My gout update…

[azasadny]

Since starting 600mg of Allopurinol a day (300mg in AM, 300mg at night), my SUA is 2.2-2.6 and liver enzymes are normal. My gout pain stopped gradually, so since May 2011, I haven't had any gout flare-ups or gout-related pain at all.

I saw a rheumatologist in May and he agreed with my treatment and diet/lifestyle, but said that I do have osteoarthritis in the joints ?that the gout affected and that he couldn't offer me any treatment because of my liver disease and said that I caught it before it became too severe. He recommended 220mg of Aleve (naproxyn) as needed for the arthritis pain and he said “you're doing everything right, keep doing what you're doing”.

I told him about this forum and he said that he is familiar with it and he encourages his other patients to seek the ?support of other gout sufferers. He liked the tart cherry juice that I drink and he also agreed that avoiding HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) is important.

I haven't posted here in awhile and I wanted to thank everyone for their encouragement and advice and to let you folks know that Allopurinol works for me. I hope you all find relief!!

[limpy]

Art, it's good to hear from you and that?your doing well. Success storys are great to hear they give us guys that are still in pain hope.?I take it you are now regretting selling your car that you couldn't drive cause it was a stick? Life goes on. Good luck to you. Limpy

[azasadny]

Thanks! Yes, I wish I could still drive the old Porsche, but the arthritis that I now have in my toes really makes that out of the question. I sold the car to a guy in Germany and he shipped the car back to Stuttgart and he's restoring it and painting it back to it's original color, so I'm glad he bought the car, he'll take good care of it!

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Anyway, the gout pain was so severe that the arthritis pain I have now is mild in comparison and I manage with 220mg of Aleve once or twice a day. The colder, damp weather that we're having now in Michigan makes it worse than it was in the summer. My liver enzymes are normal, so I'm happy and glad that the Allopurinol took care of the gout and didn't stress my liver too much (at all).

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I hope everyone else here finds relief, with meds or without! I cannot imagine going any longer with uncontrolled gout, it was hell on earth, but then I really don't have to explain it to you folks, do I?

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Best of health to you all!!

[zip2play]

That's a lot of food for thought Art.

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Firstly…what a terrific SUA response to 600 mg. I might try the same if my new doctor to be?isn't too much of a pain in the ass to manipulate.

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Secondly…what a conundrim trying to differentiate the damage done by gout from the damage done by OA. Is it possible that the former causes the latter? Who knows? Perhaps it's the same disease process and only the names have been muddled.

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Often I see rreferences to OA as a default diagnosis…if it's not RA then the pain must be OA.

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Sorry about Portia (a natural name for her.)

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Michigan in Winter is a big suck.

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