Patient/caregiver was educated on the precautions to be observed while taking allopurinol as follows:
- Observe compliance with recommendations for a low-purine diet. Compliance with low-purine diet can reduce production of uric acid in the body and thus complement the therapeutic benefit of allopurinol intake.
- Observe compliance with recommendation on other pain medication intake, if you are prescribed medications such as, ibuprofen and naproxen, for better control of acute pain and inflammation. Compliance with pain medication intake can complement overall therapeutic benefit of allopurinol intake.
- Avoid drinking excessive caffeinated drinks and soft drinks rich in sugar, as they can act as bladder irritants and significantly increase the frequency of urination, forming more dilute urine, thus increasing uric acid deposition in the body tissues and predisposing to gout and uric acid stone formation.
- A lot of other nonprescription products and prescription medications can also influence the activity of allopurinol in the body. So, be sure to mention your physician and pharmacist regarding your history with allopurinol and check with them regarding safety, in the event you are being started on any new medications.
