Allopurinol
ZyloprimPubChem CID 135401907 · 3D model
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Blocks the enzyme the body uses to make uric acid in the first place, unlike colchicine, which doesn't touch uric acid levels and instead just calms the inflammation after crystals have already formed.
How it works
Allopurinol blocks the enzyme your body uses to make uric acid in the first place, so less of it builds up over time. That's different from colchicine, also on this site, which doesn't touch uric acid levels at all — it just calms down the inflammation after urate crystals are already irritating a joint.
What it’s used for
Allopurinol is used long-term to prevent gout flares by keeping uric acid from building up, to protect patients from a uric acid spike during certain cancer treatments, and to help prevent some kinds of kidney stones.
- Mechanism
- Xanthine oxidase inhibitor
- Drug class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- Anti-gout / Antihyperuricemic