Posted , 7 users are following.
Uric acid level came back as 5.9, I'm a 36 yo female. very high end of normal. Pain and swelling has been persistent for about a year. much worse recently to the point I cannot walk. which resolves itself in about 1/2 day. I'm not convinced all the pain is from gout?
0 likes, 97 replies
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ChrisW Guest
Posted
Gout can be extremely painful but if you are having an attack it is unlikely to just go away without being treated
Your uric acid levels are a tad high so what does your GP say? How soon does the pain and swelling manifest itself after subsiding?
Thanks
Guest ChrisW
Posted
I see the podiatrist because at first I thought it was a sprained ankle.
I would take ibuprofen to help the pain. but this pain was a different feeling all together. it was deep in the ankle and had a burning feeling to it. He just kept telling me to take the ibuprofen, ice elevate and wear the CAM boot. then I went in the day it happened and he wanted me to start prednisone. so I did the week pack. the first day was great. 2nd day back to hurting again. bow that the uric acid level result is back, he will start me on allperenal when I'm done with this prednisone.
I was good all day yesterday with some sharp twinges here and there, then by last night, I had that burning pulling feeling in the back and inside of my ankle. hard to place my foot all the way down. that was the third day of prednisone. I also have what is called os trigonium. its an extra bone that doesn't fuse during childhood. but according to xray its where its supposed to be. symptoms of both are similar.
ChrisW Guest
Posted
I would ask for something stonger for the pain, if it is gout then Ibuprofen won't help, try Tramadol or Solpadol
Also for an attack they should prescribe Colchicine, the side effects are not pleasant if you take too many but it will help
Make sure they start you on a low dose of Allopurinol to begin with because this can also have nasty side effects
Guest ChrisW
Posted
Thank you ChrisW!
I'm not really big on taking medications to begin wit . I do not take any prescribed ones actually. just a Tylenol or ibuprofen as needed. so to take any at all slightly upsets me. Its all part of getting older I suppose
rustygecko Guest
Posted
Gout is not a part of getting older. It is perfectly treatable, and "curable" in that you can get Riis of symptoms. Pain killers are not part of the cure.
Have you seen a doctor?
ChrisW Guest
Posted
I've suffered with gout for a long time and it took years to find the right treatment
People will say you can treat it with diet and various herbal remedies, none of which have worked for me so i can only say that prescribed drugs will do the trick eventually
rustygecko ChrisW
Posted
Guest rustygecko
Posted
well, with my levels on the high end I will definitely be taking the meds. I've been reading a lot about uric acid and the association to other diseases. very scary
rustygecko Guest
Posted
I assume the pain is in joints?
Do you have swelling / inflamed joints?
The 5.9 is barely normal, and not normal during an attack as the urate level falls during an attack. However, 5.9 while acceptable if you've never had gout, is much too high if you have. What level was the blood urate before?
As for pain not being from gout. My gout has never been super super painful, but for some it's up there with childbirth. If your joints are being trashed by tophi - it would be very painful.
Guest rustygecko
Posted
I do not have a baseline number for the uric acid before this. This was actually something that the podiatrist and I were discussing when we were trying to narrow down what could be going on. also the pain I have is in the ankle itself. Not on the ankle bone that pokes out but inside. so I'm able to touch it, rub my ankle and also the pain was so bad one day I was literally punching it to try to get it to go away. I'm not sure if that makes sense. It almost feels like something is locked up or stuck. its just been a bizarre experience.
rustygecko Guest
Posted
It could easily be pseudogout (about which I know little). I would respectfully suggest that this is above the pay grade of a podiatrist, and you need to see, in the first instance a GP - one that really understand (pseudo)gout; and ideally a rheumatologist.
Guest rustygecko
Posted
Hi Rusty, I do have an appt with the GP end of the month. I will be bringing all this to her attention. And the only reason the podiatrist was involved to begin with is because I had sprained my ankle a couple years ago and thought it was still that. but, I'm kind of more confused now than I was before the blood work. lol!!
rustygecko Guest
Posted
Why wait til the end of the month in such pain? Get down there on Monday!
Guest rustygecko
Posted
the pain is maybe a 1 today. on Tuesday it was right around 9. since I am on the prednisone right now, a 10 day dose, it has helped significantly. Foot doc wants me to come in in a couple weeks for follow up and to start on the allperanol (sp?) then.
I am seeing GP for a whole other reason lol. wish there was a way to post a photo of my ankle as well so I can show that it does not have the "normal" look of gout.
rustygecko Guest
Posted
Guest rustygecko
Posted
if I have a busy day at work and I'm running around a lot, I usually have the pain that night and when I wake the next morning. its usually just a dull ache with sharp pains that come and go both when I walk and when I'm sitting. The bad pain where I can't walk, is right in the back of the ankle just to the right of my Achilles tendon and coning down from the shin area and over my ankle bone. I usually always have some sort of pain in my ankle area. I am unable to rotate my foot all the way in a circular motion, either way.
do you see why I don't think this is gout? also, I have no redness and it is not hot to the touch. but there is swelling.
rustygecko Guest
Posted
Frankly the symptoms are not that of classic gout, but people do get it in strange places.
Do you have any other diseases that are being treated by any drugs?
If I were you'd I'd get in to see a doctor, let them have a look, do some blood tests and maybe an X Ray.
Do you play professional football, as these kind of ankle injuries are very common I believe?
Guest rustygecko
Posted
I have no chronic issues. except I am overweight. and have a knee that has osteoarthritis or chondramalasyia. depends on which doctor says what. otherwise healthy.
I have had numerous xrays and also an MRI on my ankle. Nothing significant. just small amount of fluid. I'm not sure what other blood tests to have done except a complete medibolic panel.
again, it is strange. and no, I don't play sports. but what did cause the initial ankle pain was when I was on a bowling league. I had put my heel down too soon on the slide and it stopped upbruptly.
rustygecko Guest
Posted
Hmmm very strange.
Go to see a rhumotilogist would be my advice. If you've seen one and no conclusion as to what it is, try a different one.
Guest rustygecko
Posted
that was what I was thinking as well. thank you Rustygecko
Sochima822 Guest
Posted
rustygecko Sochima822
Posted
Well, there you are Missi - it just shows the wisdom of the group. This seems to show that it's at least possible that it's gout. It also indicates a slow but constant weight loss programme could be in order.
Guest rustygecko
Posted
definitely will be talking with GP about some things during the appt.
thank you again!!