To determine if low dose daily enteric coated aspirin significantly affects the therapeutic actions of probenecid with respect to serum urate levels or urinary urate excretion.
Patients with gouty arthritis taking a stable dose of probenecid for at least 3 months were enrolled in a prospective crossover study. Twenty-four hour urinary and serum uric acid levels were measured after 14 days in patients crossed over to receive probenecid alone; probenecid and aspirin 325 mg taken concomitantly; and probenecid followed by aspirin 325 mg at 6 hours.
Eleven patients completed the crossover study. The addition of aspirin to a stable dose of probenecid had no significant effect upon serum urate levels or 24 h urinary urate excretion (p > 0.05, paired t test).
Low dose daily enteric coated aspirin does not significantly interfere with the uricosuric effects of probenecid in patients with gouty arthritis.