GOUT! How to defeat this evil?

Anyone with gout and what are you doing to defeat it once and for all? I've been suffering with this demon for years. Went Vegan for 2 years, but felt horrible and I've studied a lot while doing it. Still had a few gout flare ups. Then decided to try Keto, after anecdotals from several people of not having gout or reversing it with Keto, I gave it try, I felt the best and lost weight, but 6 months into the keto, gout pain was at its worse. Tried Paleo - still gout. Tried, Vegan-keto, still gout (maybe become of being in ketosis).

So now i'm back on plant-based vegan foods.

Replies

  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    rashadlc wrote: »
    Anyone with gout and what are you doing to defeat it once and for all? I've been suffering with this demon for years. Went Vegan for 2 years, but felt horrible and I've studied a lot while doing it. Still had a few gout flare ups. Then decided to try Keto, after anecdotals from several people of not having gout or reversing it with Keto, I gave it try, I felt the best and lost weight, but 6 months into the keto, gout pain was at its worse. Tried Paleo - still gout. Tried, Vegan-keto, still gout (maybe become of being in ketosis).

    So now i'm back on plant-based vegan foods.

    Have you been to the doctor because they do have Rx's for gout. There is a genetic component and getting rid of it is really difficult. Did you know that gout and T2 are related. They often go hand in hand. Gout can be the precursor of T2 diabetes down the road.

    https://www.diabetes.co.uk/conditions/gout-and-diabetes.html


    "Research shows that people with gout are significantly more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people without gout.

    Gout and diabetes

    A number of research papers have shown associations between gout and type 2 diabetes including a study from Harvard Medical School, published in 2014, which showed gout to be associated with a 70 increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes."
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    rashadlc wrote: »
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    rashadlc wrote: »
    Anyone with gout and what are you doing to defeat it once and for all? I've been suffering with this demon for years. Went Vegan for 2 years, but felt horrible and I've studied a lot while doing it. Still had a few gout flare ups. Then decided to try Keto, after anecdotals from several people of not having gout or reversing it with Keto, I gave it try, I felt the best and lost weight, but 6 months into the keto, gout pain was at its worse. Tried Paleo - still gout. Tried, Vegan-keto, still gout (maybe become of being in ketosis).

    So now i'm back on plant-based vegan foods.

    Have you been to the doctor because they do have Rx's for gout. There is a genetic component and getting rid of it is really difficult. Did you know that gout and T2 are related. They often go hand in hand. Gout can be the precursor of T2 diabetes down the road.

    https://www.diabetes.co.uk/conditions/gout-and-diabetes.html


    "Research shows that people with gout are significantly more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people without gout.

    Gout and diabetes

    A number of research papers have shown associations between gout and type 2 diabetes including a study from Harvard Medical School, published in 2014, which showed gout to be associated with a 70 increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes."

    Yes, I've been to the doctor and the meds they prescribed "Colchicine & allopurinol" is what I usually take. I only get side effects from the colchicine, which is usually stomach issues. I haven't been diagnosed with Type 2-D and my A1-C are in normal range. I notice I get flare ups if I work out that involves jumping or running, even though I stay hydrated. This is frustrating because it limits my workouts.

    Sounds good and you're doing everything you can. Keep an eye on it. All of my relatives who developed gout first developed T2 a few years later and now they have both. During a gout flare they have a tough time but you're proactive. Hope you find a food management plan that will make you feel better.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    My dad had good luck using baking soda. He swears by a pinch in water, maybe 2-3x day. I've also heard tart cherry is good.
  • lgfrie
    lgfrie Posts: 1,449 Member
    Colchicine. Ask you Dr about it.
  • donnapal79
    donnapal79 Posts: 30 Member
    edited January 2020
    My dad had good luck using baking soda. He swears by a pinch in water, maybe 2-3x day. I've also heard tart cherry is good.

    My dad swears by cherry juice. Just a small glass every evening. I don't know how it's supposed to work but he claims it helps. He also stays away from trigger foods (most of the time😉) and had to make some adjustments to other medication he was taking. Apparently, some bp medicines will worsen it. He had to tell his doctor about it and ask to be put on something else. But, overall, he does pretty well now. He hasn't had a major flare up in quite some time.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    rashadlc wrote: »
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    rashadlc wrote: »
    Anyone with gout and what are you doing to defeat it once and for all? I've been suffering with this demon for years. Went Vegan for 2 years, but felt horrible and I've studied a lot while doing it. Still had a few gout flare ups. Then decided to try Keto, after anecdotals from several people of not having gout or reversing it with Keto, I gave it try, I felt the best and lost weight, but 6 months into the keto, gout pain was at its worse. Tried Paleo - still gout. Tried, Vegan-keto, still gout (maybe become of being in ketosis).

    So now i'm back on plant-based vegan foods.

    Have you been to the doctor because they do have Rx's for gout. There is a genetic component and getting rid of it is really difficult. Did you know that gout and T2 are related. They often go hand in hand. Gout can be the precursor of T2 diabetes down the road.

    https://www.diabetes.co.uk/conditions/gout-and-diabetes.html


    "Research shows that people with gout are significantly more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people without gout.

    Gout and diabetes

    A number of research papers have shown associations between gout and type 2 diabetes including a study from Harvard Medical School, published in 2014, which showed gout to be associated with a 70 increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes."

    Yes, I've been to the doctor and the meds they prescribed "Colchicine & allopurinol" is what I usually take. I only get side effects from the colchicine, which is usually stomach issues. I haven't been diagnosed with Type 2-D and my A1-C are in normal range. I notice I get flare ups if I work out that involves jumping or running, even though I stay hydrated. This is frustrating because it limits my workouts.

    I haven't run since I got out of the military in the 90s and no one could force me to run anymore ;)

    I have knee issues that limit my workouts, but I just work around it and stay positive. There are countless low impact ways to get cardio.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    Only one way. Don't eat the foods that can cause it to flare up.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • peggy_polenta
    peggy_polenta Posts: 325 Member
    My dad had good luck using baking soda. He swears by a pinch in water, maybe 2-3x day. I've also heard tart cherry is good.

    try cherry juice, you don't need much a day. its a little pricey but a bottle should last a while. and has lots of benefits as well. i also think i heard something about pomegranate juice....but i may be wrong.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Only one way. Don't eat the foods that can cause it to flare up.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    Well, yes - for those people who have distinct food triggers for this.

    Some of which were mentioned above. Tomatoes are another common one.

    But for many people food makes little, if any, difference.

    My husband gets this and varying his diet made no difference.

    Like poster above, being on a BP med with added dieuretic made it worse ( which makes sense as then urid acid crystals will be more concentrated if one takes fluid out)

    In the end the only thing that works for him is taking ongoing Allupurinol - as long as he does this, outbreaks are very few.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member
    lgfrie wrote: »
    Colchicine. Ask you Dr about it.

    Colchicine treats acute outbreaks - it does not prevent them from occuring.

    It also has very common side effect, as poster above you noted, of diahhrea. (my husband has this side effect from it too)

    You do not take it long term - the idea is to prevent outbreaks and only take colchicine when really neccesary for acute flare ups.

  • kcmcbee
    kcmcbee Posts: 179 Member
    I started taking a dark cherry supplement daily a couple years ago instead of drinking the juice as it just seemed easier (and cheaper). This was before I modified my diet (which was not aimed at reducing gout). I believe it has helped reduce flare ups which for me was “only” a couple times/year in recent years. I also take the colchicine if I have a hint of a tingle feel coming (not regularly). I can say for the past 3-4 uears have not bad a bad attack like I had had for the prior couple of years before that. Good luck managing it!
  • seat151
    seat151 Posts: 172 Member
    600mg of Allupurinol per day for me
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    A little off the subject but a week or so ago I watched a video about gout being the "Disease of Kings". It was actually kind of fascinating (yes, I like to learn all kinds of weird things). https://youtube.com/watch?v=5c_YoU0Kdvk://
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    My old man gets gout and usually flares up after he eats prawns (shrimp).

    Never stopped him from eating them though. He loved prawns and said sometime it was worth it. =)
  • rashadlc
    rashadlc Posts: 15 Member

    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Only one way. Don't eat the foods that can cause it to flare up.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    I've done that too. Two years on a vegan diet. Although i believe it minimized the gout attacks and flare ups, i still got them. It could of been from jogging or running. Unfortunately, the vegan diet made me feel so lethargic, and low energy. I actually gained weight. I supplemented with B12, and did everything the vegan gurus said to do. I hated the way i felt on it.
  • rashadlc
    rashadlc Posts: 15 Member
    Gout hurts so bad...!! I had my first encounter with it mid flight between Europe and the states... no pain meds and hours left to go on the flight. I broke out into a sweat from the pain.

    My flare ups are very few and far between. I have medicine in hand in a pinch, but I manage to keep it away by 1) drinking tons of water, 2) having tart cherry juice if I feel a flare up coming on, 3) keeping away from beer, 4) being moderate with red meat.

    I feel for you man... it’s debilitating

    You definitely know the pain then. It's the only pain that makes a grown man cry.
  • liftorgohome
    liftorgohome Posts: 25,455 Member
    Allpurinal daily and cut back on shellfish and alcohol.
  • davepollack
    davepollack Posts: 19 Member
    Allopurinol is key. I had a stint where I had a flare up once a month for 2 years.

    Unfortunately most of my Uric Acid level was due to hereditary reasons and not diet.

    The key for me was to find a Rheumatologists (Arthritis Doctor) who kept adjusting my levels of Allopurinol based on my Uric Acid level. I had to have monthly blood draws to figure out the pattern. But now I am on 300mg. Started at 600mg

    I am happy to say that I haven't had a true flare up in about 6 years. Longest stint since I had my first flare up about 17 years ago.

    Good Luck to you!

  • doctrk
    doctrk Posts: 27 Member
    Ive done the diet, done the steroids, baking soda, everything...
    Tried allopurinol...100mg...baby dose...did't work long.
    No on a combo of colchicine - which i had taken before with side effects - angina - felt like i was having a heart attck - this time no side effects. Also taking uloric... lowers your uric acid levels...so far so good. been taking it since july, no flareups ...so far...it reduced my uric acid level from about 10 to about 5.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,333 Member
    my husband was getting gout flare ups for more than a year. It was depressing and dibilitating. His went away when he started eating on my plan. HE also bought all new shoes ..mostly Nike's and he says those helped too.

    Just know that Keto or adkins will make your gout WORSE. Of course high fat foods..and beer don't help at all. If you pay attention.. you'll most likely see a pattern that eating a certain thing or way is cuasing flare ups.

    In the short term when you have an attack.. cherry juice and celery will get the uric acide out of your system fast and help a lot. You can buy celery extract supplements.. i'd take those if I were you. You can buy them on amazon. Also ibuprofen will save you when you're in extreme pain.

    My husband's has gone away for more than a year now.... he now drinks 100 ounces of water a day... eats six times a day. each meall combines .lean portions, vegetables and whole food starches like rice or potatoes. No sugqr, no fats..and almost no dairy.
  • rashadlc
    rashadlc Posts: 15 Member
    my husband was getting gout flare ups for more than a year. It was depressing and dibilitating. His went away when he started eating on my plan. HE also bought all new shoes ..mostly Nike's and he says those helped too.

    Just know that Keto or adkins will make your gout WORSE. Of course high fat foods..and beer don't help at all. If you pay attention.. you'll most likely see a pattern that eating a certain thing or way is cuasing flare ups.

    In the short term when you have an attack.. cherry juice and celery will get the uric acide out of your system fast and help a lot. You can buy celery extract supplements.. i'd take those if I were you. You can buy them on amazon. Also ibuprofen will save you when you're in extreme pain.

    My husband's has gone away for more than a year now.... he now drinks 100 ounces of water a day... eats six times a day. each meall combines .lean portions, vegetables and whole food starches like rice or potatoes. No sugqr, no fats..and almost no dairy.

    That's amazing. What kind of eating plan are you doing? You're definitely right about the keto and gout. I felt awesome on keto, but it wasn't worth the gout pain. I'm starting on a plant base diet, but some foods are triggering stomach pain, such as lentils, so I have to adjust.
  • ruperthumphrey
    ruperthumphrey Posts: 195 Member
    Cbd oil in coconut oil, that I applied to the area. I just tried it, first time today I haven't had the knawing pain. Still cant bend toe much and put a shoe on, but I am no longer at the stage of what to do with myself😊