Gout!

[presidentholmes]

I was convinced that something had bitten me on my big toe, as the pain just appeared overnight and holy moly, what pain!
Took 5 days of it then went to docs and he told me it was out gout!
I was mortified! And then when I read up on it, I was terrified. Still am.
So, it's goodbye to Atkins for me, tis a shame, I absolutely loved it but now it's a no-brainer.
But, meat, seafood and other Atkins staples are all a big no-no now and I'd rather change foods than end up incapacitated. I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone, and this is just a first attack!
Thanks to everyone on here, I'll still be an avid reader and would still recommend Atkins as a way of life.
Here's just a wee thing about gout.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gout

[adreliluc]

Re: Gout!

Awe you poor thing! Sorry to hear you got gout and that you'll be stopping Atkins!
I wish you well and hope you get better soon!!

[time2doit]

Re: Gout!

My brother has severe gout, has had it for years and years. He takes medication daily to prevent attacks. Anyway, it is not at all clear that limiting his diet has affected his gout in any way. There are theories about diet and gout, but apparently they are not well-supported. He tells me that if he were to eliminate all the foods that drs. have suggested might be a factor in gout, he would literally have nothing left to eat.

I would hate to see you give up Atkins unnecessarily. Of course, gout is a terrible, painful disease, and if I had it I would be trying everything to keep attacks at bay. Good luck.

[Elizellen]

Re: Gout!

Maybe you can do a google search to find other peoples input on this. though you will find many references saying Atkins causes or exacerbates gout there are many other opinions.

http://www.atkins-diet-advisor.com/m...kins-diet.html this suggests modifying your Atkins with more vegetables, and doing OWL rather than induction.

I simply wasn’t able to eat a lot of meat and fatty foods like cheeses. Instead of loading up on these, I modified the Atkins diet menu plan by balancing out my meals with more of the vegetables and salad greens that are permitted on the diet.

http://arthritis.about.com/od/gout/a/foodstoeat.htm an artcle listing the best foods ot eat to avoid/prevent gout includes many Atkins friendly foods as well as some we avoid, so you could certainly follow OWL I reckon - maybe climb to the legumes rung to allow beans etc

Recommended Foods To Eat

• Fresh cherries, strawberries, blueberries, and other red-blue berries
• Celery
• Bananas
• Tomatoes
• Vegetables including kale, cabbage, parsley, green-leafy vegetables
• Foods high in bromelain (pineapple)
• Foods high in vitamin C (red cabbage, red bell peppers, tangerines, mandarins, oranges, potatoes)
• Drink fruit juices and purified water (8 glasses of water per day)
• Low-fat dairy products
• Complex carbohydrates (breads, cereals, pasta, rice, as well as aforementioned vegetables and fruits)
• Chocolate, cocoa
• Coffee, tea
• Carbonated beverages
• Essential fatty acids (tuna and salmon, flaxseed, nuts, seeds)
• Tofu, although a legume and made from soybeans, may be a better choice than meat

Foods considered moderately high in purines but which may not raise the risk of gout include: asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, peas, spinach, whole grain breads and cereals, chicken, duck, ham, turkey, kidney and lima beans. It is important to remember that purines are found in all protein foods. All sources of purines should not be eliminated.

[Discolemonade]

Re: Gout!

<H3>What is the Gout Diet?</H3>Although most uric acid is made by the body, some foods can increase the amount of uric acid in the blood. These foods contain purines. If someone is known to experience attacks of gout, it is best to avoid these foods and follow a low-purine diet, especially during a flare-up.

High-purine foods include:

• Organ meats such as liver, kidneys, heart, brain, and sweetbreads
• Bouillon
• Broth
• Consommé
• Goose
• Gravy
• Legumes such as dried beans and peas
• Mackerel
• Mincemeat
• Mussels
• Beer and other alcoholic beverages
• Yeast
• Anchovies, sardines canned in oil, herring
• Scallops

Moderate-purine foods include:

• Fish
• Shellfish
• Meat
• Poultry
• Asparagus
• Dried beans and peas
• Lentils
• Mushrooms
• Spinach
• Best Foods for Gout

So, what should a person with gout eat and drink? It depends on whether or not a flare up is occurring. During an attack a high intake of fluid, about 8 to 12 cups a day, is recommended to flush out the excess uric acid in the blood. The recommended strategy is high in carbohydrates (grains such as bread, cereal, pasta, and rice, and fruits and vegetables), moderate in protein, and low in fat.

The best form of protein for a gout sufferer is tofu or bean curd. It has been shown to increase the elimination of uric acid from the body. Other good sources of protein are low fat dairy products and minimal amounts of eggs and peanut butter. No more than 4 to 6 ounces of meat, poultry, or fish should be eaten daily.

To limit fat intake, fried foods and rich desserts should be avoided. Limit butter, margarine, and oils to 3 to 6 teaspoons per day.

It is important to limit alcohol consumption because alcohol can increase the amount of uric acid in the blood. No more than 3 drinks per week is recommended.

In between flare-ups, or if the condition is chronic, drink at least 8 cups of fluid each day, limit alcohol, eat a moderate amount of protein each day, and focus on nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoiding the high purine foods is also a good idea so as to ward off another attack.

[edit]
Weight Control

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is important. Overweight or obesity can cause build-up of uric acid. Lose weight slowly and steadily; one to two pounds a week is recommended as quicker weight loss can cause an episode of gout

[presidentholmes]

Re: Gout!

It's funny that many doctors, and other sources seem to conflict with what you can eat and what you can't.
The consensus seems to be deffo cut the red meat right down, and no shellfish/seafood? As I don't like seafood that's no big deal No alcohol! I only drink when I'm wooing women and I'm not doing that at the mo LOL so that's fine.
My diet now is actually very similar to Atkins, very few changes actually, so I'm pleased with that.

[Hoping]

Re: Gout!

The important thing is that you feel better
Even though you're not doing atkins, make sure you stop by here and say hi to us!

[matawguro]

Re: Gout!

Gout, a topic I (painfully) know well.

You're right about the conflicting info on what you should or should not eat. There is a consensus on avoiding red meat as well as going high-carb. The truth is, the only reason high carb is recommended is that such foods are not on the list of foods to avoid. There is really nothing about high-carb foods that will improve your condition.

DANDR isn't the only book Dr. Atkins wrote. In his book Vita-Nutrient Solutions, he recommends the following daily dosage for Gout sufferers...

Vitamin C 5-10grams
Folic acid 10-30 mg (some women might need less, see book)
L-cysteine 1000-2000 mg
Pantehine 600-1200 mg
Chondroitin Sulfate 750-1500 mg
Essential oils formula 3600-7200 mg
Germanium 150-300 mg

Unfortunately, I can't vouch for the efficacy of the above treatment since I can seem to find around a fourth of the vita-nutrients listed above for sale. The most significant of the above is Pantehine as Dr. Atkins wrote a whole section on it.

However, I can vouch for Dr Michael Eades' fish oil regimen (actually, he recommends krill oil but the study he mentions uses fish oil).

For the study the researchers selected 250 patients who had back pain that was due to degenerative arthritis and not reparable by surgery, all of whom were taking NSAIDS and about 75% of whom were on COX 2 inhibitors. These patients were instructed to start taking the fish oil (4 capsules per day) for 2 weeks then to reduce the dosage to 2 capsules per day. After the initial lead-in two weeks the patients were instructed to taper off their NSAIDs over the next one to two weeks. After one month the researchers sent a questionnaire to the patients inquiring as to the degree of subjective improvement they had experienced, any side effects they may have had, and to what extent they had been able to discontinue their NSAID dosage.

125 patients returned the questionnaire after about 75 days on the fish oil regimen. (This is what I mean about soft science: this is hardly a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.) 78% of the respondents were taking the 2 capsule dose, 22% were taking the 4 capsule dose. 59% reported to have discontinued their NSAIDs entirely. 60% reported that their overall pain had improved. 80% stated that they were satisfied with their improvement and 88% said they would continue to take the fish oil. There were no side effects reported other than two patients who reported loose stools.

Other tips:

Drink lots of water.

Be mindful of trigger foods. For me it's brocolli and caffeine. Your's may be different. Quantity also count. You may find that occasional red meat may not trigger attacks, but too much in one sitting may leave you limping.

Oh yeah. Rich also suffers from gout. You may want to ask hom how he deals with it.