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?