gout sufferers - any tips?

[benjaminty]

After my first attack of gout 8 years ago I have now had my second and third in the last 2 months.

Aside from avoiding the booze, red meat and Marmite and then taking declofenac.... has anyone found any good ways to avoid it?

thoroughly fed up! :)-D

[bigbadwolf]

Ask Jah Lush.

[Keef]

Get Alipurinal from doctor, take one a day, and you should never get it again. Other than that, they say cherries are good.

[Annasfield]

I was going to say cherries. Have a mate who swears by them.

[benjaminty]

Keef Wrote:

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> Get Alipurinal from doctor, take one a day, and

> you should never get it again. Other than that,

> they say cherries are good.

Never get it again? that's quite a claim... but will ask him tomorrow. if i get past the the treage :(

thanks keef

[Keef]

Basically it regulates your uric acid, which is the cause of it. It takes a couple of weeks kick in, so you may need to keep up with the anti inflammatories for a bit. They also say if you stop taking it, it can come straight back, so quite a commitment. I think it's worth it though, gout is an absolute c**t!

[Keef]

Correct spelling is Allopurinal.

[benjaminty]

blinkin'eck like take it forever .... that is quite an undertaking. but guess i need to weigh that up with how many attacks i get if i go with another option.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Ditto cherries. Avoid sardines and seafood.

[garden man]

Having suffered for 25 years I've run out of things that bring it on,but have noticed that this summer heat seems to be a factor,I'm suffering a month long attack at the moment(havent killed anybody yet!!) Am taking allopurinol & peroxicam anti inflammatories,but still persisting. as said the cherries certainly help and flushing out with as much water as you can take,putting your foot/feet when at rest at a higher level than your heart.When severe pain kicks in I'm using co-codamol,very strong,only take 1 during day,2 at night,they'll knock you out! Try to include celery in your diet.I used celery seed tablets instead of allopurinol for 3 or 4 years without an attack.Hope that is of some use,and good luck with it.Us men are'nt very good at pain!!

Nigel

[Keef]

benjaminty Wrote:

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> blinkin'eck like take it forever .... that is

> quite an undertaking. but guess i need to weigh

> that up with how many attacks i get if i go with

> another option.

Yeah, I did it for a bit, then stopped, and was fine for a couple of years (maybe just an occasional twinge) but have had 3 attacks this year, and the most recent (only a month or two ago) lasted a good 2 weeks, so I decided it was worth going in for the long haul.

[Sharon_H]

My Husband has been on Allopurinol since January and has had 3-4 attacks of gout since, although not as severe as before he starting taking it. He thinks it's worthwhile taking it.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Its the only thing I very occassionally get.

It took me years to work out why I only got it in The Summer!

Its a build-up of uric acid that finds the weakest joint inone's body ( usually the big toe). It can "travel" from one foot to another.

I cut out most soft drinks ( he says having just bought a litre of "Seven-Up" ) .

If it returns I take "Naproxen 250 g) 2 x 2 a day and within 1/2 hours it drastically reduces the swelling to virtual disappearance.

[charliecharlie]

friend of mine get gout and he takes devil's claw for it, and says it really helps

found this web site which give tips about managing gout through diet, supplements, etc.

here's some info from the site... looks like there's a load you can try before you commit to a life time of drugs!

"A combination of therapies can be very effective at decreasing both the length and frequency of attacks.

Nutrition and Supplements

These nutritional tips may help reduce symptoms:

Eat antioxidant foods, including fruits (such as blueberries, cherries, and tomatoes), and vegetables (such as squash and bell peppers). One half pound of cherries per day (fresh or frozen) for 2 weeks lowers uric acid and prevents attacks. Cherry juice (8 - 16 oz. per day) is also helpful.

Eat more high fiber foods, including beans, oats, root vegetables (such as potatoes and yams), and psyllium seed.

Avoid refined foods, such as white breads, pastas, and sugar.

Eliminate potential food allergens, including dairy, wheat (gluten), corn, preservatives, and food additives. Your healthcare provider may test for food sensitivities.

Eat fewer red meats and more lean meats, cold-water fish, tofu (soy, if no allergy) or beans for protein.

Cut down on oxalate-containing foods, such as spinach, rhubarb, beets, nuts, chocolate, black tea, wheat bran, strawberries, and beans.

Include foods rich in magnesium and low in calcium, such as barley, bran, corn, rye, oats, soy, brown rice, avocado, banana, and potato.

Restrict purines in your diet. Foods with a high purine content include beef, goose, organ meats, sweetbreads, mussels, anchovies, herring, mackerel, and yeast. Foods with a moderate amount of purines include meats, poultry, fish, and shellfish not listed above. Spinach, asparagus, beans, lentils, mushrooms, and dried peas also contain moderate amounts of purines.

Use healthy cooking oils, such as olive oil or vegetable oil.

Reduce or eliminate trans-fatty acids, found in commercially baked goods such as cookies, crackers, cakes, French fries, onion rings, donuts, processed foods, and margarine.

Avoid coffee and other stimulants, alcohol, and tobacco.

Drink six to eight glasses of filtered water daily to help flush uric acid from the body. Dehydration often triggers a gout attack.

Exercise at least 30 minutes daily, 5 days a week.

You may address nutritional deficiencies with the following supplements:

A multivitamin daily, containing the antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, the B-complex vitamins, and trace minerals such as magnesium, calcium, zinc and selenium.

Omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish oil, 1- 2 capsules or 1 tablespoons of oil daily, to help decrease inflammation and help in general health. Cold-water fish, such as salmon or halibut, are good sources. Talk to your health care provider before taking omega-3 supplements if you are taking blood thinning medications, such as aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin).

IP-6 (inositol hexophosphonate), 1 - 8 grams daily on an empty stomach, for kidney health. Check with your alternative healthc are provider for proper dosing.

N-acetyl cysteine, 200 mg daily, for antioxidant effects.

Vitamin C, 500 - 1,000 mg daily, as an antioxidant.

Acidophilus (Lactobacillus acidophilus), 5 - 10 billion CFUs (colony forming units), when needed for maintenance of gastrointestinal and immune health. Some acidophilus products may need refrigeration. Check the labels carefully.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), 3,000 mg twice a day, to help decrease inflammation.

Avoid taking extra niacin and vitamin A. Both may play a role in some attacks of gout.

Herbs

Herbs are generally a safe way to strengthen and tone the body's systems. As with any therapy, you should work with your health care provider to get your problem diagnosed before starting any treatment. You may use herbs as dried extracts (capsules, powders, teas), glycerites (glycerine extracts), or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated, you should make teas with 1 tsp. herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 - 10 minutes for leaf or flowers, and 10 - 20 minutes for roots. Drink two to four cups per day. You may use tinctures alone or in combination as noted.

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) standardized extract, 300 - 400 mg daily, for kidney health. You may also take 8-16 ounces of unsweetened cranberry juice daily.

Green tea (Camelia sinensis) standardized extract, 250 - 500 mg daily, for antioxidant and immune effects. Use caffeine-free products. You may also prepare teas from the leaf of this herb.

Devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), standardized extract, 750 mg three times daily, for pain and inflammation.

Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) standardized extract, 20 mg three times a day, for inflammation, immune, and antibacterial/antifungal activity.

Bromelain (Ananus comosus) standardized extract, 40 mg three times daily, for pain and inflammation.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa ) standardized extract, 300 mg three times a day, for inflammation."

[Keef]

I honestly respect all that stuff, but if you want to keep your life style, and support your drinking habits (if you're me), go for the drugs!

Gowaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnn!!!!!

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Back in the day Sailors suffered badly due to the daily imbibing of Port, but it can be simply having too many acid, soft drinks as in my case.

[Horsebox]

Keef Wrote:

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> I honestly respect all that stuff, but if you want

> to keep your life style, and support your drinking

> habits (if you're me), go for the drugs!

>

> Gowaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnn!!!!!

I'm with Keef on this. There's a time and a place for hocus pocus, mumbo jumbo, herbal remedies but if you want to still get right on it then you can do a lot worse than bosh a handful of pharmaceuticals washed down with ale.

[benjaminty]

Based on some of my recent performances the mumbo jumbo may be the way to go but yes Keef in all honesty I'm quite happy with my bowzin' lifestyle ... not sure the word style belongs there but there we go.

I've looked up a great deal on the tinterweb but personal experiences of people can be useful (hence this thread).

So I now have a long list of pills I want to sample and I just need my quack to give me the thumbs up.

Thank you all.

I WANT MARMITE!

[Keef]

Booze is bad for it, but I think pills are fine, so go for your life!

[Asset]

Hocus pocus, mumbo jumbo - here we go! Honestly, most medicine derives originally from a plant base. eg. aspirin. Why is it seen as hocus pocus.

Dietary factors are obviously important and herbs can be very potent. Open your minds and the rest will follow.

I wonder what the drug Keef is talking about originates from......... Cherries maybe?

[antijen]

Mugwort (tea, steep for 20mins) is very good, as you probably know, kidney stones is common with gout.Blue voilet, burdock, gentian root birch, buckthorn, pennyroyal and balm of gilead are some more,Sometimes its best just to try and see yourself which one helps.

[bignumber5]

Asset Wrote:

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> most medicine derives originally from a plant

> base. Open your minds and the rest

> will follow.

err... right. perhaps that means that a leather armchair is a waste of money when there are perfectly good cows to sit on. Opening your mind is a wonderful idea but a bullshit filter is a useful addition.

The allopurinol forever question is really up to you, benjaminty; a balance between the downside of taking a pill a day forever versus the impact on your life that the attacks are generating. Consider having a chat with your GP about it, maybe diary your gout for a month off it, followed by a month on allopurinol, then look back at the 2 and compare them; this can be a useful way of trying to quantify whether or not it's worth it for you if you're struggling with the decision. Incidentally, as keef has described above, with allopurinol it's not a one-way decision.

Otherwise, lifestyle modification is still a good port-of-call, maybe first depending on your preferences. Perhaps explore a low purine diet as well/instead if you feel that it would be less of an imposition on your life. Again, chats with the GP may or may not be fruitful, depending on your GP.

Whatever you go for, best wishes for good health in the future.

[bigbadwolf]

OI BN5....I was going to say that!

[immaterial]

A course of Phase IVs. Always does the trick for me!

[charliecharlie]

the body... if you put a load of crap into it... you'll probably get crap performance out of it...

I have a long term health issue and have 30 yrs experience prescribed drugs for the desease...

here are some of the side effects...

massive thumping head ache, all day every day

sleeplessness (and I mean NO sleep)

'kidney' ache

hair falling out

puffed up face and rapid weight gain

bruising at the slightest touch

skin rashes

(and loads more, but won't go on 'cos you get the picture)

I got no benefit from the drugs (my consultant at King's said only 60% of those with the desease benefit from the drugs available)

so.... now I have gone down the diet route and adjusted my lifestyle .... MASSIVE IMPROVEMENTS. I have learnt to manage the disease without drugs... so, IMO, best not to be sniffy about alternative methods till you've tried them...

http://thehealthyskeptic.org/images/pileofpills.pngnot always the best