Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Haha! Glad to entertain. So how about I’m more confused now. I took a UA reading (w/Kernel meter) in the parking lot of my Dr’s office prior to going in (I did not fast today like I did when I had the 4.2 a little while back). The first result was 5.8. I tested immediately again and it was 6.8.
I asked the Dr about storage procedures and handling of samples and she agreed that there could definitely be a variance between “fresh blood” and “stored/handled” blood, but it should not be as significant as what I’m seeing with my home meter. Anyways GP, I took your advice and after they drew blood from my arm I tested it twice with my meter. It came out to 5.6 both times. Just for shits and giggles I immediately test a third sample but from my finger. It came out to 5.2.
One interesting note is that the nurse said that when I swab my finger with an alcohol wipe I need to not just let it air dry but wipe it with a clean sterile cloth too to remove alcohol traces as they can potentially skew results. I don’t use alcohol wipes (mostly soap an water) all the time but when I do I only let my finger air dry.
Anyways, I won’t have my lab work back until Monday or Tuesday next week. It’ll be interesting to see how they play out. Still have no clue as to whether or not I should increase my AP dosage though. I think my Dr is on the fence at this point.
Keith are you finally making the Jump to AP? In regards to my dosage, I’ll take a large dose if needed, but I just find it very odd that for 2 years my averages have always been between 4-5ish and now they’re always 6-7. The only thing I can think of in terms of my lifestyle that has changed is that I moved to a colder climate. Maybe during the winter crystals somehow formed and now that it’s summer they’re dissolving. I dunno. Still doesnt explain my 4.2 lab though. I tested again this morning after fasting and got 5.8. I guess I’m gonna call my dr this afternoon and get their take. I’m also refilling my Rx. Maybe my prvious 6 mo supply has somehow gone bad?again I dunno but running out of ideas.
Hello everyone…good to hear from you again Keith,
I wanted to post an update. I recently received my new Kernel UA meter. Previously I have been using the UASure meter and actually had 1 test strip left from it. I tested sua today with both meters at the same time and got 6.2. Since I decided to purchase extra test strips with the Kernel Meter, I decided to immediately test again just for giggles. This time results were 7.7! I tested again 7.2! Seriously, I don’t know what to think. Make another appointment with my Doc? They just told me my lab results a couple weeks ago were 4.2. I haven’t had any trauma or illness, I stay very hydrated (I drink 100+ oz of water/day), and I’m not fasting. I’d hate to jump up to 400mg of AP but if I have no other choice?
Update, I went back to Dr today to get all my test results. My labs showed my kidneys and liver were fine and my uric acid was 4.2 even though my home meter said 5.6 (I tested about 2 hours before my visit). This makes me think that there might be a problem with my UASure meter (its almost 2 years old) since most of my recent home tests have been 5.5-6.5.
I feel great about the results, but unfortunately my body doesn’t feel good. Both feet, knees and elbow are very sore on and off today. Honestly, i feel like i did right when i firt started taking Allopurinol. Anyways, I ordered a Kernel home meter last week, but prob won’t have it for a few more days since I’m in the US.
Oh well, I guess at this point I’ll just wait it out and gorge on Colchicine if I need it. I took 5 colchicines last Friday. Anyone know how many can be taken in a week?…just in case I have to do the 1 an hour thing soon 🙁
Hey Zip! Glad to see you’re still on this board! I typically do heavy weight training 3X week, however I’ve always done that so I’m not sure why I’d see an effect now. As far as my weight, I’m 6ft and fairly skinny. I typically fluctuate between 175-185lbs. If i take a break from the gym for a bit, how long do you think before my levels would stabilize? Another thought, could there perhaps be old urate that has recently been exposed and is now dissolving spiking my levels?
Thanks for all the responses everybody lol! Just kidding. Anyways, I went to the DR today and they seemed perplexed that it’s so high now (I also tested this morning at home and it was 5.6). They sent off my blood for some tests and I go back on Monday. They said not to increase my dosage until then.
hi Zip,
There is more to that article. You shouldn?t need a usename/password to see it though. The link I posted should take you directly to it.
I don?t plan on switching RX until Im 100% sure I need to. AP has been a godsend to help me return to a normal lifestyle!
The odd thing about how this all started was that it only began with a patch on my back after laying shirtless on a floor for 2-3 hours. I would think an AP rash would start in more than one place?but im iust guessing. That day i was also eating some crazy food at a fair and all the while I had a bad sinus infection after quitting my job?so there are variables/stressors that could have caused it. I’ve been around my gfriends cat before so I’m not sure if it was the cat although I’ve never laid on the floor before.
I started on 120/day mg of Prednisome to begin with. Tomorrow my dosage is down to 40 mg for 3 days and then 20 mg for 3 days. Since the half life of this drug isn?t very long, should I know by the end of next week if it?s gone for good? Based off of what I?ve learned from you and this board it?s really starting to sound like the odds are in my favor? No? That medscape article is the only thing still in the back of my mind
Hi Trev,
I don?t know whether I?m an over producer or under excreter. Will Probenecid work in both cases like AP?
I?m also on day 2 of a lower dose of Prednisone (80mg/day). So far rash is still 99% gone. I?m keeping the faith it will stay gone. Tomorrow I step down to only 40mg/day
You?ve all been very helpful, and I really appreciate everyone’s feedback. Maybe I?m being a bit of a baby about this whole thing, but I?ve never had a full body rash before (or really any bad rash I can think of). I do know in the past I?ve gotten hives and very itchy eyes from being around certain peoples cats so there is some sort of allergy I have. I?ve never had a rash from a cat(s) before though.
I tried the Benadryl thing at first (liquid) when starting the Prednisone, however the Prednisone was working so well that I stopped it since it was making me too drowsy.
In terms of the delayed rash from my therapy, I was freaking out a bit at first because I read the following article from medscape.com and interpreted it as ?a person can still develop a rash WITHOUT hypersensitivity syndrome.? This is why I was wondering if I did not have hyper sensitivity syndrome and only a rash if I could possibly continue AP.
?Dermatologic and Local Effects
Skin reactions may be delayed and have been reported to occur as long as 2 years after initiating allopurinol therapy. Rarely, skin rash may be followed by severe hypersensitivity reactions which may sometimes be fatal. (See Cautions: Hypersensitivity Reactions.) Some patients who have developed severe dermatitis have also developed cataracts (including a case of toxic cataracts), but the exact relationship between allopurinol and cataracts has not been established. Pruritus, onycholysis, and lichen planus have also occurred rarely in patients receiving allopurinol. Facial edema, sweating, and skin edema have also occurred rarely, but a causal relationship to the drug has not been established.
I guess it?s just a waiting game at this point now 🙁
Yes that’s what’s I’ve been doing this week. The problem was that the rash was all over my entire body so it was difficult to cover it all with the cream. I’d need an entire tube! My radh is now 90% gone. I’m starting to taper off my dosage of Prednisone too and should finish it off late next week. Even if it was from the AP is there a chance that I could still take the drug?
Well that sucks I was starting to get my hopes up. So I guess the true test will be to see if the rash comes back AFTER I finish the Prednisone? Or do you think I?m most liekly in the clear? I hate to sound like a worrier, but as I mentioned, I dont have any insurance anymore and can’t afford the alternative 🙁
Hi Zip,
Even though i started with a larger patch on my back (which is still somewhat there), i dont know if it was poison ivy because i cant think of anywhere i could have gotten it from (my gf cat is an inside only cat). Fortunately the rash is about 75% gone now! My question to you is, in your opinion ?if? it was from the AP would the Prednisone have worked this well or would it have still gotten worse? Also, Would my liver tests from 2 weeks ago have detected an abnormality?
Hmm. Interesting. Im always humored with name calling on a forum lol.
Anyways, while you’re up too early, I’m up too late. On a good note, I feel great and my full body rash is subsiding rather quickly with the Prednisone! This thing was wicked!
Well, I prayed last night and then took my 4th, 5th and 6th Prednisone pill before bed. I woke up this morning and this is the first time the rash looks like its gotten a little better (still itches in areas though)! Another thing I thought of was that I just got my comforter back from the dry cleaners, maybe they used a chemical or something on it. Who knows, but I’m just so thankful right now!
Hi Hansinnm,
How long were you on AP before the rash started? Also, are u still taking AP now that the rash has cleared up? Also, I?m allergic to Penicillin. I thought I once read that I might have q problem with Probenecid because of that.
Just left my Dr. He said the patches on my back look like poison ivy. He said the other areas on my upper thighs and arms do not look like poison ivy (his exact words were woah, that?s funky looking). He said it was most likely an ?id reaction? to the poison ivy. He called me in some Prednisone. He said he?s never seen an AP rash in his 20 yrs of medicine but he?s 99.9% sure this isn?t from my AP. I?m still not sure what to think. Aside from the rash, I feel fine and don?t have a fever. He said to keep taking my AP and I should be much better in 2 days. The odd thing is this rash came on like a bat out of hell. I mean this spread across my whole body in literally a day to a day and a half.
Thanks for the link Zip btw. Yes it would appear that my chances of being hypersensitive would be rare. “IF” they are from AP what are my options? Can I try Probenecid if I’m allergic to Penecillin? I can say that I just had my liver and kidney functions tested a week ago and result were normal. Would they have detected abnormalities in my liver function if I was about to have a reaction? I don?t think they tested blood counts though. In addition, I don?t have kidney or renal failure, nor do I have hypertension. This is the most depressing feeling I’ve had since feeling helpless when I was first diagnosed.
How did you post that pic. I don?t see an ?attach button.? My rash looks similar to this?although many of the bumps do not have a middle raised bump (some do though). I do not have a fever either. I?m f***ed!
Thanks for the input Zip,
The rash is spread out all over my forearms and upper thighs and a little on my back. It?s not in clumps but little red raised bumps that itch. I was going to attach a pic but could not figure out how to. It just figures that I’m one of the few that develop a rash from it…and 3 days after I’m unemployed 🙁
Thanks Trev,
I?m trying to get in to see my Dr today. I put some calamine lotion on areas yesterday and it seemed to dry it up a bit, but when I woke up today there are still new areas it has spread to 🙁 The rash is just lotes of real tiny red bumps?some itch. My gout has been completely under control for the past 14 months. This totally sucks!!! Does this mean I definitely need to stop AP? What are mt options? Uloric at $200/mo?!?!
Here is my story;
I took a vacation in August for a week (during this time I was on an antibiotic). For 2 days I drank beer and painted a house in the hot sun. Over the course of my trip I also ate sushi and all kinds of seafood. I returned home on a Friday and everything was fine. Saturday night I woke up at 3am with so much pain my sheets hurt touching my right bunion area. I took a couple ibuprofin and tried falling asleep to no avail. I got up and literally hobbled to church. When I left I had a flight to catch for work, so I drove 1 hr to the airport and continued my hobble to the plane (that was a long effin walk thru the concourse!!). At this point the pain was intensifying so I thought my foot was broken. I decided I would go to the ER once my plane landed. I sat down on the plane and asked for an aspirin or tylenol or anything but the attendants did not have anything. The plane sat on the tarmac for about 45 minutes delayed and I kept thinking to myself ?should I get off and go to the hospital?? I was in so much pain that I was sweating profusely and eventually passed out. I woke up to the flight attendants saying that we needed to deboard. At that point I hobbled back thru the concourse to my car (the pain was INSANE!) and could barely press the gas pedal without screaming. Unfortunately the only hospital I knew of was back where I came from an hour away so I made that looong drive back. I went to the ER. I was very lucky as the Dr said it looked like ?gout,? and not some other BS illness (even though I had no clue what gout was at that point). I tried managing the pain for 30 more days with pain pills, etc but it never completely went away so I started colchicine. I took 1 an hour until I got to 12. At that point nothing happened so I gave up and went to bed. Well about mid afternoon the following day, I was running for the bathroom and as fast as the pain came, it went away! Guess I had a delayed reactiojn to Colchiocine. I had my regular Doc prescribe me 100mg of AP and then 300 mg a couple weeks later. I?m about to pass the 1 year mark and have only had minor flare ups. As with Zip, I can enjoy wine and beer and some occassional seafood. Anyways, that?s my story 😉
Hi Jeff,
I’ve found that micro attacks are normal in the beginning cleansing process. I’ve now been on 300mg AP for approx. 9 months.I had micro attacks in knees, both feet and elbows daily for about the first 6 months (note: except for mt right big toe, I never had any pain in these joints prior to AP). There would even be some redness and swolleness at times. These attacks would last anywhere from a couple minutes to a couple days or more. Fortunately for me, they never turned into a full blown attack. Anyways, my point is that for me the turning point was about the 6-7 month mark. After that I still got these micro attacks (and still do a few times a day), but they are very minor. I can eat and drink whatever I want as well as work up a good sweat at the gym. Everybody has their own “turning point” after starting AP. I started AP after my first attack that last nearly 2 months so maybe I had less urate to clear out than others who have gone decades longer untreated. Just give AP time and patience. it WILL work if you’re on the correct dose!
Just my thoughts.
Perosnally, I dont think it has anything to do with amino acids, eating vegetables or more concentrated urine.
I’ve weight trained heavily for 20 years, eaten vegetables religously, and stay very hydrated. The smell you are referring to is something that I only noticed after starting AP. It went away after a while and I dont really notice it anymore. I guess its just one of the bodys mysteries. I’ve also seen other people comment about this smell on other sites. It’s bizarre I know!
Veg,
Don?t worry about this. I too had EXACTLY what you?re referring to for months. While UA might be odorless I think its part of the cleaning process. It will eventually go away.
My concern for you is, ?how in the world did you get your wife to smell your pee?!?:eek:
Those sound like some really good numbers you got there! My doc is still contemplating on whether or not I should give niacin a try too. My TC is between 120- 140, however HDL typically fluctuates between 30-36. The interesting thing is that regardless of how my HDL and LDL fluctuate, the TC/HDL ratio is always right at 4. For example (when drinking), I had 141 TC with an HDL of 35 and an LDL of 92 (4.02 TC/HDL ratio). On the flip side, when I was NOT drinking my LDL around 68, TC 121, and HDL was a miserable 29 (4.17 TC/HDL ratio). NOTE: Both of the mentioned tests were taken less than a week apart
Still not sure whether I should give niacin a try. My doc seems to be leaning on I do NOT for the time being. Any thoughts? Also, is Lipoprotein A referred to by a different name on the lipid panel? I know my doc tested for all kinds of things, but I did not see this particluar figure.
LDL’s in the 20’s or lower are dreadfully dangerous?so it is worth some degree of discomfort to raise them.
But be heartened, daily drinking is a PROVEN and a confortable way to raise HDL’s quit a lot. So if you fail at the Niaspan, there’s always the Martini or a nice bottle of Bordeaux.
Teetotalling I get HDL’s in the upper 20’s?with booze I get in the 40’s.
Zip,
I agree on the alcohol thing. How long do you think alcohol “temporarily” boosts HDL? 24-48hrs? Since you too have low HDL, do you feel HDL/LDL ratio’s are accurate? I know that the medical field is split on ratios vs absolute numbers. I remember my family doc saying quote “there is absolutely no proof that low HDL numbers ALONE lead to heart disease. The primary goal is always to lower LDL.” He then looked at ratios and particle size.
Just curious how much do you think 500mg, 1000mg etc raises SUA? For example if a person was consistently at 5.0 would it increase them above 6.4?
