Uloric

Generic name: Febuxostat
Drug class: Antihyperuricemic agents

Usage of Uloric

Uloric reduces the production of uric acid in your body. A build-up of uric acid can cause gout symptoms.

Uloric is used to keep uric acid levels from getting to high in people with gout.

Uloric is for use only in people who cannot take another medicine called allopurinol, or when allopurinol has stopped working.

Uloric side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic Reaction to Uloric (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning in your eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling).

Seek medical treatment if you have a serious drug reaction that can affect many parts of your body. Symptoms may include: skin rash, fever, swollen glands, flu-like symptoms, muscle aches, severe weakness, unusual bruising, or yellowing of your skin or eyes. This reaction may occur several weeks after you began using Uloric.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;

heart attack symptoms - chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder, fast heartbeats, shortness of breath;

liver problems - stomach pain (upper right side), unusual tiredness, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or

signs of a stroke - sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), sudden severe headache, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance.

Common Uloric side effects may include:

gout flares, joint pain;

nausea;

mild rash; or

abnormal liver function tests.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Uloric

You should not use Uloric if you are allergic to Febuxostat, or if you also use:

azathioprine; or

Mercaptopurine.

Taking febuxostat may increase your risk of serious or fatal heart problems. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of this medicine.

To make sure Uloric is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever HAD:

heart problems;

a heart attack or stroke;

liver or kidney disease

cancer;

Lesch-Nyhan syndrome; or

an organ transplant (kidney, liver, lung, heart).

It is not known whether febuxostat will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It may not be safe to breast-feed while using Uloric. Ask your doctor about any risk.

Relate drugs

How to use Uloric

Usual Adult Dose for Gout:

Initial dose: 40 mg orally once a day -If serum uric acid level is greater than 6 mg/dL after 2 weeks, increase the dose to 80 mg orally once a day Maintenance dose: 40 to 80 mg orally once a day Comments: -Use of this drug should occur after an acute gout flare subsides. -Gout flares may occur due to increased urate mobilization from tissue deposits, especially during initiation; gout flare prophylaxis with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory or colchicine is recommended and may be beneficial for up to 6 months. -Uric acid levels may be checked as soon as 2 weeks after beginning this drug. Use: Chronic management of symptomatic hyperuricemia in patients with gout

Warnings

Taking Uloric increase your risk of serious or fatal heart problems. Seek medical attention if you have chest pain, trouble breathing, fast heartbeats, sudden severe headache, numbness or weakness on one side of your body, or problems with vision or speech.

You should not use Uloric if you also use azathioprine or mercaptopurine.

Before taking Uloric, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, a history of heart attack or stroke, or if you have ever received an organ transplant.

You may have an increase in gout symptom flares when you first start taking Uloric. For best results, keep taking the medication as directed. Your doctor may prescribe other gout medications for you to use during the first 6 months of treatment.

To be sure Uloric is helping your condition, your blood may need to be tested often. Visit your doctor regularly.

What other drugs will affect Uloric

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially:

theophylline.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with febuxostat, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.