Joined: 06 May 2008 Posts: 19 Location: Redlands, CA USA
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Gout treatment options Posted: 05-06-08 02:55am
Hello, my name is Tommy and I am new to
this group and honestly fed up with gout.
I first had my first gout attack when I
was about 22 or 23. I was a heavy beer
drinker and was about 40lbs overweight.
One morning I was awoken by a very very
sore big toe at first I did not know what
it was so I went to the doctor (county
hospital) and they x-rayed it and told me
that it was a sprain, it lasted about 2 or
3 days. The next attack happened about two
weeks later and it was about the same. It
was difficult to walk and I limped around.
I took motrin. I went on like this for
about 6 more months and the attacks got
worse where the center of my foot felt
like it was going to explode and could not
take any weight. So I went to the doctor
again and asked if it could be gout. He
told me that I was too young for gout and
that I smoked and drank too much. For
about a year and a half I would limp
around about every two weeks and that was
it. Sometimes I could not walk until the
after noon but it always got better at
night when I would go to the bar with
friends. Then it got my knee! It was the
worst pain I had ever experienced.
Now I am 33 and have 10 years dealing with
gout and diarrhea pills (colchicine) and
Indocine. I now have insurance so I have
doctors who run tests instead of pushing
me out the door with some free motrin. I
no longer drink alcohol (2 years) and I
was a vegetarian until very recently. I
have had decent medical care for about 8
months now and I take 300mg of allopurinol
every night.
I still get gout!!! I get attacks every
month!!
I am here to share, read and learn how to
beat this thing.
Gout has made me not be able to do many
things and I hate it.
Will the attacks get further apart the
longer I go down the allopurinol road? Is
there a better medication?
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stanl
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 24 Location: San Francisco, CA USA
weight? Posted: 05-06-08 11:48am
How long have you been on allopurinol?
Sometimes it takes time for it to kick in.
Or, maybe you need a different drug.
Allopurinol inhibits creation of uric acid
but maybe that's not your problem. Maybe
your body is not excreting the UA well
enough. For that they have probenecid.
Have you tried that?
Also, have you dropped your weight? It's
boring, it's low-tech, but it's supposed
to be one of the most effective ways to
fight gout. It *seems* to be working for
me.
Stan
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tommytowne
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 May 2008 Posts: 19 Location: Redlands, CA USA
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I just put the weight back on Posted: 05-06-08 15:39pm
I actually lost a bunch of weight about
two years ago and thats when I stopped
drinking and eating meat. I have since put
some of it back on and I still get
attacks. My gout seems to be evolving over
the years. For the past year if I exercise
or even slightly twist my ankle or wrist I
get the tightness of a beginning attack
within 24 hours and full blown attack 24
to 48 hours after that. Now I load up on
indocine and take a colchicine right when
I get the first signs. The doctor said to
stop taking the allopurinol during an
attack but I don't think that is a good
idea. I would love to see a doctor that
has gout himself so I didn't have to
explain it every time to someone who
doesn't understand at all or understand
the medications. All I ever get are
textbook answers. I have been on
allopurinol for about ten to fourteen
months or so.
I have gotten to the point that I don't
understand gout like I thought I did and I
totally understand the "*seems* to be
working". I thought the Allopurinol was
working for a few months but then I got a
huge attack in my knee that made me lose
my job at the time. I have lost or had to
leave a few jobs because of this cursed
disease.
Do you use probenecid?
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stanl
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 24 Location: San Francisco, CA USA
Posted: 05-06-08 17:50pm
No. The go-to gout drug for my doctor,
like for most other doctors it seems, is
allopurinol. I don't think they know how
to tell whether you are retaining the UA
or producing too much of it, so their
default is allopurinol. Maybe there are
many more people who produce too much UA,
so doctors tend to favor allopurinol as a
treatment.
In my case, I don't know what camp I'm in,
but I've done a lot of natural things like
losing weight, reduce acidic and
high-purines foods and drinks, stepped up
going to the gym and exercising. It seems
to be working, but like you said, with
gout you never know.
By the way, at my gym I regularly go to
the steam room and sauna where I sweat
like a pig and presumably get rid of some
UA through perspiration. (I read somewhere
that we get rid of about 10% of UA through
perspiration. I have no idea whether this
is true or not.) You might want to
consider that since you might be in the
retaining-UA camp.
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halfcow
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 11
Posted: 05-06-08 20:24pm
Please be aware that in a small percentage
of people, Allipurinol can actually CAUSE
a gout attack. I tried twice to use it,
but ended up with the worst gout attacks
of my life. Finally, I explained all of
this to my doctor and he explained to me
that Allipurinol is counter-productive for
some people. You may want to mention this
to your doc, as well. Allipurinol is not
a miracle drug. It amazes me at how many
people (including doctors) are misinformed
and will fall for the myths.
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tommytowne
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 May 2008 Posts: 19 Location: Redlands, CA USA
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Thanked:1
I want to try something new Posted: 05-07-08 02:30am
halfcow
I started my allopurinol regimen with a
daily colchicine also because it can bring
on attacks. Thats what it says all over
the internet also but I have never heard
of it being counter productive. Very
interesting. Thanks for your post.
stanl
The sauna sounds nice actually. As far as
working out whenever I stress a joint from
working out I get an attack. It makes a
daily workout impossible. I was thinking
of going to the pool and doing pool
weights but the pool at the gym is so
heavily chlorinated I don't know if that
will affect me. I read that chlorinated
water is bad and I haven't drank it in
years. what kind of work out do you do?
I'm going to post about chlorine.
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