Febuxostat
Febuxostat is a once-daily tablet that lowers uric acid to prevent gout attacks; Uloric is sold here in 40mg and 80mg strengths.
A daily tablet that lowers uric acid
Uric acid is the root of gout. If it stays high in the blood, urate crystals form in joints, tendons and skin and the body reacts with swelling and pain. Febuxostat acts on xanthine oxidase, the enzyme that makes uric acid in the last step of purine breakdown. With less of the enzyme working, less uric acid is made, and once the blood level falls under the point where crystals form, deposits already in a joint can slowly shrink.
What febuxostat is used for
Uloric is the febuxostat tablet sold here, in 40mg and 80mg strengths. It is a long-term treatment for chronic hyperuricaemia — persistently high uric acid — in adults who already have urate deposits, whether these show as tophi (chalky lumps of urate under the skin) or as repeated attacks of gouty arthritis. Adults having chemotherapy for blood cancers are sometimes given it too, because those cells break down so quickly that uric acid can climb to a dangerous level (tumour lysis syndrome). It is not a painkiller and does not settle an attack that has already started.
The first few months
Attacks often come more often in the early months, even while uric acid is falling. That is the stored urate shifting, not the tablet failing, and colchicine or an anti-inflammatory is sometimes taken alongside until things settle. The usual adult dose is 80mg once a day; 40mg is used when kidney function is reduced. Food makes no difference to how the tablet is absorbed. Blood tests every few weeks show how far the level has fallen, and most people stay on treatment for years.
What side effects can febuxostat cause?
Headache, diarrhoea, nausea, rash and rises in liver enzymes seen on blood tests are the reactions reported most often. Some skin reactions are serious: a rash that spreads, blisters or peeling skin needs urgent attention. In a large study of people who already had significant heart disease, febuxostat was linked to more heart-related deaths than allopurinol, and it can also affect the liver. It raises blood levels of azathioprine and mercaptopurine, used after transplants and in some cancers and autoimmune conditions, so those combinations are avoided.
Sources
- Febuxostat 120 mg film-coated tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc) — UK Electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC)
- Gout - NHS — NHS
Where can I buy Febuxostat in Hong Kong?
Febuxostat can be ordered online for delivery to Hong Kong. The page lists generic Uloric tablets in 40mg and 80mg. An order can be cancelled within 24 hours if it has not been dispatched, and support answers around the clock in English and Cantonese.
How much does Febuxostat cost?
Uloric is priced per pack: its page lists every strength and pack size with the current price in HKD or your chosen currency.
Do I need a prescription to order Febuxostat?
PockDose does not ask you to upload a prescription when you order febuxostat. See the ordering FAQ for details.
What are the other names for febuxostat?
Feburic and Uloric are brand names of febuxostat, which is also sold as Adenuric, Febustat and Febutaz. Here, febuxostat can be bought online as generic Uloric. These are generics, not the original brand.
How long does febuxostat take to work?
Uric acid levels start falling within the first couple of weeks of daily use, but the crystals that have built up in joints take months to dissolve. Until they do, attacks can still happen — and often become more frequent at first. The blood level is the real measure of progress.
Can I drink alcohol with febuxostat?
Alcohol, beer in particular, raises uric acid and is one of the commonest triggers for an attack, so heavy drinking works against the tablets. Cutting back helps the treatment do its job. Water is a better habit: plenty of it helps the kidneys clear urate from the blood.
Is febuxostat the same as allopurinol?
They work on the same enzyme but are different medicines. Allopurinol is the one most people with gout start on; febuxostat is an alternative when allopurinol does not lower uric acid enough or is not tolerated. Both are taken as a daily tablet, and neither works on an attack that has already started.
What is the difference between the 40mg and 80mg tablets?
Same tablet, two amounts of medicine. 80mg once a day is the usual adult dose for gout; the 40mg tablet is used when kidney function is reduced. Both come as film-coated tablets, and food does not change how either strength works.
What happens if I stop taking febuxostat?
Uric acid returns to its old level once the tablets stop, and over months new crystals can form and attacks come back. Gout is a long-term condition, and the point of treatment is to keep uric acid low enough that crystals stop forming — which means staying on the tablets even when joints feel fine.