Hi
I've just been prescribed Benzbromarone to treat severe gout, this is in addition to taking
Allopurinol and Colchicine.
Sulfinpyrazone is no longer available and Allopurinol is not up to the job on its own
As this is not licensed in the UK I was wondering if anyone else had any experience of this drug?
Thanks
You will certainly need some form of monitoring of your liver function as this is the reason why it is no longer available as a licensed product in the UK. The more common side effect to watch for would probably be diarrhoea though. Make sure you're drinking plenty of clear fluids (i.e water) whilst on treatment.
Tarun (hospital pharmacist)
WOW! you must have really severe gout to be on both of these drugs at once since Benzbromarone is superior to allopurinol or even probenecid.
Whats the allopurinol dose you are on ?
My dose was increased from 300 mg to 400 mg and i was shot with a steroid, but i think in my case steroids or even morphine doesnt work or releive the pain as i found out recently after a broken wrist operation.
I can only take 100mg of allopurinol because otherwise it makes me ill
I had a steroid injection recently because the attack was so bad, which gave me about a week pain free
I find tramadol and co-codamol the best for pain relief
ok, good luck with it, hope the uric acid comes under control. I havent heard of Benzbromarone before, must be a new drug ?
colchicine can be toxic with stomach cramps and diarreah
i've got an elbow attack, had it for a few days now, im on 500 mcg of colchicine twice a day, (NSAID's give me gastric problems) but dont wanna risk taking colchicine more than that, how much you taking ?
have you tried ACV ? does it work ?
Benzbromarone has been around for years but not licensed in the UK hence not available to everyone
unless prescribed by a Hospital Consultant or Specialist
I take 500 mcg a day of colchicine, unless I have an attack then this can be raised to 2000 mcg a day, at
which point I would also take indomethecine
what is ACV?
ACV is Apple Cider Vinegar - i heard you add 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon to a glass of water, stir and drink this and the uric acid nuetralises and the pain goes, havent tried myelf but if it works then could try it.
ah right, no I haven't tried it, although I do drink a litre of CherryActive Concentrate a day
however given that my gout is severe I am slightly sceptical of any herbal treatments, because these tend
to take months to kick in. So perhaps they are a good back up to medication but I would not rely on them
all the time to treat gout
ACV is not herbal - apples are fermented into cider than turned into vinegar just an alternative to drugs that may cause side-effects or make someone ill. However, colchicine IS *herbal* originally extracted from plants of the genus Colchicum (autumn crocus, Colchicum autumnale, also known as "meadow saffron"
.
...but does cherry extracts or CherryActive Concentrate work ? how long does it take to relieve pain ? and whats the dosage ?
I am in interested because my LFT's are slightly elevated after allopurinol was increased, (dont wanna take risks)
ACV is not herbal - apples are fermented into cider than turned into vinegar just an alternative to drugs that may cause side-effects or make someone ill. However, colchicine IS *herbal* originally extracted from plants of the genus Colchicum (autumn crocus, Colchicum autumnale, also known as "meadow saffron".
...but does cherry extracts or CherryActive Concentrate work ? how long does it take to relieve pain ? and whats the dosage ?
I am in interested because my LFT's are slightly elevated after allopurinol was increased, (dont wanna take risks )
does the cherry work? I am not convinced, however as my gout has been particularly bad it is difficult to say it was just recommended by my specialist
I was prescribed Benzbronarone just over 3 years ago because of recurrent (serious) attacks of gout. Allopurinol and febuxostat both trigger bouts of depression in me so they are totally unsuitable for long term use. I was warned of the possible liver problems related to long term and agreed to regular blood tests to monitor any possible issues. I was also advised that the drug could possibly trigger attacks of gout so I thought that I was fully forewarned of possible issues. What I was not expecting was that literally hours after starting the treatment, I would be stricken with an absolute crippling bout of gout that almost on an hourly basis moved from joint to joint - sometimes affecting several joints simultaneously. This was at the start of Covid 19 and associated lock-down so the fact that I was incapacitated had no real impact on my lifestyle other than the pain and frequently being confined to bed due to the pain. A secondary effect, that I was not expecting, was the flare-ups of herpes that accompanied the gout - almost non-stop and further debilitating me. After 3 months of constant gout-induced pain and the flu-like symptoms of herpes I called it a day on the drug, called the rheumatologist who had prescribed it and stopped taking it. Miraculously, the painful gout attacks and associated herpes outbreaks stopped almost immediately and neither problem has recurred since. In normal circumstances I would have expected at least 2 or 3 recurrences of both afflictions each year but have experienced nothing despite eating and drinking most of the usual 'trigger' foodstuffs/drinks it is recommended avoiding. I would not recommend this drug to others and would never take it again but something has changed in my body after taking it and the results are truly amazing - how long this will last and why this has happened is open to conjecture but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the results will last at least a while longer.