If you are one of those who suffers from gout, then there are two different ways that your doctor can treat your condition with various medications. First of which are the so-called preventive gout medications, which are needed to be taken daily to keep the uric acid in the normal levels and the medications, which are beneficial during the gout flare-ups. The medicine that your doctor recommends will actually be based on the present health status and your own personal choices. Most probably, your doctor will be combining a short and long-term option in order to attain the best results. Furthermore, the different gout medications are divided into either long-term or short-term.
Different Gout Medications: Long-Term
Here are some of the long-term gout medications:
- Pegloticase: Approximately 3% of gout sufferers and who are not tolerant of some other options for gout medication use this. It’s actually administered thru intravenous infusion every two weeks.
- Lesinurad: This actually just a new kid in the block. It is beneficial in lowering the levels of uric acid in the blood. They frequently use it in combination with the allopurinol in order to treat gout. It is especially recommendable to those who cannot achieve their uric acid targets in taking just allopurinol.
- Probenecid: This functions as a preventive thru the reduction of the uric acid. Doctors prescribe it mostly to those who suffer from gout whose kidneys do not excrete uric acid properly. The medicine is beneficial in increasing the excretion rate.
- Febuxostat: It works the same way the allopurinol works. It reduces the uric acid levels in the blood. the liver is the ones that metabolize this drug. This is why it is ought to be safe to those who are suffering from kidney conditions.
- Allopurinol: It is usually considered to be the holy grail of the gout medications. The allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, meaning, it is capable of inhibiting the xanthine oxidase activity. In some patients, allopurinol may take about six months to take effect.
The long-term gout medications are prescribed only after you have already completed some blood work. Moreover, you will just be able to take it if you are really suffering from hyperuricemia. All the aforementioned medications work in keeping the uric acid levels healthy, and to prevent any possible gout attacks. Remember that it is not good to take any of these medications while suffering from gout attacks. If you are going to take any of these medications while you are experiencing gout flare-ups, your condition may just get worse.
Different Gout Medications: Short-Term
Here are some of the short-term gout medications:
- Corticosteroids: This particular medication is actually the last option if the other two below doesn’t work for you. The corticosteroids are beneficial in reducing the swelling and pain from inflammation. it is capable of providing an almost immediate relief from the symptoms of gout.
- Colchicine: This is actually one of the most effective pain relief medicine that’s beneficial in blocking inflammation and reduce swelling. It is capable of reducing the gout attack by about 85%. Take note: high dosage of colchicine may lead to some complications like diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea.
- NSAIDs: The Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs are anti-inflammatory medications that are available over the counter. If you want higher dosages, they’ll only be available if you have a prescription from your own doctor. The NSAIDs are beneficial in reducing the swelling and pain thru blocking the proteins and enzymes involved in the inflammatory process. The side effects of this medication may include heartburn, hives, rashes, and nausea.
The short-term medication may have the capacity to treat a gout attack, providing you a relief in pain and reduction in the inflammation on the joint. All at once, it may help in preventing some other attacks that may take place. With the help of these medications, you can expect a relief from the symptoms in just 24 hours of use. Furthermore, your doctor may commonly recommend you a medicine that will be beneficial for a short amount of time and no longer than a week.
Conclusion
A lot of gout sufferers after not having any gout attacks in a long period of time may wonder if they should keep on taking their own medications. At first, nothing will actually happen. However, after a while, a gout flare-up may occur. Without any medications, the future attacks are more likely to happen and to be more austere. If you are going to follow a proper gout diet and change some of your lifestyles, you will prevent the condition from getting worse. Remember that your effort will have a good impact on you, as long as you are doing it properly.
You must bear in mind that you should properly talk to your doctor about which of the different gout medications should you really take.
