Hi Triglycerides dr. put me on Allopurinol is this going to help.I thought this was for Gout.?

Question

Triglycerides count was 268.I,m also takeing Atenol for high blood presure and was told this causes high triglcerides,Please Help

Answer 1

You are right.  It is for gout.  Maybe you should check with your doctor to be sure that is the Rx he wrote.  Perhaps the pharmacist who filled the Rx made a mistake or misunderstood the doctor's handwriting.  This is about Allopurinol.  Doesn't sound like anything you want to fool around with and it doesn't sound like it's prescribed for high triglycerides:

GENERIC NAME: allopurinol

BRAND NAME: Zyloprim

DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Allopurinol is used to lower blood uric acid levels. Uric acid is a breakdown product of purines in foods. Uric acid forms crystals in the tissues of the body to cause the inflammation of gout. Elevated blood uric acid levels can also cause kidney disease and stones. Allopurinol can be used to prevent uric acid kidney stones and to prevent recurrent gouty arthritis attacks.

PRESCRIPTION: yes

GENERIC AVAILABLE: yes

PREPARATIONS: Tablets: 100mg, 300mg.

STORAGE: Store at 59-77 degrees F, in a sealed, light- resistant container, avoid moisture.

PRESCRIBED FOR: Allopurinol is used to treat patients with multiple recurrent gout attacks, erosive destructive gouty joint disease, hard lumps of uric acid deposits in tissues (called tophi), gouty kidney disease, or uric acid stones. Allopurinol is also used to prevent elevation of blood uric acid in patients undergoing chemotherapy for the treatment of certain cancers.

DOSING: Should be taken with food to avoid stomach irritation. Patients should also drink plenty of fluids while taking allopurinol.

DRUG INTERACTIONS: Allopurinol should be avoided by patients with a prior severe reaction to the drug. Allopurinol can cause a flare-up of gouty arthritis while the blood uric acid level is initially adjusted, therefore, Colchicine is often used simultaneously to prevent these flares. Allopurinol is not started during active inflammation because it can worsen and prolong attacks of acute gouty arthritis. Patients taking simultaneous Purinethol or Imuran require reductions of dosages of these drugs. There is an increased risk of skin rash in patients taking ampicillin and amoxicillin (Amoxil). Allopurinol can cause a serious allergic liver toxicity that can be fatal. Appetite loss and itching can be signs of liver toxicity. The risk of this reaction increases in patients with kidney impairment. Patients with kidney impairment require lower doses. Allopurinol is used in children during treatment of cancers or rare diseases of purine metabolism.

PREGNANCY: Safety in pregnancy has not been established.

NURSING MOTHERS: Allopurinol is excreted in breast milk.

SIDE EFFECTS: The most frequent adverse reaction to allopurinol is skin rash. Allopurinol should be discontinued immediately at the first appearance of rash, painful urination, blood in the urine, eye irritation, or swelling of the mouth or lips, because these can be a signs of impending severe allergic reaction, which can be fatal. Rarely, allopurinol can cause nerve, kidney, and bone marrow damage.

The following are "usual" medications for high triglycerides (and I would suggest that you go to the following link for more information on this:

http://www.reducetriglycerides.com/A_tri...

Suggested Medications

for Treating Hypertriglyceridemia*

  

Blood Triglyceride Level

(mg/dL or mmol/L)  Suggested Medical Therapy

Over 500 mg/dL, or 5.6 mmol/L Fibrate

If unsuccessful, add niacin, fish oil, or statin  

200-500 mg/dL, or 2.3-5.6 mmol/L and patient has familial combined hyperlipidemia  Niacin

If unsuccessful, add statin or fibrate  

200-500 mg/dL, or 2.3-5.6 mmol/L and patient has familial hypertriglyceridemia  Fibrate  

200-500 mg/dL, or 2.3-5.6 mmol/L with normal LDL (under 130 mg/dL, or 3.4 mmol/L) Niacin or fibrate

If unsuccessful, add fish oil

150-200 mg/dL, or 1.7-2.3 mmol/L with normal LDL (under 130 mg/dL, or 3.4 mmol/L)  If at low cardiovascular risk:

no drug therapy

If at high risk: niacin or fibrate  

150-500 mg/dL, or 1.7-5.6 mmol/L with elevated LDL (over 159 mg/dL, or 4.1 mmol/L)  Statin

If unsuccessful, add niacin. If still unsuccessful, refer to a specialist  

150-500 mg/dL, or 1.7-5.6 mmol/L with low HDL (less than 35 mg/dL, or 0.04 mmol/L in men and 45 mg/dL, or 0.5 mmol/L in women)  Fibrate or niacin