Anti-gout drug may alleviate bowel disease | Health24 - News24

A common drug – allopurinol – that has been on the market for many years to treat gout could also reduce the symptoms of inflammatory bowel ... News24 Careers24 Property24 Autotrader Superbalist OLX Subscribe Signin Digestivehealth 09Mar2017 Anti-goutdrugmayalleviateboweldisease Share iStock Acommondrug–allopurinol–thathasbeenonthemarketformanyyearstotreatgoutcouldalsoreducethesymptomsofinflammatoryboweldisordersandCrohn'sdisease,accordingtoresearchers.ThestudyinthejournalScienceTranslationalMedicinefoundthatastrainofyeastthatlivesintheintestinecanworsenthepain,diarrhoeaandcrampingassociatedwithinflammatoryboweldisorders,whichhavenocure.Drugreducesuricacid Thisyeast,knownasSaccharomycescerevisiae,"aggravatedintestinaldamageinmousemodelsofcolitis",andalsocausedhigherlevelsofuricacidinthegut,saidthestudy.Butwhenmiceweregivenallopurinol(theactiveingredientofZyloprim,Puricos,Lonol,Sandoz-allopurinolandRedurate)–adrugthathasbeenonthemarketsince1966andisusedtotreatgoutbyreducingtheamountofuricacid–theirintestinaldiseasewentaway.LeadstudyauthorJuneRoundoftheUniversityofUtahSchoolofMedicine,saidsomedoctorshavealreadyprescribedallopurinol–availableingenericform–topatientswithgoutandCrohn'sdisease,andhavenoticedthatitappearedtoeasesymptomsofboth.EffectoninflammatoryboweldiseaseButtheseanecdotalobservationsshouldbefollowedupwithclinicaltrialstogaugeitseffectivenessagainstinflammatoryboweldisease,shetoldAFP."Ithinkitisintheclinicians'handsatthispointtojusttryitoutintheirpatients,"Roundsaid. "ThereisalreadysomeevidencethatitmightamelioratesymptomsandnowwehaveidentifiedthepathwaysoIthinkthedoctorsneedtomoveforwardwithit."AllopurinolisontheWorldHealthOrganization'slistofessentialmedicines.Sideeffectsmayincluderash,fever,sorethroat,vomitinganddiarrhoea.ReadMore:Isgoutachroniccondition?SugarydrinksupgoutriskinwomenGoutariskforoverweightmen Weliveinaworldwherefactsandfictiongetblurred Intimesofuncertaintyyouneedjournalismyoucan trust.ForonlyR75permonth,youhaveaccessto aworldofin-depthanalyses,investigativejournalism, topopinionsandarangeoffeatures.Journalism strengthensdemocracy.Investinthefuturetoday. SubscribetoNews24 RelatedLinks Bloodpressuredietmayalsohelpforgout Mythsaboutgoutarehamperingitstreatment 'Boererate'forgout NextonHealth24 Scientistsmayhavefiguredoutmaincauseofinflammatoryboweldisease 08Sep2020 Readmoreon:inflammatoryboweldiseasehealth MostRead ForSubscribers Sixreasonsnottoditchtheeggyolk HowCovid-19canattackyourinnerear,causinghearingandbalanceproblems Fivewaystohelpyourpetscopewithfireworks Espresso,Americano,ordecaf?Desireforaparticularcoffeedrivenbygeneticcode Needle-freeCovid-19vaccinecandidateshowsearlypromise Coalitions:DAfightstokeepANCoutinthecold ANCmayorsmusthavedegreesfitforpurpose Haveyoubeentoourelectionshub?Wehavethelatestnews,previousresults,opinionsandanalysis MondliMakhanya|WhentheANClosespower... ‘Ill-advised’IEChurtelectioncredibility Newsletters TheDailyDose Yourdailydoseofhealthinfoandnews. Seeallnewsletters VotingBooth HaveyouenteredourHealthoftheNationsurvey? Pleaseselectanoption Oops!Somethingwentwrong,pleasetryagainlater. Yes No Results Yes 29%-9709votes No 71%-23312votes Vote PreviousResults