Allopurinol tablets

Allopurinol belongs to a group of medicines called enzyme inhibitors. These medicines inhibit the amount of uric acid production in your body. Allopurinol works by slowing down the speed of certain chemical reactions in your body to lower the level of uric acid in the blood and urine.

Allopurinol tablets are used to treat the following conditions:

• Gout (increased uric acid quantity in the body). The uric acid builds up in your joints and tendons as crystals causing an inflammatory reaction. The inflammation causes the skin around certain joints to become swollen, tender and sore when only slightly touched. You may also get severe pain when the joint is moved.
• Kidney stones formation and certain other types of kidney diseases due to increase in the amount of uric acid in the body.
• Some types of cancer due to increase in the amount of uric acid in the body.
• Enzyme disorders due to increase in the amount of uric acid in the body.

Always take Allopurinol exactly as your doctor has told you. Swallow the tablet with a glass of water after food.

Dosage varies per person and is determined by a doctor for each specific patient. The general dosage guidelines are as follows:

Adults (over 18 years)

The initial dose is usually 100 mg daily, after food, but this can be gradually increased over one to three weeks according to the levels of uric acid in your blood and urine. The following dosages are administered depending on the severity of the disease.

• 100 to 200 mg daily for mild gout.
• 300 to 600 mg daily for moderately severe gout.
• 700 to 900 mg daily for severe gout.

Up to 300 mg can be taken as a single dose; larger doses should be divided throughout the day.

There are other guidelines for patients with liver or kidney problems, elderly patients and children. See the package leaflet for more information on dosage and use.

If you take more Allopurinol than you should

If you or someone else swallows several of these tablets all together, or if you think a child has swallowed any of these tablets, contact your doctor or pharmacist or hospital emergency department immediately. Always take any tablets left over with you, also the box and leaflet as this will allow easier identification of the tablets. Signs of an overdose may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and dizziness.

If you forget to take Allopurinol

If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, do not take the missed dose and just carry on as before. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you stop taking Allopurinol

Keep taking the medicine for as long as your doctor has told you, even if you are feeling

better. If you stop the medicine too soon, your condition may become worse again.

Do not stop taking your tablets without consulting your doctor.

Do not take Allopurinol if:

• You are allergic (hypersensitive) to allopurinol or any of the other ingredients of this medicine.

Warnings and precautions:

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking your medicine if:

• You are of Han Chinese, African or Indian origin.
• You have problems with your kidneys or liver. Your doctor may give you a lower dose or ask you to take it less often than each day. They will monitor you more closely.
• You suffer from high blood pressure or have heart problems and you take diuretics and/or a medicine called ACE inhibitors.
• You are currently having an attack of gout.
• You have thyroid problems.
• You suffer from rare inherited forms of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactase malabsorption (see the package leaflet for more information).

Take special care with Allopurinol:

• Serious skin rashes (Hypersensitivity syndrome, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis) have been reported with the use of allopurinol. Frequently, the rash can involve ulcers of the mouth, throat, nose, genitals and conjunctivitis (red and swollen eyes). These serious skin rashes are often preceded by influenza-like symptoms fever, headache, body ache (flu-like symptoms). The rash may progress to widespread blistering and peeling of the skin. If you develop a rash or these skin symptoms, stop taking Allopurinol and contact your doctor immediately.
• These serious skin reactions can be more common in people of Han Chinese, Thai or Korean origin. Chronic kidney disease may increase the risk in these patients additionally.
• If you have cancer or Lesch-Nyhan syndrome the amount of uric acid may increase in your urine. To prevent this, you need to assure to drink sufficiently to dilute your urine.
• In case you have kidney stones, the kidney stones will become smaller and may enter your urinary tract.

See the package leaflet for more warnings associated with the use of Allopurinol. Always consult a doctor if you are unsure if this medicine is suitable for you.

Other medicines and Allopurinol

Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines. This includes medicines obtained without a prescription, including herbal medicines.

Allopurinol and some medicines may interfere with each other. For a list of these medicines, please see the package leaflet.

• Allopurinol tablets should be taken with food and water.
• Allopurinol may make some people feel drowsy, giddy or have problems with coordination. Do not drive or operate dangerous machinery if you are affected.
• Allopurinol is excreted in the human breast milk. Allopurinol during breastfeeding is not recommended.

You can get Allopurinol at a pharmacy with a doctor’s prescription. Allopurinol is only available with a prescription. The doctor can write a prescription for Allopurinol after an online consultation.

The current price of Allopurinol tablets is listed on our order page. The cost of the online consultation and a service fee are included in the price.

Like all medicines, Allopurinol can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Get emergency medical help straight away if you notice severe side effects, such as signs of a severe allergic reaction, liver problems or blood problems. Please refer to the package leaflet for more information.

Other side effects

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

• Skin rash.
• Increased level of thyroid stimulating hormone in the blood.

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

• Feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting).
• Abnormal liver tests.

This list is not exhaustive. For a complete list of side effects, see the package leaflet. If any of the side effects gets serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.

What Allopurinol tablets contain

The active substance is allopurinol.

The other ingredients are: lactose monohydrate, crospovidone, maize starch, povidone K-30 and magnesium stearate.