PHARMACIST Fi takes a look at some important rare ('rare' meaning that it happens to less than 1 in 1000 people who take this medicine) safety risks, that a lot of people may not know about, for a medicine commonly used to treat gout which is called allopurinol (with brand names like Zyloprim, Aloprim, Progout or Allosig).

In this video, PHARMACIST Fi mentions that if you think you may have any side effects from allopurinol: use the side effects section of your allopurinol Medicine Information (CMI) or call your doctor immediately to find out what to do.
This very important, because some allopurinol side effects may potentially be part of a lifethreatening reaction so they need to be checked and treated immediately for example in the nearest hospital emergency department, whereas other side effects may be less risky and can wait until your next doctor's appointment so read your CMI or ask your doctor, so you can find out which side effects need to be checked by a doctor immediately!

Here is the link to a video PHARMACIST Fi created about the clever way allopurinol works to reduce uric acid level for people with gout (if it is suitable for the person), and 5 ways to try to achieve allopurinol gout treatment success:    • Allopurinol for Gout: How Does that W...  

Here is a link to a playlist of 10 SHORTS videos PHARMACIST Fi has created about gout for you with fascinating info about how gout happens, a wide range of things that may increase risk of gout (not just some drinks & foods), the relationship between gout and kidney stones, new gout treatment info and more:    • 10 Things You May Not Know About Gout  

Here is the link to the playlist of PHARMACIST Fi videos about gout, and gout treatment medicines which may or may not be prescribed (depending on a person's other medical conditions, other medicines, and kidney and liver function levels):    • Gout & Medicines  

Here are links to the NPS MedicineWise App (to make a Medicines List on your mobile phone), on google play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/de...
or in the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/medicin...

or, alternatively, PHARMACIST Fi will be making a PDF version of her 'PHARMACIST Fi Medicines, Allergies and Contacts List' available to download from her website (https://www.pharmacistfi.com ) soon and you will be very welcome to use that to make your Medicines, Allergies and Contacts List, if you like!

The 'CMI' PHARMACIST Fi mentions in this video is 'Consumer Medicine Information', which is called a 'Medication Guide' in the U.S.A., or a 'Patient Information Leaflet' in the U.K.; each medicine has its own CMI, which either comes with the medicine or can be printed or emailed to you by a pharmacist or doctor. Here are links to some PHARMACIST Fi videos with more info about CMIs:    • #2: Why You Need a CMI for Each Medic...  
   • Medicine Safety  7 Things You Can Do...  
   • #1: Make a 'Medicines, Allergies and ...  

CMIs also have a lot of other very useful information about your medicine, which PHARMACIST Fi will chat about in some of her 'Medicine Safety 7 Things You Can Do!' series especially the overview video and the first and second explainer videos so feel free to watch those videos, too!

If you live elsewhere, and if your medicine doesn't come with medicines information in the container or attached to it, ask your pharmacist to give you some specific medicine information for each of your medicines.

Here is the reference used for the information about allopurinol in this PHARMACIST Fi video, which was current on the day the video was made and uploaded (February 11 2022):
Allopurinol Monograph, Australian Medicines Handbook (online version) 2022, accessed from: https://www.amhonline.amh.net.au

Please note that this PHARMACIST Fi video did not cover all reasons for allopurinol use, nor all dose protocols for how to take allopurinol, nor all side effects or interactions, so please refer to your allopurinol CMI or product information or ask your doctor or pharmacist for further info!

If there is a medicine you would like PHARMACIST Fi to look at in an upcoming video, please feel free to post her a message about it beneath one of her videos.

Please also read the disclaimer at the end of the following PHARMACIST Fi 'WHAT WENT WRONG' Medicine Safety Story (about a medicine problem from paracetamol doses being taken too close together), which applies to all PHARMACIST Fi videos:
   • Unwell from Doses Too Close  WHAT WE...