Gout is a condition in which uric acid crystallizes in any of your joints (mostly the big toe joint) and causes intense pain sessions called gout flares. Normally, the uric acid is flushed out of our body through urination, but in gout patients, uric acid production will be high or the kidneys will not be efficiently getting rid of the uric acid from your blood.
Different types of medications are used for managing gout. Let us look at short-term gout medications.
Short-Term Medications For Gout
Your doctor would most likely prescribe anti-inflammatory medicines or steroids before long-term therapies. These first-line treatments help to alleviate pain and inflammation. They are used until your doctor determines that your body has naturally lowered the amounts of uric acid in your blood. These medications can be taken alone or with long-term medications.
The common short-term medications prescribed to gout patients include the following.
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
Gout flares are sudden sessions of intense pain in gout-affected joints. NSAIDs can help you to deal with gout flares. Both prescription NSAIDs and over-the-counter NSAIDs are available in the market. Keep in mind that NSAIDs only help you to relieve your pain and it does nothing about the cause of the pain.
One of the most common NSAIDs used for gout is naproxen. Doctors usually prescribe a dose of 500 mg twice a day for naproxen. Other NSAIDs used for managing gout flares are ibuprofen, Celebrex, Indocin, etc. These NSAIDs are mainly prescribed for gout patients under the age of 60 who have no records of renal or cardiovascular diseases, or gastrointestinal diseases.
When taken in full doses, several NSAIDs are effective in managing gout flares. Some patients choose to use them because they are so easily accessible and don’t require a prescription.
Colchicine
Colchicine is an alternative to NSAIDs and an effective medication to manage gout flares. This medication is effective when consumed within 24 hours of the onset of a gout flare. You should not consume higher doses of colchicine as it can intoxicate you. Colchicine is a convenient medication for those who are already taking it for the prevention of gout flares and for people who keep it handy to use only when a flare starts.
Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are used as an alternative medicine for those gout patients who cannot tolerate NSAIDs or colchicine. One of the most used corticosteroids is Prednisone and it is available as both oral medications and joint injections. This medication is highly effective in relieving inflammation and pain.