Anyone have problems with gout? I need advice!

HollyLLillis
HollyLLillis Posts: 113 Member
edited September 28 in Health and Weight Loss
A few years back I was diagnosed with "gout", at first I didn't believe a woman at just over 40 years old could even get gout, but I do. There is no cure for it and I will have to take medication for it for the rest of my life. If you have never experienced the pain of gout you will truely not know how very painful a gout attack is. In honesty I would prefer to give birth 3 times in one day than to experience a severe gout attack!! Seriously. I concider myself someone with a high tolerance for pain too.

But to the main reason for this post; I honestly figured when I started to lose weight and to excersize I would have very few attacks if any! Reading up on it I have stayed away from all the foods you are to avoid and have lost 30 pounds so far with 15 left to go to my goal... but lately I have been having lots of small gout attacks...... still very very painful but with Ibuprofen I can tone it down and make it tolerable... but this affects my excersizing plans and makes me wonder WTH I am eating that will bring these on. I can go to the doctor to get a perscription but those meds are pretty hard on a person with some nasty side effects that I would just as soon avoid!

Anyone out there fighting this battle along with me I would love to hear what you have to say!!

Replies

  • BeeElMarvin
    BeeElMarvin Posts: 2,086 Member
    I've had gout since my mid-20's. I very rarely have attacks anymore, but there does seem to be something about weight loss and exercise that seems to raise my uric acid level and in the past has brought on some nasty bouts of pain. Drink lots of water, eat fresh cherries as often as you can afford them. If it continues to bothers you, see your Dr. for an every day pill that controls uric acid levels. High uric acid levels in your system are far worse on your kidneys etc. than the meds. Good luck.
  • lindalee0315
    lindalee0315 Posts: 527 Member
    My husband has terrible gout, and has had it for years. He is 47 years old, and was diagnosed sometime in his 30s. He takes two medications--one every day, and one for flare ups. The medication for flare ups works almost immediately, and I would highly recommend you talk to your doctor about getting some just to have it on hand. Typically, when he has one of these attacks (it strikes his knees mostly), he can take these pills and feel 180 degrees better within hours. I know second-hand how debilitating these attacks are. When he has one, he cannot walk without a cane, cannot bend his leg, and is in terrible pain. Recently, he had one that landed us in the hospital because his knee was swollen so badly they had to drain fluid off of it. Bloodwork revealed a possible infection, and they wanted to catch it before it turned septic. He said he never experienced anything more painful in his life than when they stuck that needle in his leg to draw that fluid off. Good luck!
  • MelissaL582
    MelissaL582 Posts: 1,422 Member
    My husband has gout and he's 27 years old. He stays away from shellfish. He was told to drink 100% cherry juice and bing cherries.
  • Goal_Seeker_1988
    Goal_Seeker_1988 Posts: 1,619 Member
    I am sorry that you have gout. I know it is a very painful experience. It affected my grandmother and the docotor would always have her to start on her meds bout 2 months before spring bc that's when she'd always have the painful attacks well one year her doctor didn't start her on the meds bc she ended up with a different doctor who told her she didn't need to start them early like she was doin so she ended up not being able to walk @ all and therefore had to live out the remainder of her time in a nursing facility.

    Best advice: take your meds and try to figure out what triggers your flair ups. Like I said she'd always get hers in the spring time.
  • es0torok
    es0torok Posts: 66 Member
    My husband has gout. While I haven't experienced the pain myself, I have seen it in him.

    He is only a few (less than 20) pounds over weight. He has always been athletic and fit. Often riding his bicycle 20 miles then coming home and going for a 4 mile jog. He has none of the high risk factors for gout.

    He has been able to control the attacks with cherries. Fortunately, I believe they are coming into season. It needs to be the red cherries. When he starts feeling an attack, he will gobble down cherries. He says the effects are almost immediate for him.

    In addition to eating the cherries, he has reduced his carbonated drinks to only one every three days. It sounds like you are already aware of the other trigger foods, so I won't start listing them. :-)
  • jimmy_jenkins
    jimmy_jenkins Posts: 65
    Hey, i was diagnoised at 23 so anyone can get it. The pain is unbelivable.

    I read somewhere that quick weight loss can cause gout attacks, and i've had one attack in the last 7 weeks. Im supposed to take allopurinol and colchicine everyday, but have stopped the colchicine and just have it when i get an attack (because its has horrible side effects).

    Controlling my gout without medication is one the the main reasons i want to lose weight, i think any attacks i get along the way are just a by product of reaching my goal.

    Good luck
  • HollyLLillis
    HollyLLillis Posts: 113 Member
    I read somewhere that quick weight loss can cause gout attacks, and i've had one attack in the last 7 weeks. Im supposed to take allopurinol and colchicine everyday, but have stopped the colchicine and just have it when i get an attack (because its has horrible side effects).

    Yes, I take allpurinol everyday and always will... the other stuff , prednisone, is rather nasty and I've been told can have some bad lasting effects.... I'm just hoping to keep it under control with out taking too many drugs...
  • HollyLLillis
    HollyLLillis Posts: 113 Member
    I've had gout since my mid-20's. I very rarely have attacks anymore, but there does seem to be something about weight loss and exercise that seems to raise my uric acid level and in the past has brought on some nasty bouts of pain. Drink lots of water, eat fresh cherries as often as you can afford them. If it continues to bothers you, see your Dr. for an every day pill that controls uric acid levels. High uric acid levels in your system are far worse on your kidneys etc. than the meds. Good luck.

    Wow, I thought that losing weight would help rather than raise the leves of uric acid!
  • HollyLLillis
    HollyLLillis Posts: 113 Member
    I work for a produce company so getting some cherries (at a good price too) will be on my schedual here, and yes, they are in season now... but maybe I can start drinking more cherry juice too.

    thanks everyone for your imput!!
  • jimmy_jenkins
    jimmy_jenkins Posts: 65
    I work for a produce company so getting some cherries (at a good price too) will be on my schedual here, and yes, they are in season now... but maybe I can start drinking more cherry juice too.

    thanks everyone for your imput!!

    If you go the cherry juice root, make sure its the type you get from the health food shops (very expensive), you need to dilute it down. Im told the other stuff doesnt work.
  • HollyLLillis
    HollyLLillis Posts: 113 Member
    I work for a produce company so getting some cherries (at a good price too) will be on my schedual here, and yes, they are in season now... but maybe I can start drinking more cherry juice too.

    thanks everyone for your imput!!

    If you go the cherry juice root, make sure its the type you get from the health food shops (very expensive), you need to dilute it down. Im told the other stuff doesnt work.

    Ok, will do that!!
  • princess_in_power
    princess_in_power Posts: 234 Member
    Tagging so I can show my husband!
    He has slightly elevated uric acid and a very painful big toe.

    Thanks for the tips guys!
  • Brandie6004
    Brandie6004 Posts: 87 Member
    bump... will read later; my husband has gout
  • Daisy_May
    Daisy_May Posts: 505 Member
    I read this week that epsomsalt baths help with gout!
  • beafit42
    beafit42 Posts: 1
    My ex- husband and brother n law have problems with gout. Try to stay away from acidic foods and drink plenty of water when you do intake them. Also foods with citrus in them. They both exercise and drink water, oh, also watch your alcohol intake as it may also cause flair ups. Hopefully this helps:smile: Good luck to you!
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