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Yes, I replied to your e-mail several days ago, but I just got bounce messages back several times.
My uric acid is 7.2. The doctor prescribed Allopurinol and wanted to retest in six weeks. However, in the meantime, I got quite ill from side effects of the Pravastatin they put me on after my TIA on May 19. I stopped taking it a few days ago, but I am still feeling ill with muscle weakness, sleep problems, fatigue, and especially digestive issues–nausea, diarrhea, etc.
I was not intending to start on the Allopurinol until after the six weeks check anyway, but this has cinched that for me. I don’t need any more confusion and upset to my system with a new drug. I want to see if the changes I made in my diet–no meat, fish or seafood and no sweets– was bringing my uric acid level down since I don’t know what it was before my attack. My diet now is beans, brown rice, eggs, vegetables, low sodium V-8 juice with cayenne, one or two bananas a day (needed because I take Lasix), occasionally berries or an orange, non-fat organic Greek yogurt, low fat organic cottage cheese with turmeric and black pepper, kefir, oats, hemp seed, nuts, cinnamon, and lots of coffee (mostly organic decaf, one or two cups regular), olive oil, some coconut oil, butter on my toast maybe once a week.
I still feel that the extreme changes I had made just prior to the attack–increasing my meat consumption to get more protein and drinking bone broth every day–may have precipitated the attack. And I have always eaten a lot of sweets. If so, the changes I have made may reverse it without drugs.
I have also changed doctors to one who is an MD who also believes in incorporating integrative medicine. My first appointment with her is July 17. My plan is to continue the no-meat, no-sweets diet until then and see what she has to offer. I’m sure there will be a recheck of the uric acid level, and I will be sure to let you know the outcome.
If there is no reduction in my uric acid on the next check, I will be open to whatever I need to do next, as I don’t want to let anything continue to destroy my joints. And if you see anything that I need to change immediately, don’t hesitate to tell me.
I am interested in and appreciate any and all information you have for me. I have no objection to the test, and it wouldn’t be especially hard for me to have it done. In fact, I am very curious as to what it would show.
I have been hit with a series of serious health issues since February of this year and have been overwhelmed with the amount of doctors and changes that I am dealing with now. I mentioned the bronchitis (February), followed by the aFib incident (March) and then gout (April) and then a TIA (May 19).
After the aFib incident, I had a stress test and calcium scan of my heart and had a calcium score of 1019. I have been on blood pressure meds for 30 years, including hydrochlorothiazide (which gave me pancreatitis) and now Lasix (for the last two years or so).
I am 100 pounds overweight and have not been active due to pain and disability from arthritis, one knee replacement and the other knee needing replacement, but since the TIA, I have been exercising regularly by going to the gym, using the elliptical machine and treadmill and 12 different strength-building machines for upper and lower body.
I have lost about five pounds because of the change in my diet, and my blood pressure is stable. I am feeling much less pain in all my joints and am walking much better just from this short time of eliminating meat and sweets and exercising. From all I have read about turmeric, I feel sure that it is helping too.
I will call my doctor’s office and ask for a uric acid test. I’m sure they will be happy to order it, and then I will let you know what it shows.
Maybe I should add that I went to the walk-in clinic the Saturday morning after the gout started on Friday night. The NP prescribed the Tramadol and Prednisone. I didn’t take the Tramadol, but I did take the Prednisone for 10 days, and by that time the gout had stopped causing me any pain. The NP said that the uric acid tests weren’t really helpful, and that was why she didn’t do one. I have read that same opinion (about the test) elsewhere, and that is why I have not tried to have one done.
