Gout

[RapidDevil]

I'm not entirely sure if this is in the right place as I don't quite have the energy for a full rant but here goes....

At the tender age of 35 I've developed the blissful wonder of chronic arthritis in the form of gout. Lucky me. It was inevitable I suppose as it runs in the family. My old man got it in his early 40's so I figured I still had the best part of a decade before it kicked in.

Those that have experienced this will know it's bloomin painful. I'm currently still in my first flair up and it will be 2 weeks tomorrow. I got medication in the form of Naproxen (anti inflammatories stronger than iboprofen) early on but they hardly worked, if at all. Last Friday after it got worse rather than better I got some steroids prescribed that helped no end, almost instant improvement to the point where I can walk again and am almost pain free but still can't seem to shake it off entirely. Still have some redness, light bruising soreness.

I'm wondering if anyone else suffers from this horrible condition? and if so what your experience is with medication and self medication? Realistically I know I'll probably end up on allopurinol but my doctors won't prescribe it until I've had more flair ups. I've heard about active cherry/cherry extract, apple cider vinegar used for self medication via lowering uric acid level. Obviously lowering high purine foods too.

Frustratingly my diet isn't particularly bad. I don't eat a great deal of red meat. Don't eat organ meats. Don't have a lot of seafood and most importantly, don't really drink. I think it's literally in my blood.

I'd been keen to hear from any other tekkers' experience and any advice you care to give.

Cheers!

 

[wheelo]

Gout is an absolute hoor of an afliction. I had heard of it, but nobody in my family had ever suffered.
I, until relatively recently was able to keep it under control, with very rare sporadic flare ups, but now I am on alipurinol (at the lowest dose) daily, and for life after three or four flare ups within a two month period.
I usually only get it for 4/5 of days, and if I notice the signs, I can normally stop it becoming a debilitating attack by taking Difene for a couple of days.
my attacks have mainly been only in one ankle, but I once had it in both and it was the worst 5 days of my life as every footstep was an absolute killer, when normally I could limp/hop/hobble around.
The very first time I got an attack, I was in Spain and when I went to the local clinic, they diagnosed a broken ankle as the swelling was so big, and the pain I was describing was so bad.. when I came home, I went to hospital, and an Xray showed a chip in a bone in my foot, and was treated for that as that is what was initially diagnosed.
When the second attack happened, I had a great diagnostician check me out and sent me for a whole battery of tests including a blood test, which showed up the gout.

My diet is quite good too, I do most of the cooking, and make everything from scratch without using packets or jars of processed stuff. My biggest downfall is my consumption of Coke zero and various fizzy drinks, there is something about the sweeteners that brings on an attack, and I drink a lot of soft drinks, but I have cut down.

 

[steptoe]

Luckily I don't have gout,
But, my BiL suffers from it, I put it down to him being a fan of Bucky, 😬

 

[RapidDevil]

Gout is an absolute hoor of an afliction. I had heard of it, but nobody in my family had ever suffered.
I, until relatively recently was able to keep it under control, with very rare sporadic flare ups, but now I am on alipurinol (at the lowest dose) daily, and for life after three or four flare ups within a two month period.
I usually only get it for 4/5 of days, and if I notice the signs, I can normally stop it becoming a debilitating attack by taking Difene for a couple of days.
my attacks have mainly been only in one ankle, but I once had it in both and it was the worst 5 days of my life as every footstep was an absolute killer, when normally I could limp/hop/hobble around.
The very first time I got an attack, I was in Spain and when I went to the local clinic, they diagnosed a broken ankle as the swelling was so big, and the pain I was describing was so bad.. when I came home, I went to hospital, and an Xray showed a chip in a bone in my foot, and was treated for that as that is what was initially diagnosed.
When the second attack happened, I had a great diagnostician check me out and sent me for a whole battery of tests including a blood test, which showed up the gout.

My diet is quite good too, I do most of the cooking, and make everything from scratch without using packets or jars of processed stuff. My biggest downfall is my consumption of Coke zero and various fizzy drinks, there is something about the sweeteners that brings on an attack, and I drink a lot of soft drinks, but I have cut down.

I feel your pain my friend, literally.

That's interesting to hear regarding sweetners in fizzy drinks. I thought it only applied to sugary drinks? Part of the problem learning about gout is that there's so much bloody contradictory information, it's infuriating. I do drink pepsi max raspberry/cherry but thought it was all good due to being sugar free.....

Ill be honest, I think this first attack, whilst ridiculously long (2 weeks) I've actually got off lightly with it. I've only had bad pain for maybe 2 nights of that time (and I'd only put that on the 9/10 scale), although I couldn't walk without bad pain for about a week. I literally crawled up to bed for about the first 4 nights (2 flights of ******* stairs too lol).

Did you ever try any form of self medication?

Edit: just looked up my dad's notes. Dicolphenic didn't work for him or naproxen. Only indormeticine. That's before then gave him allopurinol, which enables him to go pretty much flair up free.

 

[sojer2004]

i am still in recovery after 7 weeks

 

[Fozzy1]

I suffered with Gout on 2/3 occassions before my sympathetic Dr precribed Colcichin to flush out Uric crystals already in my joints and then a tab a day of Allupurin for life.
My friend suffers regular flare ups but his doctor insists on diet and lifestyle changes rather than rid him off the Gout pain for good with medication.
Horses for Courses - I guess I got lucky .

 

[dargan]

I have it in the toe and thumbs I take cherry's when I can get them, and also a cherry concentrate daily and thankfully it keeps it a bay

 

[RapidDevil]

I suffered with Gout on 2/3 occassions before my sympathetic Dr precribed Colcichin to flush out Uric crystals already in my joints and then a tab a day of Allupurin for life.
My friend suffers regular flare ups but his doctor insists on diet and lifestyle changes rather than rid him off the Gout pain for good with medication.
Horses for Courses - I guess I got lucky .

I guess they would reckon up your current condition and make an assessment from there. I'm not particularly overweight (technically probably but not 'fat'), don't drink and don't have a particularly bad diet when it comes to purines so I don't think I can do a load more. allopurinol works for my dad so hopefully that may be a consideration. To be fair the doctor I originally spoke to was brilliant and really sympathetic. She said she'd go down the allopurinol route if I have another flair up in the next 12 months. Sadly that seems like a certainty.

A friend of mine has Colcichin, says it works well if he ever has a bad flair up and takes it early.

I have it in the toe and thumbs I take cherry's when I can get them, and also a cherry concentrate daily and thankfully it keeps it a bay

Interesting. This is what I was particularly interested in when I originally posted. Do you drink the active cherry stuff? Like this? Active Edge CherryActive Concentrate £26.49 at Dolphin Fitness

I've read up on cherries, active cherry and cherry extract. It seems nothing comes close to allopurinol but there are some small studies to suggest it can work.

 

[gravehead]

They used to say Gout was the illness of the rich. Too much venison and port and other rich foods, looks like a lot of well off people on TK

 

[Jimdefruit]

I had a short episode of gout when in my 40's but sadly after 40 years, I can't remember what the doc prescribed. I feel sorry for anyone who suffers from gout because even putting a soft slipper on is extremely painful. I was lucky, after that single bout it has never returned.

 

[dargan]

I guess they would reckon up your current condition and make an assessment from there. I'm not particularly overweight (technically probably but not 'fat'), don't drink and don't have a particularly bad diet when it comes to purines so I don't think I can do a load more. allopurinol works for my dad so hopefully that may be a consideration. To be fair the doctor I originally spoke to was brilliant and really sympathetic. She said she'd go down the allopurinol route if I have another flair up in the next 12 months. Sadly that seems like a certainty.

A friend of mine has Colcichin, says it works well if he ever has a bad flair up and takes it early.



Interesting. This is what I was particularly interested in when I originally posted. Do you drink the active cherry stuff? Like this? Active Edge CherryActive Concentrate £26.49 at Dolphin Fitness

I've read up on cherries, active cherry and cherry extract. It seems nothing comes close to allopurinol but there are some small studies to suggest it can work.

Yes something similar
[

I guess they would reckon up your current condition and make an assessment from there. I'm not particularly overweight (technically probably but not 'fat'), don't drink and don't have a particularly bad diet when it comes to purines so I don't think I can do a load more. allopurinol works for my dad so hopefully that may be a consideration. To be fair the doctor I originally spoke to was brilliant and really sympathetic. She said she'd go down the allopurinol route if I have another flair up in the next 12 months. Sadly that seems like a certainty.

A friend of mine has Colcichin, says it works well if he ever has a bad flair up and takes it early.



Interesting. This is what I was particularly interested in when I originally posted. Do you drink the active cherry stuff? Like this? Active Edge CherryActive Concentrate £26.49 at Dolphin Fitness

I've read up on cherries, active cherry and cherry extract. It seems nothing comes close to allopurinol but there are some small studies to suggest it can work.

Yes I drink something similar it's pretty sour stuff but you can dilute it

Made a bags of that reply lol

 

[wheelo]

Made a bags of that reply lol

No you didn't lol

Tell me guys about the cherry thingy, I hadnt read of this.

I had a short episode of gout when in my 40's but sadly after 40 years, I can't remember what the doc prescribed. I feel sorry for anyone who suffers from gout because even putting a soft slipper on is extremely painful. I was lucky, after that single bout it has never returned.

Lucky git

They used to say Gout was the illness of the rich. Too much venison and port and other rich foods, looks like a lot of well off people on TK

Do shut up peasant!! 😂😂😂😂

I have it in the toe and thumbs I take cherry's when I can get them, and also a cherry concentrate daily and thankfully it keeps it a bay

People fail to realise that gout is a form of arthritis, and purely see it as a disease of excess!

 

[moshibeth]

I have seen some really tough men cry like babies having gout and would not wish it on my worse enemy.

 

[cactikid]

Wondered if people tried CBD?

Pure CBD: What It Is and Best Products

If its on feet you can get one rub for the feet.

 

[urie]

I have seen some really tough men cry like babies having gout and would not wish it on my worse enemy.

At forty years old I went up to hospital they thought I had Gout in one foot turned out both feet and both knees eventually was told it was ostio arthritis. Over six weeks in bed could not move in agony and well over six months before I even manage to start walking again that was with the aid of crutches even then it was hard I had lost a lot of leg muscle. Was a good few years after that before I was ok again but old knees still bother me but now just wear and tear probably due to the plumbing trade

 

[cactikid]

At forty years old I went up to hospital they thought I had Gout in one foot turned out both feet and both knees eventually was told it was ostio arthritis. Over six weeks in bed could not move in agony and well over six months before I even manage to start walking again that was with the aid of crutches even then it was hard I had lost a lot of leg muscle. Was a good few years after that before I was ok again but old knees still bother me but now just wear and tear probably due to the plumbing trade

Yes flat knee caps i bet.

 

[RapidDevil]

I have seen some really tough men cry like babies having gout and would not wish it on my worse enemy.

It almost brought me to tears when my 3 year old ran at me full pelt to give me a cuddle and inadvertently went crashing into my big toe. I shit you not, I had to man up big time.

No you didn't lol

Tell me guys about the cherry thingy, I hadnt read of this.

Apparently it's a thing. As you probably know, some foods are capable of lowering uric acid levels in the blood. I haven't read at length how they achieve this but I think it's to do with PH levels and turning yourself more alkaline (there's a joke in there somewhere....). Cherries, celery, apple cider vinegar to name a few. At first I thought it may have been snake oil for sale, then I did a bit of reading and came across this excellent article:

Is there a role for cherries in the management of gout?

Check it out. A lot of data to take in but it's a good read once you get your head around it. Interestingly no food/drink can compare to allopurinol but doing both can work together well, I suppose for people that still get attacks whilst on daily allopurinol.

 

[wheelo]

I have seen some really tough men cry like babies having gout and would not wish it on my worse enemy.

I have a few enemies I'd wish it on - you just dont hate enough lol

I thought this thread was quite poignant as I'm having a minor flare up right now, not hear as bad as before alipurinol, but still necessary to take some defence.

I actually gave a six day course of steroids here too, maybe I should combine them and my cycling training? (Possibly another thread is necessary to show me how to get the most out of my steroids/cycling)

 

[RapidDevil]

I have a few enemies I'd wish it on - you just dont hate enough lol

I thought this thread was quite poignant as I'm having a minor flare up right now, not hear as bad as before alipurinol, but still necessary to take some defence.

I actually gave a six day course of steroids here too, maybe I should combine them and my cycling training? (Possibly another thread is necessary to show me how to get the most out of my steroids/cycling)

Interesting, you're the first person I've heard other than myself that got steroids prescribed. I spoke to another doctor today that wasn't impressed my original doctor gave me steroids!

I am a little nervous as I've got tickets to my team's stadium for a shindig on Friday night for the scotland game in the suite. Considering steroids work by wiping out your immune system for a temporary amount of time and me being inside with a load of young football fans, I don't fancy contracting covid at this particular time!

 

[wheelo]

The steroids were prescribed quite some time ago, I got them, never used them. I was having a second attack within a month and the doc said if the difene 5 day course doesn't get rid of it, use these steroids.
I dont know that's quite how steroids work, but if true, and you haven't been vaccinated, then don't feckin take them.