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When in doubt assume it's gout.
That's been my aproach for the past several years.
I had my first attack six years ago – day after my 40th birthday. Started, as per most cases, in the joint of my big toe. Woke up wondering how I possibly could have hurt my toe during the night. It got progressively worse until by the end of the day I was limping and by the following day I could not walk. It stayed with me for a week with no treatment and then went away.
Three months later it happened again – I managed to limp to emergency at the hospital. I was there for 4 hours whle they took blood, did xrays and a whole battery of tests. After the 4 hours the doctor looked at my blood test results and told me my uric acid levels were through the roof and that I had gout.
It then occurred to me that my father had gout. My brother now has it as well.
Still in denial I wouldn't start taking medication if the pain in my foot was somewhere other than my toe. I soon realized that a gout attack can start anywhere – ankle, heel, toe, knee. So from then on when I felt ANYTHING in my feet or legs I would start taking Colchicine.
I was averaging 2 full-on debilitating attacks a year but then they began to increase in frequency. I was taking so much Colchicine and indomethicine that my doctor recommended we discuss Allopurinol.
Things had become progressively worse, peaking over the last year with the most devistating attacks being in my right knee. The worst pain that I have ever felt – to the point where I completely broke down and my body had had enough. It felt as though my knee bones had completely fused together and ANY movement, even the slightest, would cause a tearing, sharp ripping sensation that was excruciating.
I went to the doctor as soon as I could move, with someone else's help. He looked at the amount of swelling in my knee (it was twice the size as my left knee) and sent me for an ultrasound. The result was a ruptured Baker's that was leaking fluid into my leg muscles at the same time as I was going through the gout attack. This explained the seriousness of the pain I was feeling. Two Advils every 4 hours and alot of heat (hot showers and compresses) on my knee were all I could do to get the pain down a bit.
We think the cyst was a result of the damage done to my knee by the gout attacks. I'd had 2 in the knee previous to the BIG one.
I couldn't go to work for a couple of weeks and had to work from home – I have my own company so things were fine – but I've missed so much work as a result of my gout that if I was an employee somewhere I'm sure I would have lost my job.
Since then – November 16th, exactly 6 years since my first attack, I started taking Allopurinol. In six weeks I have had another knee attack – same excruciating pain but lasted less time. I've had one attack in my ankle that only lasted a day and I am currently experiencing a very very painful attack in my left foot AND right ankle.
I'm assuming this is the Allopurinol starting to work.
The worst thing about all of this, apart from the unbearable pain, is that I haven't been able to go to the gym in 6 months and my travel has been very much limited.
This is a long post but I just wanted to share my experiences – unfortunately NOBODY can understand the pain of gout but other gout sufferers so it's a good thing we have this forum.
I think, if I can offer any advice, it would be to not take the first attack lightly and work very closely with your doctor to monitor attacks so they can prescribe the best course of action.
So… If I feel anything, no matter how slight, in my feet or knees, I start taking colchicine or Advil immediately. When in doubt assume it's gout.
Colchicine, or broth of bean.
Might help pain, and keep you sane.
You find out, that won't stop gout.
For that trick, try Uloric
Sorry al_pain for detracting from your story.
I hope the early signs of improvement continue. Looks like you caught it before your upper body got affected. Shoulder and elbow are bad enough, but wrists and hands are a real show-stopper.
“I think, if I can offer any advice, it would be to not take the first attack lightly and work very closely with your doctor to monitor attacks so they can prescribe the best course of action.”
I wish I would have known and considered this 15 years ago. I've found that there are still quite a few docs who aren't versed on the latest findings of gout or who just have not dealt with it much in their practice. It's a frustrating road when you're pretty sure you have gout but the doctors are telling you otherwise.
I'm about in the same boat as you now. Taking allopurinol, 600mg/day, to get rid of the years of built up uric acid. It's been a very painful process over the past four months and I'm sure the next few will be pretty bad too. Good luck with your treatment and keep us updated. I'm curious to see how long it takes others to reach a level of 'normality' after starting the allopurinol regime, especially after suffering from gout for a few years prior.
Good luck!
I'd even go further and take the first THREE attacks lightly unless one is frank crucifying Podagra of the bunion joint.
Trouble with ASSUMNING it's gout is that one can ASSUME his way into a lifetime drug treatment and one should not do that lightly.
But once it's proven gout and one is on a urate lowering med, nothing wrong with popping 2 colchicine at the first joint pain of any kind…it will work or it won't with little lost except an extra visit to the throne.
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