Posted , 4 users are following.
I've been diagnosed with gout, I have elevated Uric acid levels in my blood, very painful feet , occasionally pain in my hip and thumb but not like what I've been reading about. No redness swelling and nothing in my big toe. Can my doc be mistaken?
0 likes, 10 replies
We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.
rustygecko Annacastro
Posted
Gout is a simptom of hyperuricemia. I sssume the blood test was taken while not waiting a month after last symptoms. If it's high then - the real level is very high. As for what your describing I had it all (especially the thumbs), except the hip. There seems to be a lot of variation in gout pain. Some people are doubled up in pain for weeks. With me for it's more like a dull constant ache. From talking to others, there's everything in between.
In my humble opinion I see no reason to think your doc is wrong.
Your next decision is treatment. But your doc seems to be in the ball.
What was the blood test result? How long since last symptoms? How long have you had these symptoms. Are you a woman (gout is more unusual with women). What age range are you - under 40 or past 60?
Annacastro rustygecko
Posted
I'm 56 female, it seems my feet ache everyday from the moment I step out of bed. Those first few steps are terrible, the hip is less frequent but painful as well to walk especially after sitting at work for awhile. Once I get moving it eases up a bit. I'm not sure of the number on the test as I was bombarded with results . She prescribed a medication starts with an Al..... the name escapes me.
rustygecko Annacastro
Posted
Allopurinol.
You should start on 100mg per day, for a few weeks. Watch out for a rare but nasty skin reaction. If your skin starts to peel all over (1 in million chance), stop taking it and see doc asap.
Then have a blood test after a few weeks. Greadually increase dose till you get the blood urate down.
Your tissues are now flooded with urate - the allopurinol will get rid of it (time to do so 3-33 months). In the meantime esp at first you will get the gout symptoms. Get a prescription for colchicine- take one of the tiny tablets as soon as you get a twinge. If it's still there at night take another. Don't abuse them (i.e. more than twice per day as they will do things to your digestive system you cannot imagine, on the other hand if you want to lose weight.... :-)
Most (70%) people don't persist with allopurinol. This is a mistake. Hyperuricemia (high blood urate), causes a host of kidney problems and heart and circulation problems - and will kill you - but in ten years. So stick with the urate lowering therapy.
Diet: cut out as much sugar as you can, reduce wheat, cut out all high fructose corn syrup, if you drink excessive alcohol - Dont.
Finally drink as much water as you can without spending your life in the loo or needing a catheter!
Others here will suggest natural remedies - your food intake and all this natural stuff is playing around at the edges. Allopurinol will fix you but will take some time.
Finally - your hip - this bad in the morning and getting better may be something else. If that persists I'd see the GP again.
Good health and drink water!
Annacastro rustygecko
Posted
It doesn't actually go away , just eases a bit and when I stop moving tightens up all over again. It feels like I need an oil can for my joints. If I'm honest, I'm afraid to take this medicine, what if it's not gout, can you live with high levels if the pains are from something else. I've been like this a few years.
rustygecko Annacastro
Posted
Hi Anna
You do have high blood urate. That is bad for your health long term.
Allopurinol is taken by millions of people. There seems to be a fear of it because I suspect of this very very serious skin problem which will occur within days or weeks of trying it - however - unless you are Han Chinese, Korean or Thai - it's a tiny tiny tiny risk; and in the million to one chance your skin starts to fall off - stop taking it, seek medical attention.
As for what else could be contributing to this
Quote :The most common type of hip arthritis is osteoarthritis. Inflammatory forms of arthritis - such as rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-immune disease, and gout, a metabolic disease - have similar symptoms but are less common
Osteoarthritis - Hips can become stiff after sleeping or sitting for a long period of time. People with hip osteoarthritis often find stiffness and pain are most noticeable when they try to get out of bed in the morning or out of a chair after a long period of sitting.
Unquote.
I have read loads of gout - from the easy stuff to the research papers and can discuss it with any doctor. On arthritis though - I just remember a relative had the symptom in the hip.
Maybe you should ask to see a rheumatologist as both gout and arthritis and all this bone stuff is under their remit. Your GP should have no problem in sending you to a specialist.
Good health! (Drink water!)
(Are you of Spanish origin? The name Castro is common in northern Spain.)
Annacastro rustygecko
Posted
No Italian , thats only partial lol it's very long . You are very helpful , thank you!
jx41870 Annacastro
Posted
Yes your doc can be mistaken. Even with elevated uric acid levels you may have pseudo-gout instead of regular gout. Now, what all of them share is an inflammation response, which can start to show up elsewhere as well.
?If there is no redness or swelling, I'd bet money you do not have regular gout, because there is NOTHING SUBTLE about the real thing when it happens. Plus you are female, and you say it has not hit the big toe first.
?The problem (?!) is that there are no real treatments for pseudo-gout other than NSAIDs and/or colchicine and waiting ten days.
?So how long have you had these pains?
?Of course you may have "real" arthritis instead, or other joint problems, again irrespective of the high uric acid levels.
?As for alternative treatments for high uric acid (and or real gout) I'm here to recommend celery and/or celery seed. It's easy, it's quick, it won't upset your stomach, and it works. Google for more details. I frankly doubt the world needs allopurinol.
?But it may make your doctor happy if you take some. Got to keep the doctors happy, don't we.
rustygecko Annacastro
Posted
It could be pseudo gout of course, but Ana is very young for pseudo gout. While the majority of people have their attacks of gout focused on the big toe - a minority (10? 20% don't - I forget the actual number). My example: I had been having pains in my feet - painful but not big toe focused, and tingling in my arms and hands at night, and pains in my thumbs (the same joint that most people get gout in on the foot). I never had huge redness or swelling. My gout was not bad enough for me to ever go to the doctor about it. It was only discovered by a regular medical check up abroad (a full medical in Thailand where I lived for many years costs under £200 and they check everything - and I mean everything ;-).. they sent me to their rheumatologist who told me I had gout, and with only with discussing with him did he tease out the link between the feet and the hands and the tingling. He also told me to take it seriously as if not I was heading to a heart attack by 2023. He also told me that most GPs don't take it seriously and I should shop around till I found one that did - I changed GP three times. By that time I was getting tophi on the fingers. once I started the allopurinol all the symptoms stopped within a month. Sorry for the boring story, but the point is that not all gout is horribly painful and on the toe.
Having said that I think that it would be most sensible for Ana to see a rheumatologist who can tease out all these symptoms.
tony72178 Annacastro
Posted
rustygecko Annacastro
Posted
You may have stopped the symptoms of gout with these seeds - but what has it done to your blood urate?