anyone? should i ask for higher dose of allporinal (on 300 mg) as im still having attacks but not drink beer,eating red meat, weight ok

Ouch, sorry man. I am home with the second of back-to-back big toe attacks.... the jerk jumped from my left to my right ovr night....

Have you tried moist heat? I know everyone tells you ice, but crystals form at lower temps and heat has been the ONLY thing to help me feel better. I don't know about Allipurinol, I refuse to take it since I've heard 10 bad stories for every good one about it.

Good luck, good luck good luck. It will pass, you will make it through.

Have never had it in the index finger but did have it in the ring finger and hurts like the dickens.

Asking for more alopurinol now will not help. In fact it does not help for pain at all prevention somewhat pain no. Ask your doc for some indomethacin or colchinne. Both of those will help with the inflammation. If you have had the attack for a period of time a predinisone taper may be in order.

Myself I like ice better than heat on my joints when I have a gout attack. Heat seems to really tighten my joint up and make it more painful. Use what works best for you.

V/R
Jeff

thanks guys

been iceing it and taking diclofenic for 3 days now...but no improvment in fact i think its getting worse, my feelin is it is an insect bite that has infection on the knuckle joint. my doctors dont seem v concerned and i have not many people to advise. surely should have improved, if it was my ankle/knee i would ahve seen an improvement by now???

I have used the same aniti-inflamatory (NSAID) as you have in your post and it did not even make a dent in the pain. I just retired from the Navy and the Rhuematologist at Portsmouth Naval kept changing me around on the NSAID perscribed until we found one that worked the best which was indomethacin. The doc every now and then throws me a curve and will switch NSAIDS on me. However the one that works the best is indomethacin.

Talk to your doc about colchinne. It helps but it does cause stomach distress. A methyl prednisone dose pack may be and option also.

Jeff

I recently started using this drug instead of my usual Voltarol (for reducing inflamation) and Cocodamol (for the pain). It was a big mistake. Within a few hours I was in real trouble, couldn't stand, felt sick, had head cramps at the top of my skull, dizzy (Vertigo) etc etc - it was very nasty indeed. I checked the side effects that this drug can give you and it read like a Stephen King horror story (damage to central nervous system, kidneys, liver, heart and on and on and on). I then checked the ADR (Adverse Drug Reaction) information and found that up to 20% of users suffer an ADR with Indomethacin. There is no doubt that this drug can help relieve the symptoms of gout but be warned, if one or two people out of every ten get hit like I got hit, you may wish to have your old favourites to hand if this drug hits you badly.

Peter

PS - My spelling may be a little out as my drugs are not to hand :-S