Learn About Gout Medications
Gout is one form of arthritis. Ladies, it means you have uric acid building too much in your body. It's going to be around your joints. That's why you get join pain and swelling! You'll most likely get gout in your big toe, but it also happens in other joints, including your fingers, wrists, ankles, elbows, and knees. Ladies, expect your symptoms to come on suddenly. They're common at night too! Gout attack pain lasts for 4 to 12 hours. Discomfort from the after-effects goes on for up to a few weeks! Expect a reduced range of motion in your joints, ladies, when you've had this condition for a long time!
You'll often take anti-inflammatory medicine for gout and uric acid lowering medicine too. Of course, ladies, prescription medicine for gout is common! Doctors often recommend ointment for gout pain as well. Natural remedies for gout are also out there, including keeping to a gout diet. That said, ladies, gout control medications are still needed! Let's review the common ones.
NSAIDs
You're going to need anti-inflammatories for gout. Ladies, NSAIDs treat and prevent gout attacks! You'll start with over-the-counter ones first. This means ibuprofen and naproxen. Of course, prescription NSAIDs are also out there, including celecoxib. High doses of these medications keep your symptoms in check during a gout attack. Low doses prevent future ones! Your doctor will give you the instructions for your needs, ladies. Expect to try a few different NSAIDs before you settle on the best one for you!
NSAIDs cause common side effects, and fluid retention is one of them! Others are stomach ulcers, pain in your abdomen, and higher blood pressure. Ladies, feeling dizzy is common too! Your doctor will help you manage all of these! Of course, some side effects mean calling them right away! These are problems peeing, fatigue, blurry vision, and light sensitivity. Call them up for pain in the middle of your back as well! Most of the time, you'll need to adjust your dose. Changing to a different medication is an option too! Kidney disease, however, means you can't take this medication for gout.
Colchicine
Ladies, you'll get colchicine when you have gout! This oral medication treats your acute symptoms. Yes, including pain! Your doctor will give you low doses to take daily. This prevents attacks from happening in the first place! The med is going to stop uric acid crystals from building. Your joints won't swell nearly as much either! Talk about your medical history first, though. Ladies, kidney and liver disease make this med unsafe for you! You can't take it with some other meds too, like cholesterol medication. Your doctor knows about these, so ask them!
Expect mild side effects when you take colchicine too. Ladies, the common ones are diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. You'll see abdominal pain too! Of course, rare side effects also appear. They are shortness of breath, numb fingers and toes, muscle weakness, and severe diarrhea. Call your doctor right away when you get any of them!
Allopurinol
You'll likely hear your doctor recommend allopurinol for gout, ladies. It's a common gout medication! It's going to keep your complication risk low. This medication even stops your body from making lots of uric acid! Yes, you'll have less in your blood. Ladies, this is what stops your symptoms from flaring! But this medication doesn't treat gout attacks. It's meant for you if you have complications. Your doctor uses this medication when you have kidney disease, kidney stones, and joint damage on top of gout! Of course, ladies, it helps when you get many gout attacks each year. It stops severe pain in these attacks in many cases!
Of course, allopurinol has side effects. Ladies, expect common ones, such as nausea, diarrhea, and rashes. The rashes are varied. Yes, this medication causes both raised and flat rashes! Call your doctor right away about joint stiffness, swelling, and pain. Ladies, don't delay!
Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are very common in gout treatment. Ladies, they prevent and treat gout attacks! You'll get them when you can't take colchicine or NSAIDs. That way, you're always covered. One of the corticosteroids used for gout is prednisone. It'll get rid of your pain and inflammation! Most of the time, you'll take this medication orally. However, an injection is an option if you wish, ladies! Of course, corticosteroids are short-term solutions. Using too much for too long means side effects! Common ones include sleep issues, high blood sugar, higher blood pressure, and mood shifts. Ladies, you'll be at a higher risk of fractures too!
Be sure to go over your medical history with your doctor. Ladies, tell them about heart disease, diabetes, eye problems, and kidney disease. Osteoporosis is another big one! They'll need to adjust your medications for all of these conditions. You'll need to take corticosteroids differently too. Finally, ladies, withdraw from corticosteroids with your doctor's help. That way, you'll avoid side effects like nausea and body aches.
Probenecid
Another common medication you'll take when you have gout is probenecid. Ladies, this one's a uricosuric medication! It's going to help your kidneys get rid of uric acid. Of course, it gets this acid out of your blood, not your pee! You'll have higher levels there. Your doctor gives you this one for complications, though, not treating flares!
Expect a few side effects on probenecid. Common ones are rashes and stomach pain! Kidney stones are fairly rare, but they do happen. As always, some side effects merit an immediate call to your doctor! Ladies, these ones are lower back pain, difficulty peeing, painful peeing, changes in your pee color, and shifts in pee volume. Other examples are signs of an infection, serious abdominal pain, pale stool, and easy bruising!