GOUT!

[Goldstone1976]

As every one say it seems to be quite personal. For me dehydration is a major cause, but I also find celery seeds (capsules) work well as a preventative.

Has anyone tried a gout meter kit? I was told that uric acid levels showed as high a couple of weeks after an attack, so I'm not entirely sure how it works. That said being able to keep and eye on it is appealing.

Yes. I use it once a month for uric acid (while I'm doing it I test for glucose and cholesterol every six months using the same kit). I find that the uric acid levels rise above the danger level (which for me is 340-350) about a week in advance of an impending attack. If I see the acid level rise, I've successfully prevented an attack by having a couple of naproxen or diclofenac for 4 days.

 

[pearl]

This thread is horrendous. I can't understand why a better solution to taking loads of pills with nasty side affects hasn't been found or a pain killing spray, patches. Is Gout GENETIC? It would seem only men suffer from it too?
It's an auto-immune disease so stress must be a trigger (imo)

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

I am being a little mischievous, but I use MSG in a few chinese dishes that I cook, its usually no more than a pinch as it is in takeaways and I am not sure that China has a gout epidemic either so it seems illogical.

I have gout attacks, they can be horrendous but quite random, it just lends itself to unlikely cures and triggers that rarely stand up to any medical scrutiny, it is even a little odd that there should be such a diverse number of triggers without any obvious links between many of the components of those foodstuffs.

I haven't had an attack for over a year, but my lifestyle and diet is very similar to a few years ago when I had a few in a very short time, perhaps if I was analysed to a point that I became a scientific investigation then something might be accurately identified, but otherwise its all poppycock and/or psychosomatic.

I've been using Allopurinol for years, but that in itself isn't good I'd guess? If, and it is likely, my change in diet or changes in my body have lessened the risk them I could be taking it for nothing?

 

[marlowe]

Because I've never suffered from it I still cant help thinking about Gout as an affliction suffered by Georgians and its images like this that always spring to my mind whenever I hear the word. It's the same with leprosy, thanks to watching Ben Hur as a child I can't help but regard it as a disease of the biblical age. Of course I know different but until I'm personally afflicted with either those associations will always remain.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Anyone got that really annoying, not to say extremely painful thing, whereby you ride out a gout attack on one foot for the obligatory 5 to 10 days only to have it even more annoyingly transfer to the other foot. As Kevin The Teenager would say, that is SO unfair!

 

[East Lake]

Try a combination of garlic pills (Holland and Barrett) and cherry juice. Works within 48 hours for me.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Try a combination of garlic pills (Holland and Barrett) and cherry juice. Works within 48 hours for me.

Cheers. Already doing the H&B cherry juice thing but will experiment with garlic pills also

 

[Stat Brother]

Try a combination of garlic pills (Holland and Barrett) and cherry juice. Works within 48 hours for me.

After 4 years you finally decide THPP's gout is THE subject for you!

Bravo

 

[Don't get me started]

Here is my story as I sit here nursing a gout attack.....

I first had an attack 16 years ago and ended up in A&E where they x rayed my toe couldn't find anything and sent me home telling me not to waste their time, I couldn't walk unaided btw. Unbeknown to me my older brother has Gout as it's hereditary and apparently my Father did as well.. He diagnosed it straight away and when I pointed it out to my doctor he said "oh yeah I didn't think of that".

For 16 years I have fought it by avoiding most of the things mentioned in this thread and all I can be certain of is you must keep hydrated , I drink about 3 litres of water a day plus tea, avoid fizzy drinks and processed foods.

It's a sneaky disease, for the first few years I thought I had slept on my foot or stubbed my toe or been bitten but of course it was none of this it was always Gout. I became good at recognising it and heading it off with Cochezine and Dichlofenic so no attack lasted more than a couple of days and they were rarely too painful.

However last year they became more and more frequent and so I found myself shovelling those 2 drugs at least a couple of time a month so I surrendered and went to the doctors for Allopurinol , he put me on 100 and we measured my levels every 2 months. I am now on 500 and my uric acid levels are "normal"............ But it doesn't end there I am still having attack after attack always in my feet, in the last month have had 5 attacks and only 4 free days. So I find myself swallowing the Allopurinal AND the other 2. 10 months after I started.

Apparently it can take 2 years for the uric acid crystals to leave your system totally when you start appopurinal so I have a lot to look forward to but I look at every attack as progress. If there was an operation where they cut your feet off and replace them with new ones I would be first in the queue and even forgo the anesthetic.

 

[pearl]

After 4 years you finally decide THPP's gout is THE subject for you!

Bravo

it's 2018 [MENTION=435]Stat Brother[/MENTION]

 

[pearl]

Thread started a year ago .... is there a link with the weather? Just a thought

 

[Birdie Boy]

Thread started a year ago .... is there a link with the weather? Just a thought

Yes, weather so good everyone sitting outside drinking more alcohol!

Not piss taking as I have gout.

 

[OzMike]

White wine and lager for gout sufferers I am told, stay off the dark stuff.

 

[Birdie Boy]

White wine and lager for gout sufferers I am told, stay off the dark stuff.

I only drink lager, so that don't work.

 

[banjo]

Here is my story as I sit here nursing a gout attack.....

I first had an attack 16 years ago and ended up in A&E where they x rayed my toe couldn't find anything and sent me home telling me not to waste their time, I couldn't walk unaided btw. Unbeknown to me my older brother has Gout as it's hereditary and apparently my Father did as well.. He diagnosed it straight away and when I pointed it out to my doctor he said "oh yeah I didn't think of that".

For 16 years I have fought it by avoiding most of the things mentioned in this thread and all I can be certain of is you must keep hydrated , I drink about 3 litres of water a day plus tea, avoid fizzy drinks and processed foods.

It's a sneaky disease, for the first few years I thought I had slept on my foot or stubbed my toe or been bitten but of course it was none of this it was always Gout. I became good at recognising it and heading it off with Cochezine and Dichlofenic so no attack lasted more than a couple of days and they were rarely too painful.

However last year they became more and more frequent and so I found myself shovelling those 2 drugs at least a couple of time a month so I surrendered and went to the doctors for Allopurinol , he put me on 100 and we measured my levels every 2 months. I am now on 500 and my uric acid levels are "normal"............ But it doesn't end there I am still having attack after attack always in my feet, in the last month have had 5 attacks and only 4 free days. So I find myself swallowing the Allopurinal AND the other 2. 10 months after I started.

Apparently it can take 2 years for the uric acid crystals to leave your system totally when you start appopurinal so I have a lot to look forward to but I look at every attack as progress. If there was an operation where they cut your feet off and replace them with new ones I would be first in the queue and even forgo the anesthetic.

Just been diagnosed last night in A&E. Had a X-ray and blood test. Think of myself as having a healthy diet plus exercise. Didn’t realise my love of shellfish, oily fish spinach to name but a few was bad for gout. I’m in absolute agony never felt pain like it. Thought I’d broken my toe somehow. On strong pain killer atm. Not even touching it. I would neck a bottle of wine, but that’s probably not gonna help. GP’s next stop for me to get meds.

 

[Birdie Boy]

I have had gout about 15 years and had two big attacks. The second one was after I stopped allopurinol for about 1.5 years, so be warned.

I take 300mg of allopurinol and used to have declofenac but that is iffy on the heart, so switched to naproxen but that is iffy on the stomach. So I don't really take any pain killers unless I really have to which is rare. However, I get twinge's in my toes that make me jump in the air regularly. Most of my toes constantly hurt and after a bender one or both my big toes may flare up but not to the standard of a big attack. I can put up with all of this, just, but my right little toe is extremely painful every night. Rarely during the day but every night. Strangely, I have narrowed it down to sitting down and elevating my feet on the couch. I can put them straight back down and it stops nearly instantly or at least calms down. Even more strangely, obviously my feet are elevated when I go to bed at night and I have to keep the bed sheets off the little toe, a symptom of gout. But through the night it stops and every single morning I wake up with no pain! I also quite often have to take my sock off in the evening to ease the pain. If I'm sitting on a bar stool or at the dining table, I don't feel a thing...

Last time I went to the doctors, about two years ago, he said my uric acid levels had gone down and 300mg allopurinol is the max allowed, which we know is not correct from other posters. I definitely need to go back and get another blood test, will try this week.

 

[Razzoo]

Can Gout strike in the thumb? One of my thumbs has got really tender really quickly. It seems to be under the nail/ end of the thumb. The base of the thumb is ok.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Can Gout strike in the thumb? One of my thumbs has got really tender really quickly. It seems to be under the nail/ end of the thumb. The base of the thumb is ok.

I imagine you can get it in the thumb, but it’s extremely unlikely to develop where you describe. It occurs in joints...and there none where you describe.

 

[banjo]

I must of had a bad attack. Been to the doctors, and have be given steroids which I’ve taken for the 5 days as prescribed. This is now day 14 since it started. Swelling and heat has gone, but still hobbling around as if my foots broken. Was told I need to wait for blood test results b4 I can be treated. How long does it take to clear??

 

[Canfan]

It varies but can take up to a couple of weeks to totally go away after an attack.
Allopurinol is your friend. It's amazing how one little pill can prevent so much pain and discomfort.