Any Gout sufferers on the forum?

You guessed right Dave.
Sorry about the Gout. Brother inlaw had it and he went through hell.

 

Was also diagnosed with it as a teen. Dr said congratulations, you’re the first person under 30 I’ve ever seen with it. Used to get flare ups in the spring and realized it was all of the Easter candy I was eating. Have only had a few minor flare ups since then thankfully. When I did have them, I would put myself on a very strict diet which always helped. Thank god beer doesn’t set it off for me!

 

I get it when I eat a lot of shell fish

 

I was diagnosed with it when I was in my early twenties. I wouldn't quit drinking either at the time, but changed my diet some. It finally went away when I quit drinking totally when I was 35. So did my high blood pressure. It sucked bad Dave. Real bad. Finally addressing my alcoholism was the only ticket out. Ol' sawbones was right in the end. Gout sucks!

also it started in my big toes. I had to walk around some days like the IRS got me in the alley

 

My father had it and my brother has it, that is some painful chit.

 

Allopurinol is my friend Dave. 300 mg daily. I get it in weird places. Elbows, wrists, ankles. Had it cured but went off meds for a while and it came back. Finally getting flare free again. Prednisone always did the trick for me after one dose to knock it down. Couple more doses and done. First time I ever had it I spent a few days in the hospital while they tried to figure out what it was. I had smacked the not so funny bone so hard it brought me to my knees. Few days later it started, we all thought it had something to do with the fact I it was purple from the bruise on it. MRI, nuclear bone scans, Blood tests, X-rays all were fine. They sucked the fluid out and it was gout. Trust me when I say I feel your pain.

 

Never had any problems with the allopurinol, indometacin on the other hand after a day or 2 look out. Never could take that stuff. I was given colchicine once for a really bad flare years ago. Doctor said simply take it until you chit your brains out and stop. It’ll cure it. He weren’t kidding and I never took that again.

 

That must suck really bad. Never had it in my back, wrist yes and that was bad enough. Love how the allopurinal dehydrates me and I drink gallons a day. Got to get up normally twice a night. I know about every spot on the road to stop during the day.

 

Yeah the wife’s gotten used to it. Used to keep waking her up when I got up. Been this way for 16 years now. If someone hasn’t had it they will never know. Best I can describe it is having a dull rusty screwdriver drove into a joint and start prying it apart. Throw a propane torch on it too just to warm things up.

 

And here we are, I had scallops and bud light for supper.

 

I've had 3-4 full blown gout incidents and a couple minor ones over the past 10-12 years. Most of these followed a good weekend with copious amounts of booze and red meats.

Very painful but I was lucky enough that it the first few cleared up pretty quickly with a prescription. The first time it happened, I was at my cottage and I thought to myself, "damm I must have been drunk, I don't even remember breaking my toe last night."

I don't remember what the prescription was the doctor gave me but I do remember him saying, "I'm going to give you 5 pills, you'll only need 2, but take all 5.

Over the past few years, if I feel gout coming on in the big toe joint, (more common after drinking a couple glasses of red wine so I now limit that), if I quickly flush my system by hyper hydrating with water and sports drinks like Gatorade, it clears it up very quickly with no meds required. I wouldn't consider these full blown attacks, but maybe I am catching them quick enough and reacting quick enough so that they don't get to be a full blown attack. I have been trying some preventative maintenance the last few years by trying to always stay hydrated.

I guess I am one of the lucky ones who suffer from gout. My 6'5" 200 lb fire fighting cousin suffers enough that he has been taking daily medication since his 20's.

 

I try. I have a 70oz water bottle I fill and drink at least once a day and many times twice. That's on top of the 3-4 morning coffee's and evening libations