---
title: "Make a personal flare plan before you need it"
canonical_url: https://www.gout-life.com/flares/personal-flare-plan/
updated: 2026-10-29
medical_review: pending
---

# Make a personal flare plan before you need it

> General educational information, not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

A flare is a difficult time to work out which medicine you can take or who to call. Agree a written plan with your clinician while there is time to ask questions. It needs to reflect your diagnosis, kidney and liver function, other medicines, allergies, and previous treatment response. [S02] [S03] [S10]

## Complete this with your care team

| Question | Your agreed instructions |
| --- | --- |
| Who do I contact during office hours and after hours? | __________ |
| What does my usual flare look like, and what changes need assessment? | __________ |
| Which exact flare medicine, product, and strength should I use? | __________ |
| When do I start, how much may I take, and when must I stop? | __________ |
| What are the maximum use and repeat-course limits? | __________ |
| Which medicines or products must I avoid combining? | __________ |
| If I already take preventive colchicine or another anti-inflammatory, what changes? | __________ |
| When should I call if treatment is not helping? | __________ |
| What symptoms mean urgent or emergency help? | __________ |

These are discussion fields, not a prescription. Leave medicine instructions for your clinician or pharmacist to complete and check. [S03] [S10]

## Record the two treatment jobs separately

Write down daily urate-lowering treatment separately from flare treatment. Preventive colchicine and an acute course can have different directions. An ordinary flare is usually not a reason to stop existing allopurinol, but a new rash or suspected hypersensitivity means stopping it and seeking prompt medical advice. Severe reaction symptoms require emergency assessment. [S09] [S10]

## Keep the plan usable

Keep an accessible copy with your medicine list. Check refills and travel supply before they become urgent. Review the plan after a kidney-function change, a new interacting medicine, side effects, or a different attack pattern. After a flare, record what happened and how treatment worked. [S03]

## Related pages

- [Appointments, treatment access and your care team](https://www.gout-life.com/living/appointments-cost-and-care-team/)
- [Medicine interactions and safety](https://www.gout-life.com/treatments/medicine-interactions-and-safety/)
- [Colchicine](https://www.gout-life.com/treatments/colchicine/)
- [When joint symptoms need urgent help](https://www.gout-life.com/symptoms/when-to-get-urgent-help/)

## Sources

- [S02: 2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10563586/)
- [S03: NICE NG219: Gout, diagnosis and management, recommendations](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng219/chapter/Recommendations)
- [S09: DailyMed: Allopurinol tablets prescribing information](https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/fda/fdaDrugXsl.cfm?setid=e11e94b9-d897-48ce-9a80-aa6b8b5fde02&type=display)
- [S10: DailyMed: Colchicine tablets prescribing information](https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/fda/fdaDrugXsl.cfm?setid=df1dd89a-a1b3-48e8-b0e8-ad71b4cb0c96&type=display)

[S02]: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10563586/ "2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout"
[S03]: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng219/chapter/Recommendations "NICE NG219: Gout, diagnosis and management, recommendations"
[S09]: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/fda/fdaDrugXsl.cfm?setid=e11e94b9-d897-48ce-9a80-aa6b8b5fde02&type=display "DailyMed: Allopurinol tablets prescribing information"
[S10]: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/fda/fdaDrugXsl.cfm?setid=df1dd89a-a1b3-48e8-b0e8-ad71b4cb0c96&type=display "DailyMed: Colchicine tablets prescribing information"

## Educational scope

Gout Life provides general educational information, not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional about symptoms, medicines, and treatment decisions. Do not delay medical care because of information on this site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your local emergency number.