[BelieveInScience]

Roger,

I get flares in my right ankle. ?They occur in the joint, and then work their way around to my foot and to my Achilles. ?Sometimes they just start in the Achilles.

I have been on 3-400 mg Allopurinol for 10 months. ?Flares are reducing in intensity and duration, although they have remained fairly frequent. ?I am hoping that frequency reduction is next.

 

[BelieveInScience]

Thanks Zip.

[BelieveInScience]

kryptonium,
I share your “unusual places” syndrome. I have never had an attack in my toe. I have had them in my feet (multiple locations including soft tissue), ankles, Achilles tendon, wrists, and knees. Many of my attacks are mild, however, my attacks from hell have taken place in my knees and lasted for 6-8 weeks before I knew what to do about them. For many years I thought I was going nuts, or some sort of hypochondriac.

I started Allopurinol about two months ago. I did 2 weeks at 100, 2 weeks at 200, and have been on 300 for one month now and am down to ~4.0 mg/dl. 10 days ago I had my worst attack in a long time, and it was in my foot. It went around my arch and sort of through my ankle. I was able to kill it in 24 hours with large cholchicine doses, but holy sh*t was it bad.

I am flare free at the moment, and about 2 months into Allopurinol. I don’t know if I am done being attacked, or if I have more to come. But, and this is a big but (hee hee) I used to get really upset about flares when I had no idea what was going on. Now, I know it is part of a path out, and the flares lack the mental beating they used to provide me with. Big difference.

My thought for you is to get your dosing up and your SUA down as soon as you can and get it over with. Have cholchicine on hand.

Good luck,
BIS

[BelieveInScience]

I’m not sure if there is a misunderstanding here or not, but perhaps this will help clarify if there is one. I found parts of this thread a little confusing.

This is how I understand it, correct me if I am off base:

Allopurinol itself does not dissolve crystals. Allopurinol lowers serum levels of UA below the saturation point. Once blood levels are below saturation point, blood can once again absorb UA and the crystals start dissolving. So Allopurinol does not directly dissolve crystals, but it creates the environment in which they will dissolve back into the blood.

[BelieveInScience]

Thanks Keith,

I also used to have one-joint-repeat-flares, and have now moved to many joints and more random. ?However, they really aren't flares like I have had in the past. ?They last a matter of hours or one full day – then they are gone.

?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining 🙂 ?Just wondering if other have had this random multi joint short duration pain?

[BelieveInScience]

Well, I have been on Allopurinol for just over two weeks. ?I have also done frequent home testing. ?Here is what I think I know:

?

My home test kit is accurate and consistent. ?I have confirmed my home results within 0.2mg/dl of the lab results. ?I have also found what works for me as far as consistency. ?At first, I was trying all different sized drops of blood, as has been discussed on another thread here. ?Then I discovered what I would call a saturation drop – if you have a big drop of blood on your finger, the test strip will only pick up so much of it. ?And this amount is consistently the same size. ?Using this saturation sized drop, my results are all very tightly grouped and follow predictable patterns.

?

With respect to results, I have slowly reduced from 7.x down to the low 6.x over the first two weeks. ?Both my doctor and I are pleased, but he has agreed to up the dose to 200mg daily for the next two weeks. ?If I am not where we want me (likely under 5.0), then we will up it to 300mg.

?

I do have a question that perhaps someone can help with. ?I know there is an increased risk of flares during this period. ?I have had none yet. ?But, I am having some varied and weird joint pain all over. ?I am a competitive hockey player (I know, good choice for a gout sufferer) During a game last night, one knee hurt, then the other, then they subsided, and now my ankle and wrist hurt. ?Have others had this same experience?

Thanks all,

[BelieveInScience]

I'm not sayin that thought never crossed my mind. ?That was a mental bridge I was only going to cross if I came to it.

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testing out the smilies, lots of options…

[BelieveInScience]

Thank you Hans – I appreciate your help.

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