Gout Medication

When you’re considering which gout medication to take, you have to decide what associated symptoms need to be addressed.

Are you looking to control the cause of gout, or the symptoms (i.e. pain)?

Mechanisms to Control Gout

1. Using analgesics to control pain (symptom)

2. Controlling inflammation (symptom)

3. Prevent the conversion of purines to uric acid (cause)

A good place to start is the pain from your gout attack, since most likely that is the most pressing need.

Pain Killers Medications for Gout

The most common pain killers for gout are NSAIDS (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) like;

- Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc…)

- Naproxen (Aleve)

- Indomethacin (Indocin)

- Celecoxib (Celebrex)

NSAIDS work primarily by reducing your pain and inflammation caused by uric acid crystals deposited in your joints. Long term NSAID treatment may lead to gastrointestinal distress (ulcers) and kidney damage, so temporary usage is best.

Supplementing copper with anti-inflammatories can pull triple duty.

1. Copper complexes with NSAIDS making more effective, resulting in less pain.

2. Copper prevents gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers allowing you to better manage NSAIDS long term side effects.

3. Copper allows for less uric acid production by interfering with the xanthine oxidase enzyme. Xanthine oxidase creates uric acid and is what causes the pain and inflammation of gout.

Aspirin should be avoided as a pain treatment for gout as it can raise uric acid levels, making your symptoms worse.

Corticosteroids to Control Inflammation

Corticosteroids like Prednisone are mainly reserved for your more severe cases of prolonged inflammation. They are potent drugs but generally come with more side effects as well. However, they are good medications depending on your specific type and severity of gout.

Colchicine Reduces Gout Inflammation

Colchicine is another anti-inflammatory medication but does not exert its pain control directly. It also does not reduce your uric acid levels. Generally the pain reducing effects of Colchicine are specific to gout and do not transfer to other inflammatory conditions.

It is one of the most widely prescribed and effective drugs used to treat your acute stage gout. Colchicine mechanism of action lies in binding to your body’s neutrophils (white blood cell).

Since your neutrophils can’t be sent to the area of uric acid crystal deposition in your joints, inflammation is halted, leading to less pain and discomfort.

Uric Acid Reducing Gout Medications

One of the most popular medications for preventative gout treatment is Allopurinol (Zyloprim). Allopurinol helps prevent the creation of uric acid by inhibiting the enzyme xanthine oxidase.

The supplement copper can also do this, albeit more cheaply. Copper competes with molybdenum which is a cofactor of xanthine oxidase. More copper means less xanthine oxidase and thus less uric acid!

Probenecid (Benemid, Probalan) is known as a uricosuric agent which essentially means it allows you and your kidneys to expel greater amounts of uric acid, leading to less inflammation and pain to develop in the form of gout.

Return from Gout Medication to Gout Remedies

Return from Gout Medication to Male Menopause