Gout

[RapidDevil]

I was a bit dramatic, it doesn't entirely wipe out your immune system like chemo does but it does indeed supress it, significantly. In fact, you're not allowed to have a vaccination within 14 days of having taken steroids for that very reason, they counter act one another. That's how it works for gout, which obviously is your immune system attacking the crystals. Steroids stop your immune system being effective by attacking them, therefore reducing pain while the attack subsides.

I've had 1 dose. Got my second exactly 14 days after my steroid treatment ends! I'm taking them man, I don't want my toe joint permanently disfigured. Other than this thing on Friday night I can work from home whilst on these roids. That's my plan.

 

[lammy]

Anyone who has or has had the dreaded gout has my sympathies.I have had it in the big toe joint and WOW,the pain of
even a bed sheet touching your toe would lift you out of it with the pain.I,m in my late five o,s and think it can definitely
be hereditary as my father suffered for decades with it.I got my first blast of it about two years ago out of the blue over
night and literally could not walk for nearly two months.I did and still do probably enjoy my beer too much.I didnt try any
of the prescribed meds and instead tried the cherries and the proper apple cider vinegar with mother diluted with water,
not pleasant stuff to drink as you can literally feel your teeth being eaten into with the acidity.At the same time as starting
on the apple cider vinegar I began to drink three litres of water a day,this took a while to work but eventually the pain
subsided and redness and swelling went down.The buiid up of uric acid starts in your kidneys and through them gets
into your blood,if your system cannot break it down.I am convinced that water helps to flush the uric acid out of your
body.I still have the odd twinge now and then,but nothing like that first blast.I have not stopped drinking water or beer,
and now drink about 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day and gave up the apple cider vinegar after around six months.Strange
thing is I dont remember my old man drinking water at all when he was suffering,he was just taking too many painkillers
and other meds.This worked for me and I hope it is of some helps to others.
Cheers.

 

[RapidDevil]

Anyone who has or has had the dreaded gout has my sympathies.I have had it in the big toe joint and WOW,the pain of
even a bed sheet touching your toe would lift you out of it with the pain.I,m in my late five o,s and think it can definitely
be hereditary as my father suffered for decades with it.I got my first blast of it about two years ago out of the blue over
night and literally could not walk for nearly two months.I did and still do probably enjoy my beer too much.I didnt try any
of the prescribed meds and instead tried the cherries and the proper apple cider vinegar with mother diluted with water,
not pleasant stuff to drink as you can literally feel your teeth being eaten into with the acidity.At the same time as starting
on the apple cider vinegar I began to drink three litres of water a day,this took a while to work but eventually the pain
subsided and redness and swelling went down.The buiid up of uric acid starts in your kidneys and through them gets
into your blood,if your system cannot break it down.I am convinced that water helps to flush the uric acid out of your
body.I still have the odd twinge now and then,but nothing like that first blast.I have not stopped drinking water or beer,
and now drink about 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day and gave up the apple cider vinegar after around six months.Strange
thing is I dont remember my old man drinking water at all when he was suffering,he was just taking too many painkillers
and other meds.This worked for me and I hope it is of some helps to others.
Cheers.

A lot of what you think you know is indeed fact. The body excretes uric acid through your wee so yes, water helps probably more than anything in terms of prevention. However, when you actually have a gout attack your uric acid levels are actually more like 'normal levels' because the excess uric acid has by now formed into crystals. This is why you cannot have a blood test during a gout attack to diagnose it - you have to wait until 3-4 weeks afterwards.

The kidneys can be at fault but not always. Some people get it because their kidney's can't get rid of the uric acid efficiently enough. Other's get it because their body naturally produces too much uric acid, so even a normal functioning kidney can't deal with the purines.

With cherries and apple cider vinegar, I think the idea is for them to be used as a preventative measure to keep uric acid levels in check. If you get your level low enough, the crystals can actually be dissolved and be gout free (this is not fact but has been shown in some studies, despite science saying gout is a chronic condition). By the time an attack of gout has happened it's too late (I assume this is why your 1st attack lasted so long), however cherries do contain a natural anti inflammatory which may relieve some of the pain.

I've woken up this morning with a twinge in my ankle, praying it hasn't spread. If it starts there too I might just reach for the noose.