During a gout attack, a number of medications can help reduce inflammation, thereby improving pain and potentially reducing the duration of the attack. These include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids.
Several medications can also be taken regularly to reduce uric acid levels, preventing future gout attacks. These medications act by reducing uric acid production (e.g., allopurinol) or increasing uric acid excretion (e.g., probenecid). Uric-acid lowering drugs can increase the risk of gout attacks initially, so they are often given with a medication called colchicine for the first 3–6 months to mitigate this risk.