Many gout sufferers want to know: can spicy food affect gout? This raises a couple of extra questions.
1. Which spicy foods might affect gout?
We've had discussions about hot peppers, including jalapeños and chilies, curry, ginger, turmeric and lots of other spices. Some have positive effects on gout, but most are gout-neutral.
2. How might spicy foods affect gout?
Do spices affect inflammation, uric acid levels or both? If you have concerns about spices, we need to know exactly which spice. Then we can see if it might help inflammation for short-term relief, or if it might reduce uric acid for permanent relief.
Continue reading Can hot spicy food affect gout?...
I'm often asked about different aspects of gout treatments. Today I answered a question about allopurinol side effects. "Does allopurinol taken for gout contribute to liver damage?", asked a reader from the USA.
Most people tolerate allopurinol well, but up to 20% can have adverse reactions.
The most serious reactions can involve liver problems. These are thought to be reversible - i.e. affected the liver recovers after allopurinol is stopped.
continue reading Liver And Allopurinol Side Effects...
I have replaced this June 2011 walking with gout discussion with Should I Walk with Gout. But you can still read the old details below. But you will get better gout walking information if you follow the links in this announcement:
Walking, Swimming and Gout Update
1. Keith has updated Gout and Exercise to reduce Uric Acid to include new evidence to show that aerobic exercise for 45 days can reduce uric acid. Also, he has written new advice to answer Should I Walk with Gout.
2. I have grouped new exercise discussions for gout sufferers into the Gout and Exercise Forum. Similarly, I have created a Should I Walk with Gout Forum. So please join those discussions and add your own questions, experiences, and opinions about walking and swimming with gout.
Please remember if you want personal help with any aspect of gout, the new place to ask is GoutPal's Gout Forum. So we look forward to chatting with you about your walking,...
For the latest information about stopping allopurinol, see Is Allopurinol A Lifetime Drug? in the allopurinol pages. Also view Allopurinol for Gout video for the wrong way to stop uric acid treatment. You will find related information in the gout medications pages within the Gout Treatment Help Section.
Note: This discussion is about allopurinol withdrawal. There is a related discussion about coming off allopurinol.
Somebody asked me the other day, "Can I stop taking allopurinol?"
The short answer is, "Maybe."
Not very useful, so read on for the long answer.
First of all understand how allopurinol works.
continue reading Withdrawing from Allopurinol...
Naproxen (often sold under the Aleve brand) is commonly used by gout sufferers to relieve gout pain.
It belongs to a class of drugs called NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), and so it should never be taken with other NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, indomethacin, etc. NSAIDs are not gout-specific, but as gout pain is from inflammation, they are often prescribed by doctors for gout pain relief. As they are widely available OTC (Over The Counter), many gout sufferers make them the first choice for gout remedies.
The old forum had a lively discussion about naproxen for gout, but it failed to draw any conclusions about adequate dosing, or the proper place in a gout treatment plan. I want to clear this up and update my Gout Pain Treatment Guide.
continue reading Naproxen (Aleve) For Gout...
Allopurinol Drug Recall For Europharm's Purinol
Purinol - a brand of allopurinol manufactured by Europharm Labs of Hong Kong - has been recalled.
Tests have revealed the presence of a fungus called Rhizopus.
Shipments have been refused entry into Macoa.
The Department of Health in Hong Kong has withdrawn Purinol from sale, and is investigating other drugs manufactured by Europharm. Please note that this only affects Europharm Laboratories in Hong Kong.
The contamination appears to have occurred due to delays in the process of converting the active ingredients mixture into tablet form. It does not affect other manufacturers of allopurinol.
Patients receiving Purinol are urged to seek alternative allopurinol supplies from the clinics where there drugs where dispensed. It is vital that you do this immediately, as suspected medicines should never be used, but allopurinol should not be discontinued without the advice of your doctor.
Please check your allopurinol packaging immediately. You only need to take action if the medicine was manufactured by Europharm Labs of Hong...
