Is it necessary for gout patients to continue medication during the remission phase? What is the rationale?

Absolutely, you must continue taking your medication! Never stop taking your medication just because the pain subsides; this is a common and significant mistake many "fengyou" (a nickname for gout patients) make.

Let me give you an analogy to make it clear:

Our body is like a cup, and uric acid is the water being poured into it. For a healthy person, water is poured in and leaks out simultaneously, so the water level never gets too high. But for gout patients, the "leak" is slow, and the "pour" is fast, so the water (uric acid) easily accumulates, exceeding the warning line.

A gout attack (joint pain) is like the cup overflowing, spilling out all at once and causing a "flood." The pain relievers taken at this time (e.g., colchicine, ibuprofen) act as "flood relief," quickly wiping up the spilled water to alleviate your discomfort.

Remission (no pain) simply means the "flood" has temporarily subsided, and the spilled water has been wiped away. However, the water in your cup (your body's uric acid level) is still full, ready to spill out again at any moment.

The long-term uric acid-lowering medications you take (e.g., allopurinol, febuxostat) don't "wipe the floor"; instead, their role is to fundamentally reduce the water in the cup. They help you lower the water level below the safe threshold.

Why is it crucial to persist?

Because high uric acid isn't just about joint pain. Even if you don't feel pain, that excess uric acid will quietly form needle-like crystals in your body, which we call "urate crystals." These tiny crystals are like "landmines" buried in your body; they will:

1. Deposit in your joints: Even if you don't feel them, they are slowly eroding your cartilage. Over time, your joints can deform, forming tophi, which is a much bigger problem.
2. Deposit in your kidneys: This is even more serious than joint problems; it will gradually damage your kidney function and can eventually lead to kidney failure.

Therefore, continuing medication during remission aims to slowly dissolve these "landmines" that have already formed and prevent new ones from developing. This process is very long, requiring your uric acid levels to consistently meet the target (generally below 360 μmol/L, or even lower if you have tophi), often taking several months or even years.

To summarize: Pain relievers treat the symptoms, but uric acid-lowering drugs treat the root cause. No pain simply means the "symptoms" are gone, but the "root cause" remains. Only by consistently taking uric acid-lowering medication and keeping your uric acid under control can you truly prevent the next attack and protect your joints and kidneys. Never stop medication based on how you feel; always listen to your doctor, get regular check-ups, and let your doctor adjust your treatment plan according to your uric acid levels.