Gout Advice?

[Muzzy]

I've been suffering with acute gout attacks for about 4 years now... I take all the meds that the doc prescribes but still get attacks about every 3-4 months!

It Fecking crucifies me and my quack is not very helpful! I'm having another attack now in my right foot (Metatarsal area)!

Anyone else suffer and if so how do you contain it?

The reason that I'm posting on here is because I'm getting desperate to sort this as it's costing me fortunes in lost wages as well as being in agony!

No wimp comments allowed coz if you ain't had it you wouldn't understand the pain, trust me, lol!

 

[readingstockport]

NOTE: I am not a doctor and all this is from my own 'research' and experience.

What drugs are you on? Itake 100 mg of Alopurinol a day and naproxen for inflamation and pain relief.

Also are you overweight and/or generally unfit? If so then lose weight and get fit. Both are indicators in frequency and severity of attacks.

If you are getting these attacks then I would think you have a trigger food as well which is kicking them off. Try to find out what the foor is. I've heard of some people being triggerd by soya milk for example and my brother is triggered by chopped raw tomoatoes but not by cooked tomatoes.

Finally rehydrate. The majority of people are between 2 and 5 % dehydrated, which doen't sound a lot but 3% causes deterioration in mental performance and 10% causes death. Ensuring full hydration will allow the kidneys to function better and help to clean the blood better.

 

[cirC]

If you drink alcohol,stop as that is a cause of gout.

 

[Jam The Man]

My dad suffered with this for 20+ years and i'm sorry to say that Alopurinol provided only temporary relief.. until he had a knee replacement op and he's not had a twinge of pain since.

 

[readingstockport]

If you drink alcohol,stop as that is a cause of gout.

No it's not. It CAN be an agravating factor but it is not 'a cause'. In fact gout is a form of arthritis and is associated with impaired kidney function. Alcohol can trigger attacks in some people, in others like me it has little or no effect and take my word for it if booze caused gout I would be in permanent agony the amount I neck each week.

You may as well say do you eat anchovies, stop as that is a 'cause' of gout.

Or
Do you eat marmite, stop as that is a 'cause' of gout.

The issue is the presence of purines in foodstuffs and the way in which the body metabolises them and then clears the waste products from the bloodstream.

Edit, spelling and to add a little more.

 

[Muzzy]

NOTE: I am not a doctor and all this is from my own 'research' and experience.

What drugs are you on? Itake 100 mg of Alopurinol a day and naproxen for inflamation and pain relief.

Also are you overweight and/or generally unfit? If so then lose weight and get fit. Both are indicators in frequency and severity of attacks.

If you are getting these attacks then I would think you have a trigger food as well which is kicking them off. Try to find out what the foor is. I've heard of some people being triggerd by soya milk for example and my brother is triggered by chopped raw tomoatoes but not by cooked tomatoes.

Finally rehydrate. The majority of people are between 2 and 5 % dehydrated, which doen't sound a lot but 3% causes deterioration in mental performance and 10% causes death. Ensuring full hydration will allow the kidneys to function better and help to clean the blood better.

Yes, I also take allopurinal 2x100mg per day and colchicine to alleviate attacks... The only triggers so far have been mussels and meat that is cooked rare. I do drink but not to excess! Slightly overweight and yes I am unfit but not a couch spud tbh!

Thanks for the advice!

 

[albie_noobs]

I feel your pain mate, suffered with for 3 years to the extent that I had in both knees, believe me you don't want that, I got to the state of despair around Christmas last year when I could only get around with a walking stick (I'm only just 40!). I eventually got to see a Rheumatologist at the Sussex county, they prescribed 200mg of Alopurinol per day and I haven't had a severe attack since. In my opinion all the pain relief ( naproxen, diclofenac etc) just mask the problem and they're not very good for you. I ride a bike twice a week and drink copious amounts of water, the Alopurinol breaks down the crystals and the water helps flush them out of your system. As for diet there is so much conflicting advice that if you took it all you wouldn't eat anything! alcohol is not good and does bring it on for me, I just take an extra 100mg when I know I'm going to have a session, obviously it's best to abstain but hey ho I'm not a saint. I'm no doctor mate but just letting you know my experiences, unless you've suffered with it you have no idea of the pain, get your go to refer you to a rheumatologist ASAP and good luck mate I feel for you.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

I've been suffering with acute gout attacks for about 4 years now... I take all the meds that the doc prescribes but still get attacks about every 3-4 months!

It Fecking crucifies me and my quack is not very helpful! I'm having another attack now in my right foot (Metatarsal area)!

Anyone else suffer and if so how do you contain it?

The reason that I'm posting on here is because I'm getting desperate to sort this as it's costing me fortunes in lost wages as well as being in agony!

No wimp comments allowed coz if you ain't had it you wouldn't understand the pain, trust me, lol!

Ask your GP to refer you to a specialist; don't take no for an answer.

 

[Muzzy]

I was told that there was no need for a specialist as my condition is controllable with medication! I will now insist so thanks people's...

My last attack was in my left knee and by feck did that hurt, to the extent that I tried to bend to get my shoe off and nearly passed out! Ended up sleeping on the sofa with one trouser leg and shoe still on!!!
At that point I would have accepted amputation to relieve the pain!!!
FFS I am only 42, I thought this was an old mans disease lol?
Thanks again everyone.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I have taken Allopurinol for about 12 years now (100mg once daily) and rarely, if ever have any problems now. I had very bad attacks before the meds. Before knowing what it was I once ended up in A&E at the Royal Sussex because I thought my wrist was broken, it was so bad and swollen. Most of the attacks were in one of my big toes though.

 

[Muzzy]

Just to add I have no idea what has caused this current attack because I have done all things that my GP advised! I did have a few beers on Friday but never had a problem with that before. Unless my body has now decided that it will not tolerate it anymore! Shrug

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Just to add I have no idea what has caused this current attack because I have done all things that my GP advised! I did have a few beers on Friday but never had a problem with that before. Unless my body has now decided that it will not tolerate it anymore! Shrug

I have never been advised at all about diet specifically for my gout - but then my kidney failure probably takes precidence in that area !!

 

[Hillian1]

If you drink alcohol,stop as that is a cause of gout.

This is rubbish. I suffer from gout and the trigger is not alcohol. I normally get an acute attack after eating shellfish.

There is no rhyme or reason to gout attacks, it is just how your body breaks down certain acids, or doesn't as the case is.

Narproxen is the only thing I have taken so far that even touches the pain.

 

[cirC]

Causes of gout

Gout is caused by a build-up of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a waste product that is usually harmless. It forms when the body breaks down chemicals in the cells known as purines.

Two-thirds of uric acid is produced by the kidneys. The other third is produced by the digestive system. Purines are found naturally in the body but they are also found in some foods and in beer.
Uric acid

Uric acid usually dissolves in your blood and passes through your kidneys into your urine so that it can be passed out of your body.

If you produce too much uric acid or remove too little through urinating, the uric acid will build up and may cause microscopic crystals to form. They usually form in a joint or surrounding tissue. These crystals trigger a reaction from your immune system, which causes the pain and inflammation associated with gout.
Risk factors

Some things can increase the amount of uric acid in your blood, making you more likely to develop gout. These risk factors fall into one of two categories:

lifestyle factors, such as diet
medical conditions that are known to increase levels of uric acid, such as high blood pressure (hypertension)

These risk factors are discussed in more detail below.
Sex

Men are three to four times more likely to develop gout than women. This is because their uric acid levels rise during puberty. During the menopause, women experience a similar, albeit smaller, rise in their uric acid levels. This explains why the onset of symptoms occurs later in women than it does in men.
Diet

Foods that are naturally high in purines include:

beef
pork
bacon
lamb
seafood
liver
kidneys

Alcohol

Alcoholic drinks raise the level of uric acid in the blood by increasing its production in the liver and by reducing how much is passed out in urine.

Beer and spirits do so more than wine, and beer also contains significant quantities of purines.
Medication

Certain types of medication can increase your uric acid levels and your risk of developing gout. These include:

low-dose aspirin, which may be taken for a headache, for example (but very low doses, such as those taken to prevent heart attacks, do not have a noticeable effect)
chemotherapy medications, which are used to treat cancer
diuretics, which are used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) or an abnormal build-up of fluid in your body
niacin, which is used to treat high cholesterol

Family history

Studies have shown that gout often runs in families. Around 20% of people with gout have a close family member who also has the condition.
Medical conditions

Medical conditions that can increase your risk of developing gout include:

psoriasis, a condition that causes skin cells to reproduce too quickly, leading to red, flaky and crusty skin
high blood pressure (hypertension)
diabetes
reduced kidney function, for example after a kidney transplant or if you have kidney failure
hyperlipidaemia, high fat and cholesterol levels in your blood
vascular disease, when your arteries become thickened, narrowed or blocked

Susceptibility

Gout attacks occur most frequently in the joints of the feet and hands because the temperature in these joints is often lower than that in the rest of the body, which increases the likelihood of crystals forming.

When uric acid enters your bloodstream, it is carried by a substance called plasma. Plasma is the liquid part of your blood that is responsible for carrying proteins and chemicals. When plasma becomes cooler, the uric acid in your blood separates out from the plasma, allowing it to build up and form into crystals that cause the pain associated with gout.

It is still uncertain, however, why some people are more susceptible to crystal formation and gout than others with equally high blood levels of uric acid. Many people with a high level of uric acid in their blood and tissues never develop gout.

show glossary terms

Blood
Blood supplies oxygen to the body and removes carbon dioxide. It is pumped around the body by the heart.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a treatment of an illness or disease with a chemical substance, for example in the treatment of cancer.
Diuretics
Diuretic medicine increases the production and flow of urine from the body. It is used to remove excess fluid from the body.
Dose
Dose is a measured quantity of a medicine to be taken at any one time, such as a specified amount of medication.
High blood pressure
Hypertension is when the pressure of the blood in your bloodstream is regularly above 140/90 mmHG.
Inflammation
Inflammation is the body's response to infection, irritation or injury, which causes redness, swelling, pain and sometimes a feeling of heat in the affected area.
Joints
Joints are the connection point between two bones that allow movement.
Kidney
Kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs located at the back of the abdomen, which remove waste and extra fluid from the blood and pass them out of the body as urine.
Obesity
Obesity is when a person has an abnormally high amount of body fat.
Pain
Pain is an unpleasant physical or emotional feeling that your body produces as a warning sign that it has been damaged.
Thyroid gland
The thyroid gland in the throat makes hormones to help control growth and metabolism (the process that turns the food we eat into energy).


You may find that taking an anti-inflammatory drug such as Naproxen gives relief but it is a prescription drug.As for seeing a specialist,a GP will not want to organise that as it costs the surgery money,(yup,that is the way it works,the GP's are charged by the hospitals for every case they send in)so insist if you want to go down that route.Good luck.

 

[readingstockport]

Certainly not an old mans disease. Mine started at about 40 as well.

Incidentally, as I understand it spirits have quite low levels of purines so you can always drink them but not to excess of course

 

[Aquilaugh]

Mine is definately beer related, I now only drink at w/ends and haven't had an attack for a year now but when I drank through the week I would get Gout and I feel for those that suffer, indescribable pain.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

I was told that there was no need for a specialist as my condition is controllable with medication! I will now insist so thanks people's...

But from your initial post the condition isn't being controlled satisfactorily so ask to be refered. This is what GP's are mean't to do - they're the gatekeepers of the NHS and the if patient's condition can't be dealt with at the GP level then they should refer you for specialist advice.
One of the issues is ongoing GP monitoring of existing patients and that's sometimes very problematic (ie my first thought is that if you're still having discomfort after 4 years of this then wtf has your GP been doing during this time?). The surgery that my mother's registered with in Hove seem to be very good at keeping a regular check on her, eg GP often rings to see how she is, whereas no doctor from mine (in Rudgwick) has never been in touch with me about my condition/wellbeing and I've been a cancer patient for nearly 5 years.

 

[Muzzy]

I probably should not be driving a coach around Sussex today but I can't keep taking time off!
It feels like the metatarsal bones in my foot are all fused together! Cannot begin to describe the pain FFS, I'll begin with OUCH!!!!

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Adam Ant never gets gout!

 

[Muzzy]

But from your initial post the condition isn't being controlled satisfactorily so ask to be refered. This is what GP's are mean't to do - they're the gatekeepers of the NHS and the if patient's condition can't be dealt with at the GP level then they should refer you for specialist advice.
One of the issues is ongoing GP monitoring of existing patients and that's sometimes very problematic (ie my first thought is that if you're still having discomfort after 4 years of this then wtf has your GP been doing during this time?). The surgery that my mother's registered with in Hove seem to be very good at keeping a regular check on her, eg GP often rings to see how she is, whereas no doctor from mine (in Rudgwick) has never been in touch with me about my condition/wellbeing and I've been a cancer patient for nearly 5 years.

Like I said, my quacks are a waste of space! I have never really been ill until the gout started... I then developed some severe stomach aches and they blamed that on beer until a scan revealed gallstones. That has now been sorted thank Christ as that was also horrendous!

When I ring the quacks all they say is that we have no one available to see you today and can you ring and try again tomorrow or make an appt for sometime next week. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr fecking useless tossers!