Uloric is a medication given to those patients suffering from gout. This drug can be particularly helpful if the patient is suffering from repeated gout attacks, is coping with kidney or joint damage because of gout, or has lumps associated with the condition of gout.

The discovery of the gout condition will often lead to a doctor’s recommendation of medicine to address the problems. However, every patient should be aware that even for relatively effective drugs there are still potential risks, including long term side effects of Uloric. These long term issues can even increase the patient’s chances of fatal injuries, according to information shared by the FDA.

What is Gout?

Gout is a chronic and painful form of arthritis that may cause joint pain, swelling, tenderness, and pain. The condition is caused by a buildup of uric acid crystals in the joint or surrounding tissue.

Are There Risks in Using Uloric?

Every medication requires that a patient carefully review prescribing information to see if there are potential side effects and risks. However, some users taking Uloric report that they were not given the proper information to make an educated decision about using this drug. According to these patients, the long term side effects of Uloric are serious in nature and put patients at risk for injuries and unexpected medical conditions.

The most common side effect of the gout medication Uloric is in an increase in gout attacks during the early stages of using the drug, according to the clinical trial data released by the drug maker Takata. Those patients who have a gout attack while using this medication should not stop taking the medicine, however, as a result of that problem.

According to the clinical trial report, most people who experience other side effects from using this medication go through mild conditions that are of no major concern. However, in some situations, the side effects of using gout medications can be serious and should be reported to a doctor immediately.

What Are the Most Common Short Term Side Effects?

Some side effects are specifically related to the patient adjusting to the new medicine. These are known as short term side effects and might lead some patients to continue with the medicine despite the symptoms. For more serious issues, however, patients should reach out to their doctor about setting up an appointment to discuss whether or not the Uloric regimen should continue.

According to Rxlist.com, these short term and common side effects of Uloric include headaches, diarrhea, nausea, and buildup of fluids.

Are Uloric Patients More Likely to Die?

Some studies have shown that Uloric users might face significant risks of injuries and side effects in comparison with other forms of medicine used to treat gout. Specifically, studies have reportedly shown that patients who take a form of allopurinol, another medicine, face a lower risk of death or serious injury than those patients taking Uloric.

According to the FDA report about the long term side effects of Uloric, Uloric increases the risk of death from all causes and also the risk of death from cardiac issues. Due to these serious concerns, the FDA required that the medicine carry a boxed warning with the intention of using that to notify consumers about the risks.

Why Has the FDA Added a Boxed Warning to Uloric?

As of February 2019, the FDA announced that Uloric would be required to add a boxed warning to the drug’s label. The FDA conducted an in-depth review of a Uloric safety trial that indicated the drug was associated with an increased risk of heart-related death, as well as death from other causes. Due to these risks, additional warnings have been added to the drug’s label to inform doctors and patients.

In addition to the boxed warning, the FDA also limited the pool of patients who may be eligible to be prescribed Uloric. The drug is meant only to be prescribed to patients who have not been treated effectively by other gout medications or have suffered severe side effects from other medications. Unfortunately, more than 8 million adults in the U.S. suffer from gout, and there are very few drugs that treat the chronic and painful condition.

The FDA has advised patients to contact their doctor if they experience side effects including chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, numbness or weakness, dizziness, or difficulty talking while taking Uloric. Although the label now carries a warning about these potential risks, some consumers who already used the medicine say that they should have been told about the heart and death risks when they were prescribed the drug.