Allopurinol

[Darcy-22]

hello. I have got compensated cirrhosis. I have got a bout of gout. Does anyone have any experience of taking Allopurinol and other gout medication? I know all medicines have side effects, but these seem to have very bad ones, especially for the liver. I am worried to take any medicines these days. I am doing natural things like ice packs eating cherries and drinking plenty of water. The pain is excruciating. Thank you

[Kristian]

If your gp is prescribing it, it should be fine. It's about weighing up the benefits and disbenefits and the benefits make it worthwhile. Also make sure you see your gp as soon as you recognise a gout flare starting. They can prescribe colchicine which really does bring the worst of the symptoms down and massively shorten the period of an attack. It has to start within 24 hours or so of an attack starting though to be effective.

I developed gout post transplant, so not quite the same. But, worth discussion with your gp or liver team if you want more reassurance.

[Darcy-22 in reply to Kristian]

Thank you. I will chat to the liver team. I don’t trust the GP.

[Ewife in reply to Darcy-22]

Good idea! Its always best to discuss things like this with them. My husband had terrible gout for years and at one point it was thought that the alopurinol and nsaids combined with moderate alcohol intake had caused husbands liver cirrhosis. However, now that he has had transplant, histology also showed large amounts of iron indicating other conditions so not sure now. I hope you get relief soon though - it is agony.

[Darcy-22 in reply to Ewife]

thank you for your reply. I will discuss this with the liver team and go from there. My uric acid levels have been high for a long time. I am just frightened now to take any medication. I just don’t want to put any unnecessary stress on my already stressed liver.

[2024October in reply to Ewife]

Hello, please ask only your liver team who is looking after you , not GP ! They have no idea , they wanted to prescribe me some pain killers for neuropathy which is dangerous for my compensated as well and they don’t know that’s pain killers don’t help with that .

[Glorydays2]

Hi, my husband suffers with Gout. He was told not to take any anti inflamatories by hepatology specialist. His prescription was for indometacin (only take as necessary). Allopurinol didn't agree with him it made it worse. He has decompensated liver disease. We did learn to control the Gout by watching what he was eating, different people have different triggers. But since giving up alcohol he has had no Gout at all. So red wine was probably a trigger he wasn't prepared to give up until his liver did😒

[Glorydays2 in reply to Glorydays2]

I have just remembered, drinking warm water before he got out of bed in the morning, this should help dissolve the uric acid crystals that have formed in the joints.

[Darcy-22 in reply to Glorydays2]

thank you for your replies and advice. It’s much appreciated. I will try that.

[LorraineLouise]

of course you need to talk to your doctor. I have primary biliary, cirrhosis, thyroid disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.. I take allopurinol every day for the past two years. It helps , with the.Azathioprine, I take for the rheumatoid arthritis.

[Poinsettia3]

I have cirrhosis and started to get gout about a year ago. I tried Colchicine but didn't feel at all well on that so stopped and didn't take Allopurinal as l didn't want to risk aggravating the liver. The gout is in my right middle finger- painful and inflamed. Decided instead to get a ultrasound-guided steroid injection. There was a 10 month wait for that and by this time l could neither bend nor straighten the finger - and although the injection removed the inflammation for a few weeks- l can still neither bend or straighten the finger. What l do find very helpful is a list of what to eat and what to avoid- from the Hepatic Dietician- that has made a big difference as regards pain. I can feel the inflammation increase after a high fat meal for example. I would really recommend a referral to a dietician. All the best and hope you will find something which helps.