So, I have gout, do you?

I have recently been diagnoised with gout. I'm 41 and have been healthy my entire life. I have had several kidney stones over the past 20 years however. When I first got the gout, (right big toe), I thought I broke my foot. I can't ever remember feeling pain like this. I was given two cortisone shots directly into my foot with slight relief. The gout tapered off for about a month, but my foot never felt right, always hurt a little bit and was stiff. After about six weeks, I got another attack in the same spot. My DR advised Allupurinol, (300mg). And I took my first does tonight. Dr. Said it would be for life, so, I guess I am having a hard time with this. I am not a big fan of pills, but this long lasting gout is ruining my ##%&* life. I am a paramedic and fireman, and have doing that for over 20 years, and I must say, I have ran on gout patients before but never really quite took it seriously, (because I simply didn't understand how horrible it is). I do now!!!!! I have ultimate compassion and simpathy for gout sufferers. My biggest concern I have is the beer thing. I enjoy drinking beer and am willing to cut back, but to cut beer off totally.. NO WAY! Any of you who take Allupurinol daily still enjoy a few cold ones?

My brother has gout and he sent this to me when he moved in with me as I buy and cook majority of the food in the house. It has helped.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gout-diet/MY01137

He has been dealing with his gout for about 10 years (maybe a little less) he still has times when it flairs up pretty bad.

I had spells of gout about 10 years ago, and like a lot of posters I just could not walk with the pain.

What seems to have stopped it was more or less going vegetarian, and teetotal for a ages [years]

Now I do still eat red meat, fish etc, but far less than I did back then, and I continue to drink beer, which so far, 5 years, maybe more, has seen me clear of gout

I apparently have really dumb doctors. I lost 60+ lbs very quickly after a heart/kidney scare the winter/spring of 2012. No one on my 'medical staff' suggested that the ankle pain i suffered, and eventually the swollen joins in fingers, wrists, elbows, and most recently knee could be GOUT. Doing some reading.......(Kalynx WebMD talking lol) losing weight releases stored up uric acid which will cause pain flairs......well duh!!!

And also, I am not a heavy drinker, butI prefer a heavy protein/fat diet and only "natural/real" foods..I am also borderline diabetic type 2 so I assumed this past year the numbness in my fingertips was from too much sugar in diet..turns out it was the tophi build up from gout ---i showed the mysterious white dots to my primary dr 6 months ago and she did not recognize them. I kept showing up in her office with random wrist, finger, elbow pain and no diagnosis even though uric acid tested high.

The past two weeks I was to the point of such severe knee pain I could not walk 5 to 10 feet from the bedroom or living room to the restroom to go potty, everytime i had to urinate i wanted to cry ..........using a cane was not enough support for the sharding pain in my knee. I finally got into a good rheumatologist dr that diagnosed with gouty arthritis by extracting the crystal build up from my fingers and he is also testing for RA due to the abnormal swelling in a few fingers and wrists.

I guess the point of my post is to say that 1. relief from this unsufferable pain is available..within 24 hrs of treating for my pain I could stand and walk without hardly any pain..and 2. tell your doctor ALL of your symptoms, and if you dont like their answer, try another doctor/clinic/etc and keep researching your symptoms and have it figured out!!

I suffered for a year with this sad cloud ..........barely being able to function to keep a full time job, feed myself, keep myself in clean socks and underwear....doing just all that was a major accomplishment. Today after just 5 days of treatment I worked 8 hrs doing a lot of walking in a very large office building, got home and changed the cat litter box, did a load of laundry, loaded the dish washer, gathered up more laundry, swept out the garage, ate dinner, fed the cats and still had a spare 20 min to just watch TV and hang............walking out of work tonight after being told "slow down there speedy!" lol by a good friend that knew how slow i was moving just days ago.............I felt wonderful.....liberated.

Please if you suspect you have gout insist on uric acid tests and do not feel shame that it is due to alcoholism or a diet choice. Weight loss and poor kidney function and use of diuretics can cause gout too.

I have Gout in both my feet and it hurts like hell but I love pain !

I suspected gout probably 9 months ago but was ashamed after reading of some of the causes and even when suggesting to my dr she poo-pooed it away. I just wish more people understood all the causes and symptoms!!

Seven years ago I found out I have chronic kidney disease and was put on Lasix. About 18 months later I had excrutiating pain in the middle of my back, which then traveled to my knees, then my ankles and my toes. After a week of pain, I went to my doctor, who did blood work and I found out I had gout. I rarely eat red meat and don't drink, so wasn't sure how I got gout, until I read that it can develop when taking Lasix! I take Allopurinol, 300 mg daily and am very, very happy I have it!!

I suspected gout probably 9 months ago but was ashamed after reading of some of the causes and even when suggesting to my dr she poo-pooed it away. I just wish more people understood all the causes and symptoms!!

Gout tends to be inherited and very much runs in families and tends to effect men more than women. The whole stigma that gout is an eating issue is just crap.

Hi I have sent you a message about this but for everyone here I just want to say I have tried meds that doctors prescribed for gout and it made me so sick......I read an article on Internet and they spoke of eating cherries that it could help while having the attack I looked it up and they said also that Cherry stems were very good to clean and prevent your system from forming crystals that block in the articulations....I went to a Health food store and they had capsules of cherry stems, I now take 1 every meal and within 3 days I saw results...my attacks were so bad that it was also in my ankles and kept me up all night ever since I take the capsules I have no more problems......and no more pain . You can also keep the cherry stems and rinse them and then boil them in water and drink the juice or drink cherry juice...good luck to all

I suspected gout probably 9 months ago but was ashamed after reading of some of the causes and even when suggesting to my dr she poo-pooed it away. I just wish more people understood all the causes and symptoms!!

Gout tends to be inherited and very much runs in families and tends to effect men more than women. The whole stigma that gout is an eating issue is just crap.

Kevin, I agree! in my situation both my Dad and brother have suffered from kidney stones (result of high uric acid) and me personally have been on a ton of diuretics which cause kidneys to not be able to filter out uric acid from the blood well.........after years on those meds and a pre-disposition to high uric acid........well no kidding i had gout?

I guess the shame came in because i would go to the doctor office with a sore wrist and stiff fingers, they would do x-ray and see nothing wrong --and tell me time and time again "well you need to be more careful"..I bought into the theory of ok I must have hurt myself and cant remember, maybe I do have a drinking problem?? (even tho i rarely drink). after two or three occurances of the same situation you start to question your own sanity.

I've had Gout for about 19 years. The way I managed it was taking Allupurinol and Aleve daily. In addition, I quit drinking any alcohol and drink only water. I do fine on medication but the moment I drink a few beers, I get an attack. Hydration helped me too, I drink 1 gallon of water per day to help flush out the uric acid. I minimize any animal protein.

For me, alcohol, red meat and fish are my triggers. so I avoid those foods or minimize my intake.

I take a combination of allopurinol and aleve daily (recommended by a doctor) to help manage it.

I also changed my liquids to strictly water, 128 ounces of it per day to flush out uric acid and prevent crystals from forming. I've read that dehydration contributes to it which is the reason for the gallon per day.

I have Gout in both my feet and it hurts like hell but I love pain !

Your very high protein diet might be part of the issue.

I went vegan, have not had it for years, in fact all my joints issues have gone away. It much excess protien.