Answer the side-effect intent for puricos without diagnosing; distinguish common from serious reactions and give safe next-step/reporting guidance.

Source

Clinical statements on this page are taken from the SAHPRA-approved patient information leaflet (approved 12/08/2020) and professional information (approved 12/08/2020) for this product: patient information leaflet, professional information. Retrieved 2026-09-03. Where this page and the approved leaflet differ, the leaflet is correct.

What is Puricos?

Puricos contains the active ingredient Allopurinol.

Active ingredient — Allopurinol
Registration number — K/3.3/305; L/3.3/257
Registration holder — PHARMACARE LIMITED

It is approved for:

prevent gout
This is a disease where your body produces too much of a substance called uric acid. The uric acid builds up in your joints and tendons as crystals. These crystals cause an inflammatory reaction. The inflammation causes the skin around certain joints to become swollen, tender and sore when touched. Severe pain is also experienced when the joint is moved
prevent other conditions where there is a build-up of uric acid in the body. These include kidney stones and certain other types of kidney problem and when you are having treatment for cancer

Common side effects of Puricos

Not everyone gets side effects. The effects below are those listed in the South African approved leaflet, grouped using the leaflet’s own frequency wording.

About these frequency terms

This leaflet groups effects as “Frequent” and “Less frequent” rather than the very common/common/uncommon scale used in some other markets.

Frequent side effects

Rash

Less frequent side effects

skin infections (furunculosis)
cataract (clouding of the lens inside the eye)
vision disturbances
vertigo (a spinning or whirling feeling)
drowsiness, tiredness
nausea (feeling sick), vomiting (being sick), stomach pain, diarrhoea
taste disturbances
swelling and pain in the mouth
changes in your normal bowel habit
presence of fat in your stool
headache
temporary hair loss
discoloured hair
muscle pain
sexual disorders including infertility and erection problems
fever
chills
swelling of the limbs
general feeling of weakness
high blood pressure
feeling abnormally sad (depression)

Serious side effects and warning signs

This leaflet does not set out a separate list of serious side effects. The general warning signs below apply to any medicine.

General warning signs that apply to any medicine

Call for emergency help now if any of these happen

Difficulty breathing, wheezing, or tightness in the throat or chest
Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat
A widespread rash with blistering or peeling skin, or sores in the mouth, eyes or genitals
Fainting, collapse, or a sudden severe drop in alertness
Chest pain, or sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body
A fit (seizure), or confusion that comes on suddenly

In South Africa call 10177 for an ambulance, or 112 from a mobile phone. Go to your nearest emergency department if it is faster. Do not wait to see whether the symptom settles.

How long can side effects last?

How long a side effect lasts depends on the effect, the product, how long it has been used, and the person. Some effects ease within days as the body adjusts. Others continue for as long as the product is used. A few can persist after stopping, and some need review rather than waiting.

Settling effects — mild effects that ease over the first days or weeks of use
Ongoing effects — effects that continue while the product is being used and improve after stopping
Persistent effects — effects that continue after stopping and need medical review
Delayed effects — effects that appear after weeks or months rather than immediately

Which of these applies to a particular effect is a clinical question. If a side effect is not settling, is getting worse, or is affecting your daily life, that is worth a conversation with a pharmacist or doctor regardless of how long it has been going on.

Evidence required before publish — source the following for Puricos from the SAHPRA-approved patient information leaflet or professional information, and cite what you actually used.

Anything the approved information for Puricos says about how long specific effects last
Whether the source describes any effect as usually temporary, or as needing review if it persists
Whether any effect is described as continuing after the product is stopped

Factors that may affect side effects

The approved leaflet identifies the following cautions and factors.

Do not use it at all if

if you are hypersensitive (allergic) to allopurinol or any of the other ingredients of PURICOS (listed in section 6)
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding your baby. PURICOS is not recommended in children, except those with abnormal cell growth (malignancy)

Use with care, and tell your doctor, if

PURICOS treatment should be stopped if any skin rash or allergic reaction occurs. Contact your doctor for advice if you develop a skin rash once starting treatment with PURICOS
If you have a liver or kidney disorder
If you suffer from high blood pressure or a heart disorder and you are taking medicines to treat these conditions such as diuretics or ACE inhibitors
PURICOS should not be used to treat an acute attack of gout. PURICOS may cause an acute attack when starting treatment initially. Your doctor may prescribe additional medicines during the first month of PURICOS treatment
In children with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. Increasing the daily fluid intake and taking urinary alkalinisers can reduce the side effects in these children
If you suffer from any urinary disorders. Consult your doctor for advice

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

You should not take PURICOS if you are pregnant or breastfeeding your baby
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, please consult your doctor, pharmacist or other healthcare provider for advice before taking this medicine

Interactions and medicines to check

The approved leaflet names these interactions.

Medicines that can increase uric acid concentration, such as aspirin or other salicylates used for pain and inflammation
Mercaptopurine, azathioprine and other anti-neoplastic medicines (used in the treatment of certain types of cancers)
Some antibacterial medicines (used to treat bacterial infections)
Some anticoagulants (used to prevent blood clotting)
Some sulfonylurea antidiabetics (used in the management high blood sugar)
Phenytoin (used in epilepsy or seizures)
Theophylline (used in asthma or other respiratory disorders)
Ciclosporin (used in organ transplants)
Vidarabine (used in viral infections such as herpes simplex)
Didanosine (used to treat HIV/AIDS). PURICOS with food and drink PURICOS should be taken after meals with water

Bring the actual products to the conversation

A pharmacist can check for interactions much faster from the packaging than from remembered names.

What to do if you experience side effects

If you think you are having a side effect, the response depends on how severe it is. Use the warning signs above first — if any of those apply, treat it as urgent.

If the symptom is severe or frightening

Get medical help immediately. Call 10177 for an ambulance, or 112 from a mobile phone, or go to the nearest emergency department. Take the product and its packaging with you if you can.

If the symptom is mild but bothering you

Write down what the symptom is, when it started, and how it relates to when you take the product
Check the leaflet that came with the product to see whether the symptom is listed
Speak to your pharmacist — for many questions this is the fastest route to a useful answer
Contact the prescriber if the symptom is affecting your daily life or is not settling

Do not stop a prescribed treatment on your own

Stopping some treatments suddenly causes its own problems, and the condition being treated may get worse. If you want to stop, ask a pharmacist or doctor how to do it safely — they can usually offer an alternative.

You can also report a suspected side effect in South Africa. Reporting does not replace getting medical advice, and you do not need to be certain the product was the cause.

When to seek urgent medical help

Some symptoms need medical attention straight away rather than an appointment in a few days. Do not wait to see whether they settle.

Call for emergency help now if any of these happen

Difficulty breathing, wheezing, or tightness in the throat or chest
Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat
A widespread rash with blistering or peeling skin, or sores in the mouth, eyes or genitals
Fainting, collapse, or a sudden severe drop in alertness
Chest pain, or sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body
A fit (seizure), or confusion that comes on suddenly

In South Africa call 10177 for an ambulance, or 112 from a mobile phone. Go to your nearest emergency department if it is faster. Do not wait to see whether the symptom settles.

Get same-day medical advice if you have

A high fever, or a rash together with feeling generally unwell
Yellowing of the eyes or skin, or unusually dark urine
Unusual bruising or bleeding that you cannot explain
Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, especially if you cannot keep fluids down
A sudden change in mood, or thoughts of harming yourself
Any symptom that is rapidly getting worse

If you are having thoughts of harming yourself

Help is available in South Africa. The SADAG helpline is 0800 567 567, or you can go to your nearest emergency department. You do not have to wait until it feels like an emergency.

How to report a suspected side effect in South Africa

South Africa has an official system for reporting suspected side effects, run by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). Reports from the public and from healthcare professionals are how safety signals get detected after a product is already in use.

Who can report

Anyone can report — you do not have to be a healthcare professional, and you do not need to prove that the product caused the problem. A suspicion is enough. Patients, caregivers and family members can all submit a report.

What to have ready

The name of the product, its strength and form, and the batch number if you have it
Why it was being used, and when it was started and stopped
What the suspected reaction was, when it began, and how long it lasted
Any other medicines, supplements or remedies being used at the same time
Basic details about the person affected — age and sex are usually enough

How to report

SAHPRA accepts adverse reaction reports through its e-Services reporting system and through the Med Safety mobile app. Healthcare professionals can also report through the same routes. Current forms and access points are published on the SAHPRA site.

SAHPRA Health Products Vigilance — the main vigilance and reporting hub
SAHPRA e-Services — current adverse reaction reporting access

Reporting is not a substitute for medical care

If someone is unwell now, get medical help first and report afterwards. Urgent symptoms always take precedence over paperwork.

For a fuller walkthrough see how to report an adverse drug reaction.

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Report a side effect

If you think you have had a side effect, you can report a suspected side effect in South Africa. Report a suspected side effect through the appropriate SAHPRA pathway where relevant.

Information only

This page gives general medicine-safety information for people in South Africa. It is not a diagnosis and not personalised medical advice. It cannot tell you whether a symptom you are having is caused by a particular product. Speak to a pharmacist or doctor about your own situation, and do not stop or change a prescribed treatment on the basis of a web page.

Editorial status: draft — not for publication

Brief SE-00082 · build rank 82 · Phase 1 · Tier 1. Every evidence slot on this page must be completed from the SAHPRA-approved source and the page signed off by a qualified clinical or pharmacy reviewer before it is published. Target length 1,500–2,200 words.

Puricos Side Effects