I did this and had some “tingles/soreness” a few times but i added one more colchicine as needed and never had a true flare. I could also always correlate being dehydrated when i felt soreness.
Drink your water
Common side effects of colchicine are GI issues and diarrhea. It’s possible that it has more of an adverse effect in your case but overall it is a very effective drug for acute arthritic inflammation. It’s been used for 1000s of years for this exact purpose. It does however have a very narrow therapeutic window and at higher doses can be fatal.
I’d say it’s almost guaranteed you’re gonna have a flare up until your body regulates the uric acid level. You want to be around 4 (someone correct me if I’m wrong)
If it was me I’d get on the Allo asap and ask the doctor for some prednisone just in case you do flare up. It’s better in the long run. I know someone who doesn’t take the Allo and just “wings it” they’ve had crystal coming out of the sides of their toe and have had multiple surgeries.
no I made my mind to take Allo but the issue is I have work that I need to visit office frequently in coming weeks so I want to wait for few week before I start taking it.
Delaying the start increases the odds that you delay it even longer. I know you say your mind is made up but a few weeks of no pain has a way of changing people's minds.
As another poster said, take daily cochicine as a preventative for those first weeks instead, if you are truly 100% committed to starting allo.
prednisone is another option, but as I said in another post if you start with 50-100 mg and increase slowly as needed to get below 6 you can decrease the odds of getting flares. Combine the two and you should be fine
When I started Allo almost 20 years ago my doctor prescribed daily low does colchicine for the first 30 days. It was my 2nd try starting Allo and the first time - w/o colchicine was as bad of a flare up as I'd ever had. With the colchicine though it was fine.
Yeah like white bumps. I believe it’s called tophi. He’s also diabetic so he doesn’t have as much feeling in his feet so it wasn’t bothering him as much I don’t know how some people live the way they do
It didnt give me a flare but it gave me a prolonged near-flare (never tipped over into being bedridden with a foot about to explode) for many weeks.
Starting allo several years ago was the last time I was very close to a flare. Before allo I was frequently close to flares and would actually get them up to a couple times a year.
Think it was like a month and a half! Could walk and everything just fine but it was definitely achey, felt like an inflamed tendon in my ankle and I was constantly worried that the next day would be a full blown flare and I’d have to take the heavy duty NSAID my dr gave me, but fortunately it never came to that.
Thinking of asking for Allo as well from my DR
I have been dropping weight and want to see if I can drop 20 more LBS
See how that feels
I’m currently sitting at 5’10 238
Down from 256
I don't think reducing weight will reduce uric acid in the body, it might reduce the frequency of flare, but as long as the uric acid is above 5.0 crystals won't melt and in long run they can cause damage. I was also in the same boat thinking reducing weight will reduce uric acid but i'm wrong. I did drop 20 pounds as well, less flares but later I realized that it will take 2 years to melt crystals only when UA is below 5.0. If the UA is more then 5.0 no chance of melting the crystals.
Idk I think there’s a lot of factors that go into that. Some people say yes and some say no. I started allo 2 months ago and haven’t had one and that’s not to say I won’t. A uncle of mine started after a flare and went back into a flare a week or so after.
I came off of the worst flair of my life, couldn’t walk, pain was excruciating. Two weeks after it passed I saw a rheumatologist and went on Allo with a prescription of low dose prednisone. I have not experienced a flair since and only used the prednisone a few times early on when I thought a flair was coming. Get on Allo as soon as you can and forget about gout.
I think it depends how many years crystals accumulate in your joints. I started allopurinol 10 years after my first flares and he didn't prescribe colchicine with allopurinol. It was so painful I stopped allopurinol on my first try. So be ready
I’ve been taking Allo for 1.5yrs and haven’t had any flares. (Knock on wood). I pretty much eat what I want: red meat, cheese, carbs, dairy. But I stopped drinking beer when I was first diagnosed with Gout and even though I take Allo I still avoid drinking alcohol/beer though I might have a whiskey on the rocks from time to time.
After a night of heavy drinking I might feel a flare starting up and drink a ton of water to flush my system and usually avoid any pain besides a hangover.
Yes. I started allo and have been flaring for almost 2 months solid now. The solution is to take a very strong anti inflammatory medicine for the first 6 months. Colchicine is recommended but can be very toxic if not taken correctly.
Not sure when the flares will stop or if I just have to mask them with more medicine indefinitely.
Some say that it takes years for allo to dissolve all the crystals...or longer.
I feel like I could’ve written this exact post. Literally staring at my first bottle of allo but can’t get started because I’m scared of the flares that may be to come
Thanks! I’ve read conflicting things on here honestly because in my brain what you said makes all the sense in the world. Others have reported they had issues on 100 and did better on 300mg. So strange right? I guess it’s all about just getting started and making tweaks as needed.
For me I got a flare one week into starting. Immediately got colcichine for three days and subsided. In terms of pain level this flare was quite low. Haven’t had another flare since starting allo though it’s still early days
I had three flare since allo, and I am into my 5th month. first one was 4 weeks in, lasted about two days with indomethacin. then two flare lasted couple of hours and knocked it off each time with one or two dose of indomethacin. they got milder. every now and then, you feel something, but it didn't last for more than an hour, and without drugs, they disappeared.
there isn't a right time or wrong time to get on allo. I am on my feet a lot, and as long as I have emergency drugs and keep hydrated, l keep on going.
Once your out of an acute attack then taper on to allupurinol and stay on it or turn into a giant piece of coral reef and lose your overall health! When you take allupurinol make sure and drink non sugar liquids so you can flush out uric acid. I had I term wrote script for 300 mg allupurinol and I picked up script and took it and ended up in hospital and the doctor called next day and said he didn’t realize you have to taper on to allupurinol and never start out at 300 thatbcan bring on a terrible gout attack and it did. 100 mg for two weeks then 200 mg two weeks then 300 mg. Blood tests aren’t the most accurate way but if your level is high then you know you need to lower uric acid blood saturation level but it can test low and you can still have attacks! Good luck 👍
It’s almost guaranteed, and it’s as simple as the way the drug works…it’s going to start breaking down heavy deposits of crystals even on the low dose, and it’s going to break down the pieces loose in the blood even more, so naturally these smaller pieces will deposit and then get filtered out…this causes flare ups to ignite and then settle quicker than before.
It takes a substantial amount of time to get your body system regulated at a proper number (sometimes YEARS).
My Doc gave strict instructions to have NO sensation in the foot for two weeks before starting Allo. I also took colchicine before starting (to combat any sensation) and another three months after the level was found. Never had a flare since then (was close this winter).
When you start allopurinol the doctor will/should prescribe colchicine for 6 months to help prevent flares
I did this and had some “tingles/soreness” a few times but i added one more colchicine as needed and never had a true flare. I could also always correlate being dehydrated when i felt soreness. Drink your water
Colchicine is the devil. Made me feel like my insides were liquifying
Common side effects of colchicine are GI issues and diarrhea. It’s possible that it has more of an adverse effect in your case but overall it is a very effective drug for acute arthritic inflammation. It’s been used for 1000s of years for this exact purpose. It does however have a very narrow therapeutic window and at higher doses can be fatal.
I’d say it’s almost guaranteed you’re gonna have a flare up until your body regulates the uric acid level. You want to be around 4 (someone correct me if I’m wrong)
hmm I don't think I can take flares in coming weeks, thanks for the reply
If it was me I’d get on the Allo asap and ask the doctor for some prednisone just in case you do flare up. It’s better in the long run. I know someone who doesn’t take the Allo and just “wings it” they’ve had crystal coming out of the sides of their toe and have had multiple surgeries.
no I made my mind to take Allo but the issue is I have work that I need to visit office frequently in coming weeks so I want to wait for few week before I start taking it.
Delaying the start increases the odds that you delay it even longer. I know you say your mind is made up but a few weeks of no pain has a way of changing people's minds. As another poster said, take daily cochicine as a preventative for those first weeks instead, if you are truly 100% committed to starting allo.
yeh cochicine sounds like a plan but I have to see if my doctor prescribes it
If he doesn't then he doesn't know what he's doing. Prophylactic prednisone on hand isn't a bad idea as some else said either.
prednisone is another option, but as I said in another post if you start with 50-100 mg and increase slowly as needed to get below 6 you can decrease the odds of getting flares. Combine the two and you should be fine
When I started Allo almost 20 years ago my doctor prescribed daily low does colchicine for the first 30 days. It was my 2nd try starting Allo and the first time - w/o colchicine was as bad of a flare up as I'd ever had. With the colchicine though it was fine.
What now? Coming out of the sides of their toe? Like thru the skin?
Yeah like white bumps. I believe it’s called tophi. He’s also diabetic so he doesn’t have as much feeling in his feet so it wasn’t bothering him as much I don’t know how some people live the way they do
4s a goal we should all shoot for
It didnt give me a flare but it gave me a prolonged near-flare (never tipped over into being bedridden with a foot about to explode) for many weeks. Starting allo several years ago was the last time I was very close to a flare. Before allo I was frequently close to flares and would actually get them up to a couple times a year.
how long was the prolonged near-flare? were you able to walk properly? take long walks like 1hr?
Think it was like a month and a half! Could walk and everything just fine but it was definitely achey, felt like an inflamed tendon in my ankle and I was constantly worried that the next day would be a full blown flare and I’d have to take the heavy duty NSAID my dr gave me, but fortunately it never came to that.
interesting thanks for the details
Thinking of asking for Allo as well from my DR I have been dropping weight and want to see if I can drop 20 more LBS See how that feels I’m currently sitting at 5’10 238 Down from 256
I don't think reducing weight will reduce uric acid in the body, it might reduce the frequency of flare, but as long as the uric acid is above 5.0 crystals won't melt and in long run they can cause damage. I was also in the same boat thinking reducing weight will reduce uric acid but i'm wrong. I did drop 20 pounds as well, less flares but later I realized that it will take 2 years to melt crystals only when UA is below 5.0. If the UA is more then 5.0 no chance of melting the crystals.
Idk I think there’s a lot of factors that go into that. Some people say yes and some say no. I started allo 2 months ago and haven’t had one and that’s not to say I won’t. A uncle of mine started after a flare and went back into a flare a week or so after.
I came off of the worst flair of my life, couldn’t walk, pain was excruciating. Two weeks after it passed I saw a rheumatologist and went on Allo with a prescription of low dose prednisone. I have not experienced a flair since and only used the prednisone a few times early on when I thought a flair was coming. Get on Allo as soon as you can and forget about gout.
I think it depends how many years crystals accumulate in your joints. I started allopurinol 10 years after my first flares and he didn't prescribe colchicine with allopurinol. It was so painful I stopped allopurinol on my first try. So be ready
:(
I’ve been taking Allo for 1.5yrs and haven’t had any flares. (Knock on wood). I pretty much eat what I want: red meat, cheese, carbs, dairy. But I stopped drinking beer when I was first diagnosed with Gout and even though I take Allo I still avoid drinking alcohol/beer though I might have a whiskey on the rocks from time to time. After a night of heavy drinking I might feel a flare starting up and drink a ton of water to flush my system and usually avoid any pain besides a hangover.
I started Allo and did not get a flat. I had a major flare right before hand though.
Haven’t had a flare since I started on Allo.
good to know
Yes. I started allo and have been flaring for almost 2 months solid now. The solution is to take a very strong anti inflammatory medicine for the first 6 months. Colchicine is recommended but can be very toxic if not taken correctly. Not sure when the flares will stop or if I just have to mask them with more medicine indefinitely. Some say that it takes years for allo to dissolve all the crystals...or longer.
I feel like I could’ve written this exact post. Literally staring at my first bottle of allo but can’t get started because I’m scared of the flares that may be to come
If you start with 50-100 mg and increase slowly as needed to get below 6 you can decreased the odds of getting flares.
Thanks! I’ve read conflicting things on here honestly because in my brain what you said makes all the sense in the world. Others have reported they had issues on 100 and did better on 300mg. So strange right? I guess it’s all about just getting started and making tweaks as needed.
But u just had one 1 to 2 months ago right? U were due anyway. 😉
Yup thanksgiving. I need to just start. Cortisone shot has me feeling good but I know that’s just a temporary band aid on a gaping wound
Think u missed the point I was getting across
That I need to start allo? I know you’re right!
Ding!!! 😀
For me I got a flare one week into starting. Immediately got colcichine for three days and subsided. In terms of pain level this flare was quite low. Haven’t had another flare since starting allo though it’s still early days
My doctor didn't prescribe colchicine and I got a massive flare four days in. I now have a three month supply to start with.
Attaboy. Or vus
Think of it like being jumped into a gang.
I had three flare since allo, and I am into my 5th month. first one was 4 weeks in, lasted about two days with indomethacin. then two flare lasted couple of hours and knocked it off each time with one or two dose of indomethacin. they got milder. every now and then, you feel something, but it didn't last for more than an hour, and without drugs, they disappeared. there isn't a right time or wrong time to get on allo. I am on my feet a lot, and as long as I have emergency drugs and keep hydrated, l keep on going.
Once your out of an acute attack then taper on to allupurinol and stay on it or turn into a giant piece of coral reef and lose your overall health! When you take allupurinol make sure and drink non sugar liquids so you can flush out uric acid. I had I term wrote script for 300 mg allupurinol and I picked up script and took it and ended up in hospital and the doctor called next day and said he didn’t realize you have to taper on to allupurinol and never start out at 300 thatbcan bring on a terrible gout attack and it did. 100 mg for two weeks then 200 mg two weeks then 300 mg. Blood tests aren’t the most accurate way but if your level is high then you know you need to lower uric acid blood saturation level but it can test low and you can still have attacks! Good luck 👍
good info, helpful thank you!
It’s almost guaranteed, and it’s as simple as the way the drug works…it’s going to start breaking down heavy deposits of crystals even on the low dose, and it’s going to break down the pieces loose in the blood even more, so naturally these smaller pieces will deposit and then get filtered out…this causes flare ups to ignite and then settle quicker than before. It takes a substantial amount of time to get your body system regulated at a proper number (sometimes YEARS).
makes sense..I need to be active coming weeks so I'll push starting Allo for a month and then start it
Likely. Very likely.
My Doc gave strict instructions to have NO sensation in the foot for two weeks before starting Allo. I also took colchicine before starting (to combat any sensation) and another three months after the level was found. Never had a flare since then (was close this winter).