Prolonged Gout Pain

hi bottlered, i agree with not starting the alliprunol,till the pain subside,s, i have been crippled with gout for the past 7 weeks,i have had gout in both feet in the past, mainly the big toe,s, but this attack has hit me in the left foot, the right knee,wrist and middle finger, i had been taking alliprunol for about five years,only 100mg,but last time i visited my kidney soecialist, he uped my dose to 200mg ,with another tablet called colchicine, since taking the extra dose about 7 weeks ago,i ha been unable to walk or drive, i stopped taking the alliprunol/colchecine,and my symptoms startted to inprove, with the help of a combination of codipar/ and tramadol , i am moving around a bit now the gout is subsiding, i just know that when i see my doctor next, he will want me back on alliprunol, and whats outting me of taking them,is i know i will go through another bout of gout, no thankyou.

Hi there, I have only ever had one attack of what doctors say is Gout in my left big toe, although treated as such with now prescribed ongoing Allupurinol I still have pain in the joint like yourself, ongoing daily, original attack in June 2016. Gp advises no referral to consultant for one isolated attack, however evidence says one attack should not leave you in constant pain or with continued high uric acid levels in the blood. So not sure how we might address our problems you are quite young to be suffering ongoing gout pain and previous kidney stones , it should be investigated as Gout is only a sign that uric acid is building up in your system and the only way to be sure anyone has true Gout is to test for crystals in the joints, if there they need to be illiminated with drugs as they can form in the Kidneys and cause more problems. So keep persisting with demands to see a consultant.

I've had gout now in my left ankle for about 9 days, it hurts so bad at night I can't sleep, I take some naproxen it helps a little through the night, but as the next day goes on it hurts and gets sore now it hurts up in my heel string, I get gout once or twice every 2 to 3 months now, I usually have to take a shot of steroids in my hip on the same side as the gout and it helps, they also give me the steroid pills but they want give alot because of its interactions to my other medicines, I've had it bad in my right foot before but the last 5 or 6 times I've gotten gout it's always on my left side, this is a painful thing, there's lots of stuff you can't eat or drink, but with me on disability I have to eat and drink what I can afford. Cherries and lemon juice are supposed to help it, but I don't know, drink more water than milk tea or sodas is what they tell me also. Jerry

I've suffered with gout for around 5 years. I have an attack on right, but not bad where I'm unable to walk. I'm not understanding the symptoms others suffer here. I get this pain in my Achilles, my calf, knee and many other muscles that the DR cannot explain. At my worst I had gout in both feet that lasted about 8 weeks and in the end I was put on morphine. The attack lasted nearly 12 months with only a few weeks ease in between as it switched from both feet to left them right. The pain varied but the whole time my ankle was flared and red where ever the pain was. I was offered Alipurinol whilst in my worst attack. The trouble is this doesn't work in attacks and can take 2 years to get in to your system. I was then given a strong anti inflammatory, it helped ease the pain but with it I was soon finding heavy blood loss in my poo. I was at a loss, I only lost two days of work in this time which I would spend 20 minutes in a morning trying to put my steel toe caps on for work. I would ask the kids to leave the room as tears rolled down my face easing my foot in thinking a bone or muscle was going to break at any time. Eventually my wonderful wife decided to make me her Guinea Pig. I tried different diets and foods to see what flared up and what didn't. I now stay away from dark meats, offal and citrus drinks. It's worked, I have far less attacks, far less painful but I'm silly and weak which means every now and again I eat a pork sausage, some bacon or in one case where I had a horrendous attack I ate a lamb burger. In order to rid the bad attack I took more colchicine than I had ever before (12 in 24 hours). I was so ill, I've never felt so bad in my life. This latest attack I'm now pinpointing what I've eaten. I was recently at a conference for three days where the food choice was terrible. Unfortunately being weak I ate pork and boom flare up. I say again my attacks are very clear rarely joints, mist of them are muscular. Imagine 24 hours of constant gout pain in both Achilles for all them weeks. I'm so grateful to my wife but I'm testy for the next step to eliminate it now so I plan to speak to my DR and look at Alipurinol to rid this once and for all. I hope my experience helps but if anyone's advice helps someone then please speak up, this pain is like no other.

Hi, I've had gout on and off about 10 years,you are right there is no other pain like this, the thing that helps me is a steroid shot of prednisone, then pills of the same thing, but it interferes with my other meds, try some prednisone if you get it again it really helps me, jerry

I've suffered with gout for about 15 years and am 47 currently.  I have been carrying an extra 10 - 12 kgs for as long as I can remember.  My go to meds are Diclofenac Sodium (not the Diclofenac Potassium) and Colchicine.  I take a Diclofenac and Colchicine as soon as I feel the pain coming on and one colchicine every hour up till 6  and go to bed.  In the AM the pain in normally gone but the runs arrive, and they're fierce.  My triggers are excessive red meat medium rare, red wine and not eating.  When I cut calories and try and loose weight I'm whacked with a bad attack; which is what has me now in a prolonged attack, going on 2 weeks.  Normally I can manage my gout with the meds but this time is different, better in the morning and worse at night.  I've started the tart cherry juice and celery juice, need the celery because it is the activator, but this time nothing seems to work and I now have the added missery of a hobble to to the toilet from the excessive cholchine runs.  My gout is always in my right food on the ball joint of the big toe, but now is moviing to my knee.  I'm going to take more tart cherry and celery nightly instead of the wine for a while and see if I can knock it out witht he Diclo and Colchicine until I can work out and loose the weight.   

I have had gout off and on since I was in my 20s (44 now).  The rest of my family is on gout meds mentioned in previous posts but I have managed to go years in between attacks by avoiding my trigger food (pork).  Two weeks ago, I ate pork 3 times and ended up with an attack in my knuckle (I too, only tend to suffer on the right side of my body - weird).  I have found a quick way to get some of the swelling out ----- Gout Out Plex (i found at Natural Grocers) along with cherry juice (undiluted) mixed with flavored seltzer so I can choke it down   I also added ginger tea with some lemon and grapefruit juice and slices of ginger (thermos full) and it's definitely flushed it out faster than anything else I have tried.  I wanted to throw out this concoction for others because it's so freaking painful!  Pascilate mud tends to alleviate some of the swelling in my opinion too.  I also lowered the amount of protein I eat.

I would love to know if anyone has found a relief for the fluish achyness that is felt for weeks after . . . All my joints feel sleightly sore/tired/achy and I have a headache.  The long-term stiffness is where I am boggled for a solution.

bootlered. 

- learn to fast .... during your fast drinks loads of water... 

if you can be man enough to fast for atleast a couple of days with lots of alkaline inclined water.

add baking soda about once a day - i.e. in the morning and if you get attacks at night then in the night... before sleeping ... 

if you cant deal with just water... drink lots of green tea during hte day. 

if tahts not enough either .... drink natural aloe vera juice in the day.. 

if thats not enough either... then do juicing through the day.. 

adn try this for atleast a few days in a month... 

over time its not difficult.. and i promise you ... over time your gout will go ... becuase when the body and the kidneys are getting a rest and the body is less acidic , the crystals dont get replenishment to worsen. 

and the body gets more time to dissolve them... 

however, if you cannot do this, the uric acid high levels stay consistent and the crystals simply keep increasing in numbers and size... 

look at six months for a true relie through this system.. since your condition is pretty advanced compared to mine.. 

mine has almost dissappeared in four days. i got my first attack two months ago. left ttoe joint... 

Me too, I eat no meat and none of the foods that cause gout attacks and still I have high uric acid levels. Physician says I should take allopurinol , and if I do not will get kidney stones. Is this correct? I eat mostly raw vegetables.

another sleepless night!!

So I was given gout by my old man when I was 24, he has gout, he's dad has gout so I suppose it was only fair!! Cheers!!.

Anyway I'm now 34 and had around 15 attacks of which 2 were brutal and the others either lasted just a few days or around a week with little pain. However the attack that's currently making me consider sawing off my right big toe  has lasted around 3 months!! 

I was taking allopurinol (350) however I was still getting attacks so I stopped taking it and just fought the pain with cocodimol and anti inflammatory gel or tablets but this attack is just not shifting.

Throughout the day I'm fine, I can put my boot on and walk around fine, I have no trouble getting some sleep be it sitting or lying down, however come bed time I experience shooting pains from the ball of my foot under my big toe. This causes my foot to spassum and obviously wakes me up. I find putting my foot in very hot water helps massively and followed by a couple of good pain killers I can eventually get a few hours sleep. 

My concern is the pain I experience in the night is nothing like the common gout pain, I can move my toes with no pain, wear a sock and even massage my foot with all most no pain. 

I recently had an X-ray which came back all clear. All I have is a little swelling on the edge of my big toe and the normal redness brought in by gout. 

Has anyone else had something similar??

Hi Afflicted for 4 years. BottleRed

Ihave studied this till i am blue in the face - but have learned some things that might help you.

1) Allopurinol is a commitment - it does not help with a specific attack, taking it sometime,s and not other times is a big mistake. You have to take it for a prolonged period of time, maybe for the rest of your life.

2) The first thing to know is what is your Uric acid level. High - means you create these crystals, or maybe too many that your kidneys can't clear out. You may also be creating a normal number, but your kidneys don't do their job. The magic number to get below is 5.6 mg/dl - this is the number when crystals will dissolve in your bloodstream. KNOW YOUR NUMBER - it is the basis for your treatment.

3) Allopurinol is about lowering your number to well below 5.6 - so that the crystals you generate dissolve, and no more can form. It can take a long time to dial in. It also will have to be taken with something, because as your crystals dissolve, they move, and can therefore cause new flares - so while you are getting better, you can feel you are getting worse. 

4) There is a very comprehensive study that shows that maintaining your UA (uric Acid) levels below 5.6 - can be needed for 3 months to as much as 3 years - depending on how bad you have had it ,and where your crystals hide in your joints. So do not forego the medicine because you are not getting immediate relief. The study also showed that after this timeframe, and keeping teh UA levels low, these people were CURED. Now if some people stopped taking the allopurinol - and had high UA, they would likely get gout again.

5) Diet changes can lower your UA levels. But unless your UA level is around 6.5 -7, the diet changes won't get you there - but they will help you reduce the new crystals you could be generating. 

6) Organ meats, meat, fish, beer, and spirits are all bad. Wine is not so.

7) Colichine stops the thing in its tracks - but only if you take it before the flare up happens - say upon seeing the redening of the joint. Otherwise it is too late. Colichine in high quantities is very dangerous. It is toxic - think arsenic like, and builds up in the body. taking afetr a flare up is too late anyway. It is a prophylactic, not a treatment. Each pill has a life of about 4 days. Be very careful taking it. After a flare up it is anti inflammatories and ice, and resting the joint.

8) Joint flexing can start a new flare up. I read athletes that have it and are amazed how they get a new attack, but then you read, they were doing a serious amount of push ups. Flexing is a problem and needs to be careful.

9) Milk alone can lower your UA by 0.25mg/dl - cherry juice - no scientific basis. UCLA presentation.

10) Excercise is important - blood flow - equals more clean up of your body. So if yoru feet don't work try getting a pefiatric boot, and get on a bicycle.

I wish eyeryone the best. Gout is increasing. Some say that diet, beer - especially the hoppy wheaty stuff, and sugary crap is the cause. 

Hi, I know the blog is aged, but I was reading all the comments and thought, hmm mine is slightly different but the same. I'm a kidney transplant patient (18 yrs on Jan 30th ) and I recently fell I'll with the stomach virus, became completely dehydrated (kidney included) and came home with a blood clot from the IV and gout. That was Christmas week, just about a mth ago. I've had gout, but never this long. Uric Acid level 9.9 above high normal of 8.6. I was and still am barely eating mainly because it's hard to walk to the kitchen, I put lemon in .my water sometimes, have a cherry pill every other day, and orange and 1 decent meal a day plus peanut butter ( 1 teaspoon) on bread . Water water water. I had the gout in my right foot almost 1 mth now, I thought it was getting better, now last night the right foot is acting up. I've been out of work since New Year's! I can't take any meds due to the kidney transplant but I've been on Percocet (only when the gout has me crying for mercy) which happens to be in the AM. Sometimes at bedtime. Can I go on disability for this since I can't walk for weeks and the pain is on 100 most times? And does anyone take the combo pill cherry/celery seed? I'd like to know if that works? Holistically, I'd like to heal mostly due to the transplant. I don't drink or eat crazy foods. It's been potatoes (4oz) baked chicken (4oz) and green been. Nothing fancy. #jointpaingoaway

Hi Ive been having gout for 10 years. The last gout attack want that bad. This time it got really bad. My left ankle started to swell up. Took some medication like i did before but didnt work. A week later i got 2 big tophi ball on both side of my ankle. Went to the doctor and drain it it. Gave me some meds. But cant walk. Cant put pressure on my ankle. Doctor its alrite. It will get better. Went on diet. Lost 20 pounds. Ankle look normal but still cant walk. 3 weeks later gout came back. Both tophi came back. Pain is bad. The doctor gave me more medicine. This time the tophi burst. Leaking all this white stuff. But it got bette after a week. But still cant walk. Now its been 3 months. Ankle look normal but cant walk. Cant put pressure on my ankle. My heels hurt. My left leg shrunk. Ive been listening to the doctor. Eat right. Drink alot of water. Stay away from alcohol and red meat. Ive been taking all the medication that the doctor gave me. Gout went away but i cant walk. Ankle hurt went i try to put pressure on it. Can someone please let me know whats happening? Doctor say the gout damage my ankle tissue. What should i do?

This maybe one of the best gout forums on the web. I also believe diet is the best way to control gout. I have seen and read so many articles that its hard to pin point what food triggers my gout. I have had 2nd toe on both feet, Achilles area both feet and both knees. Once i am sure it was shrimp, once scallops and once beef heart. I avoid all of them now and of course i drink beer. I think i am switching to wine. LOL,,,I have also stopped drinking soda, i dont drink much but fructose is a big one on the list.  My flair up meds i believe give me diarrhea. nothing worse than the runs when you cant hardly walk. Good luck to all