Gout Forum - Gout treatment options

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Gout is a common type of arthritis and accounts for about 5% of all cases of arthritic condition. But what is gout and what are the stages of this condition?...

Q: Gout treatment options

asked by: tommytowne on May 6th, 2008

New User

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?

Replies(5)

stanl

replied on May 6th, 2008

New User

weight?

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

tommytowne

replied on May 6th, 2008

New User

I just put the weight back on

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?

stanl

replied on May 6th, 2008

New User

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.

halfcow

replied on May 6th, 2008

New User

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.

tommytowne

replied on May 7th, 2008

New User

I want to try something new

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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