Painful!

[Great-Kazoo]

NO Alcohol.
i'll swap you the gout for my knee pain.

[StagLefty]

NO Alcohol.
i'll swap you the gout for my knee pain.

I'll raise you a back problem-good grief we're falling apart guys !!

[Byte Stryke]

My Name is Byte Stryke and I Have gout.


Drink LOTS of water.
Elevate the foot.
DO NOT use and Ice pack, you want to improve blood flow to the area. This aids in the flushing of the excessive acid crystals. Use warm Compresses

THIS IS DIET RELATED. No Dark Greens, Red Meat or shellfish for a few weeks Minimum!

I take etoricoxib for mine
Brand name is Arcoxia from Merck Sharp and Dohme.

[Irving]

Can't they just zap it with a laser?

[ldmaster]

From the National Institutes of Health:

"The exact cause is unknown. Gout may run in families. It is more common in males, postmenopausal women, and people who drink alcohol. People who take certain medicines, such as hydrochlorothiazide and other water pills, may have higher levels of uric acid in the blood.
...
The disorder itself may not be preventable, but you may be able to avoid things that trigger your symptoms. Limit alcohol consumption and follow a low-purine diet."

I know that some gout (in the feet) have been treated by massage. I trained to do it three decades ago (man I'm old), it's a PAINFUL massage, but it worked on everybody. Most of the people I massaged had it in the foot.

Even back then it was generally acknowledged that gout had no specific CAUSE, and ideas abounded as to how to reduce the crystals. But everybody knew that once you had it, you had it for life.


I used to do work in installing cardiac ultrasound devices. Did a lot of work all over Europe and the USA. Since our equipment had a lot of experimental functions (not paid for by medicaid) I installed it at research hospitals and for research physicians involved in studies.

I learned one thing about cardiac problems. The BIGGEST factor in determining is you would get CAD or other problems was your genetics. Several doctors admitted that they researched other causes and came up blank, but since the money was there to find treatments for environmentally related causes (diet, food, etc) they concentrated their efforts there.

I suspect the same is true for gout.

The crystals don't dissolve on their own, IIRC, no amount of water can reduce them - essentially you just get numb to the ongoing pain and your reaction to their presense lessens - thus your symptoms may disappear to your perceptions. Loading your system with water helps in the sense that it reduces the percentage of uric acid in your bloodstream, as a PERCENTAGE - not in absolute terms.

From Wikipedia:

"Generally, the solubilities of uric acid and its alkali metal and alkaline earth metal salts in water are rather low and all exhibit greater solubility in hot water than cold, allowing for easy recrystallization. "

Thus heat HELPS with it as long as you apply the heat, but the crystals that might have been dissolved, quickly recrystallize. I am told that the pain gets worse after heat treatment because the crystals are new and "sharper" feeling.


Unfortunately your onset of crystallization MAY be related to coronary artery disease and other factors that increase with age - so there's no escaping it. Pre-diabetics too.


Nobody in my family history has ever had gout (nine aunts and uncles). OTOH, we have had a lot of alcoholics! I don't know which I'd choose, presently - it is NEITHER.

Since the pain is admittedly nearly unbearable, you might as well try every treatment you can find information on, it wont hurt anymore and if it helps you, it's a step up.

So drink cherry juice, lick chocolate off of reese's peanut butter cups, listen to old Bill Cosby albums - it might do some good.

[funkfool]

I had lot's of trouble with gout before they put me on Allopurinol... now.. no more gout...

Take anti-inflammatories.
Naproxen (naproxen sodium) / Naprosin etc...
Worked for me - within 20 minutes - no more pain...
That is what the uric acid crystals in your joints does... irritates and inflames the tissue... causing enormous discomfort...
For those who have never experienced gout pain... you are lucky.
For those that have... you know how painful it can be.

[Mtn.man]

don't take ibupro, messes with the kidneys and won't flush the crystals.
Cherries including black cherry juice.
Water.
Allopurinol will kill you eventually believe me. Research it on webMD.
Gout runs in the family.
Folic acid 450 mg.s per day can help the Non formation of crystals as well as helps your heart.
Naproxin can help, if you can't handle the pain which will last for 7 to 10 days then try to get some Vicodin.

Holistic in the long run is the only way to go.
I've had it in my elbows, knees, and fingers, causes some real damage to joints.

[scratchy]

Colchicine can halt the pain in a few hours. Indomethecin is also used to control the pain ans swelling but can cause stomach bleeding. I use allopurinol to limit uric acid production and heavily modify diet to reduce purine intake. Naproxen (aleve) works on the pain and inflammation too. Other remedies include cherries, cherry juice and extract as well as celery. Welcome to the club. Gout sucks.

[car-15]

you know were a bunch of old farts when we have a three page and growing, discussion on gout meds.

[DeadElephant]

Next thing you know this will be a sticky. Gout sucks...old fart talking.