Can you take allopurinol with metformin?

Answer 1

Yes. Indeed, when allopurino is prescribed for gout, it is often prescribed in combination with predisone. The reason is that while allpurinol ultimately assist the body in eliminating uric acid (the main cause of gout flares) from the body, initially allopurinol can elevate uric acid levels. As a result, prednisone is often precribed for the first 2 to 4 weeks of allpurinol treatment in order to mitigate the onset of gout flares caused by allopurino. Once the allopurino begins to stabilize body uric acid levels (usually after 2 weeks or so) the prednisone may be gradually reduced over a one week period. The reason prednisone must be gradually withdrawn is to avoid the adverse side effects that may result from immediate withdrawal.

This answer own considers the use of prednisone in a "combination" gout treatment. It is unclear as to whether prednisone can or should be taken on a longer term basis (more than 1 month) in conjunction with allopurinol. As usual, consult your physician on the advisability of taking both prednisone and allopurinol together for periods greater than one month