Patient's question:
I previously had gout. Yesterday, I took allopurinol and ibuprofen, and now I'm experiencing severe swelling. I want to ask if taking excessive amounts of allopurinol and ibuprofen for gout can cause edema?Doctor's answer:
I'm glad to clarify this for you. This condition is a symptom caused by kidney damage. In this case, gout can lead to kidney disease. The basic pharmacology of allopurinol is to competitively inhibit the activity of key enzymes (xanthine oxidase) in the uric acid synthesis process, blocking the conversion of hypoxanthine and xanthine into uric acid. At the same time, after allopurinol is oxidatively metabolized, it also plays a role in reducing blood uric acid levels. However, the use of allopurinol may increase the levels of precursors of uric acid.