Colchicine febuxostat and uric acid blood test results

[d q]

@nobody

Thought we’d have the discussion here as its pretty much a random general discussion about our situation with no real co-relation to colchicine dosing anymore 🙂

the rheumatologist was also pretty shocked to see such a long standing attack. By the way, assuming one doesn’t take colchicine will the inflammation eventually go on its own..?

re: “hardocore”
Ah right. So what dose are you taking now then?

re: overconfident
So how long have you been on febuxostat prior to this attack. I know crystals can linger around for possibly years but when did you actually start taking febuxostat after learning you have gout?

re: my hemoglobin
Chronic inflammation is exactly my worry. Its been ages with this minor inflammation I have and I have no idea when it will go. Is your chronic inflammation a result of not treating it with colchicine or is it something that may never go away?

re: your SUA test result
Yep, you sure did and to be honest I never thought it would go up by 160ummol. I was thinking more 50 or so. Let’s hope it is just a “drug stop shock” and the body just re-adjusts. When you say fairly quickly, how long roughly after stopping? So you are no longer taking ULT?

How are you managing otherwise? Hopefully better?

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Are you taking the right pills at the right time.

[nobody]

You’ve got even more questions? Best give you an overview then…

I’ve gout in the family and had hyperuricemia basically my whole life. Back when I had my first weeks-long big toe nightmare, febuxostat wasn’t even on the market. I only figured out that the stuff might work for me this year, the assumption having been that my liver couldn’t stand it (and indeed a regular dose had done a number on it when I gave it a try). So irrational optimism aside, I should have been expecting serious flareups and not just minor ones.
I haven’t had a really bad attack in many years and instead I’ve been living with mostly mild chronic arthritic symptoms which is why I shrugged off frequently abnormal white cell fractions. That’s nothing you ought to be afraid of.

As to my current status, I’m of course doing much better but this flareup has been surprisingly long (and therefore most annoying). By the looks of it, that’s because it has been a multi-stage thing with different areas in and around the joint involved successively. So I’m not sure I’m out of the water yet.

As to the unrelated questions:

I’ve got no idea if and when your lingering symptoms would go away on their own. It’s not a given colchicine would help but I think it’s worth a try.
All I can tell you is that I did once experience more or less constant inflammation on a big toe for about 4 months (though in my mind there were several discrete attacks). That situation resolved on its own (though the foot took many months to heal fully once the inflammation was gone).
I also had other very long episodes which resolved themselves without colchicine. These things can’t last forever.

There must have been about 2 weeks between my strangely high test result after quitting ULT and the next one (which came back typical).

[d q]

nobody! don’t you know me by now? I’ve always got questions 🙂

I’m really sorry about what your going through mate, if it’s any consilience (and I know it probably isn’t) I’m going through a pretty rubbish time too. It seems another summer might be cut short for me if this inflammation and lingering pain don’t recover (haemoglobin to be tested in 2 weeks but so far so good). Got my new rheumatologist next month so maybe he’ll save the day with regards to the above.

Me aside;

4 months, wow, well a few more weeks and that’ll be me too mate and even when (if) this inflammation does subside like you it may be another few months to get total comfort in it again. Good news on you not needing colchicine for those long episodes, that’s given me a little boost of confidence in trying to avoid it 🙂

Did you not take any other ULT drugs apart from an attempt of febuxostat? Is it just diet maintenance and acute pain relief when it strikes?

[nobody]

No need to be sorry about what I’m going through. It wasn’t such a big deal and it looks like it’s over anyway.

I wouldn’t recommend you avoid colchicine just because my previous doctor was foolish enough not to prescribe it to me and I was able to get by without it for many years. If your blood condition rules it out or something, fine. But recall your UA problem is worse than mine.
About that… I also tried allo but yes: I’ve spent over 10 years with gout symptoms and no ULT other than diet. I figure that might have done 70% of the job or thereabouts.

[d q]

Now I fully understand – thanks pal. I was given the green light for colchicine by my haematologist but as I said I’d rather wait till mid July to see if the haemoglobin bounces back before trying anymore pills. Also I have the new rheumatologist round the corner in which I’ll ask the few outstanding questions with regards to prescriptions, inflammation and dosing.

One last thing, why did you stop allo?

Thanks mate.

[nobody]

It was obvious that would be the next question you’d ask. So if I had meant to answer it, I wouldn’t have waited for you to state the question, would I? 🙂
We’ve got to stop somewhere.
And talking allo is pointless since that’s probably behind you. I’ll however answer your febuxostat questions if you have any.

[d q]

@nobody

Haha 🙂

Febuxostat is nearing buddy, so I’m sure I’ll have questions (assuming allo was the culprit). Rheumatologist appointment is coming up in just over 2 weeks and next bloods coming up in 10 days. Interesting to hear that inflammation can also cause a blood count drop so there might be a little link to note in my case as I still have slight inflammation going on…..

Well I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t ask! Besides I was and still am interested as to why you decided to stop it.. 😉

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