How to relieve gout pain immediately

[Keith Taylor]

Some time ago, gary said:

I take colchicine at the time of a flare up.
I have found that taking the colchicine does not relieve my pain immediately and almost all my flare ups have lasted 3 complete days.

Getting rid of gout pain is the most important topic for most gout sufferers, and many want to know if it can be done immediately. I’ve learned a lot about pain control from the years before I started controlling uric acid properly. Here are some of my thoughts about immediate gout pain relief, and I hope you will reply with your own experiences and opinions.

The only instant relief that I am aware of is a steroid shot into the affected area. Personally, I have a strong dislike of steroids. If you don’t mind them, would you consider a steroid shot? What about other extreme pain relief? There are other fast-acting pain-killers. Why are these never used for gout patients?

I often see colchicine as the best first line of attack, but it is not a pain killer, and it can have bad side-effects for many people. Never take it if your immune system is compromised, and never take more than two per day. Never expect instant relief, because colchicine does not work that way. It stops inflammation getting worse, but does not reduce inflammation or pain. It is pointless taking it once inflammation has peaked, but it should prevent pain increasing. It is almost always best used when supported with an anti-inflammatory and a compatible pain-blocking drug.

In my best case, I never got instant gout pain relief, but I could usually bring it down to manageable levels in half an hour, and keep the pain away until swelling subsided.

What’s your quickest time for relieving gout pain, and how did you do it?

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