Man I hate this stuff . I don't get flair ups very often , (about 1 or 2 a year ) but when I do they suck . Got one right now , probably the worst one yet . Both feet (big toes ) and one ankle . My S-10 w/auto
tranny took a shit so now I am stuck driving my F-150 with a clutch . Two days off work and I still can't find my CIV III cd .

I just hope the doc will phone in a script without an office visit . I don't think I could make it in if I had too .

Arthritis sucks

I feel for you, dude.  I have arthritis in both hips and my left wrist.  Some days it hurts a lot, some days it only hurts a little.
One of my uncles has gout, and he swears up and down that it can be controlled through diet.  Cherries are a key thing, according to him.  It all sounds kind of bullshyttie to me, but he doesn't appear to suffer near as much as he used to.  Placebo effect?

GOUT? You mean 'Government Operations in Urban Terrain?' They're just training for martial law is all. Where's posse comitatus, huh?


Oh wait...


Don't get the idea that I'm making light of anyone's suffering. The title just struck me as odd. I hope you feel better, y'all.

I get it in my big toe about 2-3 times a year. Seems to be related to high protein for me (turkey). I use Rofecoxib 50 mg. Take 1/2 tab, stops the pain cold! Do this a couple of days, gout gone...DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!

Ugh, man, I know how you feel. It is a painful SOB.  It feels lke you have a busted ankle, limp around like Lurch. I've been on Allopurinol for a year now, and haven't had any attacks.

I thought gout was caused by having too much fat in your diet.  ??

Nah, it is caused by too much uric acid in the blood, which starts to create cyrstals in the lower extremities.

Golgo-13,
I read that certain cherries have an anti-inflammatory effect similar to many arthritis pain meds. Maybe the cherries are more than a placebo.

My father in law has it.  He never goes to the doctor, so he suffered through his first bout, and then the second one which was really bad.  The third one kept him on the couch instead of outside on his farm (he is ALWAYS outside) and that finaly pissed the grumpy SOB off enough to go see the doctor.  He got a prescription that fixed him up like night and day.  However, he had to lay off a lot of stuff he really liked on a daily basis.....namely BEER!  And unfortunately, I and my brother in law often encourage him, especially after a Sunday afternoon of shooting.

Be sure and listen to your doc.  You don't have to suffer, at least that was my father in law's experience.

I've had it, and as others who's gotten it know, the pain is un-freaking-believable. As Entropy noted, it is caused by excess Uric Acid, not too much fat in your diet. Many things can cause an excess of Uric acid--organ meats (liver, etc) and excess proteins in general, as well as beer.

Check out a few things to keep it from ever happening again. Change your diet, it will definitely make a difference. Cherries DO help, something about one of the mineral that make them red does it, can't remember the name.

The things that I've found that absolutely work wonders are the supplements named in The Arthritis Cure by a Doctor Theodosakis (sp?)--Glucosamine and Chondroitin. Daily does is about 1200 milligrams of Chondroitin and 1500 milligrams of Glucosamine. See the book or the web for details.

When I get a decent supply of the supplements, and watch my intake of meats and proteins, and cut back on beer (expecially dark beers), I don't get flare-ups.

[url]http://www.drtheo.com/[/url]

I've got it.  Flares up once or twice a year.  I take an Indomethacin, an anti-inflammatory for it.  Attack lasts about a day if I do, 4-5 if I don't.  I have yet to figure out what triggers an attack.

Hobbling is [b]not[/b] fun.  Driving a truck with a clutch is excruciating.

No GOUT here!

Yep. It will make you really think about hacking your body parts off with an axe.

And it makes it really hard to carry a 12 pack of beer home when you are on crutches.
But it can be done!!

my dad gets the gout flare up once or twice a year, had a bad month last month and got it twice in a month?

doesn't it have something to do with the diet?

Gout:

Uric Acid precipitation in the joints--primarily of the big toe and ankle, although other joints may be affected.  

Uric Acid is the by-product of Purine Metabolism (Purines and Pyramidines are the two types of Nucleic acids found in DNA).  

Gout is caused by the overproduction of uric acid and/or diminished excretion of uric acid by the kidney.  

Uric Acid precipitates as a monosodium salt in oversaturated joint tissues.  The sharp edged bi-refringent (yellow under polarized light) crystals initiate a severe inflammitory response in the tissue.  The pain is often so intense in the affected area that the patient cannot stand the weight of a bed sheet on the foot, or even the closing of a door in the vicinity.  

After 10 or more years of acute Gout attacks, chronic Tophaceous Gout may occur, in which the affected joints are permanantly swollen, and in constant low level pain.  

Kidney disease (progressive renal failure) can occur in close association with chronic Gout.

Radiographic changes occur later in the disease, and are usually "Rat Bite" punched out lesions (Martell's Sign) in close proximity to the affected joint.  

Treatment:
Acute Gout--Colchicine.  Given within the first 24 hours of the attack is very effective in reducing the symptoms.  Usually taken orally (may be IV) until one of three things occur--the symptoms significantly reduce, GI toxicity occurs, or the maximum dose is achieved.

Indomethicin--Reduces the inflammitory response in the joint.

Steroids may be used if the other two treatments do not work.


Prophylactic Treatments--
MODIFICATION OF DIET (reduction in the intake of purine containing foods)!!
Avoidence of Alcohol (impairs excretion of Uric Acid).
Weight Loss.

Allopurinol is usually the drug of choice for long term prophylaxis, as it works for overproducers and underexcreters.

My wife has it.  I really feel sorry for her whenever it flairs up, poor thing.  She is always in a lot of pain whenever she gets it.  I came home from work one day and she was crying because of the pain.

I feel for you!

I have it in my whole body and I am on some hardcore medicine called methotrexate. I have to get blood workup done on me once a month, methotrexate is a chemo medicine. It sucks and I hate being sick from the stuff. The cure is as bad as the cause. Without my medicine though, I can't even go to the bathroom by myself. When I first got diagnosed, my feet were swelled up as big as balloons, and were as black as the ace of spades. I couldn't walk, [b]PERIOD[/b] .
You have my blessings dude, I know [b]EXACTLY[/b] what you are going through.
I wish you well.

Almost forgot, I have a different form of arthritis.

 Thanks for all the support guys . Kinda makes me feel a little better . (Misery loves company ? )
 I have been eating cheeries in all forms .
and lots of Ibuprofen .  I havent had beer in a while though . I find that I can still drink Vodka .

Thank God no!  It's kinda weird though 'cuz both my dad and my brother have it (and both have to watch what they eat and take the meds to control it)...

hsld.