Benemid

Drug Name

Benemid (Probenecid)

Drug Uses

Benemid is used in the treatment of chronic gout or gouty arthritis. These conditions are caused by too much uric acid in the blood.

How Taken

Use Benemid as directed by your doctor.

Take Benemid tablets by mouth.

Swallow the tablets with a drink of water.

Take your doses at regular intervals.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Benemid.

Drug Class and Mechanism

Benemid works by removing the extra uric acid from the body. Benemid does not cure gout, but after you have been taking it for a few months it will help prevent gout attacks. Benemid will help prevent gout attacks only as long as you continue to take it.

Benemid is also used to prevent or treat other medical problems that may occur if too much uric acid is present in the body.

Benemid is sometimes used with certain kinds of antibiotics to make them more effective in the treatment of infections.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of Benemid, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Storage

Store Benemid at room temperature, between 68 and 77 degrees F (20 and 25 degrees C). Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Keep Benemid out of the reach of children and away from pets.

Warnings/Precautions

Do not use Benemid if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Benemid;
• you have blood problems or kidney stones caused by uric acid;
• the patient is a child younger than 2 years of age;
• you are taking salicylates (e.g., aspirin).

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Important:

Benemid may cause dizziness. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how you react to Benemid. Using Benemid alone, with certain other medicines, or with alcohol may lessen your ability to drive or perform other potentially dangerous tasks.

Before you have any medical or dental treatments, emergency care, or surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are using Benemid.

Diabetes patients - Benemid may affect your blood sugar. Check blood sugar levels closely and ask your doctor before adjusting the dose of your diabetes medicine.

Benemid may interfere with some lab tests (e.g., blood or hemoglobin urine tests, theophylline levels). Make sure your doctor and lab personnel know you are using Benemid.

Lab tests, including tests for sugar in the urine, may be required to monitor your progress. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.

Use of Benemid is not recommended in children younger than 2 years of age. Safety and effectiveness in this age group have not been confirmed.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: If you become pregnant while taking Benemid, discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of using Benemid during pregnancy. Benemid is excreted in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you are using Benemid, check with your doctor or pharmacist to discuss the risks to your baby.

Possible Side Effects

Check with your doctor if any of these most common side effects persist or become bothersome:

• dizziness;
• flushing;
• hair loss;
• headache; l
• oss of appetite;
• nausea;
• sore gums;
• vomiting.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these severe side effects occur:

• severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue);
• blood in the urine;
• chills;
• dark urine;
• decreased or increased urination;
• fever;
• lower back, lower stomach, genital, or inner thigh pain;
• persistent sore throat;
• severe or persistent nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain;
• unusual bleeding or bruising;
• unusual tiredness or weakness;
• worsening gout;
• yellowing of the eyes or skin.

More Information

Benemid is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.

If your symptoms do not improve or if they become worse, check with your doctor.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is added to bones by cells called osteoblasts and is removed from bones by cells called osteoclasts. Calcium is essential for healthy bones. It is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, nervous system maintenance, and normal blood clotting. Food sources of calcium include dairy foods, some leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and collards, canned salmon, clams, oysters, calcium-fortified foods, and tofu. According to the National Academy of Sciences, adequate intake of calcium is 1,200 milligrams a day (four glasses of milk) for men and women 51 and older, 1,000 milligrams a day for adults 19 through 50, and 1,300 milligrams a day for children 9 through 18. The upper limit for calcium intake is 2.5 grams daily.

Cavities: Holes in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel and the dentin. The enamel is the outermost white hard surface and the dentin is the yellow layer just beneath enamel. Both layers serve to protect the inner living tooth tissue called the pulp, where blood vessels and nerves reside. Small cavities may not cause pain, and may be unnoticed by the patient. Larger cavities can collect food, and the inner pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins, foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet - causing toothache.

Naturopathy: A system of therapy based on preventative care, and on the use of heat, water, light, air, and massage as primary therapies for disease. Some naturopaths use no medications, either pharmaceutical or herbal. Some recommend herbal remedies only. A few who are licensed to prescribe may recommend pharmaceuticals in those cases where they feel their use is warranted.

Naturopathy is an American healthcare profession. It was founded in the US as a formal healthcare system at the turn of the 20th century by medical practitioners from various natural therapeutic disciplines. By the early 1900s, more than 20 naturopathic medical schools existed, and naturopathic physicians were licensed in most States. Today there are more than 1,000 licensed naturopathic doctors in the US.

As practiced today, naturopathic medicine integrates traditional natural therapeutics -- including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, traditional oriental medicine, hydrotherapy, and naturopathic manipulative therapy -- with modern scientific medical diagnostic science and standards of care. The medical research base of naturopathic practice consists of empirical documentation of treatments using case history observations, medical records, and summaries of practitioners' clinical experiences.

At present, the two accredited naturopathic medical schools in the US have active research departments. Naturopathic researchers have investigated the pharmacology and physiological effects of nutritional and natural therapeutic agents, and naturopathic physicians have been active in the investigation of new homeopathic remedies and in the natural treatment of women's health problems. The most recently completed naturopathic study in women's health tested the clinical and endocrine effects of a botanical formula as an alternative to estrogen replacement therapy.

Blood: The familiar red fluid in the body that contains white and red blood cells, platelets, proteins, and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system. Blood functions in two directions: arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body.

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle. It's measurement is recorded by two numbers. The first (systolic pressure) is measured after the heart contracts and is highest. The second (diastolic pressure) is measured before the heart contracts and lowest. A blood pressure cuff is used to measure the pressure. Elevation of blood pressure is called "hypertension".

Brain: That part of the central nervous system that is located within the cranium (skull). The brain functions as the primary receiver, organizer and distributor of information for the body. It has two (right and left) halves called "hemispheres."

Disease: Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.

Doctor: In a medical context, any medical professional with an MD, a PhD, or any other doctoral degree. The term doctor is quite nonspecific. A doctor may, for example, be a physician, psychologist, biomedical scientist, dentist, or veterinarian. In a nonmedical context, a professor of history might be addressed as doctor, an eminent theologian might be named a doctor of a church, and a person awarded an honorary doctorate by a college or university might also be called a doctor.

The word "doctor" comes from the Latin "docere" meaning to teach. A doctor was a teacher, especially a learned or authoritative one.