Febuxostat

Uses Febuxostat

Febuxostat is commonly used to treat gout, which is a form of arthritis caused by too much uric acid in your blood and joints. Febuxostat may be used when another medicine for gout, allopurinol, cannot be safely used or has not worked well enough.

Febuxostat may also be used for other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

Precautions and Warnings

Who should not use febuxostat?

People who are allergic to any of the following should not use febuxostat.

• Febuxostat
• Uloric
• Any of the ingredients in the specific product dispensed

Your pharmacist can tell you all of the ingredients in the specific febuxostat products they stock.

Febuxostat should not be taken while you are using certain other medicines. Before taking febuxostat, tell your healthcare provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using.  See the Interactions section for more details.

Do not take febuxostat unless it has been prescribed to you by a healthcare provider. Take it as prescribed.

Do not share febuxostat with other people, even if they have the same condition as you. It may harm them.

Keep febuxostat out of the reach of children.

If you are being treated for gout, your symptoms may get worse before getting better while taking febuxostat.  Talk to your healthcare provider about managing gout flares while taking febuxostat.

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your health conditions and any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. This will help them determine if febuxostat is right for you.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following.

• Heart problems, including heart disease or a prior heart attack
• If you have ever had a stroke
• Liver problems
• Kidney problems
• Cancer
• If you have ever had an organ transplant

Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever taken allopurinol and what happened to you while you were taking it.

It is not known if or how febuxostat could affect pregnancy or harm an unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you are or plan to become pregnant.

It is not known if febuxostat passes into breast milk. Tell your healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Your healthcare provider will advise you if you should take febuxostat while breastfeeding.

Dosage

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
Maximum dose: 80 mg/day

Side Effects

Common Side Effects:

• gout flares, joint pain;
• nausea;
• mild rash; or
• liver problems.