2-minute questionnaire
Tell us about your flare history, current uric acid (if known), kidney function, and any prior allopurinol use. We ask the same questions a rheumatologist would.
InstalabAllopurinol · 100–400+mg · generic Zyloprim®
Stop the next gout flare before it starts.
Allopurinol (generic Zyloprim®) is the ACR first-line urate-lowering therapy. Prescription, titration, and physician follow-up included to keep you under 6.0 mg/dL.
ACR first-lineFor chronic gout
< 6.0Target serum uric acid (mg/dL)
LifelongMaintenance therapy
Allopurinol · once daily · titrated to a uric acid target
Licensed US physician review
12,000+ patients treated
Available in all 50 states
Ongoing follow-up
How it works
From questionnaire to first dose.
No clinic visits. A licensed physician reviews your case, picks the right starting dose, and titrates it to your target. We handle labs, refills, and follow-up.
Physician review
A licensed physician confirms allopurinol is appropriate, screens for hypersensitivity risk factors, and writes your starting prescription. Usually within 1 business day.
Prescription sent to your pharmacy
Your physician routes the prescription to the pharmacy of your choice. Pick it up, or have your pharmacy deliver if they offer it. Generic allopurinol is on essentially every formulary, so it's usually ready the same or next day.
Uric acid recheck and titration
Recheck serum uric acid at 4 to 6 weeks. If you are not under 6.0 mg/dL, your physician titrates up by 100mg every 2 to 5 weeks until you hit target.
Pricing
What you'll actually pay.
Two line items: Instalab Membership and the allopurinol medication itself. No prescription fees, no per-titration fees.
Instalab Membership
Physician oversight, titration management, lab follow-up, and ongoing care
$—/mo
Allopurinol
Generic, dispensed by your pharmacy
Cash price$4–14/monthTypical pharmacy cash price
With insurance$0–10/monthTypical copay, if covered
Why pay a membership fee? Allopurinol is cheap, but hitting and staying under 6.0 mg/dL takes ongoing titration and lab follow-up. Membership covers the visits, dose changes, hypersensitivity screening, and prescriptions for the anti-inflammatory prophylaxis many patients need in the first months. You pick up the prescription at your own pharmacy and pay them directly for the medication; labs are billed separately.
Will my insurance cover allopurinol?
Allopurinol is on essentially every commercial and Medicare formulary as a tier-1 generic, so insurance copays are typically $0 to $10 per month. Cash price at most pharmacies is similar — usually $4 to $10 per month with a discount card. We send the prescription to whichever pharmacy you'd like; you handle pickup and payment with them directly.
Why membership
Allopurinol works. Hitting target takes ongoing care.
It needs a physician who manages titration, lab follow-up, and the flare prophylaxis many patients need in the first months. Here's how our team handles that for you.
- Week 1Day 1–5
Physician evaluation and starting prescription
A licensed physician reviews your flare history, kidney function, and hypersensitivity risk factors, then writes your starting prescription. The ACR-recommended start is 100mg daily (lower in advanced CKD). Most patients are also prescribed a short course of flare prophylaxis (colchicine, NSAID, or low-dose steroid) for the first 3 to 6 months.
- Week 1–4
Pickup and first doses
Pick up your allopurinol from the pharmacy you chose. Take it once daily with food. Drink plenty of water. Watch for any rash and contact us immediately if one appears. Most patients tolerate it well.
- Week 4–6
First uric acid recheck
Recheck serum uric acid. Most of the drop happens by now. Target is < 6.0 mg/dL (< 5.0 mg/dL if you have tophi). Your physician decides whether to hold at 100mg or titrate up. Labs are billed separately.
- OngoingMonth 2+
Titration and renewals
Step up by 100mg every 2 to 5 weeks as needed, toward 200mg, 300mg, or higher until you hit target. Once you are at target, we keep your prescription active and recheck periodically. Allopurinol is lifelong therapy; we make staying on it easy.
Without membership
Schedule a PCP or rheumatology visit. Wait weeks. Get a prescription. Schedule another visit for the recheck. Hope they remember to titrate. Track flares between visits yourself.
With Instalab
2-minute questionnaire. Physician review within 1 business day. Lab orders, titration, and refills handled. Care team a message away if you have a flare or side effect.
About the medication
A simple daily routine, with decades of data.
One small pill, once a day, taken with food. Most patients see uric acid drop within the first month and full effect by week four.
- One pill, once a dayTake it at the same time each day with a meal to minimize GI upset. Plenty of water helps protect the kidneys during the first weeks.
- It only works if you take it dailyAllopurinol is a maintenance medication, not a flare-stopper. Don't stop it during a flare. Long-term, consistent dosing is what prevents the next attack.
- Uric acid recheck at 4 to 6 weeksWe recommend a follow-up serum uric acid at 4 to 6 weeks so you can see your progress against the < 6.0 mg/dL target.
- Ongoing supportOur care team is a message away. If you have a flare or side effect, send us a note and your physician will respond.
Why allopurinol
The treatment-to-target standard for gout.
Allopurinol blocks xanthine oxidase, the enzyme that produces uric acid as your body breaks down purines. Less uric acid in your blood means existing crystal deposits in your joints slowly dissolve and new ones stop forming. It is the medication the American College of Rheumatology recommends first for almost every patient with chronic gout, and it has 60+ years of clinical experience behind it.
- ACR first-line for chronic goutThe 2020 ACR guideline strongly recommends allopurinol as the preferred urate-lowering therapy for all patients with gout, including those with chronic kidney disease. It outranks both febuxostat and probenecid as the standard of care.
- Treats the cause, not just the flareGout flares are downstream of high serum uric acid. NSAIDs and steroids quiet a flare; allopurinol fixes the underlying chemistry. Over months, it dissolves crystal deposits and prevents new ones from forming.
- Cheap, well-understood, and titratableAllopurinol has been in clinical use since 1966. The safety profile, drug interactions, and lab monitoring are well characterized. As a generic, it is one of the most affordable chronic medications in primary care.
Real results
What allopurinol looks like in practice.
Three patients, four to twelve weeks in.
8.46.1Serum uric acid mg/dL8 weeks on 100mg
“I was having three or four flares a year. Two months in, my uric acid finally dropped under 7. No flares since I started.”
9.25.8Serum uric acid mg/dL12 weeks on 200mg
“Titrated up to 200mg after my first recheck. Three months in and I'm under target. My big toe stopped looking like a doorknob.”
7.86.4Serum uric acid mg/dL6 weeks on 100mg
“Had a small flare two weeks in. My physician walked me through it and added a short colchicine course. By week six, my numbers were down and the flare-up risk had passed.”
Allopurinol is a prescription medicine. Important safety information applies. Most patients tolerate it well. Rare but serious hypersensitivity reactions can occur, almost always in the first few months — your physician will review your risk before starting.
Ready when you are
Stop the next flare before it starts.
Answer the questionnaire. A physician reviews your case and, if allopurinol is appropriate, prescribes it. We handle titration, refills, and follow-up so you actually hit your uric acid target.
No commitment to treatment.