The name of your medicine is Chemmart Allopurinol. It contains the active ingredient, allopurinol.
Allopurinol is used to treat:
Allopurinol is used to treat the symptoms of these conditions, but it will not cure them. Also, it will not help treat the pain that occurs in an acute attack of gout.
Allopurinol belongs to a group of medicines called anti-uricaemic agents. These medicines work by reducing high levels of uric acid in the body, which are usually due to gout. Excess amounts of uric acid in the blood may lead to uric acid crystals being made and deposited in the joints, thereby causing pain, swelling and tenderness.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed allopurinol for another reason.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
There is no evidence that this medicine is addictive.
There is very little information to recommend the use of this medicine in children. Allopurinol should only be taken by children if a doctor has prescribed it.
Do not take this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to allopurinol or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include: shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat or other parts of the body; muscle pain or tenderness or joint pain; or rash, itching or hives on the skin.
Do not take allopurinol if you or a member of your immediate family has been diagnosed with haemochromatosis (a disease involving too much iron in the body) and you are taking iron salts.
Do not take this medicine after the expiry date (EXP) printed on the pack.
If you take this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well.
Do not take this medicine if the packaging is torn, shows signs of tampering or if the tablets do not seem quite right.
If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal.
If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor.
Tell your doctor if you:
1. have allergies to:
2. have or have had any medical conditions, especially the following:
3. are having an attack of gout.
4. are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.
5. are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell them before you start taking this medicine.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and allopurinol may interfere with each other. These include:
These medicines may be affected by allopurinol or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicine, or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor and pharmacist can tell you if you are taking any of these medicines. They may also have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking allopurinol.
Other interactions not listed above may also occur.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully.
They may be different to the information in this leaflet.
If you do not understand any written instructions, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.
Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how many tablets you need to take. This depends on your condition and whether or not you are taking any other medicines.
The usual adult dose range is:
People over 65 years of age, and those with kidney and/or liver problems should be started on the lowest dose possible to control uric acid production.
Children under 15 years of age usually take 100 - 400 mg per day.
Swallow the tablets with a glass of water.
Take your medicine immediately after food, as this will lessen the chance of a stomach upset.
Take your medicine at the same time each day.
Taking your medicine at the same time each day will have the best effect. It will also help you remember when to take it.
Allopurinol is usually taken once daily. However, if your dose is more than 300 mg, your doctor may advise you to take your medicine twice a day. Then, it should be taken morning and night, after breakfast and dinner.
Continue taking your medicine for as long as your doctor tells you.
Allopurinol helps to control the symptoms of your condition but does not cure it. It is important to keep taking your medicine, even if you feel well.
If you miss a dose, and it is more than 4 hours until your next dose is due, take the missed dose as soon as you remember.
If it is less than 4 hours to your next dose, do not take the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.
Then go back to taking your medicine as you would normally.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose that you missed.
This may increase the chance of you getting an unwanted side effect.
If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.
Immediately telephone your doctor or pharmacist or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26), or go to Accident and Emergency Department at your nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too many allopurinol.
Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical attention.
If you take too much allopurinol, you may feel some or all of the following:
You must immediately stop taking allopurinol if a skin rash or signs of an allergic reaction occur - immediately tell your doctor.
The signs of an allergic reaction were listed earlier in this leaflet.
You should drink at least two litres (8 - 10 glasses) of fluid each day.
This will assist in reducing the uric acid levels in your body and prevent kidney stones from forming.
Tell your doctor if you have an acute attack of gout while you are taking allopurinol.
Your doctor may prescribe a medicine to relieve the acute attack. You can continue taking allopurinol.
Tell any other doctors, dentists or pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking allopurinol.
Tell your doctor immediately if you become pregnant while you are taking this medicine.
If you are about to have any surgery, tell the surgeon, dentist or doctor that you are taking this medicine.
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, tell your doctor, dentist or pharmacist that you are taking this medicine.
If you are about to have any blood tests, tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine.
Go to your doctor regularly for a check-up.
Your doctor may occasionally do tests to make sure this medicine is working and to prevent side effects.
Do not take this medicine to treat an acute attack of gout.
Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if their symptoms seem similar to yours.
Do not take this medicine to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
Do not stop taking your medicine, or change the dosage, without checking with your doctor
Make sure you know how allopurinol affects you before you drive a car, operate machinery or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are drowsy.
As with other medicines, allopurinol may cause drowsiness, dizziness or lack of co-ordination in some people.
All medicines may have some unwanted side effects. Sometimes they are serious, but most of the time they are not.
If you are over 65 years of age, have kidney and/or liver problems, you may have an increased chance of getting side effects.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking allopurinol.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Following is a list of possible side effects. Do not be alarmed by this list. You may not experience any of them.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
These are the more common side effects of allopurinol. Mostly these are mild and short-lived.
Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of the following:
These may be serious side effects. You may need medical attention. Most of these side effects are rare.
If any of the following happen, stop taking your medicine and tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency of your nearest hospital:
These are very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation. These side effects are rare.
Other side effects not listed above may occur in some patients.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell.
Keep your medicine in its original packaging until it is time to take them.
If you take the tablets out of their original packaging they may not keep well.
Keep your medicine in a cool dry place where the temperature will stay below 25°C.
Do not store your medicine, or any other medicine, in the bathroom or near a sink.
Do not leave it on a window sill or in the car.
Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
Keep it where children cannot reach it.
A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.
If your doctor or pharmacist tells you to stop taking this medicine or it has passed its expiry date, ask your pharmacist what to do with any medicine that is left over.
Pharmaceutical companies are not in a position to give people an individual diagnosis or medical advice. Your doctor or pharmacist is the best person to give you advice on the treatment of your condition.
100 mg tablets:
White, round, biconvex tablets. They are scored and engraved "ALL" over "100" on one side, "APO" on the other.
They are packed in a bottle of 200 tablets.
300 mg tablets:
Orange, round, biconvex tablets. They are scored and engraved "ALL" over "300" on one side, "APO" on the other.
They are packed in a blister pack of 60 tablets.
Each tablet contains 100 mg or 300 mg of allopurinol as the active ingredient.
It also contains the following inactive ingredients:
This medicine is gluten-free, lactose-free, sucrose-free, tartrazine-free and free of other azo dyes.
Chemmart Allopurinol 100mg:
AUST R 83097.
Chemmart Allopurinol 300mg:
AUST R 83098.