"The Gout"

[justme15]

Has anyone had gout? O.M.G.....I have been dealing with flare ups for the past 8 months. and the pain is awful!! I've always heard people complain of 'the gout' and how painful it was.  well now I know first hand.  it is tremendously painful.  It comes on randomly at night... one day you're fine, the next morning you can barely walk.  and it lingers on for sometimes up to two weeks!! My doctor gave me a Medrol dose pack, which helps a lot, but I still had residual pain.  Well today the pain has finally left my toe...just as suddenly as it came on. weird.  but I'm just glad it's gone.  I'm going to talk to my doctor on Monday to discuss why he's treating the symptoms and not the root problem, which I think is high uric acid.

anybody else have any gout stories... ? I need some support, because when it flares up I get really miserable and irritable due to the pain.

[Sydnee]

Ed had gout a while ago (pre kidney problems) a man from church suggested Hawthorn Berry 1-2 pills a day. Ed tried it, it started helping within a couple of days. He took it for at least a few months. He has NEVER had another attack. His attacks were so bad that he needed crutches to walk and was thinking of getting a wheelchair for the bad attacks.

I don't no whether or how hawthorn Berry affects dialysis or the kidneys so check with your neph.   

[monsterman]

I've had a few flare ups since being on Dialysis. They suck!! I now just try my best to avoid a lot of the foods that cause the flare ups! Meat, Seafood, Poultry etc also Alcohol!


Here is some useful info

 Limit meat, poultry and fish. Animal proteins are high in purine. Avoid or severely limit high-purine foods, such as organ meats, herring, anchovies and mackerel. Red meat (beef, pork and lamb), fatty fish and seafood (tuna, shrimp, lobster and scallops) are associated with increased risk of gout. Because all meat, poultry and fish contain purines, limit your intake to 4 to 6 ounces (113 to 170 grams) daily.
Cut back on fat. Saturated fat lowers the body's ability to eliminate uric acid. Choosing plant-based protein, such as beans and legumes, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products will help you cut down the amount of saturated fat in your diet. High-fat meals also contribute to obesity, which is linked to gout.
Limit or avoid alcohol. Alcohol interferes with the elimination of uric acid from your body. Drinking beer, in particular, has been linked to gout attacks. If you're having an attack, avoid all alcohol. However, when you're not having an attack, drinking one or two 5-ounce (148-milliliter) servings a day of wine is not likely to increase your risk.
Limit or avoid foods sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. Fructose is the only carbohydrate known to increase uric acid. It is best to avoid beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, such as soft drinks or juice drinks. Juices that are 100 percent fruit juice do not seem to stimulate uric acid production as much.
Choose complex carbohydrates. Eat more whole grains and fruits and vegetables and fewer refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, cakes and candy.
Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Some studies have shown that low-fat dairy products can help reduce the risk of gout.
Drink plenty of fluids, particularly water. Fluids can help remove uric acid from your body. Aim for 8 to 16 glasses a day. A glass is 8 ounces (237 milliliter). There's also some evidence that drinking four to six cups of coffee a day lowers gout risk in men

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gout-diet/MY01137


Medication that your dr can subscribe will also help..
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gout/DS00090/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs

[Desert Dancer]

Gout is a feature of my disease, though I haven't had a flare up in years and years. My cousins began getting gout when they were 9 and 10 years old.

I probably haven't had a flare up because I've been on allopurinol for twenty-some odd years. This prevents the uric acid from going too high, but you don't want to begin taking it while you're having an episode because it will make it worse.

When I did get flare ups my doc used to prescribe colchicine, which you take until the pain subsides or you get terrible diarrhea, whichever comes first. (Nice, huh?) They also used to prescribe an anti-inflammatory whose name escapes me at the moment (but which will probably come to me the instant I hit 'post'). Basically it was like taking a mega-mega dose of ibuprofen. Obviously with ESRD that's something you have to be careful with, but it did help.

[MooseMom]

I awoke one New Year's Eve morning about 15 years ago with the most exquisite pain in my right toe (I was visiting the States; I was living in the UK at the time).  I had no clue what it could possibly be.  My mother happened to mention that I have a cousin who had gout; my husband scoffed and said that there was no way I had gout (I was relatively young and fit), but as soon as my mom mentioned the word, I knew that's what it was.

It went away, eventually, and I didn't think much about it.  I knew I had fsgs but had not seen a neph in years (for reasons too complicated to go into), but I did wonder if CKD had anything to do with gout.

I had a few more attacks, one of which occurred when I was in rural France.  That posed a linguistic challenge.  I was prescribed colchicine (sp?) which I had taken before, but little did I know that in France, that drug was combined with opium.  I didn't find that out until after I had just taken it and then decided to brush up on my French by reading the box.  I was sick for days!

Fast forward to some years later after I had returned to the States.  I had recently found out just how rotten my kidneys were.  One night I had a terrible pain in my knee.  I went to the ER and found out it was gout.  At this point, my neph put me on a daily dose of allopurinol.  I was on it all the way up until I had my tx.  I never had another bout of gout.  I personally swear by allopurinol.

My personal opinion is that if you are in advanced stages of CKD and have problems with gout, dietary tweaks won't help much.  The dietary guidelines that the previous poster offered are all well and good for people without CKD; we can't eat whole grain foods and we have to really watch our intake of fruits and vegetables.  I spent 8 years on the pre-D diet, so I wasn't eating much animal protein, anyway. 

Yes, high uric acid is the culprit.  Allopurinol helps reduce it.  I know there is at least one newer drug on the market for the treatment of high uric acid (I've seen the ads on TV), but allopurinol is probably a LOT cheaper!  It's generic.

Hope this helps.

[MooseMom]

I probably haven't had a flare up because I've been on allopurinol for twenty-some odd years. This prevents the uric acid from going too high, but you don't want to begin taking it while you're having an episode because it will make it worse.

When I did get flare ups my doc used to prescribe colchicine, which you take until the pain subsides or you get terrible diarrhea, whichever comes first. (Nice, huh?)

Another fan of allopurinol!   

The opium added to colchicine that I mentioned earlier is to prevent diarrhea, which is great if you can tolerate opium.  I cannot.  So much for my holiday in France.

[justme15]

wow, interesting stories! thanks you all!  yes, my gout was so bad that if I had crutches I would've used them! I will be asking about allopurinol on Monday for sure!

[galvo]

Allopurinol is definitely the answer!

[justme15]

so I should expect diarrhea with taking allopurinol? this is something i'll have to take daily, indefinitely?

[Desert Dancer]

No, the diarrhea is from the colchicine, which is used to treat an attack.

Allopurinol is used to prevent the attacks in the first place. Never had any side effects from it at all.

[natnnnat]

Gregory has gout from time to time, and suffers from it terribly.  He treats it with colgout, which is not so good for his transplant I think (speaking off the top of my head at present).
Heartfelt sympathy.
He does seem to get gout if he starts gobbling prawns, or eats too much meat for too long. 
Desert Dancer, that painting of you is new to me, and its fabulous!!!

[Joe]

I had a couple of bouts after my kidneys failed, and has been noted, the pain is exquisite! I'm now on allopurinol every day, it's a wonder drug!

[billybags]

allopurinol , is the way to go.My husband has been taking it for a few years.It is to do with too much uric acid. Apparently you have a really bad bout at the on set and the allopurinol  keeps it at bay. They say it is a rich mans desease, too much rich food.

[justme15]

and I always thought it happened in your big toe only.  silly me! i had it in my ankle, my 2nd toe joint, and my fourth toe joint!!  I would look at my toe and wonder how something so small can cause such intense pain.  man, this gout is THE worst.

[Joe]

It will typically manifest itself in the big toe of one foot, but is not constrained to there. My Neph tells me it can pop up anywhere. And you're right, it's amazing how that small a toe can hurt so much.

[Desert Dancer]

and I always thought it happened in your big toe only.  silly me! i had it in my ankle, my 2nd toe joint, and my fourth toe joint!!  I would look at my toe and wonder how something so small can cause such intense pain.  man, this gout is THE worst.

Another really common place it pops up is where your ear attaches to your head. I've had it there and man, it was excruciating. (But at least I could still walk.)

Desert Dancer, that painting of you is new to me, and its fabulous!!!

I kind of like it myself! She definitely 'got it', even though she was only able to make 6 of the 12 hours I sat for this portrait.

[big777bill]

 I got gout in my left wrist about 6 months after starting D. IT was the worst pain, I thought I had broken my wrist somehow. My PC wrote my a script for colchicine and the pain was gone in 5 days.
  That is a great painting of you DD, I really like it.

[bevvy5]

A drug used during flareups is indomethacin.  I'm a care partner but have been battling gout for the last two months.  Frustrating and painful.

It is definitely not recommended unless your kidneys are pretty much done anyway as it reduces renal function.  But hubby's neph said at this stage it won't hurt him if he ends up with it again.

[Desert Dancer]

A drug used during flareups is indomethacin.  I'm a care partner but have been battling gout for the last two months.  Frustrating and painful.

That's the one! I couldn't think of the name; the brand name is Indocin.

[Joe]

My Neph has me take Colcrys when I have a flare up. It usually kicks in in 24 hours.

[kit78]

Oh yes...first time was awful!  I would rather give birth 10 times in a row then to go thru that pain.   They say eating cucumbers reduce the uric acid.  It does help.  I did a steroid pack a couple weeks ago and it took it away as this ankle bout wasn't as bad as my first time.  I am glad I have chairs with rollers to get around the house when it is so bad.  I know a guy who has it really bad in his joints all over.  I am beginning to think like he does and foods are not the problem.  I can stay away from all purines and still get it. and so does he.   It's what you believe by trial and error of testing foods out.   I feel it's because there is too much build up of toxins in the blood and the system not getting cleaned as well as it should.  Am I right in my thinking...who knows.  I do advise going to a foot doctor so he can inject your foot behind the big toe joint.  Mine can't help when its my ankle, but it did help the toe.  With that pain being so bad...NO....you won't feel the pinch of the little needle. LOL

[justme15]

desert dancer-where you ear attaches to your head? omg, I know that has to hurt! so this does not have to happen in an actual joint? for instance one time I had a pain in my rib that felt like gout pain, but i didn't think it could happen there.

and kit78- i've never had kids, but I imagine that at least that pain ends in 12 hrs or so. gout pain is severe, 10/10 pain for days!!

[Desert Dancer]

desert dancer-where you ear attaches to your head? omg, I know that has to hurt! so this does not have to happen in an actual joint? for instance one time I had a pain in my rib that felt like gout pain, but i didn't think it could happen there.

and kit78- i've never had kids, but I imagine that at least that pain ends in 12 hrs or so. gout pain is severe, 10/10 pain for days!!

Yep. It's excruciating. I've never heard of getting it in a rib but I suppose it's not out of the realm of possibility.

It's also said that cherry juice helps keep down the uric acid. Just make sure it's 100% juice.

Speaking of the devil, I woke up with a mild bout of gout in my big toe this morning. I can't forget to take my allopurinol. 

[bevvy5]

Lemons is also good for reducing uric acid.  Hubby eats them like oranges.  Not so great for your teeth though.

[Joe]

Lemons is also good for reducing uric acid.  Hubby eats them like oranges.  Not so great for your teeth though.

Or your Potassium.