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I've been on 300mg allopurinol for a month. UA has been 5.0/2.5/3.6 hi/lo/avg until this morning when it was -LO- out of range on the Kernel meter.
Is that anything to worry about? I'm cutting the allopurinol back to 200mg.
Looking up low uric acid on the web, it seems that it is not a problem itself, but a symptom of some other problem. I figure the problem is too high a dose of allopurinol.
Thoughts?
I would hesitate to reduce meds on one reading.
I had a 'Lo' read on Kernel meter recently- and while it suggests chasing this up with your Dr., this will just be playing safe.
On the other hand ,rather earlier I had a 'Hi' – with the same generalised advice about seeing medic.
Likely, the sample was too small, bear in mind daily variations are normal, higher in the early morning -but not always so, I've found.
In reports on other drugs lowering SUA ,levels of 0 [Zero] were attained during trials and this was not stressed as a problem, as I remember it.
It may well be, on examination, that the 200mg is the right dose for maintenence, as you can keep a good eye on blood level of SUA.
It's probably the meter.
DO the instructions list the lowest recognizable level with the test strips?
In any case, I doubt that short term ZERO uric acid has any notable untoward consequences. Would that we could all have about a month of it every year to clear out the detritus.
Of course, if you have been turned to a vampire overnight, all bets are off.
The manual says that the lowest reading is 3.0, but that is clearly incorrect, as it has given me two 2.7s and one 2.5. When it said -LO- I immediately re-tested and got another -LO-.
If I called my doc I bet she'd go into CYA mode and put me through a lot of expensive and unnecessary tests, so I'm not going there right now.
Guess I'll stay on 300mg for a while and see what develops. The last reading before today was 4.0, so it's not like I'm consistently in the 2s.
I will have to drink more beer.
MyFootHurts said:
The manual says that the lowest reading is 3.0, but that is clearly incorrect, as it has given me two 2.7s and one 2.5. When it said -LO- I immediately re-tested and got another -LO-….
If you keep on doing what you are doing, more than just your foot will hurt. Your pocket book for one, having to buy all those test strips, and your head later, because all that testing and getting those screwy figures are going to drive you crazy.
My advice: Test your SUA once a week (preferably always the same day) and make a chart; that way you'll know, if/when something is out of range.
I think that Zip has given you the answer to listen to and act upon.
I will have to drink more beer.
Yeah, for good measures, either a couple or three double or triple bocks or a pitcher of good Irish stout.
I think there are so many variables which affect meter readings that probably the most significant thing is whether you are on average above or below 6.00. I had a hospital blood test recently, which later came back at 5.00, but my reading as soon as I got home was 6.9. I notice my readings are higher when I haven't drunk as much water as I should; diet & exercise probably influences it too. They are just a snap shot of a continually fluctuating scale throughout the day, so while testing at a particular time of day provides some regularity of data, maybe testing at random times would show a broader spectrum of levels?
trev – what do you mean by “maintenence”? I'm three months removed from my gout attack from hell, and still getting minor twinges. Allopurinol has done a good job keeping my SUA real low. Am I in maintenence now, or does that start months from now, when all the crystals that are going to dissolve have dissolved?
hansinnm – I'm already a bit touched, so I'm not worried about frequent (2 or 3 times a week) testing driving me any crazier.
I know the figures vary quite a bit, and don't put too much stock in any single reading. This is not like diabetes.I needed reassurance that a -LO- reading once in a while is not a problem. It seems that it's not. It's certainly preferable to a -HI-.
odo – for the sake of consistency, I've been testing 1st thing in the morning after the night's fast. Looking at the averages, it's clear that allopurinol. is working:
Average SUA –
w/o allop.: 6.9
w/100mg: 5.6
w/300mg: 3.5
MyFootHurts said:
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hansinnm – I'm already a bit touched, so I'm not worried about frequent (2 or 3 times a week) testing driving me any crazier.
….
Welcome to the Club of Crazy Gouties.
With your 3.5 @300mg, you ought to be on your way out of this hell hole. Don't give it a second thought to: LO or HI. Go by the real numbers you are reading.
My Foot Hurts,
Give it a year at these 3.5 readings to clear out a reasonable amount of urate. I recommend you stay at 300 mg. allopurinol becasue it is working very well for you, and it is the dose that most people find works best.
How long will you be in “maintenance”?
…for the rest of your life!
But there are worse things than popping a cheap pill a day!
zip2play said:
My Foot Hurts,
Give it a year at these 3.5 readings to clear out a reasonable amount of urate. I recommend you stay at 300 mg. allopurinol becasue it is working very well for you, and it is the dose that most people find works best.
How long will you be in “maintenance”?
…for the rest of your life!
But there are worse things than popping a cheap pill a day!
That's what I'm thinking… stay on 300mg for a year and then maybe try 200mg. I'm sure glad it's a cheap, time tested generic drug.
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