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What Medications Raise and Lower Uric Acid Levels?

When it comes to treating gout, the amount of uric acid in the blood makes a huge difference to the state of the disease. Basically, the lower the levels the better. So it's important to be aware of medications that may be raising these levels, as well as those that may help decrease uric acid, thus helping alleviate painful symptoms.

What are the normal levels of uric acid?
The normal levels of uric acid range from 3.5 to 7.2 mg/dl. These are not absolute standards and may vary from one person to the next. However, this variation is only slight. There are drugs that can alter these normal levels of uric acid and cause a significant change in the condition of gout.

What drugs increase uric acid levels?
Here is a list of common meds that can cause increases:

• Ascorbic acid
• Aspirin
• Caffeine
• Cisplatin
• Diazoxide
• Diuretics
• Epinephrine
• Ethambutol
• Levodopa
• Methyldopa
• Nicotinic acid
• Phenothiazines
• Theophylline

What drugs decrease uric acid levels?
Here is a list of common meds that can decrease amounts:

• Allopurinol
• Azathioprine
• Clofibrate
• Corticosteroids
• Estrogen
• Febuxostat
• Glucose
• Guaifenesin
• Mannitol
• Probenecid
• Warfarin
  

Let's take a closer look at some of these...

Aspirin

Aspirin is a very common painkiller and an anti-inflammatory medication. Interestingly, tests have revealed that higher doses of aspirin can actually decrease the levels of uric acid while lower doses can increase the levels of uric acid. This makes aspirin useful for treating gout but it is also known that it has other side effects if taken in high doses.

Thiazide Diuretics

These are a class of medications that are used to control high blood pressure. They increase the flow of urine and thus lower the levels of fluids in the body. This also causes the levels of uric acid to go up. These medications can cause coronary problems as well.

Immunosuppressants

Immune suppressants such as Neoral and Tacrolimus can cause an increase in uric acid levels. These immune suppressants are also referred to as anti-rejection medications and they are used during an organ transplant. The drugs enable an organ to become acceptable to the body. However, such medications also increase the levels of uric acid in the blood by suppressing the function of the kidneys. Another such drug is cyclosporine. It affects the kidneys and may cause the gradual buildup of uric acid levels.

Glucose

Glucose also decreases the amount of uric acid in the blood. Similarly, too much alcohol is also bad for you as it increases these levels. This complicates things, as higher levels of uric acid are something that gout patients want to desperately avoid.

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid

This vitamin is good for people suffering from gout as it helps to lower the levels of uric acid in the blood. It is important that a gout patient take Vitamin C in small doses. Large doses can actually levels, as aspirin does.

In conclusion

In general, there are many drugs that elevate the levels of uric acid and many that decrease them. Some cause changes in uric acid concentration with larger doses and some with smaller doses. If you have gout, talk to your doctor about medications you may be on that are making things worse, and those that may help the situation. Also, keep in mind that you can always try natural solutions first to see if any of those work for you.

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more than drugs that raise uric acid on our Joint Pain home page