Allopurinol

Updated June 2024

What is Allopurinol?

Download button - information sheet

Allopurinol (brand names Allosig, Progout, Zyloprim) is a medicine used to treat gout. Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis caused by the build up of urate crystals in joints. Cells produce uric acid normally. In gout the body does not flush it out fast enough. When urate levels rise in the blood, urate crystals may form in and around the joints. The body responds to the presence of these crystals with inflammation that can cause gout flares (painful, tender, swollen joints), gouty tophi (collections of crystals that can be seen or felt) and damage to the joints (gouty bone erosions).

Allopurinol works by reducing urate levels in the blood. Typically, patients are started on a low dose of allopurinol which is then slowly increased over time by your doctor. The aim is to reduce the blood urate level to a certain concentration that will allow the urate crystals to gradually dissolve.