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Thanks to this site, I have been able to get my gout under control, and now I enjoy a u.a. level of 5! But it is not so good for my dad, who after an 8 week prostate cancer treatment, he returned home with a bad gout attack to his knee, to the point he can hardly walk, sleep. The attack was three weeks ago, and he took naproxen until yesterday, when he saw his doctor for the first time since. (The Dr. was on vacation) He put him on anti-inflammatory but I don't know what it is. His u.a. level is around 10. My father is not telling me everything, so I cannot find out what the drug name is, but I'm not sure what is going on as well. When I got such a gout attack to my big toe in the pass, to the point I needed crutches, I had an infiltration. He did not? The doctor sent him home with this medication, and told him after a few days he would be fine, and to stop taking the pills as soon as the pain goes away. Can a drug act this fast now? My mom passed away a year ago, and he is presently not eating that well, his blood sugar is high, pressure is high, he's not in good shape. I'm not sure he is being treated well, maybe I am thinking of my own episodes, and maybe drugs have gotten better? I don't know. I would like to understand my father's condition, and help him out as much as I can, without raising a fuss or something, he's got enough on his plate right now, without me putting more.
Thanks for helpiong me.
Gilles said:
… he took naproxen until yesterday, when he saw his doctor for the first time since. (The Dr. was on vacation) He put him on anti-inflammatory but I don't know what it is.
His u.a. level is around 10.
…The doctor sent him home with this medication, and told him after a few days he would be fine, and to stop taking the pills as soon as the pain goes away. Can a drug act this fast now? …
Gilles. your dad better spill the beans or the beans are going to spill hill him. Sorry for for the no-kid-glove treatment.
At a SUA level of 10 and his age, he must have collected oodles of uric acid crystals.
Naproxen only helps with reducing the pain but won't do doodle-lee-doo for the gout. Not knowing what anti-inflammatory meds he is on, no one call tell if it is the right one for gout (Colchicene) or not.
One big question: Has it been confirmed that he has GOUT??? If he has, then he needs a SUA reducing medication, at the least.
Gilles said:
He put him on anti-inflammatory but I don't know what it is.
Probably a corticosteroid like prednisone.
My fear is being cofirmed… He has been diagnosed with gout, an x-ray was done on his knee both with the ua level at the hospital back 3 weeks ago, along with the previous gout diagnose several years ago. Since the doctor was coming back from vacation, I hope this was just a pain reducing action, and he will get informed about how to treat my father. There is to be call from the doctor to my dad for follow-up, as per what my dad said. I am not sure how to communicate with the doctor, but should I be able to, I would like to have him know about this site, this would help a lot? Or do doctor refer to this site for information?
Thank you
Gilles- Surgery and radiation therapy can both raise SUA so your poor Dad really did have a TRIPLE whammy- with an existing condition.
it sounds like things are picking up now- so just make sure you discuss what you can on here and don't try to second guess too much.
It needs time to settle for your Dad ,and backing him up as much as possible ,day to day, will help a lot .
As to Drs. using this site- I've heard mention, and wasn't surprised tbh-
Who would be, if suffering like we do, without much medical 'on the ground' understanding?
Great, I understand, and thank you for the great advise. I am wanting to be as helpful as possible, not bashing into his life and things. I will be as discreat as possible, and as I get more info, I will post here. Again, thank you very much for your help.
Your father has to be honest with you and his doctor has to be honest with you. If you are to help you must know what he is taking and how it is affecting his uric acid level.
I would like to have him know about this site, this would help a lot? Or do doctor refer to this site for information?
The answer is a firm NO because doctors believe all information comes directly to them from God and/or Pharmaceutical Companies! There is no other route for them to learn. (Their earliest forbears weren't called Witch Doctors for nothing.)
For doctors, the internet is a means of keeping track of their billing, nothing more.
Gilles said:
My fear is being cofirmed… He has been diagnosed with gout, an x-ray was done on his knee both with the ua level at the hospital back 3 weeks ago, along with the previous gout diagnose several years ago. …
Gilles, x-ray does NOT confirm gout.
Listen to each and every point Zip has told you. I confirm each and every one.
Gilles said:…helpful as possible, not bashing into his life and things. …
Sorry, Gilles, if you want to help your dad, you got to bash into his life to bash his gout!!!
OK guys, I am going to work on this. It's a great help reading your post, and sure am greatful you are taking time to understand and offer your experience. It will go long way to help an old guys suffering from this….
Gilles, x-ray does NOT confirm gout.My dad lives in New Brunswick Canada, on the east coast. We are not using scan for determining gout here yet. When I first was diagnosed with gout, my family doctor got me to see an internist. He was not very helpful, since he sent me to see a dietician to lose 5 pounds!!!! The dietician did not know what to do with me. I decided to seach the internet for help, and I found this site. I found out about the UASURE test kit, and started monitoring my UA level. I lived two major gout attacks before I started monitoring to the point of using crutches for the one. On both attacks, I was X-rayed only, with a UA blood test.
With a UA level at 10 for my dad, it's pretty sure it's gout isn't it?
Gilles- Maybe your Dad knows this and is keeping quiet- but there is a test proof for gout with drawing a joint fluid sample and viewing the crystals, if any, with a polarized microscope that will show urate [or calcium too]. I don't think this is painful, though it sounds it -and it doesn't seem to be done enough.
My personal; view is 10mg/dl is high enough for gout , but not certain 'by the book' -so this test, or the success of Colchicine, would be classic indicators of gout.
I can see why the use of Colchicine would be held back with the risk if post op infections etc. being harder to manage on it [possibly]- as well as the somewhat upsetting stomach , if to be effective at attack busting!
That's why patience is the word , for me – though it's a bad time doing it , for sure!
Best bet is to push hard, behind the scenes, for the fluid draw and test by a specialist.
Thank you trev, I will be working on this front. I don't think he has ever been prescribed Colchicine, only Naproxen. I know he was prescribed a medicine for reducing UA, but at this point I am not sure what it was. I will make sure to find out.
Gilles said:
… I don't think he has ever been prescribed Colchicine, only Naproxen. …
Gilles, in case you and your dad don't know: Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory med specifically used for inflammation caused by a gout attack. Naproxen is a pain killer (Rx), Aleve is the non Rx counterpart. Neither one will combat gout, only its symptoms. The only ones to combat gout are: Allopurinol, Uloric, and Probenecid. (Anyone who knows/remembers the others, please, chime in.)
Thank you, I do understand Naproxen or other anti-inflammatory drugs do not lower uric acid crystals. I was responding to colchine drug as a way to positively diagnose gout, as mri or joint liquid analysis. My dad has had no official diagnose of gout. I was talking with him again today, and he has yet to get relief from his latest attack, and far from starting of Allopurino or alike products….
Because of the pertinent information I get here, I am able to explain to him what needs to be done, and the urgency to clear up this attack in order to start on Allo, asap!!!! It's been 7 weeks since the onset of the attack, and he is still strugling with the pains, flair ups to his knee. The age may not help, the doctors are not responsive at all to his condition, people around don't know much about the disease on and on…. I live 5 hours from him, so I don't have the opportunity to go see him as much as I would like.
I'll keep working on it, and again, thank you all of you for your help.
Gilles
Ouch,
A 5 hour drive each way is a killer.
But yes, in past times before MRI's and doctors who study NOTHING about gout anymore, colchine response was considered diagnostic for gout. But that was when colchicine was used in 12-16 pill regimens for a day's treatment.
If pain is not resolved with 16 colchicine it is not likely to be gout.
But doctors think they are smarter now and have dismissed 2,000 years of gout history. Now they have the big Monte Python “machine that goes BEEP” that costs a fortune but nobody is sure what it does…except go beep. And the U.S. has an FDA that gives away patents on 3,000 year old drugs to drug companies that are generous with campaign contributions.
Make sure your dad starts on 300 mg. allopurinol if he hasn't already. THis dosage is important.
hansinnm said:
Post edited 3:19 pm – October 28, 2010 by hansinnm
Naproxen is a pain killer
Nope, sorry to be picky, but Naproxen is a NSAID. Its action as an anti-inflammatory may well reduce pain, but that is not its primary function. Morphine, codeine etc. are pain killers.
odo said:
Post edited 1:56 pm – November 15, 2010 by odo
hansinnm said:
Post edited 3:19 pm – October 28, 2010 by hansinnm
Naproxen is a pain killer
Nope, sorry to be picky, but Naproxen is a NSAID. Its action as an anti-inflammatory may well reduce pain, but that is not its primary function. Morphine, codeine etc. are pain killers.
That'OK, Odo. It does not matter to me what they classify Naproxen, all I know and care about is that it DOES KILL THE PAIN. It is not that “Its action as an anti-inflammatory may well reduce pain, but that is not its primary function” , as far as I am concerned, it does reduce the pain.
Thank you. I will make sure one way or another that he get's on an Allopurinol regime asap. The reality is, my Dad is not really able to take care of himself with this matter, and usually, he will let things go until he really cannot stand it anymore, and will ultimately burst in the doctor secretary's office to get immediate help. But one can always keep trying, and the pertinent information I get on this site is very helpful to talk with him about the disease and his condition in raport to the disease.
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