First Line Drugs to Stop a Gout Attack

The most commonly prescribed drugs to stop gout attacks are Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs).  These medications include indomethacin, naproxen and sulindac.  There are several others that research has shown are just as effective but these three have been approved for this use on by the US Food and Drug Administration.  You will also notice that naproxen is an over-the-counter drug that is found in Aleve® making it a good option if you are not at home when the attack strike (again, ask your doctor first!).

These medications are powerful drugs that block inflammation in the body.  If you take them at a high dose, this will interrupt the spiral of a gout attack and will usually stop the attack in its tracks. But remember to talk to your doctor before taking any of these medications and stop taking them as soon as possible!  If you have heart problems or stomach problems you are at the highest risk – be sure to tell your doctor!

NSAIDs Used to Stop Gout Attacks

  Indomethacin: Never take for more than 2 days and never take more than 200 mg/day unless directly instructed to do so by a doctor.
  Naproxen: Never take more than 750mg the first day and never take for more than ten days unless directly instructed to do so by a doctor.
  Sulindac: Never take more than 400mg a day and never take for more than seven days unless directly instructed to do so by a doctor.

Other Medications to Stop Gout Attacks

If you have health problems that prevent you from taking NSAIDs to stop a gout attack, don’t worry, there are other options.  The most common of these is colchicine.  I am not a big fan of colchicine.  I have made far too many trips to the bathroom as a result of taking this 4000 year old drug.  Also, most doctors are still prescribing it at a high dose, even though a lower dose has been shown to be just as effective.  However, over all, I do not think colchicine is anywhere near as effective as NSAIDs or any of the other options, but that’s just me opinion.  There is no research that directly compares colchicine with NSAIDs or any other treatment.  Another thing to watch out for is the fact that colchicine builds up in the body and is removed very slowly making it easy to overdose.  It can become potentially fatal when you take more than 6mg for an attack (that’s just 10 – .6 mg tablets)!

Taking Colchicine:

  Take .5 or .6 mg of colchicine three or four times a day until pain subsides.  Never take more than 6 mg of colchicine for an attack!