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Hi all, I'm hoping to use your experiences to tell me if this sounds right to you…
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I posted for the first time last June after my first attack (which was very mild).? Recently I had my second, also pretty mild but a little worse than the first.? I have a high level that ranges from 8-9
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Anyway, after this most recent attack my doc wants me to get on Allopurinol and Colchicine.?? She didn't get to draw fluid from my joint because there was hardly any swelling by the time I got to see her, but she did notice I had weird ridges on the edge of my ears and said those are tophi under the skin.? She said she probably didn't need to aspirate right now to know she should start me on AlloP, expesically since my attacks have been pretty mild and I don't want them to keep getting worse before I take the plunge.
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Her directions to me are:
Start colchicine 0.6 twice daily right away (go down to one if it causes too much diarrhea)
Start allopurinol 300mg once daily two weeks after my current symtoms are gone
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I've heard that it is generally better to start AlloP at 100mg to test for side effect first, yes?? Should I talk to her about it or just cut my pills in half and start with 150?
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Also, I know that it's been used for decades, but I made the mistake of obsessively reading all the scary side effects of AlloP.? I assume they're pretty uncommon, or can be caught early.
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Any advice, wisdom or knowledge appreciated!
parceiro said:
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1) Her directions to me are:
Start colchicine 0.6 twice daily right away (go down to one if it causes too much diarrhea)
Start allopurinol 300mg once daily two weeks after my current symtoms are gone
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2) I've heard that it is generally better to start AlloP at 100mg to test for side effect first, yes?? Should I talk to her about it or just cut my pills in half and start with 150?…
1) You got pretty good advise from your doc.
2) Forget about all that BS and don't be a guinea pig. Mother Nature will tell you right away if you are allergic to Allo. Just don't let any new attacks throw you off. Stay with Allo.
Make damn sure that you have your SUA checked and keep it under 5 or better.
A couple of things I left out.
- My SUA at the time of my first was 11.9
- I have a home testing meter, though recently I am dubious of its accuracy since I got radically different numbers on the same day that I got a lab test.? (6.5 on the meter, 8.9 from the lab).? I am inclined to believe the lab since the meter usually gives me around 8-9.? I *did* start using a new type of alcohol wipe, hmmm 😛
Also, I want to thank you all in advance.? Just browsing this forum is a making me a lot less freaked out about having to take AlloP.? I feel very fortunate to have all this knowledge and experience available to me.? I also feel pretty lucky that I caught this while I was 28 and not 58.
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Cheers
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*EDIT*
Just took my first colchicine.? Starting to the get the stomach gurgles, this stuff does its thing fast.? I can also feel it coursing through my veins!? THE POWER!
With your high SUA figures AlloP is a good route to go.
You're? getting cautious treatment from your Doc in line with your limited number of attacks and a slow start on a split dose wouldn't be a bad thing- for a week or so esp. as you'll be on Colchicine for a while, anyway.
Just confirm with your Dr.- unlikely to oppose this.
On 300mg a day of Allopurinol, my SUA went from 6.5 to 4.3 without any allopurinol side effects. colchicine made me very sick and didn't do anything for the pain, so the Dr referred me to a rheumatologist. I strongly recommend that Allopurinol for you and I hope it lowers the SUA for you as it did for me. I also have a liver condition so the liver specialist was very cautious about the allopurinol and atarted me on 100mg, then bumped it up to 300mg a day when it didn't elevate my liver enzymes. Good luck!
Hi guys, I was supposed to start AlloP after two weeks of being symptom free.? It's almost been two weeks since all redness and any soreness has last appeared, but last night after being on my feet for a few hours the area of the affected joint was a little swollen and red.? There wasn't any pain (maybe a couple of slight twinges), but when I woke up everything was normal again.
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Question is: Do you think I should restart the two weeks or am I fine to start the AlloP on Monday as I was planning.
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P.S. Been on colchicine for about a month without any real side effects 🙂
Another question I keep forgetting to ask…? what time do y'all take your pill?? Does it matter if i take it in the morning vs night as long as I'm consistent?
Initially, I always took mine in the morning with breakfast. I always try to take it with food. But it's gotten pretty random now and I often miss the odd day, either because I completely forget or can't remember if I've taken it, in which case I don't – to avoid a double dose. Doesn't seem to make any difference to me, but it's probably better to pick a time and stick to it.
I was just curious because it's my understanding that the first month or so it will make you pretty drowsy, so I was wondering if it'd be okay to take it in the evening and have the best sleep 😛
Well, took my first AlloP after dinner last night and I'm not dead this morning!? Excellent start.?? Can't tell you guys how nervous I was to start it.? I know that it's early and I might have a couple of flare ups before the full benefits kick in, but it's nice to be on the right path.
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Thanks for the support so far!
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