Table 42: Potential approaches to treatment of acute gout in patients with heart failure

Acute gouty attack - Therapy: Oral colchicine
Type of gout Dosage and duration of therapy Dosage adjustment
Any type

1.0-1.2 mg then 0.5-0.6 mg every 2 hours until pain relief with maximum of 3 mg per 24-hour period.

May be used to abort gouty attack if used early enough

Not recommended for GFR < 15 mL/min

High rate of diarrhea with aggressive dosing. Many will use only a single dose of 0.6 mg after first dose

Acute gouty attack - Therapy: Oral prednisone
Type of gout Dosage and duration of therapy Dosage adjustment
Polyarticular gout, or inability to treat with colchicine Prednisone, 0.5 mg/kg daily with rapid taper over 7-14 days

No adjustment needed

Can be given intravenously or orally and might not worsen acute HF

Acute gouty attack - Therapy: IA steroid injection
Type of gout Dosage and duration of therapy Dosage adjustment
IA steroid injection Monoarticular gout. Not suitable for polyarticular gout IA triamcinolone 20 mg once
IA cortisone 100 mg once
Chronic prevention of gouty attacks - Therapy: Colchicine
Type of gout Dosage and duration of therapy Dosage adjustment
Can reduce attack frequency 0.6 mg daily or twice per day in function of GFR Not recommended for GFR < 15 mL/min
Chronic prevention of gouty attacks - Therapy: Allopurinol
Type of gout Dosage and duration of therapy Dosage adjustment
First-line agent for reduction of uric acid 300 mg daily orally Dose reduction for renal disease.
200 mg daily for GFR < 30 mL/min
100 mg daily for GFR < 20 mL/min
50 mg daily or 3 times weekly if ESRD
Chronic prevention of gouty attacks - Therapy: Probenecid
Type of gout Dosage and duration of therapy Dosage adjustment
Second- or third-line agent 250 orally twice per day to maximum 1000 mg twice per day Multiple drug interactions
Avoid if GFR < 30 mL/min
ESRD, end stage renal disease;
IA, intra-arterial;
GFR, glomerular filtration rate.