Gout 😥

[Stigmorgan]

Anyone else suffer with Gout at all? The first time it introduced itself was January 2020 and it was the most excruciating thing I've ever experienced, just woke up o e morning and I couldn't even stand the weight of the light bed sheet on my foot, along with the extreme pain in the joint of my big toe my foot had swollen quite a bit, I called my GP and got a script for Naproxen and it worked really well, since then I've had a few light flare ups but nothing I couldn't co tongue my day with, today I've awoken to intense pain and swollen foot, can't even put socks on and I'm out of meds until I can call the doc tomorrow, in the meantime I've tried a hot bath, that only calmed it for 5 minutes, cold pack didn't work at all, ibuprofen and paracetamol are taking the edge off but not much, do any of you guys have any suggestions I could try?
Always thought of gout as an older persons problem, I'm only on my 2nd chance at 20

 

[sammy.se]

Sorry to hear that Stig, hope you feel better soon.

Some of my extended family get gout flare ups, and cutting out sugars and carbs seems to help - although it might not help immediately now, rather for future help in preventing flare ups....

 

[GeoffW]

Anyone else suffer with Gout at all? The first time it introduced itself was January 2020 and it was the most excruciating thing I've ever experienced, just woke up o e morning and I couldn't even stand the weight of the light bed sheet on my foot, along with the extreme pain in the joint of my big toe my foot had swollen quite a bit, I called my GP and got a script for Naproxen and it worked really well, since then I've had a few light flare ups but nothing I couldn't co tongue my day with, today I've awoken to intense pain and swollen foot, can't even put socks on and I'm out of meds until I can call the doc tomorrow, in the meantime I've tried a hot bath, that only calmed it for 5 minutes, cold pack didn't work at all, ibuprofen and paracetamol are taking the edge off but not much, do any of you guys have any suggestions I could try?
Always thought of gout as an older persons problem, I'm only on my 2nd chance at 20

I've suffered in exactly the same way as you described. It's awful.
Before I experienced it, I thought it was some sort of joke condition that had died out centuries ago. My mate had it, and I thought he was playing the old soldier, but I soon changed my tune when I had it!
Naproxen and other anti inflammatory pain medications will not stop it coming back I'm afraid. I'm now on allopurinol, and have never had it reoccur since. (That was around 3 years ago).
Get back onto your GP and ask about Allopurinol.
I hope you get sorted soon.

 

[ajs]

Are you sure it is gout? I had something similar perhaps 15 years ago - then still right side of 30 - and GP had no hesitation diagnosing gout - she knew I like a pint. She did the bloods anyway and she was almost shocked it wasn't. Put me on a combination of antibiotics and anti-fungal meds on the basis it must be some kind of infection in my big toe, which cleared it up very quickly.

The reason I ask is that it's been cold, wet weather of late and I found that's what causes recurrence. Obviously I don't know it's the same thing but I find simply looking after my feet helps. That means replacing shoes if they're leaking, socks if they are not clean, dry and hole free. The kind of thing that sounds obvious but is easy to dismiss as "that doesn't matter".

 

[ajs]

Are you sure it is gout? I had something similar perhaps 15 years ago - then still right side of 30 - and GP had no hesitation diagnosing gout - she knew I like a pint. She did the bloods anyway and she was almost shocked it wasn't. Put me on a combination of antibiotics and anti-fungal meds on the basis it must be some kind of infection in my big toe, which cleared it up very quickly.

The reason I ask is that it's been cold, wet weather of late and I found that's what causes recurrence. Obviously I don't know it's the same thing but I find simply looking after my feet helps. That means replacing shoes if they're leaking, socks if they are not clean, dry and hole free. The kind of thing that sounds obvious but is easy to dismiss as "that doesn't matter".

Also don't sleep in your socks, allow your feet to breathe once in a while.

 

[Chief Sawdust Maker]

You have my sympathy its one of the worst pains, I first suffered around 10 years ago the Dr first prescribed Colchicine which reduces the pain but does have side effects with me I could never stray far from the smallest room in the house!!!!
After several flair ups by a process of elimination I found out what my triggers were, strawberries or anything thing strawberry flavoured, chick peas and the worst dehydration.
I have several friends who also suffer with varying trigger foods none of which are port stilton game meats, but more everyday things such as marmite cola, shell fish & offal
After several flair ups and attacks getting longer the Dr put me on allopurinol one pill each morning and for 4+ years attack free, I still steer clear of my trigger foods and if I do get dehydrated I can get a twinge in my toes and ankles.
Good luck with getting sorted Its one of those conditions that everyone will laugh and rib you about but once you have had the pain you will never joke about it

D

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I woke up with gout on my twenty fifth birthday (44 years ago) and have taken allopurinol since. Last time I stopped taking it I got gout in my left big toe ........... then my right big toe ....... then my left ankle ........ then my right ankle .......... then my left knee ........ then my right knee ........ then I thought it had gone. Then my left big toe ...
This was over three or four weeks, never again. If you think it's painful in your toe, wait til you get it in your knees. If you take allopurinol and stop for some reason, if you feel an attack starting DO NOT start taking it again, you'll make it worse.

My late friend used to say you could tell who in a pub suffered from gout - they were the ones who didn't laugh when you hobbled in with it.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Also don't sleep in your socks, allow your feet to breathe once in a while.

That's no problem, can't stand sleeping in socks or anything else beyond shorts. It is defi lately gout, I've had small flare ups in warm dry weather and the naproxen always worked, the first flare up the doc offered a lifetime course of allo but I resisted as I don't like taking meds when I need them let alone all the time but this time feels different to even the first, I can feel it in my ankle too so may have to bite the bullet and go with the daily meds. I don't k ow of any foods that are triggers for me but dehydration is definately a big one so I've always been careful to drink enough water.

 

[Sideways]

I get it, as does a local friend. Both of us now in our 60's.
Diet can increase your susceptability to it but usually I find the trigger is physical damage.
Mine began in my mid 50's climbing a staircase with uneven steps. I found my whole bodyweight on just the toes of one foot and they slipped, giving a brutal slap when I dropped onto the step below.

The pain is exactly as you describe. OTC painkillers don't really touch it so life contracts to little more than enduring the next few minutes. It makes for a long night !
It's slightly less bad than serious kidney stones but that's little consolation :-(

I've had a couple of flare ups since, at intervals of a year or two and know that Naproxen + Omeprozole (protects the stomach) is a standard treatment. It works.

On the advice of my friend and more recently a doctor, make sure to keep a small stock of the tablets so that you can treat an inflammation immediately. Catch it early and it settles down again in a few days. Leave it untreated and it gets worse, can take 2-3 weeks to go and the crystalline deposits cause some lasting damage every time.

If your local GP's are as utterly user unfriendly as mine, go online to one of the online prescription med services and just buy what you need. It is not very costly. Someone at the company reviews and approves what you type in because these are prescription meds but you'll get them in 2-3 days.

The best way though is to use the NHS 11? helpline. The call handlers talk you through a guided questionnaire to reach a decision on what to do. They have no discretion but may guide you if you begin by clearly describing what you think you have and what you need. They have the ability to cut through the GP receptionists and arrange a priority phone call with a GP and that is what you need. After being fobbed off by the surgery with a phone appointment for a weeks time, I was able to get a same day call back and immediate prescription once I twigged that the NHS line was the way to go. The GP was fine, it's the admin that is deliberately designed to obstruct at our local group practice.
Don't mess about. With gout you have severe pain and can't walk more than about 3 steps. If you minimise and pretend you can, the diagnostic may spit you out as non urgent instead of a doctor easily actioning a remedy in <10 minutes.

Don't start allopurinol unless you have to by the way. If you only get one episode a year, keep the Naproxen handy and just jump on it when it happens.

 

[mikej460]

I've never had gout but something very similar 'Hallux Rigidus' (arthritis in my big toe joint) that caused me really bad attacks of pain until I had first one then (ten years later) the other big toe joint fused. The one medication that worked to alleviate the pain was Naproxen + Omeprozole

 

[Bodone]

So early forties for me, my trigger is beige/heavily processed food, so probably a good thing I try and control it. Strangely I also think diet free drinks and Weiss beer can cause an episode but may just be coincidental.

If I get a twinge i’ll take a naproxen as soon as I can and that way I’ll have a few days of pain but nothing like a full, fiery needles through toe nails episode. If I don’t have any naproxen it’s an anti inflammatory with pain killers. I‘ve tried long term management through supplements, cranberry etc, can’t say it made much difference, same with cbd creams.

My first attack, I thought I’d broken something, swollen, on fire, couldn’t put weight on it, Dr sent me home with pain killers. Took two more visits before any thing said about gout and naproxen. Couldn’t work out how I had an illness from the 14th century.

If I was you I’d identify the cause/causes and try and manage them.

Good luck.

 

[Stigmorgan]

So early forties for me, my trigger is beige/heavily processed food, so probably a good thing I try and control it. Strangely I also think diet free drinks and Weiss beer can cause an episode but may just be coincidental.

If I get a twinge i’ll take a naproxen as soon as I can and that way I’ll have a few days of pain but nothing like a full, fiery needles through toe nails episode. If I don’t have any naproxen it’s an anti inflammatory with pain killers. I‘ve tried long term management through supplements, cranberry etc, can’t say it made much difference, same with cbd creams.

My first attack, I thought I’d broken something, swollen, on fire, couldn’t put weight on it, Dr sent me home with pain killers. Took two more visits before any thing said about gout and naproxen. Couldn’t work out how I had an illness from the 14th century.

If I was you I’d identify the cause/causes and try and manage them.

Good luck.

I'm leaning towards large amounts of sugar being the trigger, this time at least, I don't usually eat a lot of sweets and chocolate but being Christmas I've had a huge amount of chocolate, biscuits and sweets gifted to me from the children so my intake has risen quite a bit.

 

[Rhossydd]

GeoffW is right. Get your doctor to prescribe Allopurinol.
I suffered for nearly twenty years, faffing about trying diets, anti inflammatories and avoiding foods with no success.
Once taking Allopurinol I've not had a proper attack in over ten years, just the very occasional twinge.

Curiously once you talk openly about gout you discover how many other people suffer too, it's reckoned to be about 1 in 20. You'll also find that many sufferers don't display symptoms because they're on Allopurinol too.
Worth noting that suffering occasional bouts can do long term damage to your joints, so taking a pill once a day can prevent long term cumulative damage.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Curiously once you talk openly about gout you discover how many other people suffer too ...

and it's nearly all men.

 

[Sideways]

I think I read that it's more than 7x more common in men.
Women are much less likely to suffer gout.

 

[niemeyjt]

On the advice of my friend and more recently a doctor, make sure to keep a small stock of the tablets so that you can treat an inflammation immediately. Catch it early and it settles down again in a few days. Leave it untreated and it gets worse, can take 2-3 weeks to go and the crystalline deposits cause some lasting damage every time.

Ditto - same advice - I have Allopurinol to hand.

Both my parents had it and T2 diabetes - Dad was on daily Allopurinol to prevent it - and like diabetes it does have a congenital element to it. Ironically my last flare-up was at my Father's house four years ago - mostly eating rich things for me (eg Xmas hams) - so I am not taking it every day as a preventative just yet - just trying to moderate the diet which is good for both the T2 and the gout.

Best wishes to all fellow sufferers for speedy recovery.

 

[MikeJhn]

I don't think my Arthritis (mostly in my feet) has left enough room for Gout, but I do sympathise with all you sufferers, can't ride my bike due to it in my hands and can't walk very far, the pub is over two miles away, the main problem with Arthritis it's always there just gets worse on damp days.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ditto - same advice - I have Allopurinol to hand.

Either take it or don't, don't wait for an attack to start taking it, it'll make it worse.

 

[hlvd]

I had my first bout of gout in 2020 during lockdown.
I’d finished my bottle of omega 3 capsules and had purchased another. After a couple of days on this new batch I had this swollen and very painful left big toe.
Anyway, I worked out what the cause was, stopped taking the omega 3 and the pain went away.
I’ve not taken omega 3 since but it’s not come back yet.

 

[fezman]

Mid forties for me. Had a few episodes , wondering why my ankle had swollen overnight wit the most excruciating pain.
i now take allopurinol every day and rarely have any symptoms. When i do (feels like prickly heat in my joints) i eat some montmorency cherries
Drinking Montmorency cherry concentrate reduces effects of gout
it works for me every time. I used to get bags of dried ones from costco, but they have stopped selling them in the uk. So holland and barret sell the juice