Gout - anyone with info/experience?

[Analog6]

I have gout in my left elbow! It started getting sore about lunchtime Monday and yesterday morning was unbearably painful. I went to the doctor and said I would sit there until she could see me! I was most surprised when she said she thought it was gout. I had a blood test and go back tomorrow for a confirmation, but as the tablets are working I'm sure she is right.

I've worked out a few things that might habve sparked it off.

1. I have been having hot flushes, aven though TOM is stil regular, so obviously the nmenopause thing is kicking off again (I had these 15-a6 moths ago, with a 3 month period of no TOM then it all came back).

2. I have been having a lot of protein (shakes and red meat).

3. The doc asked if I regularly rested that arm on anything, and until it was sore I didn't realise that I did, when I am on the computer. I have 2 tables at right angles to each other and when I am using the PC i've obviousdly been resting my elbow there, as I went to do it automaticcally yesterday and it hurt like ****!

So the foods that are best to avoid are red meat, anchovy/sardine like fish, organ meats (don't eat much of those last 2), and - and these hurt - asparagus, muxshrooms and cauliflower (of all things!). 3 of my favourite veges.

On the bright side, many people have one attack and never have another one. I'll keep you posted.

[julirama723]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

My boyfriend's grandfather had gout a couple of months back. It lasted a few weeks, and then he healed up fine. He's not on atkins or anything, and doesn't eat a large amount of red meat or shellfish (two likely contributors) and they didn't know what caused it. But, he's fine now, so follow doctor's orders, and you should heal properly.

[sallyseachange]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

Sorry to hear you're having these problems Odille. Hope you feel better soon and the doctor can sort things out for you. Sorry I can't offer any help... I know nothing about gout, but it doesn't sound fun.
Keep us posted.
Hugs to you!

[Richt]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

Odille, I had a really painful and swolen big right toe about 6 months ago. The doctors/nurses felt it was gout as they couldnt come up with any other suitable ideas. Also my Urate level has always been a little higher than average.

Since that attack however, I have not suffered since. I hope the same happens to you.

I was told that the big toes is the most common place for gout to occur, as its the part of the body which is furthest away from your heart.

[sadie147]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

Odille, I also know someone that has gout in their elbow, I'd never heard of that before!!

My aunt has it (in her big toe)and it flares up about 3x a year. It's so painful she can't even put a sheet over her foot in bed.

One of the things she was told as a remedy, that seems to help her is cherries and cherry juice. I don't know what stage of this woe you are at but it is worth a shot if you can afford the carbs.

[Analog6]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

Thanks for the info and commiserations. It is an extraorinarily painful complaint and I cannot imagine how anyone with it in the foot manages even to walk. SOme of the swelling has gone down but it is painful and gets sharp little shots of extreme pain al the ime, feels like a nerve pain.

The cochicine worked for me, but as usual I had an extreme reaction to it. The very first dose of 2 tablets made me feel nauseous, and after tablet 7 I had terrible diarrhea. So I am down to 2 a day with food and see how it goes. Usually you get a week of 4 a day before the trots set in, my body just does not like having drugs out in it.

Strangely, my uric acid levels were not elevated much at all, she said hardly above normal. I had not realised how often I rest that elbow on things until it was sore, I do it all the time.

It will be a week Monday (it is Sat morning here) and if it not better in 2 weeks (from last Wed) I go back to the doc.

[biogeek]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

I'm sorry you're experiencing gout. It's odd that your uric acid levels was not that high. Usually people with gout either overproduce uric acid or their bodies are less efficient at eliminating it.

If you take any vitamins, stop taking niacin (a type of vitamin B) and also vitamin C. Vitamins that help are folic acid (a different type of vitamin B), which will stop a certain enzyme from producing uric acid in the first place; the other vitamin Bs to keep the B complex balanced; and Vitamin E to help with inflammation.

Also, drinking LOTS of water helps flush out the extra uric acid crystals.

The reason why you're not suppose to eat a lot of red meat, shellfish, organ meats, etc, is because these food items have high levels of purines, which is a type of protein that will breakdown to form uric acid. You definately don't want that.

You also have to avoid alcohol because it does a double whammy: it'll produce more uric acid and at the same time, prevent current uric acid from getting eliminated.

I can go into further details if you like, but perhaps waiting to see what the doctor says would be best. Good luck in your gout battle.

[sallyseachange]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

Sorry to hear you're still battling with this. Hope things go well at the Doc's and he has some useful ideas/treatment. Lets us know!

[Analog6]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

Thanks for the comments, Biogeek. Already done all those. I cannot tolerate Vit C so have never taken it as a supplement, I don't take a B specifically (they are both in multi, but not too much. I researched a lot once I found what it was. Have taken 2 tablets today but am feeling rumbles from my tum!

Some Internet research turned up celery seed as a good preventive measue, so I am going to try that. Much of the swelling has gone but it is still very hot to touch, stiff and sore. It feels like it is stuffed with ground galss and some of the bits are hot (sharp stabbing pains like nerve pains).

Not happy!

[Analog6]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

I went back to the doctor on Wednesday (I chose a day the lady doc I saw last time is not there!) and sure enough, as I thought, it is not gout, I have an infection, probably from the mosquito bite that I scratched (silly me!). The whole arm was swollen to the wrist and I could not get my rings on (and they've been getting loose because I've lost weight).

So he had a feel of the elbow and I told him exactly what happened, and he agreed with me that it was probably the cold packs that reduced the swelling initially, not the gout medicine. The other (lady) doc just would not listen, she'd decided it was gout so gout it was going to be, despite the blood test not showing elevated uric acid levels.

So the little germs have had 8 days to play havoc and they are putting up a fight, they don't want to vacate. So here I am on my first course of antibiotics in 23 years! Although some heat has gone out of it the swelling is not diminshed, and, worryingly, movement in my elbow is restricted. I cannot straighten the ebow at all. I'm also using a sling because it is so uncomfortabel iof I let it just hang. And it is extremely diffcult to get any sleep, I just cannot seem to find a comfortable 'possie'

Will keep you all posted

[jimmie 48]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

i'm sorry for the discomfort of this, analog, but we are glad it's not gout, right?

[sallyseachange]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

Sorry to hear you're in such misery Odille...but it really is good news that it isn't gout. Hang in there and keep up the antibiotics!

[biogeek]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

Did your physican do a blood test to see which bacterium is causing you the infection or are they just treating you with general antibiotics?? Hang in there! It's a mix blessing, but there's certainly hope for getting healed completely!

[Analog6]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

He didn't want to hang about any longer as the germs were having a good go already, so I have Amoxycillin (I am allergic to penicliin, culphur and erythromycin, or at least have a very bad reaction to them). It is slowly doing the job, it is a lot less hot but the actual elbow joint is till very tender, and there is still some swelling as far as the wrist. See how it is at the end of the first course (10 tabs over 5 days).

And yes, jimmie, I'm VERY glad it's not gout!

[Babs]

Re: Gout - anyone with info/experience?

Sorry to hear you are having this pain. It caught my eye because years ago, my husband had a gout flair up and has been taking Probenecid and Colchicine tablets (subsitute for GFCOL-BENEMID tablets) ever since and has had no more problems. (He's on Atkins too.)

Now that you said it might not be gout, I thought of two friends who had your symptoms, so I wondered if you had an x-ray on your elbow. One neighbor was doing yard work and had a long thin "needle type thorn" from a hedge go into his elbow joint and lodge in the joint. The doctor removed it. And a friend did the same thing, only it was an extra thin sewing (beading) needle. She couldn't see it and didn't even know it was there, or when she did it. It wasn't sticking out of the skin to see, no puncture wound, and was so swollen and painful, couldn't bend it, infected, etc., and only found in the x-ray. So since I hate to hear of people in pain for too long, I thought I tell you just in case you had been sewing or gardening and it continues with no relief. Best wishes to you, and I hope you feel better soon.