Joined Nov 2005
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Forum Thread
If you have gout, how do you manage it? [No OT Pls]
February 2, 2016 at
02:56 PM
Well the Dr seems to think I had (my first) episode of gout about a week ago. Big toe (although not first joint, second) inflamed, swelled and hurt like hell last week. Actually, I went from OK to not being able to walk over the course of a day, went to urgent care the next day (and got meds), and have been getting better every day since. That was last Tuesday and today (week later) I am 95% "better". UA level was 8.1.
First it was colchicine, followed by a daily indomethicin. I had a followup with my PCP today, he concurred gout and gave me the standard list of stuff to avoid (not that I really eat any of that stuff anyway). PCP said the UA level was "mildly high" but seemed more concerned if it was 11-12. I'm still taking the indomethicin, more or less just so I don't cut it "cold turkey" (the gel caps can't be split), but would like to stop taking it within a week, leaving a 2 week supply for me to "hold onto" in case I need it.
the PCP said they don't give "maintenance" meds (e.g. allopurinol) until you've had ~3 episodes within a year. I've been doing research online and have already started taking 500 mg vitamin C (already take daily multi) in addition to drinking more water and am considering getting some tart cherry supplements (cherries are expensive). PCP didn't think much of the plan but didn't tell me not to do it either.
I'd really like to avoid another episode (although the next time around I will have had the colchicine and indomethicin on hand already) but also don't want any maintenance meds.
So does anyone else here suffer from gout?
First it was colchicine, followed by a daily indomethicin. I had a followup with my PCP today, he concurred gout and gave me the standard list of stuff to avoid (not that I really eat any of that stuff anyway). PCP said the UA level was "mildly high" but seemed more concerned if it was 11-12. I'm still taking the indomethicin, more or less just so I don't cut it "cold turkey" (the gel caps can't be split), but would like to stop taking it within a week, leaving a 2 week supply for me to "hold onto" in case I need it.
the PCP said they don't give "maintenance" meds (e.g. allopurinol) until you've had ~3 episodes within a year. I've been doing research online and have already started taking 500 mg vitamin C (already take daily multi) in addition to drinking more water and am considering getting some tart cherry supplements (cherries are expensive). PCP didn't think much of the plan but didn't tell me not to do it either.
I'd really like to avoid another episode (although the next time around I will have had the colchicine and indomethicin on hand already) but also don't want any maintenance meds.
So does anyone else here suffer from gout?
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First it was colchicine, followed by a daily indomethicin. I had a followup with my PCP today, he concurred gout and gave me the standard list of stuff to avoid (not that I really eat any of that stuff anyway). PCP said the UA level was "mildly high" but seemed more concerned if it was 11-12. I'm still taking the indomethicin, more or less just so I don't cut it "cold turkey" (the gel caps can't be split), but would like to stop taking it within a week, leaving a 2 week supply for me to "hold onto" in case I need it.
the PCP said they don't give "maintenance" meds (e.g. allopurinol) until you've had ~3 episodes within a year. I've been doing research online and have already started taking 500 mg vitamin C (already take daily multi) in addition to drinking more water and am considering getting some tart cherry supplements (cherries are expensive). PCP didn't think much of the plan but didn't tell me not to do it either.
I'd really like to avoid another episode (although the next time around I will have had the colchicine and indomethicin on hand already) but also don't want any maintenance meds.
So does anyone else here suffer from gout?
Really that's all I've ever heard is not to drink alcohol. But if it's caused by the acidic content in your blood, for whatever reason, then bland foods and anything restoring the pH balance would help. But the interwebs describe uric acid as relating to metabolism. When was the last time you had a full blood panel that tested your thyroid?
Vitamin D supplements may help. There's a myth that you get enough from sunlight. It helps with a variety of things like the absorption of calcium, depression, AND... following my hunch just found a correlation. Google: uric acid vitamin d deficiency. I'd push that PCP to test your D levels if nothing else.
Because our bodies don't store it up it's used quickly and frequently, OTC supplements wont help. You'll ideally want a high dose prescription. If your PCP wont listen find one who will. Hope you feel better soon.
I had my first attack of it in 2013. It was in my left ankle joint and so bad that it damaged the joint to the point where I get sharp pains in it every so often now. Of course, it didn't help that at the time I had a job which required standing 90-95% of the night(local chocolate factory).
But recently(starting in late Nov. 2015) I had a severe attack of it that started in the same foot/ankle. I could barely move. I stopped eating all red meat and put myself on a chicken diet(which I've now heard is JUST as bad
My PCP had me on Allopurinol after the initial attack subsided. But almost a month into daily treatment with that I seemed to get ANOTHER attack of it, this time in my RIGHT foot. All totaled I've been laid up with gout and/or tendonitis for the last THREE months. Got a severe case of tendonitis just as all the other pain was going away. I couldn't even put my back of my left foot down on the sheets it hurt so damn bad.
I ended up in the E.R. with that(for the 2nd or 3rd time in three months).
So I definitely know what the OP is going through. This shit sucks and it's a royal pain in the ass having to constantly watch what you're eating.
What's truly annoying is that the Allopurinol can CAUSE a gout attack supposedly. Plus the Colchicine isn't covered by a lot of insurance plans for more than 5-6 days worth at the clip and ONLY if your PCP gets it pre-authorized. Not to mention that that med can give ya the shits. So it's either the pain in your joints or diarrhea. I'd be kinda torn between which I'd rather put up with .
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No not really... a beer or 2 maybe on the weekends, other than that nothing.
Supposedly dairy is not only a-ok but encouraged. Meat is.... not sure - some interwebz sources say all meat, some say just beef, but all say organ meats (which I don't eat anyway). Also some seafoods (not a big seafood person either).
Finding a trusted source of info on this is tough... lots of snake oil salesmen our there.
Page 10 of this PDF [n1health.com], I don't eat anything in group C anyway. I'm essentially low-carb, so it's very meat centric, but not usually fish (occasionally), and of course I eat a lot of nuts.
Strange thing is I've been low-carb for years now, and all of a sudden the gout pops up.
And yeah, finding reliable information(especially all in ONE location) seems to be a challenge.
Not only that but my PCP said that pork is fine, yet I've heard for YEARS that it's NOT.
The easiest way to go about this is to remember EVERYTHING IN MODERATION. That's one thing I was NOT doing. I went way overboard with a lot of the foods that were not good for this condition.
Of course for years I was very active, going hiking/walking and so on, but within the last 5 years or so I've become more of a couch potato.
And yeah, finding reliable information(especially all in ONE location) seems to be a challenge.
Not only that but my PCP said that pork is fine, yet I've heard for YEARS that it's NOT.
The easiest way to go about this is to remember EVERYTHING IN MODERATION. That's one thing I was NOT doing. I went way overboard with a lot of the foods that were not good for this condition.
Of course for years I was very active, going hiking/walking and so on, but within the last 5 years or so I've become more of a couch potato.
Some people say no meat is good at all and others just say sardines, organ meats, etc. Some others add beef to that list. Most everyone DOES say alcohol (especially beer) and fructose are the big culprits. I don't know that water really does much, honestly, but it can't hurt and it jives with the solubility issue. Growing up my father had gout, particularly in his knees, and was always told dairy was bad. Thinking about it, he liked ice cream, so it probably wasn't the dairy but more the sweetener.
"Gout: Facts and Information"
http://articles.mercol