Febuxostat

Febuxostat is used to treat gout. It lowers the amount of uric acid made in the body and prevents gout attacks. Febuxostat is usually taken along with other gout medications.

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Pharmacist Trey Robinson, PharmD overviews the uses and common side effects of Febuxostat
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Febuxostat Overview

Reviewed: September 15, 2013
Updated: 

Febuxostat is a prescription medication used to prevent gout attacks. Gout is a type of arthritis in which uric acid builds up in the joints and causes sudden attacks of redness, swelling, pain, and heat in one or more joints. Febuxostat belongs to a group of drugs called xanthine oxidase inhibitors. It works by decreasing the amount of uric acid that is made in the body. 

Febuxostat comes in tablet form. It is taken once daily, with or without food.

Common side effects include nausea and joint pain.

Febuxostat can cause dizziness and blurred vision. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how febuxostat affects you.

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Febuxostat Cautionary Labels

precautions

Uses of Febuxostat

Febuxostat is a prescription medication used for the chronic (long-term) management of high blood uric acid levels in patients with gout. It is used to prevent gout attacks from occuring; it cannot treat a gout attack once it begins.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Febuxostat Brand Names

Febuxostat may be found in some form under the following brand names:

Febuxostat Drug Class

Febuxostat is part of the drug class:

Side Effects of Febuxostat

Serious side effects have been reported with febuxostat. See the "Febuxostat Precautions" section.

Common side effects of febuxostat include:

  • nausea
  • joint pain
  • rash

This is not a complete list of febuxostat side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
 
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Febuxostat Interactions

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

  • azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran)
  • mercaptopurine (Purinethol)
  • theophylline (Elixophyllin, Theo-24, Uniphyl, others)

This is not a complete list of febuxostat drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Febuxostat Precautions

Serious side effects have been reproted with febuxostat, including the following:

  • rash
  • chest pain
  • shortness of breath
  • slow or difficult speech
  • dizziness or faintess
  • weakness or numbness of an arm or leg
  • changes in liver function

Gout flares may occur during initiation of febuxostat therapy. Febuxostat does not need to be stopped; ask your doctor about how to manage the gout flares.

Febuxostat can cause dizziness and blurred vision. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how febuxostat affects you.

Rarely, serious skin reactions can occur with febuxostat which may include:

  • rash
  • fever
  • swollen glands

Febuxostat serious skin reactions may affect other internal organs such as liver, kidney, lung and heart. Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of these signs.

Do not take febuxostat if you:

  • are allergic to febuxostat or to any of its ingredients
  • are taking azathioprine
  • are taking mercaptopurine

Febuxostat Food Interactions

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of febuxostat, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Inform MD

Before taking febuxostat, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

  • are allergic to febuxostat or to any of its ingredients
  • have or have ever had chest pain
  • have had an organ tranplant
  • have or have had cancer
  • have had a stroke
  • have Lesch-Nyhan syndrome
  • have heart disease
  • have kidney disease
  • have liver disease
  • are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Febuxostat and Pregnancy

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X - are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Febuxostat falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Febuxostat and Lactation

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if febuxostat crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweight the risk of using febuxostat.

Febuxostat Usage

Take febuxostat exactly as prescribed.

Febuxostat comes in oral tablet form. It is usually taken 1 time a day. It can be taken with or without food.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take 2 doses of febuxostat at the same time.

Febuxostat Dosage

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

  • the condition being treated
  • how you respond to this medication

The recommended dose of febuxostat is 40 mg or 80 mg once daily.

Febuxostat Overdose

If you take too much febuxostat, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If febuxostat is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if an overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

Other Requirements

  • Store febuxostat at room temperature.
  • Protect from light.
  • Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.