Warnings

Do not take Allopurinol Tablets:
• If you are allergic (hypersensitive) to Allopurinol or any of the other ingredients of these
tablets (listed in section 6).
If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Allopurinol.
Warnings and Precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking your medicine
• If you are of Han Chinese, African or Indian origin.
• If you have liver or kidney problems. Your doctor may give you a lower dose or ask you to
take it less often than each day. They will also monitor you more closely.
• If you suffer from high blood pressure or heart problems and you take diuretics and/or a
medicine called ACE-inhibitors.
• If you are currently having an attack of gout.
• If you have thyroid problems.
Take special care with Allopurinol:
• Serious skin rashes (Hypersensitivity syndrome, Stevens- Johnson syndrome, toxic
epidermal necrolysis) have been reported with the use of allopurinol. Frequently, the rash
can involve ulcers of the mouth, throat, nose, genitals and conjunctivitis (red and swollen
eyes). These serious skin rashes are often preceded by influenza-like symptoms fever,
headache, body ache (flu-like symptoms). The rash may progress to widespread blistering
and peeling of the skin. These serious skin reactions can be more common in people of
Han Chinese or Thai or Korean origin. Chronic kidney disease may increase the risk in
these patients additionally. If you develop a rash or these skin symptoms, stop taking
allopurinol and contact your doctor immediately

If you have cancer or Lesch-Nyhan syndrome the amount of uric acid may increase in
your urine. To prevent this, you need to assure to drink sufficiently to dilute your urine.
• In case you have kidney stones, the kidney stones will become smaller and may enter
your urinary tract.

Children
Use in children is rarely indicated, except in some types of cancer (especially leukaemia)
and certain enzyme disorders such as Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.
Tell your doctor if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including
medicines obtained without a prescription.
This is because Allopurinol can affect the way some medicines work. Also some other
medicines can affect the way Allopurinol works.
Taking Allopurinol tablets with food and drink
Take Allopurinol tablets with food and water.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or are breast feeding, ask your doctor or
pharmacist for advice before taking allopurinol. Allopurinol is excreted in the human breast
milk. Allopurinol during breast-feeding is not recommended.
Driving and using machines
You may feel drowsy, giddy or have problems with your co-ordination. If this happens, do
not drive or use any tools or machines.
Allopurinol tablet contains lactose
If you have been told you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before
taking this medicine, as it contains lactose.
Other medicines and Allopurinol tablets:
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following:
• Any other medicine to treat gout.
• Anticoagulants – used to thin the blood e.g. warfarin.
• Aspirin or other salicylates.
• Medicines used to reduce your immune response (immunosuppressants).
• Anti-cancer drugs such as doxorubicin and bleomycin.
• Vidarabine – used to treat viruses such as herpes or chicken pox.
• Theophylline – used to treat breathing problems including asthma.
• Medicines used to treat diabetes.
• Medicines for heart problems or high blood pressure such as ‘ACE inhibitors’ or water
tablets (diuretics).
• Medicines used for fits (epilepsy), phenytoin.
• Ampicillin and amoxycillin – antibiotics.
• If aluminium hydroxide is taken concomitantly, allopurinol may have an attenuated effect.
There should be an interval of at least 3 hours between taking both medicines.
• With administration of allopurinol and cytostatics (e.g. cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin,
bleomycin, procarbazine, alkyl halogenides), blood dyscrasias occur more frequently than
when these active substances are administered alone. Blood count monitoring should
therefore be performed at regular intervals.
• Didanosine, used to treat HIV infection.