Can Allopurinol Cause Kidney Damage?

Posted on Thu, 13 Jul 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 13 Jul 2017 Answered on

Thu, 3 Aug 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : I am a 64 year old male with CKD stage 3. I take allopurinol 100 mg for gout. My latest gout attack has been ongoing for 6-8 weeks. Pain has subsided however swelling is still occurring on the right big toe. Have tried various meds and a cortisone shot with limited success. I got frustrated and took 200 mg of Allopurinol for a week and then read that it could harm my kidneys. I quickly reverted back to my 100mg daily does. I am concerned about possible kidney damage from my rash actions. Would a week at 200 mg. cause me to be as concerned as I am? Thank You

Answered by Dr. Ravi Bansal (9 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Should not cause kidney problem

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

allopurinol is a commonly used drug for gout. the side effects are mostly skin reactions. it can cause interstitial nephritis in the kidney. though it is not common.

the dosage of allupurinol is dependent on the kidney functions. in normal functions you can easily take upto 300 mg per day . but in renal failure we do not use more than 100 mg.

febuxostat is another medicine for uric acid with even less side effects.

overall i dont think you need to worry. you can simply continue 100 mg per day.

best wishes

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Remy Koshy