risks and complications associated with Allopurinol. First and foremost, the dosing of this medicine is complex, and some patients might be hypersensitive in response to this drug. It must be confirmed with a medical expert whether a patient can be given Allopurinol or not.

It takes that long to start Allopurinol because this medication reacts passively after entering the body. So, it is believed that first, let the uric acid level rise to its maximum and then use it to treat the condition. It takes one to two weeks for Uric acid to reach the maximum limit.

Conclusion

Finally, it can be concluded that Gout is a medical condition in which the joints become swollen and red, and it is mainly observed in the toe. The most basic reason for this condition is because the uric acid present in the body crystallizes, and hence its amount in the body increases.

On average, Allopurinol should be started after one week of a Gout flare. It is a medication used to treat increased uric acid levels in the body. It is either administered by the mouth, or it can also be injected into the veins of a patient. In case of any medical emergency, a doctor should be contacted immediately.

References

1. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmcp1001124
2. https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00003088-198611050-00001