Hi all,

I'm new to these forums & from the UK. A bit of background-i'm 42 (well, will be in April!), male & am very keen on natural/herbal medicine. Potted history-I used to drink, way to much over the last 15 years or so (on a daily basis)-during the last 8 years or so due to depression, money worries, death in family, etc & prior to this my work involved looking after (if that's the right word!) UK holidaymakers in the Med, so drink I'm afraid was endemic with this too!

I've now sorted myself out, rairly drink, money problems sorted out & a new job to start soon! Also, I do cardio/weights at the Gym & am watching what I eat (using the calorie cycling method, average I guess about 1600 cals/day but not too strict!), have lost a few pounds & look younger than I've done in years!

I first suffered from Gout (at the time not knowing what it was-thinking it was a trapped nerve!)about 4 years ago & suppose I've had 6/7 attacks in that time (bearing in mind i was drinking heavily on a daily basis at the time). I only worked out what it was 2 years or so ago & have used celery seed tablets, devils claw, quertecin, vit c, cherries to fairly good effect when an attack came (The severity/length much much shorter than before I took supplements).

So, after getting my self healthy I started watching my weight & bang! After absolutely no alcohol for a few wks & eating healthily/taking the herbal supps I had an attack in my left foot (big toe & other toes)-which I 'killed off' in a few days with the herbals cherries (& lots of water!) & then straight away in my left knee! Now, initially I thought it was a pulled muscle from the gym (weight machine had it before but only slight a few wks back)-so did not 'up' the herbals-it was only after 4 days that that familiar 'pain' appeared & I knw it was gout!

Now....what I could not work out is that there was no 'trigger' (ie excess booze) & healthy living for 3 weeks-so most confused to have an attack!

On ploughing through the web I found out that if your uric acid level drops fairly quickly (which I assume it would have done in relation to no alcohol & the herbal tablets) any old uric acid crystals can 'redissolve' (I understand from the web that old crystals are covered up by a protein membrane once the white cells have 'attacked' them?) & push uric acid levels again over the critical level??!

Anyway-this was the most painfull/prolonged attack I've had & can only link it to my 'healthier' lifestyle (( gatheer uric acid crystals build up over many year-also not hereditiry as neither parent had it).

So....need to have agout-free 2008 & as starting a new job in a week (my current attck 90% gone now!) do not want to be taking time off!

I curently take 3 x celery seed tablets daily, 1 x 500mg vit c ( bioflavenoids), 3 glasses of cider vinegar (2tbs in each glass-after meals-heard it alkalises food & dissovles uric acid crystals?) in warm water, 2 milk thistle tablets daily, 1 multivit iron, & juice of a lemon (read it stimulates calcium caarbonate production that helps to alkalise the body) on waking in warm water.

I also have at least 4 pints water during the day, a cup of nettle tea as well! I also severely limit the 'risk' foods! I also have 20gm ground flax seeds daily & berry fruit smoothies (blueberries, strawberries, blaccurrents, etc) & always go for the '5 a day' fruit & veg. Also, I rarely eat anything high in purines....I eat home made organic wholemeal bread, eggs, good old english baked beans (!), some dried fruit, organic porridge, lean white fish...etc

I'm just scared that I'll have another big attack soon as more old crystals dissolve!!!

Am i taking the right steps re: the above supplements/food/water?

Does cider vinegar help dissolve old uric acid crystals painlessly? Is the same true for vit c?

I'm hoping that my 'lack of drinking' compared to the past 15-18 years (!) will bring about good changes-hopefully stop the gout too! From my understanding if you drink regularly/daily the body has nochance to excrete the uric acid properly & it consequently settle in the joints/tissues (oh hell....15-18 years worth then!).?

Any advice on my way forward would be great. I so DO NOT want to be on daily drugs(with their side effects!) from the doctor!