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This week my toe hurt really bad and I thought I must have sprained my foot. But I could not remember stubbing my toe or anything like that. Then I called my brother and he said that if it is super painful, it must be gout. He has had attacks a few times a year for the past ten years. (He is 47 years old and eats a lot of meat, was even on the Atkins diet.)
I am so surprised that this would happen to me. My meat consumption is about 25% that of most Americans. My total meat (including fish) consumption per week is 10-12 ounces. I rarely drink alcohol, once or twice a year.
I have been stressed out in the past year, trying to complete a graduate program and not exercising. So maybe that is the problem.
I am a female in my late 40s, and 30 lbs overweight. My diet is mostly vegetarian but I do eat a lot of cheese, which is high in fat.
I did not go to the doctor for the attack this week. I figured that all they can do is prescribe medications and I don't want to take them.
Yesterday the pain was so bad I had to use crutches to walk. But I took bromelain supplements, tumeric, cherry juice and homeopathic charcoal supplements, and I am doing better today.
I do not eat a diet high in purines, so I am truly baffled as to why this happened. I did read that sulfites are a trigger and I had consumed significant amounts of a carbonated apple juice that had sulfites and sodium benzoate right before this gout attack.
Any tips would be welcomed! Thanks ~ Sue
Sue: Check out the Black bean broth on this site. Some including me have had good results with it. Before you go through all this, it maybe a good thing to see your doctor to make sure it is gout. If you don't want to take meds. Dont. Some on this site use natural substances. It is you body not the doctors but only a blood test will confirm gout.
Pennsylvania,
Premenopausal women rarely get gout because there is hormonal protection against a high serum uric acid. What your doctor CAN do is to take a blood draw and measure your uric acid and also run an arthritis panel. If you have a low uric acid, you can probably rule out gout but if it's high you can count this as Gout attack #1 and determine for yourself how many it will take to get you on drugs.
Ballpark is 3 attacks in a year.
More than that and almost everyone cries uncle and gets a bottle of allopurinol (or febuxostat or probenecid.) Yes, good living is great UNTIL it doesn't prevent pain.If the attack goes on for too long or you have exhausted all the homespun remedies, the drug of choice to stop the pain is colchicine… the drug of choice to prevent attacks is allopurinol but for that you really want a strong confirmation that it is gout.
Is your pain in the classic gout joint, the bunion joint …the second joint in from the end of the big toe? If so, that is about 50% of the diagnosis.
Thanks to Dan and zip2play for replies. Dan, that black bean broth sounds like something I should try. Are you saying that taking it regularly helps to prevent gout? I was on a macrobiotic diet in my 20s and certain beans were promoted as detoxifying to the kidneys, one being adzuki beans. I think I need to get back into eating these beans more often, and the black beans I can get at my food co-op.
ziptoplay — Yes, I should make a doctor's appointment to measure the uric acid. I hope it is not gout but I am thinking it is, since the pain came on suddenly and yes, it is that joint where the toe attaches to the foot.
My question is how do people with jobs deal with this? I have just graduated with my Masters and am looking for a job in my field but this attack was so painful that I do not think I could have worked on these days.
My brother, who gets gout, can take off from work when he wants to. But I would think it would be a disabling factor for people's careers.
Thanks to all for the help.
Sue- I think the BBB (NB: No beans actually eaten) is best kept for the attacks- certainly at the heavy dosage level.
If it's effective during attacks- best keep it in reserve for that use.
Probalby does no harm to have it in between attacks though- but it does mean a lot of prepping unless you freeze it. The BBB post is long but worth working through if you can!
You def. need to get your blood tested to monitor progress.
I worked many years with Gout, self employed driving, wore sandals a LOT- and hobbled.
If your job really needs mobility and you want sure results the meds are maybe the best long term option but can be tailored down- if you can manage it later.
Once started though , meds will make it less easy to gauge results. if you have the time- good luck with BBB and getting an initial 6 to 8.5 mg/dl on your SUA -which will allow some time to work on the issue.
Note this level is considered 'normal' by Docs. for 'NON gouties' and so it may be- but once an attack has occured, it is definitely no longer a normal level !
PS: Multiply above by 59 for umol. readings
Thanks Trev and ziptoplay. The bean broth sounds like a good strategy to start with.
Will let you know what my readings are after going to the MD. I hope this is not gout but I am not too optimistic.
Hi, everyone. I got my uric acid level tested. It is 5.5. Is it possible that someone with that level could have gout?
I spoke to my friend's husband and he had the exact same thing that I had, extreme pain in the toe joint. He had to be wheeled around in a wheel chair. But it only happened for a few days in 2001, and never since.
It is common for uric acid to fall during and immediately after a gout attack, so you can be at 5.5 and still have gout.
I doubt this is the case if the only attack you have had was the one at the beginning of January.
The only way to be sure is to have fluid from the joint analyzed by a rheumatologist. This is quick and painless, and rules out other conditions, as well as confirming gout.
Sue- I have a profile very similar to you apart from being male.
The weight, STRESS and even moderate meat consumption (I only eat fish) are enough for someone with a family history of gout. Do you have undiagnosed high B.P?
If it's any consolation , my blood UA dropped from 6.2 to 4.5 on an alkaline diet recently and I still got twinges if taking wine or not enough water.
It's now back up to 6.8 – border country, so I'm watching every wrong move right now but am hoping, realistically, that the higher level is now due to Urate shipping around enough to be expelled. Needless to say, urine Ph is low [very acid] rising to not qiute so low during the day.
Maybe I should hunt down that battery hygrometer in the garage?
The consolation test is saliva Ph , which is more averaged out by the body [like the blood Ph], and that is an acceptable 7. WoooHooooo!
PS: Bear in mind, there is always the possiblity of Psuedo gout, caused by excess calcium rather than urate- but I think that normal gout is better to handle ,from reports on here. As GP says, the microscope will confirm from a drawn sample, if that is asked for / offered.
“The only way to be sure is to have fluid from the joint analyzed by a rheumatologist. This is quick and painless, and rules out other conditions, as well as confirming gout.”
GoutPal — Someone told me that the fluid extraction is very painful. Don't they have to do it with a needle?
trev — wow, the alkaline diet seems to work, from your readings. In my younger years I was on the macrobiotic diet and their teachings were that whole grains are alkanalizing. I think I should get back to eating more of those.
Regarding blood pressure, no, mine is on the low side. I have never had a high reading.
Regarding the rheumatology testing, does one do that during the flare up, or can you do that at any time?
from Ionizers.org grains are in as mildly acidic. they were missing totally from my recent diet ( and a lot less in my current follow on).
This means less calories and less butter too ;). I make my own bread and use 50% spelt mixes to aid digestion and add quality grains. [It's non hybridised]
The main components are Veg, fruit, soured milk products. Protein from nuts and mixes with brown rice and corn. http://www.goutcare.co.uk/#/fo…..4531860779
So much of what we eat is the wrong way round 3.5:1 acid high rather than a majority of alkaline food [at least].
It makes me wonder how people escape gout- but of course it IS rising all over, at least the developed world.
On the fluid draw- it must be less tricky than a spinal puncture ,which I've had- where the only problem was hitting a nerve- Ouch!. I think there has to be a certain amount of fluid there so if not, they can't get.
It seems to me you may be a fair bit off that test yet with one attack, but your Doc can best judge. With info from here you can keep them on their toes at least. 🙂
In all of this diet and lifestyle action there will be discrepancies and questions- but the important thing, to me, is get the right direction and stick to it. I have lapsed in the past- but this time giving it a major shot!
Trev — Thanks so much for the link to the diet page! It is helpful. One thing though that seems contradictory is that cauliflower is listed as moderately alkaline, but then it says to avoid it when under attack. I had eaten a great deal of cauliflower right before my attack. Would that have contributed to it?
Regarding whole grains, if they are prepared to slighty ferment them (long soaking, 12-24 hours, in water with a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar) they are similar to sprouted grains in their digestibility. Perhaps grains prepared that way are slightly alkanalizing, as the sprouted grains are designated. I am not sure though. (See Sally Fallon's book, Nourishing Traditions, for traditional grain preparation information).
I haven't made bread since early Fall, but when I do, I make sourdough, naturally-fermented bread with spelt flour. But perhaps overeating any grain is acidifiying? When I make it, it's so good I can't stop eating it, just eat bread all day, which probably is acidifying.
But the diet sheet you linked to is very helpful. Thanks!
I don't think it's the alkaline staus that affects gout with these cruciferous vegs. There something in the makeup, purines?- can't remember…- sad really, as broccoli is always rated a wonder food.
If you get most of your diet right ,maybe a few risks are OK.It's just if you have an unbalanced diet and have gout running you will hit trouble nearly every time.
When I break too many rules or get unlucky-that's when BBB gets a look in!
That site I gave produce a diet shee-t provided with their meter. Maybe you can ask them for one?
Sour dough breads are supposed to be better diet- but I still love the smell and taste of modern bread. Recently- I've cut bread right back. Baked potatoes are the starch of choice.
The other thing to remember iis keep your water intake up- it HAS to become a habit, I'm finding.
Pennsylvania said:
“The only way to be sure is to have fluid from the joint analyzed by a rheumatologist. This is quick and painless, and rules out other conditions, as well as confirming gout.”
GoutPal — Someone told me that the fluid extraction is very painful. Don't they have to do it with a needle?
Like any medical procedure, it can be done wrong by those less competent. I suggest a rheumatologist, as they should have the experience to ensure it is painless.
You must explain your pain fear to whoever is going to carry out the procedure, and if they cannot reassure you, then find someone else.
In my own case, I was still waiting for the needle long after the doc had got his sample – I never felt a thing. The area (my foot) was washed in a fluid that was quite cold, and I guess i was distracted by that. I really could not believe how quick and simple it was.
And please stop worrying about cauliflower! The only chance of it harming you is if you cut your finger during preparation – and if you do have gout, the blood loss would be a good thing.
Goutpal:
Thanks for the info regarding the procedure! Does one have it done during the flare up or can one do it at any time?
Thanks for the reassurance about cauliflower. 🙂
trev — Have you found that if your diet is consistently low-alkaline, and you do not eat processed foods, you do not get gout?
Sue- Early findings are positive to the good, but my body is extremely acid. I had over 1/2 bott. wine last night and also crunched my old injury and stopped my Goutcure for a rest from it- and Lo !- my body acid is lower than my urine in the night. No surprise really, I suppose.
If you're used to macro diets, nor will you be…
The result is twinges suddenly returning in the night- but immed. on to the H2O and get out the BBB from freezer on standby. if not needed it can go back quickly as it came out!.
This turn of events shows that my body is going well out of balance- it's not SUA that will tell me anything right now.
I will have to start another thread on this. I think you will find something to build on yet, as I reckon you have the right background to get stuck in on this routine, with some local fine tuning maybe 🙂
You may find Phofabs' juicing approach helpful in this also. tricky old business…
Trev — Thanks for the info and encouragement.
Sounds like things are a bit out of whack for your body right now. I hope you feel better ..
I will look for your new thread on the diet and balance aspect.
I am going to start a thread on one of my theories about the role of environmental toxins in this.
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