I have gout. :s
Always thought it was an old person’s illness, but apparently not.
Went to the doctor. He gave me loads of pills (like they do here), upped my vitamen C and E intake (read that it helps to get rid of the irritant), cut down on alcohol and proteins, started drinking more water, and over-all started eating a more balanced diet.
Problem still persists.
I love hiking, and I havn’t been able to do that for the past 2 months.
Any suggestions?
NO MORE alcohol. PERIOD/
Patti,
Of course, following a good eating plan and cutting back on alcohol will help…
However, my suggestion … medication mate, medication. Go to a pharmacy and load up on Voltaren or Voren K or any drug that contains the active ingredient Diclofenac Potasium or Diclofenac Sodium. Most pharmacists here will recognize the name of the active ingredient (not the brandname) if you write it down for them (in English).
Oh! Make sure you eat before you take these tablets otherwise they migh upset the old shit bag.
Thanks for the info.
Is there any other way getting better without taking drugs?
I’m not big on taking pills.
Just to clarify the ‘getting better without drugs’:
So far I’ve got:
-drinking LOTS of water
-the minimum proteins
-lots of vitamen C and E
-regular exercise
-no alcohol
Any other suggestions?
My humble opinion ---- Nope!!
I’ve seen some of me mates back in England trying various gout-riddance recipes ranging from no beer, no red wine, no coke, no red meat, no what-ever-the-hell-you-want and… it didn’t help. A couple of fellas actually got worse after they stopped their daily dosage of beer. The guys started on the Voren K’s on recommendation of one our drinking buddies who just happened to be the local doctor (has since passed away - sclerosis of the liver).
I agree taking tablets is not ideal, but I remember what it did for me mates. They were pathetic - limped around and always got their toes, elbows, knees, or whatever other inflamed body part hit or touched by some unsuspecting drinking buddy who was then subsequently verbally doomed to hell for “tooching me foocking” elbow or something like that. I mean the guys were in agony and excrutiating pain for days and even weeks on end. The Voren K’s fixed that very effectively indeed.
Maybe you could try Chinese medicine or acupuncture? Who knows?
It is worst first thing in the morning, so 1 pill (anti-inflammatory)after dinner is usually enough, with little chance of bad side effects.
All decent pharmacies have a drug/medicine book, Chinese directions and information, but English drug names also.Index at the back, look up,ASK FOR LOCAL MANUFACTURERS(quality is good,this is not China).Even if the drug is in stock, buy local. If the Pharmacy does not have a drug book, it is no good, go elsewhere.
I often buy in bulk, very cheap this way, from Yung Shin,Jen Sheng,Tai Yu,Shinlon,amongst others.
I gave in, and took some Diclofenac Sodium and Voren K yesterday (although I hate taking pills).
The relieve was almost immediate.
Went for a long (almost pain-free) walk this morning.
Bliss!
Diclofenac Sodium ( I read) stops the body producing prostaglandins, prostaglandins being the ‘thing’ that causes inflammation after an injury.
Now, I’m sure there must be a reason the body produces this, but I’ll opt for whimping out, and taking the drugs when need be. 
Thanks for all the advice.
The problem is most often genetic( and diet encourages it)
It is almost impossible to eliminate all Uric Acid producing food, and it is human to err.
Thats when you have to use Probenecid(eliminate Uric Acid) and Allopurinol(reduce formation), low dose,long term. Buy local.
The danger for long term Gout, is deformity and immobility of the affected joint.I have found that any NSAID will work.
Those in my family(there are a number) tell me that once you have it, it is almost impossible to get rid of completely, it will always lurk in the background, waiting to pounce, when you are over-indulge.
Remember it takes years to form, so expect it to take the same to recover(if at all)
Each morning I feel grateful when I am OK.
Good luck.
Any members had a complete recovery ??
[quote]Went for a long (almost pain-free) walk this morning.
Bliss! [/quote]
Good for you mate!!
I remember me mate telling me (after he went on medication) that he couldn’t believe his recovered knee was the same knee he had for God-knows-how-long. He compared his gout ridden knee to a log – he couldn’t bent it more than a couple of degrees and was at one point convinced that it must have suffered permanent damage and that a replacement was the only viable option. That was of course until he discovered those little pills.
One thing I’d like to stress again: Never take these on an empty stomach! Breakfast cereal and a beer ain’t enough. You need something more solid.
Don’t take vitamin C if you have gout.
Uric Acid disolves 10,000 times more readily in urine ph of 6 than 5. If you take vitamin C you will be making your urine more acidic and hence increasing the risk of having uric acid stones or crystals forming in your kidneys.
Beer increases your uric acid production, however, research has shown that wine doesn’t necessarily increase uric acid production. Clear spirts don’t produce as much as beer but more than wine. Wine, however, can dehydrate you which is bad for your kidneys and the prospect of stones.
You need to take medication to rid your body of the uric acid build up and in some cases to prevent your body from producing so much uric acid.
If you are overweight then your body will produce more uric acid and you will have more tissue to store uric acid in. If you try to lose weight too quickly you will be at risk of having a gout attack.
I too am one of its unfortunate victims.
I agree about Acid forming foods.
Do a simple search to determine what is what.
Even some water filters change Acid to Alkali(slightly).
A big surprise is that Lemons are Alkali forming.
my father has gout - it gets worse when he eats wheat based breakfast cereals every day and prawns. Also beer aggravates it. I have also heard, since living in Taiwan, that tofu is another common culprit. hope this helps a bit.
Go to http://www.gouthaters.com
The treatment using baking soda is interesting, and worth trying.
Good luck.
I tried Bi-carb (also like apple-cider vinegar, lemon juice etc)
It alkalises your body cells (not blood). Meat etc acidifies your body.
It works, no more anti-inflammatories for me.
Now I can have anything to eat or drink, in moderation.
I exercise a LOT LOT LOT.
For those of you over 40(esp. males) there is a good chance of Gout affecting you. (as well as arthritis and other joint problems)
Take note.
Alkalise All.
Woke up this morning and I got myself a gout attack. Interestingly it’s in the big toe of my right foot. Makes a change from the left.
Oh, the pain!
My beloved piano teacher had gout. But she’s one of those who kinda always had it, even when she was “too young” for gout.
She always had to wear special shoes. Never saw her feet even once the whole 20 years I knew her.
Awesome gravedig there. 14 years?
Fwiw gout seems to be an issue with uric acid clearance. Nothing to do with purine-containing foods as such.
I’m permanently on Alupurinol, which I believe speeds up the process of uric acid excretion. Just recently my uric acid levels have increased so my doctor put me on another drug to reduce production of uric acid.
I think that may have kicked off this attack. Any sudden change in uric acid, even downwards, can cause an attack.
Aside from allopurinol, someone told me to try tart cherry to lower uric acid, but I don’t have any direct experience. But during a gout attack, probably best to stick with an NSAID that your doc recommends. At first, lowering uric acid levels can cause uric acid crystals in joints to break up, which can worsen an attack.