Allopurinol is used for:

Treating gout. It is used to treat high uric acid levels in the blood or urine caused by certain types of cancer chemotherapy. It is also used to treat certain patients with calcium oxalate kidney stones and high amounts of uric acid in the urine. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor. It works by lowering the body's production of uric acid.

Do NOT use Allopurinol if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Allopurinol

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Allopurinol :

Some medical conditions may interact with Allopurinol. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you have kidney or liver disease, heart problems (eg, congestive heart failure), bone marrow problems, high blood pressure, or diabetes

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Allopurinol. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Amoxicillin or ampicillin because the risk of developing a skin rash may be increased
• Chlorpropamide because the risk of low blood sugar may be increased
• Dicumarol or oral anticoagulants (eg, warfarin) because the risk of bleeding may be increased by Allopurinol
• Thiazide diuretics (eg, hydrochlorothiazide) or uricosurics (eg, probenecid) because they may increase the risk of Allopurinol 's side effects
• Cyclosporine or thiopurines (eg, azathioprine, mercaptopurine) because the risk of their side effects may be increased by Allopurinol

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Allopurinol may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.

How to use Allopurinol :

Use Allopurinol as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.

• Take Allopurinol by mouth after meals to decrease stomach upset.
• Drinking extra fluids while you are taking Allopurinol is recommended. Check with your doctor for instructions.
• Continue to take Allopurinol even if you feel well. Do not miss any doses.
• If you miss a dose of Allopurinol , take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Allopurinol.

Important safety information:

• Allopurinol may cause drowsiness. This effect may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Allopurinol with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
• You may experience an increase in gout attacks for several months after you begin taking Allopurinol. Your doctor may give you another medicine (colchicine) to help decrease these gout attacks. Contact your doctor if you experience frequent or severe gout attacks.
• It may take 2 to 6 weeks to receive the full benefit of Allopurinol.
• Do NOT take more than the recommended dose or use for longer than prescribed without checking with your doctor.
• Allopurinol is not useful for relieving an acute gout attack.
• Follow the diet and exercise program given to you by your health care provider.
• Lab tests, including uric acid levels and kidney and liver function, may be performed while you use Allopurinol. These tests may be used to monitor your condition or check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.
• PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Allopurinol while you are pregnant. Allopurinol is found in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you use Allopurinol , check with your doctor. Discuss any possible risks to your baby.

Possible side effects of Allopurinol :

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:

Diarrhea; nausea.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); blood in urine or painful urination; dark urine; fever, chills, or sore throat; irritation of the eyes; joint pain; loss of appetite; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; stomach pain; unexplained weight loss; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual muscle pain or weakness; yellowing of the skin or eyes.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy waves often used in medicine. 2. The use of energy waves to diagnose or treat disease.

Replantation: 1. Literally, the act of planting again. 2. In surgery, the restoration of any part of the body to its original site. Also known as reimplantation.

The Chinese surgeon Zhong Wei Chen (1929-2004) was the "father of replantation." Dr. Chen was the first to reattach a severed hand with success which he did in 1963. Dr. Chen also developed many microsurgical procedures including techniques for preserving severed extremities, reattaching amputated fingers and thumbs, reconstructing muscles and repairing nerves and blood vessels.

Rheumatism: Rheumatism is an older term, used to describe any of a number of painful conditions of muscles, tendons, joints, and bones.

Rheumatism conditions have been classified as either localized, regional, or generalized. Localized rheumatism conditions include bursitis and tendinitis. Regional rheumatism conditions include chest wall pain, temporomandibular joint pain, and myofascial pain syndromes. Generalized rheumatism conditions include fibromyalgia.

Another category of rheumatism is psychogenic rheumatism. With this term it is understood that the patient is reporting inconsistent pains of muscles and joints that do not correspond to true anatomy and physiology. The patient is felt to have underlying psychological causes for the symptoms.

Rheumatology: A subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the non-surgical evaluation and treatment of the rheumatic diseases and conditions. Rheumatic diseases and conditions are characterized by symptoms involving the musculoskeletal system. Many of the rheumatic diseases and conditions feature immune system abnormalities. Therefore, rheumatology also involves the study of the immune system. Classical rheumatology training includes 4 years of medical school, 1 year of internship in internal medicine, 2 years of internal medicine residency, and 2 years of rheumatology fellowship. There is a subspecialty board for rheumatology certification. The American College of Rheumatology is the official organization acting on behalf of the field of rheumatology in the United States.

T cell: A type of white blood cell that is of key importance to the immune system and is at the core of adaptive immunity, the system that tailors the body's immune response to specific pathogens. The T cells are like soldiers who search out and destroy the targeted invaders.

Immature T cells (termed T-stem cells) migrate to the thymus gland in the neck, where they mature and differentiate into various types of mature T cells and become active in the immune system in response to a hormone called thymosin and other factors. T-cells that are potentially activated against the body's own tissues are normally killed or changed ("down-regulated") during this maturational process.

There are several different types of mature T cells. Not all of their functions are known. T cells can produce substances called cytokines such as the interleukins which further stimulate the immune response. T-cell activation is measured as a way to assess the health of patients with HIV/AIDS and less frequently in other disorders.

T cell are also known as T lymphocytes. The "T" stands for "thymus" -- the organ in which these cells mature. As opposed to B cells which mature in the bone marrow.

Teleology: The study of the ultimate purpose of the design of something in nature.

For example, "what is the true purpose of the nose?" is a teleological question and, to say that all evolutionary changes occur for a definite purpose is a teleological explanation of evolution.

"Teleology" comes from ancient Greek roots but it (and teleological) did not enter English until the 18th century. It is a compound of the Greek "tele-, telos," meaning "end or purpose" + the ending "logos" meaning "the science or study of" = the study of the ends or purposes.

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages the development of male sexual characteristics, stimulates the activity of the male secondary sex characteristics, and prevents changes in them following castration. Chemically, testosterone is 17-beta-hydroxy-4-androstene-3-one.

Testosterone is the most potent of the naturally occurring androgens. The androgens cause the development of male sex characteristics, such as a deep voice and a beard; they also strengthen muscle tone and bone mass.

High levels of testosterone appear to promote good health in men, for example, lowering the risks of high blood pressure and heart attack. High testosterone levels also correlate with risky behavior, however, including increased aggressiveness and smoking, which may cancel out these health benefits.

Testosterone may be given to treat medical conditions, including female (but not male) breast cancer, hypogonadism (low gonadal function) in the male, cryptorchism (nondescent of the testis into the scrotum), and menorrhagia (irregular periods).