If you have repeated attacks of gout, there are medicines you can take to help prevent it. Your doctor may prescribe a medicine called allopurinol to take daily. This medicine prevents gout by stopping the formation of urate. Allopurinol may actually cause an attack of gout when you start taking it. This is because the level of urate in your body will rise a bit before it falls. To help prevent this, your doctor may prescribe NSAIDs, colchicine or steroid tablets to take alongside allopurinol for up to 3 months. Make sure you drink enough fluids when taking these medicines.
Attribution: BUPA