<human>: I have just had my second acute gout attack. The first was 4 years ago. I took Allupurinol once a day and quit eating it recently. I had my uric acid level tested today. It was 7.3. DO I need to go back on the medicine? Can I fight it naturally? My liver function test was a little high.
<bot>: Thank you for your query. The acute attack of gout, as in your case, is managed with NSAIDs or colchicine. Allopurinol is prescribed to manage gout in the long-term. Serum uric acid levels are done to assess the response to allopurinol treatment. However, there is no definite cut-off value of serum uric acid to classify a person as a case of gout. A person can have serum uric acid levels as low as 6 mg/DL and have gout. On the other hand, one can have serum uric acid levels as high as 9.5 mg/DL and not have gout.