Attack suddenly stopped (or not gout)

Posted , 5 users are following.

Hi,

I had my first attack 2.5 years ago (toe pain, no redness). First thing, my doc change my blood pressure medication for a non-diuretic one. After that, I was able to avoid blood test (I'm afraid of needles) but eventually went and been told my uric acid was a bit high. So I'm now on 100mg allopurinol for about 6 months.

Last monday I woke up to what felt like a sprained ankle. During the day, the pain spread to the top of my foot, and tuesday, the pain was essentially on the top. Was able to walk and do my things, but it was really annoying, not as painful as my first and only attack, but I was worried. Each of those two nights, I was afraid of waking up to some real pain.

Today, wednesday, Nothing. Pain completely gone.

Seriously, what was that about?

 

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Sebastien

    What was the blood test result? (A bit high is not very accurate - what was the number).

    Secondly - how long have you been on allopurinol?

    Third, do I understand it correctly that you only ever had one gout attack?

    How old are you?  If you don't want to say, the decade will do.

    • Posted

      1- I don't remember the number. I just remember my doc telling me it was higher than the normal range, nothing alarming, but high enough to get some med about it.

      2- About six months

      3- Correct, only one, about 2.5 years ago.

      4- 40 in a couple of months

       

    • Posted

      OK Sebastien. You need to get your blood urate measured again and you need it to be under 300. 

      The chances are that 100 mg is not high enough. Your doctor should have called you back for another test 6-8 weeks after you first started on allopurinol.

      (As a matter of interest did your doctor mention to you the risk of a skin rash in the first few weeks of allopurinol?)

      Also, the blood test was it taken in under 1 month after last gout attack?

      Finally, for a gout sufferer, you are young; you need to look after your body for 50 years. Hyperuricemia is not just an arthritic condition - it damages the blood vessels  and the heart (and kidney). If you don’t bring the blood urate down (and allopurinol will do it), you are looking at a heart attack in a decade.

      Take this seriously.  

      As for gout attacks - they can go as quickly as they come.

      As for the red and excruciating pain - not really my experience; I’d like to think I’m stoic but I think I was lucky. I did get nasty pains in my thumbs and hand tingling though.

  • Posted

    Sebastien,

    I have gout for years but suffer no symptoms - (Thanks to allopurinol!).

    Here's my experience - you may relate to it.

    1. First gout attack very sudden and vanished totally about 4 hours later.

    2. Two years later - another sudden attack (toe again) - Could not walk.  All fine about 8 hours later.

    3. I never had any real redness.

    4. My attacks then became more frequent but I went on medication.

  • Posted

    Okay, this doesn't sound like gout, reason I believe it isn't is because I get it too, swelling around the ankles is either rheumatoid arthritis with no pain and sometimes with pain or it could be pseudo-gout, which what I get sometimes. Also, it could be a sign of high cholesterol as it is one of the symptoms.

    • Posted

      Arthritus Foundation: “For many people, the first symptom of gout is excruciating pain and swelling in the big toe – often following a trauma, such as an illness or injury. **Gout may also appear in another lower-body joint, such as the ankle or knee. ** Subsequent attacks may occur off and on in other joints, primarily those of the foot and knee, before becoming chronic. ”

    • Posted

      Mayo Clinic

      “Gout usually affects the large joint of your big toe, but it can occur in any joint. Other commonly affected joints include the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists and fingers. The pain is likely to be most severe within the first four to 12 hours after it begins.”

      My point is that ankle pain in gout is common.

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