so that turned into severe stiffness and moderate pain in my left ankle as i went to sleep. i took an acv/cherry juice drink before bed and my ph was over 7. i woke up at 11:30 and my ph was around 6 so i took a 1/2 tsp of bs. at 1:30 am it was back under 6 so i took another 1/2 tsp of bs. i woke up this am and the stiffness and pain were gone. i can still tell something is there but only because i've been thru this before. either the bs or the cherry juice or both did the trick.

Like most gout sufferers, you find that your gout flares while you are asleep. The reason in many cases is that the gout sufferer also suffers from sleep apnea (frequent episodes during sleep when breathing stops for many seconds at a time),which is a direct cause of a gout flare. The lack of oxygen during these episodes can lead to a gout flare in short order from two effects. First, the cells begin a process of disintegration (catabolism) which culminates irreversibly in their generation of excess uric acid fed into the blood. Second, the reduced oxygen in the blood makes it more acidic (lower pH), which increases the likelihood that it will precipitate out uric acid in the form of crystals of monosodium urate. When these crystals form in joint fluid, they initiate the severe pain and inflammation of gout.

Gout is an early indicator of sleep apnea. The known long term consequences of sleep apnea are much more serious, even life threatening. They include high blood pressure, stroke, atherosclerosis, heart attack, heart failure, heart arrhythmias, diabetes, kidney disease, depression, etc. All gout sufferers should be screened for sleep apnea and follow the recommended treatment to overcome it. That will probably lengthen their lifetime and improve its quality. That will probably cure their gout too, as is did for me.

So, do you sleep while hooked up to a machine?

I've asked my wife if i exhibit any of the characterists of sleep apnea and she says no. i don't snore, have erratic breathing, sleep on my back, etc. i wish i could point to this as the reason for my flare-ups but it has happened following really sound sleep of 7 hours or more.

Making sure that I don't sleep on my back works for me, but it doesn't work for everyone.

A large minority of people with obstructive sleep apnea do not snore. Then there is central sleep apnea, which doesn't involve airway obstruction. It's just that the brain forgets to order breathing for many seconds at a time. But either obstructive or central sleep apnea reduces the level of oxygen in your blood.

You can test yourself at home, as I have done, for reduction of oxygen in your blood while you sleep by using a device called a pulse oximeter. I rented one from a medical equipment company for $50 for a long weekend. It has a sensor that slips over your finger tip and illuminates it with a red LED light. Get a model that has a tape printout which you can examine after you awaken. The tape should show readings taken every few minutes of your pulse rate and your blood oxygen saturation percentage. Healthy individuals during waking hours should have a percentage in excess of 95% near sea level - somewhat lower at high elevation. A reduced percentage during sleep is normal, but any reading less than 90% indicates a possible problem. Testing over several nights is important because the minimum can vary night to night. If your results are too low, you should consult a sleep physician for diagnosis and treatment, if necessary.