Study on the long-term medication withdrawal cycle of febuxostat/fibril

Febuxostat (Febuxostat), as a new xanthine oxidase inhibitor, is widely used to control blood uric acid in patients with chronic hyperuricemia and gout. Long-term use of febuxostat can not only stabilize blood uric acid levels, but also reduce the risk of acute gout attacks. However, studies on drug withdrawal cycles have shown that discontinuation of drugs may cause blood uric acid levels to rebound after long-term maintenance treatment, thereby increasing the risk of gout or uric acid-related complications. Overseas studies and guidelines suggest that discontinuation of febuxostat should be done with caution and is usually considered when the patient's blood uric acid level is stable, the risk of gout attacks is low, and there is no obvious renal function abnormality.

Discontinuation strategies are often combined with individualized risk assessment, including patient age, renal function, previous gout attacks, and long-term control of serum uric acid. In actual clinical practice, some studies use a gradual reduction method, allowing patients to slowly reduce the dose over a longer period of time, while strengthening lifestyle intervention, such as controlling high-purine diet, increasing water intake, and maintaining a reasonable weight. This gradual discontinuation can reduce the risk of rapid rise in serum uric acid and improve the safety of discontinuation. It is worth noting that for patients with renal insufficiency or multiple acute attacks of gout, even if the blood uric acid level is stable, it is not recommended to completely discontinue the drug, but should continue low-dose maintenance therapy to prevent recurrence.

In general, the discontinuation period of long-term febuxostat still needs to be combined with clinical monitoring and individualized evaluation. Regular testing of blood uric acid levels, liver and kidney function, and monitoring of symptoms are key to ensuring safe discontinuation of medication. At the same time, the principles of lifestyle intervention should continue to be followed during the withdrawal process to reduce the possibility of blood uric acid rebound.

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