Medical Questions » Medicines Questions » Question No. 647
| Question: | Eight years ago, a blood test showed an excess of uric acid, and although I had no problems with gout or arthritis, my doctor put me on Zyioprim each day, saying failure to take the tablet could result in gout. A health shop proprietor said Zyioprim could actually cause problems if taken long term. Can you advise me? |
| Answer: | High levels of uric acid in the blood stream can cause recurrent attacks of gout. Because of the severe pain associated with gout, these attacks are very obvious to the sufferer.
Uric acid has another more sinister effect on the kidneys. These can be slowly damaged, and unless kidney stones form, the presence of excessive levels of uric acid may not show up until the kidney starts to fail, and the patient presents with a totally different set of symptoms.
Zyioprim (also known as Progout and allopurinol) is a drug that lowets the amount of uric acid in the blood stream. It has been available for over 40 years, so a great deal is known about its side effects and complications. A very small number of patients do have long-term problems with its use, but the risks of using Zyioprim are far less than the risks of high uric acid levels.
Regular blood tests should be performed every year while you are taking the medication to check the level of uric acid, and the liver and kidney function. Some patients require only a low dose of Zyioprim to reduce their uric acid levels, and this can be judged by the blood test results. The drug is available in both 100 and 300 milligram sizes, so reduction of dosage in those patients who can be controlled more readily can be easily achieved.
Follow the advice of your doctot father than a ' health' shop proprietor, whose advice may be biased by a desire to sell you his products.
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