Gout

[pbat]

Guys I am new this board would appreciate any assistance anyone may have for me.

For the past 12 months I have been severely crippled with attacks of gout in both my left knee and right ankle. An attack can last anything from 5-10 days and can leave me unable to leave the bed for days at a time. I have kept a note of my attacks and have had 6 severe since new years day and 3 mild attacks.

I have been with three doctors and a physio, had steroid tablets, fluid drained from my joints and still it comes back. I have changed my diet to identify if there is any food that bring it on but cannot see any . Everyone advises me that it is a rich man's disease and it's to do with the amount of booze and good foods I have. Personally I think this is bollocks as I quit the beer at the start of June and have had three attacks since.

I believe my boss is losing patience with me for missing days over this and when I do make it in I hobble around site like a 90 year old man. I have put 3 stone on since January due to not been able to exercise, all I can really do is swim, and this has left me 4 stone over weight. But I am in somewhat of a vicious circle as obviously the more weight I have on the more it affects the joints yet I can't really exercise.

Has anyone out there suffered with it and have any advice on what I could try. I have gone and got the cure which worked for a short period, the steroids are working less and less on each attack and I am concerned of long term side effects of them.

Also has anyone used any diet or weight loss pills in their efforts to shed some pounds? I know they are no substitute for exercise but if they could give me a boost. Some people probably think it's nothing to complain about but the suffering has really got me down and now I am concerned for my Job.
So any remedies or advice on either the gout or the weight loss pills would be greatly appreciated.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Welcome to the board.

Have you tried a low purines diet?

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

[theticklemister]

A friend of mine had it, he was grand one minute and bad the next. He went off all dairy products and it seemed to help him.

Good luck!

[Capt Pat]

Stop eating so much? Something is wrong there if you have put on 4 stone. Do a complete cleanup of your diet, no sugar or any alcohol etc. It might help.

[mylestheslasher]

To lose weight eat less calories than you consume, its a simple enough equation. Exercise is secondary in weight loss so being immobile is not an excuse. Apart from that I have no knowledge of gout but good luck with it.

[DrinkingHarp]

I broke both my fibia and tibia, shattered my ankle and seperated the foot from the ankle (toes flopped down to where the heel was) and I would rather have that happen again instead of the flareups of gout.

If you can get allopurinol it will help better than steroids. My insurance ran out here state side so I can not get the meds for gout right now. Look for concetrated cherry juice and do a shot in the morning and one at night, cherry juice breaks down the uric crystals. Gout is a marker for kidney disease such as kidney stones so make sure to follow up with the DR.

Some people are genetically inclined for gout so to reduce your flare ups:
1) loose weight
2) cut out red meat
3) cut out alcohol - if you need to drink clear rum or vodka in limited amounts
4) take cherry juice daily or eat tart cherries
5) no asprin!!!  take NSAID nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs

Here are the better websites

http://www.gout.com/

http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/Gout.html

http://www.thegoutremedies.com/

http://arthritis.webmd.com/tc/gout-medications

[Windmill abu]

For the past 12 months I have been severely crippled with attacks of gout in both my left knee and right ankle. An attack can last anything from 5-10 days and can leave me unable to leave the bed for days at a time. I have kept a note of my attacks and have had 6 severe since new years day and 3 mild attacks.

Personally I think this is bollocks as I quit the beer at the start of June and have had three attacks since.

Cut out the alcohol completely & give it a chance

You have had gout for the past 12 months but did not give up the beer until june

Time to face your problem

[pbat]

DrinkHarp, I have been on the Allupurinol for the last six weeks and have had only one flare up in that time. I lived for 3 years in the Middle East until last year and I only had one attack in that period. I think the warm climate may have been a help.

My booze intake would never have been massive, usually a few pints on a Thursday night which my GP said was exceptable but I have decided to quit it for weight loss purposes. I dislocated my knee and broke my ankle 6 or 7 years ago and I was wondering would weakness in them joints have an impact,my knee would pop out sometimes when i walk.

I will try the cherry drink but ultimately I need to get the weight back down to a more controlled level.

[red hander]

DrinkHarp, I have been on the Allupurinol for the last six weeks and have had only one flare up in that time. I lived for 3 years in the Middle East until last year and I only had one attack in that period. I think the warm climate may have been a help.

My booze intake would never have been massive, usually a few pints on a Thursday night which my GP said was exceptable but I have decided to quit it for weight loss purposes. I dislocated my knee and broke my ankle 6 or 7 years ago and I was wondering would weakness in them joints have an impact,my knee would pop out sometimes when i walk.

I will try the cherry drink but ultimately I need to get the weight back down to a more controlled level.

I've every sympathy for you, I've had a couple of severe bouts in last couple of years that lasted 2-3 weeks and it is the most painful thing I've ever experienced, and that's from someone who had a double scoliosis of the spine around 12 years ago. I take black cherry concentrate in the form if capsules which help. Recently I've been using Restructa Forte, a natural ingredient in tablet form, and it definitely helped a flare-up about two weeks ago.

[CiKe]

Someone mentioned cherries above, here's some more possible scientific support for it

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19746453