Anyone else get it? Damn, I thought it was a fat old man disease, but here I am with a swollen toe and pain that makes me wish I would die, just DIE.
I got a scrip anti-inflammatory for it, and it takes the edge off, but holy jeezus this shit’s painful. Anyone share my misery?
Nope, but speaking of painful foot problems, I had a plantar wart for years when I was a kid and teenager (thanks swimming lessons!) deep in the crevice of the ball of my foot. It wasn’t really all that painful unless I was walking for hours. When I was fifteen I was at a cottage and the driveway was just big, sharp rocks. I was walking across it barefoot, of course, and tore out the wart, right out the crevice. That was painful.
I keep reading that as G_out and wonder what terminal on the circuit diagram would be labeled ‘G’…
My mom had it. She’s 50, if it makes you feel better!
Well, Acid, if that is your name. It is appropriate. Because a certain type of acid in your blood, uric acid, has caused your problem. It has several causes and no actual cure. But there are ways of taking care of it. Or making sure that it doesn’t come back.
But since I’m an old fat man, I just don’t have the energy to do a Google search to help you. Sorry.
I’m young and fit, so here is what I got for you.
Okay, I’ll give it up. Drink tonic water. That’s what my doctor told me. The quinine leaches out the uric acid. If you drink it at the beginning of an attack it can stop it from getting bad. It is an acquired taste but it has worked for me. No attacks for a couple of years now. A glass a day may stop it from happening at all. But it’s all about your diet. Protein rich foods and not drinking enough water. Too much alcohol. I’m guessing gin and tonic might help in that respect. Or not. Anything that is a diuretic is a problem as well, like coffee or caffeinated soda.
If you like Mountain Dew and pork rinds you’re screwed.
Now get off my lawn.
I had a friend once that got a very mild case of gout when he was 26 from eating too much steak. Although, on second thought, maybe it was my cooking.
Hmm…I drink a ridiculous amount of water on a regular basis, and I don’t have much in the way of red meat. My doctor said that recent research indicates it has little to do with diet.
Uric acid. Crystals form in the joints of the foot when you have too much. I guess they treat that with something called “allpurinol” according to my research, but you can’t take it during a gout attack. It prevents gout, but makes it worse while it’s accute. Weird.
Actually, I just stick with allopurinol to prevent attacks, it’s so cheap that it’s all of $.50 more without my drug plan, and for most people there’s no side effects at all.
If you’re young and getting gout, I’d suggest cutting back on the pee play.
You’d trust your doctor over your internet friends? :(
Jesus, didn’t we cure gout back in the 1800s or something?
Yes, it’s called allopurinol.
I think you’re supposed to eat fruit to cure gout. Go have a watermelon!
Friend of mine says over AIM:
hey, do me a favor and on the thread about Gout in the Everything Else section
Would you mention cherry juice as a traditional remedy?
Also, avoid anchovies and fatty/cholesterol-heavy foods?
I have hereby so posted.
I have Gout. Got it first when I turned 40, now get it about once or twice per year. I’m now 45.
1st time was like you - - big toe. Now it’s an equal-opportunity joint attacker. Last two times were my knees – left knee in May, right knee about 2 weeks ago. Damn thing even got my elbow once.
If I don’t stop it early, it controls my life for 2 or 3 days. As you’ve discovered, the pain is all-consuming.
I dont’ know your weight - - I’m heavy, but in relatively good shape and I work out ~ 4 times per week. I’ve found that being 20 pounds lighter cuts the attacks in half. Regardless of what some doctors say to make you feel better, I’ve never heard of a skinny gout sufferer.
Here’s what I’ve figured out works (other than consistent exercise and keeping control of your weight) - - get your doctor to prescribe colchicine. Take the bottle around with you if you travel alot (I’ve been stranded on the road without it, then crippled). When you feel it coming on (you’ll get twinges a day or 2 beforehand), take 1 or 2 tablets that day. Keep doing that until the twinges go away. If you don’t do this, it will come down hard on you in about 2 days, then you have to carpet-bomb it with colchicine every 4 hours or so to make it go away in a day or 2. And the side-effect is you get the runs for a day the day after you start taking it.
So, you’re saying the Italian pizza with extra anchovies and a 2L of Dew isn’t a good idea if I have gout?
Life sucks . . . :-)
Naw, it’s just getting old that sucks. Can’t continue those nights with a 6 of Bass Ale and calzones.
Thank you for this. The attack is tapering off, but I’ll get some colchicine for next time–and some allopurinol for prevention–and drink lots of water every day.
I’m a big, fat guy, but I’ve already dropped 40 lbs and I’m still losing. I hope that helps as well.