Allopurinol

Order Allopurinol Online UK

You can order allopurinol for gout from our UK registered online doctor and pharmacy service. Simply complete an online gout consultation, which will be reviewed by one of our GPs. If your order is approved by our doctors, a prescription is sent to our online pharmacy team. From here, your medicine will be dispensed and dispatched by our pharmacists. 

Please note, this service is only available for people who have been prescribed this medicine previously by their GP.

What is Allopurinol?

Allopurinol is a medicine used to prevent gout attacks. It can also be used to treat kidney stones. It is a prescription-only medicine and there are two available strengths: 100mg and 300mg tablets.

It’s prescribed to be taken daily long-term to help prevent gout attacks. Taking it daily can reduce the frequency of attacks and help prevent damage to joints. Brand names for the medicine include Zyloric and Uricto.

How does it work?

Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the body. This leads to small, sharp uric acid crystals depositing in and around your joints. This can cause severe pain in joints as well as redness, swelling, and tenderness.

Allopurinol works by reducing the amount of uric acid in the body. By doing so, it helps to prevent the uric acid crystal build-up in the joints and prevent painful gout attacks.

How to take Allopurinol

You should take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you to. Your GP will prescribe the most appropriate allopurinol dosage for you. The usual starting dose of allopurinol for gout is 100 mg taken daily.  

Your doctor may adjust this dose over time after performing blood tests to look at your uric acid levels. The daily dose may be increased up to 300 mg a day or even higher in some cases.

If you have forgotten to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time to take your next dose, skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

Allopurinol Side Effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause adverse effects, although not everyone gets them. The most common side effects are a skin rash and an increase in the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone in the blood.  

It can also cause rare but serious side effects such as skin problems, liver problems, and problems with your white blood cells. If you notice any serious side effects, rashes (or other skin problems,) seek medical advice from your doctor straight away.

For a complete list of side effects, see section 4 of the patient information leaflet.

Allopurinol alternatives

Allopurinol is the first-line treatment for preventing gout attacks. If allopurinol is not suitable to use, your doctor may prescribe another medicine called febuxostat. This works in a slightly different way but still helps to reduce uric acid levels.

Allopurinol is not an effective treatment for acute gout attacks. Treatments that help with an acute gout attack include colchicine and NSAID medication like naproxen and etoricoxib.

FAQs

What is allopurinol used for?

Allopurinol is taken daily to help prevent gout attacks and can also be used to treat kidney stones. It is sometimes used to lower uric acid levels if they’re too high, for example, some cancer treatments can raise uric acid levels. 

Is allopurinol the best medicine for gout?

It’s the recommended first-choice treatment for the prevention of gout. It’s not an effective treatment for an acute gout flare-up. Other medicines used to treat gout attacks include colchicine and NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen, and etoricoxib.

When is the best time to take allopurinol?

You should take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you to. It’s best to take it after a meal because this can reduce the chances of experiencing nausea or vomiting as a side effect.

Can you buy allopurinol over the counter in the UK?

Allopurinol, in the UK, is a prescription-only medicine which means it needs to be prescribed by a doctor or healthcare professional. However, you can buy allopurinol online from Simple Online Pharmacy. Simply complete an online assessment form for our doctors to assess for safety and suitability. 

Our allopurinol price in the UK includes the private prescription fee. We make sure our allopurinol cost in the UK is competitive.

Warnings

This medicine is not suitable for everyone to take. It should not be taken by anyone who has had a previous allergic reaction to this medicine or any of the ingredients in the tablets. 

It may not be suitable to take for people with certain medical conditions like heart, liver, kidney, or thyroid problems. For further details, see the patient information leaflet or ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Allopurinol and other medicines

Some medicines shouldn’t be taken alongside allopurinol due to drug interactions. This includes medicines such as azathioprine, ciclosporin, theophylline, warfarin, and phenytoin. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you’re concerned about taking allopurinol with other medicines.

You can take allopurinol and alcohol together as alcohol shouldn’t affect your tablets. However, alcohol can sometimes trigger an attack of gout.