Two-Part Treatment Plan for Gout
Two Treatments for Gout
When you’re in the middle of a gout attack, stopping the pain and swelling is probably all you can think about. But there are actually 2 parts to effective gout treatment. Your healthcare professional may give you medicine to treat your symptoms (the pain and swelling of a gout attack) and medication to treat the root cause of gout (high uric acid). Both are important parts of your gout management plan.
Treating Your Symptoms – The Pain and Swelling of a Gout Attack
The first part of treatment is immediate relief from the pain and swelling caused by a gout attack. Medications that can reduce the pain and swelling include common pain relievers and anti-inflammatories, such as:
- NSAIDs (Examples: indomethacin and naproxen)
- Colchicine
- Steroids (Example: prednisone)
While they provide short-term relief, you may need different medication for long-term treatment of high uric acid.
Treating the Root Cause – High Uric Acid
Relief from gout pain and swelling is important, but to manage the condition over time, you’ll need a treatment that helps lower your uric acid to a healthy level. This form of long-term treatment uses medicine to help bring your uric acid level down to a healthy level and keep it there. Over time, this can help reduce future gout attacks. Individual results may vary.
Learn about long-term treatment for gout
What If You’ve Started Long-Term Treatment, But Are Still Having Gout Attacks?
Gout may flare up when you start taking medicine (e.g., ULORIC, allopurinol, and probenecid ) to lower uric acid. This may be caused when crystals begin to dissolve in your joints as your uric acid level goes down. Your healthcare professional may tell you to take other medicines to help prevent or manage flares during initial treatment. If your healthcare professional gives you medicine to lower your uric acid, you should keep taking it, even between attacks.
Next: Talking to Your Doctor About Gout >