Allopurinol is a prescription medication mainly used to prevent gout attacks or kidney stones. Bromelain, an enzyme that occurs in pineapple, appears to decrease inflammation and may be useful for relieving arthritis symptoms, and one of its theorized uses is for treating gout. Consult your doctor before adding bromelain to your health regimen if you also use allopurinol.
Allopurinol and Gout
Allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor that decreases uric acid production. High levels of uric acid have many causes, such as genetics, certain health problems, certain medications, excessive alcohol or caffeine intake, obesity or a diet high in purines. The body has difficulty eliminating uric acid, so uric acid may develop into kidney stones or form crystals in fluid around the joints, a condition called gout. Gout causes joint inflammation, often in one joint only, and the pain can be severe.
Bromelain
Bromelain is claimed to have many uses, including reducing inflammation in ulcerative colitis and in the nose and sinuses after injury or surgery. The enzyme does appear to stimulate production of substances in the body that decrease pain and inflammation, according to U.S. National Library of Medicine website Medline Plus. Preliminary research indicates that bromelain may decrease pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients and in people with short-term mild acute knee pain. A supplement containing bromelain, the enzyme trypsin and the flavonoid rutin may relieve pain and improve knee function in osteoarthritis patients. However, research is lacking on bromelain's effectiveness for treating gout, according to eMedTV.
Interactions
Websites from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical Center list interactions associated with allopurinol and with bromelain but do not show any interaction between these two substances. It should be safe for you to take the two together, but ask your doctor first. Allopurinol does interact with some antibiotics, certain chemotherapy drugs, diuretics, immune system suppressants, anti-coagulants and other gout medications. Bromelain also may interact with antibiotics and anti-coagulants.
Side Effects
Both allopurinol and bromelain can cause side effects of upset stomach and diarrhea, and allopurinol also may cause drowsiness. An allergic reaction is possible to either of these substances, with signs such as a rash, difficulty breathing or facial or mouth swelling. You are more likely to have an allergy to bromelain if you are allergic to pineapple, celery, carrots, fennel, papain or wheat, or to cypress or grass pollen, according to Medline Plus.
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