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I'm a 29 year old female. I'm no more than 10 to 15 pounds over weight. I don't exactly eat great, but I don't have a bad diet. I don't ever drink alcohol. I do take pain meds for other medical issues.
2 days ago, middle of the day, the base of my big toe started to hurt, within a couple of hours I couldn't walk. Late the same night my little bro took me to the ER because the pain was so horrible. The ER doc said he was 99% sure it was gout, all the classic symptoms, but then did blood work and my uric acid levels were in the normal to low range. He sent me home with an anti-iflammatory medicine and some lortab pain med. The medicine seemed to help at least for a few hours, then it would get a little worse, but then this morning I was feeling quite a bit better. Enough to where I could at least walk on the outside of my foot. I had been visiting family when all this happened and made the 2.5 hour drive home today since I was feeling a little better. Was feeling a little worse when I finally made it home, then took about an hour nap and woke up and the pain was excrutiating again. So bad that I had to take some very strong pain meds that I have on hand for a different medical issue along with the anti-inflamm medication. Don't want to go back to the ER, so going to wait it out until I can get to my regular doc in the next couple of days. But is this normal? For the attack to get better and then get considerably worse again? My foot is also getting more red and more swollen than it has been this whole time.
I'm really just wondering if the increasing pain and symptoms are normal or if I should be concerned. Or is there something else I can do to make this stop? The pain is unbelievable. I read that black cherry juice can help, but with the pain or with stopping the whole issue? I just want to know what to do to get the attack to stop instead of increasing.
Thanks to anyone who has some advice!
When I first started getting my attacks it started in the joint of my big toe. That only happened twice and was over after a couple of days. It felt like I had broken it. Then last Sept. I started getting it in my ankles first one and then the other. It felt like the worst sprained ankles I've ever had. It would get so bad all I could do is walk on the very outside edge of my foot. When I wasn't on chruches. I like you had my acid level tested it came back normal like yours. What they didn't tell me was the levels can drop while your having an attack so that test is pretty much use less. I went thu the Winter trying the fight this with one home remedy after another. The only thing that I can say that worked at all was a half a teaspoon of baking soda in 8 oz. of water 3 to 4 time a day. But it will cause your blood pressure to go up. But it did help me get by for awhile. The only way to find out for sure that you have Gout is to have fluid taken from the joint and have it tested. For me it took the Rhumatologist twice two get it and then he put a big scare in me saying he thought it was R.A. and not Gout. I was worried about having the fluid drawen out of the joint but other then the bee sting type of shot to numb it thats about all I felt. As far the pain and swelling Prednisone would knock it out. The only way for most people to control Gout is with meds that they will be on for the rest of their life. That's where I'm at now I started Allopurinol 2 month ago and Colchicine about a month ago. I still have pain day to day but I'm not having the heavy duty attacks I was. And in time I hope to be pain free. The good thing is you found this site. There's a ton of info on here and a lot of good people to point you in the right direction. Good luck. LIMPY
jlew,
Less and more pain is expected depending on alalgesics, joint acidity, etc. The general situation is that the inflammation is acidic and the acidity causes MORE precipitaiton of uric acid and more pain.
If I were you, I would call my doctor and ask him, or his service, to prescribe 30 or 60 colchicine by phone. If you get them, let us know and we'll tell you how to take them for an acute attack.
Though not my cup of tea, you can find the black bean broth recipe on the board and try it…nothing to lose. Make the phone call first though.
Thank you all so much even just for responding. This has been by far one of the most painful issues I've ever had to deal with. (worse than endometriosis and worse than my worst migraine). I think the reason it's been so horrible is because it's something I knew absolutely nothing about, and had no one to turn to for info. Doctors just say “take this medicine and call me if you don't feel better”. I didn't get much of an explanation at all when I went to the ER. Another unfortunate part of this whole ordeal is that I had to go to the ER in a different state. I happened to be in KS helping my sister after she had surgery to remove her gall bladder. I was there 2 days and ended up in the ER with gout. Big help I was after that! The problem now, is that I have to start all over here with my regular doc, who won't be seeing me until tomorrow. Until then, the lortabs I was given are of no help AT ALL! The anti-inflammatory I was prescribed seems to just make my stomach upset (even though taking with meals). I looked it up online, Indomethacin, and apparently it's not even a top 5 choice of most docs for a medicine to fight gout. Also, I read that the tylenol in the lortab I was given can actually make the problem worse. So I feel like I'm just in the gray here. What should I take, what shouldn't I take? What works, what makes it worse? Is everyone different and I'll have to just find my own way? One of my cousins is a PA, and she said that with the severity of my attack (which seems to be moving to my ankle now too) she would suggest I take a very strong pain med (oxy-somethingorother) and colchicine, until I find some relief. Then I can start to try to keep it under control with diet, exercise, and milder meds. Thoughts? She did say the pain med she recommends is extremely strong, but that since I've had chronic pain issues and have been on and off pain meds since I was 10 years old that the meds that are strong to most people won't work well for me.
Thanks again just for reading and responding. I'm so unbelievably frustrated right now. I've recently been working hard to find natural ways to deal with my endometriosis(very painful condition) as well as my chronic migraines and tension headaches(again very painful). My husband and I are ready to try to start a family, and I will not take a bunch of drugs while trying to get pregnant or while I am pregnant. I was doing pretty good until this. Now with the recommendations of strong pain meds and long term med treatments, I'm feeling like I'm at square one again.
So, normally I'm a person who is generally thankful for the wonderful things I have in my life, and even though I have health issues that are not curable, they are manageable and I try to be thankful for that as well. I'm not dealing with terminal issues, I could have it much worse. But I am very thankful that I've found this site where I can vent about this pain, confusion and frustration with others who have been, or are currently going through the same type of pain I am.
Please don't think me a cry baby! I just really need a place to vent, and this just seems to really help.
Thanks a million!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone that has had a big attack of gout knows what your going thu and if so. The last thing they are thinking is that your a cry baby. This stuff can bring a tear to the toughtest mans eyes. It's easy to get depressed over this curse. But keep the faith. Find a good Rhumatologist. As there seem to be a lot MD's that don't know how to treat gout. Good luck. LIMPY
jlew,
Any luck getting colchicine…about 30 tabs good, but 12 minimum? Won't your doctor call it in?
Indomethacin is a good gout drug, second to colchicine in the non-narcotic category but it is brutal on the stomach (and makes me dizzy.) I find ibuprofent the WORST for the stomach. You cannot beat colchicine for gout.
All this is for relief of pain. You will eventually be given a drug that keeps you from GETTING pain, usually daily allopurinol. It will be the only pill you need to take. It is not likely that allopurinol will casue pregnancy problems. You may not even need it during pregnancy…pregnancy is just LIKE that.
Hint: have you ever tried Inderal (propranolol) for migraine…it works like a charm for me.
jlew said:
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Please don't think me a cry baby! I just really need a place to vent, and this just seems to really help.
…
jlew, don't think that you are the only cry baby (and I am not really calling you a cry baby.) As limpy said, “This stuff can bring a tear to the toughest man's eyes.” Believe me, there a lot of gouties out here who have literally cried because they didn't know what to do with the pain, how to handle it.
You already got some good advice: Find a rheumatologist, since you have a better chance with him/her than most any other doctor. Get your blood checked to see where your SUA (Serum Uric Acid) level is. To get hold of your gout you must know that figure. 6.8 mg/dl is the magic/critical point. Anything below and you are on the way to a better life (provided you are taking to right medication to control your UA.) Anything above and you are standing a good chance of occurring/re-occurring gout attacks/ twinges, or whatever you want to call them.
Colchicine is the prevalent med to deal with the inflammation which gout causes. Naproxen/Aleve is one of the meds which deals with the pain which your inflammation causes. HOWEVER, before you take any of those meds, you need to see a doctor (preferably a rheumatologist) and have your blood checked. Remember: Once you have gout, you have it for life. The ONLY thing you can do MUST DO, is continuously MANAGE it, that means check your uric acid level in your blood and keep it below 6.8mg/dl.
jlew,
Since this is your 1st gout, there is a very good chance that black bean broth will work for you, as it had worked for me and other people who had suffered from the horrible and painful gout flareups! Besides, black bean soup often is taken as a tonic drink with lots of other health benefits. Most importantly, it's NATURAL. The link below takes you directly to the “magic brew”.
jlew said:
The pain is unbelievable. I read that black cherry juice can help, but with the pain or with stopping the whole issue? I just want to know what to do to get the attack to stop instead of increasing.
Thanks to anyone who has some advice!
The jury is out on Cherry and Black Bean Broth. Some here swear by it others like me think of it as old wives' tale
Don't get me wrong cherry seems to have some anti inflammation properties apparently so it won't do any harm. BBB again won't do any harm in trying either. Both are healthy things compared to the junk some people eat.So do give it a try but in my humble opinion it is not a primary treatment or a long term solution to attack and take Gout head on.
Once this attack passes you need to work out what you blood uric acid readings are. Anything above 6mg/dl is not good for a Gout patient. Btw during an attack the blood uric acid readings can show low so don't go by them.
The only proven scientific things that works at controlling blood uric acid readings/Gout long term and preventing joint damage and other related problems are drugs like Allopurinol AT CORRECT DOSAGE.
Good luck
Pardon me vegGuy, I am a “male” not an “old wife”, and BBB is definitely not just a “tale”! It had worked very effectively for me and many others who tried it. It is not simply that BBB won't do any harm, to me its effectiveness is almost “miraculous” – I can vouch to that! One thing I must say is that it may not work the same way for everybody, due to many varying factors, conditions and circumstances.
I do agree with you that BBB should not be taken as a primary treatment or a long term solution to attack. If BBB does not work for, my advice too is to seek medical attention!
Good luck!
How much BBB do you guys drink?
I've been boiling a pound of beans in a galllon of water and keeping it in the fridge. (That's 454 grams in 3.8 liters for you metric types).
A cup a day? A liter a day? More?
Very few of us use BBB but metamorph swears by it, so I am sure he will weigh in on the dosage.
(I think he suggests a half liter, aka a pint, 2 cups, at one time…but don't hold me to it. So you won't be far off by trying that now.)
Let us know if it works for you.
Anything on your doctor calling in an Rx for colchicine?
jlew – I wish you the best of luck with your gout and other problems. Nobody here will think you a crybaby for venting on this forum! As a person who has suffered through many, many sports injuries, broken bones, surgeries, etc., I can honestly say that a bad gout attack is more painful than any of them!
When you're feeling gout free, get your UA levels tested to see where you are at. If your levels keep coming back 'normal' (<6mg/dl) but you continue to experience attacks, you'll likely have to get the affected joint drained and the fluid tested. It's the only way to confirm that you do indeed have gout.
There are a ton of different ways to tackle gout. I've tried many of them, most with very little success. After being on 600mg / day of Allopurinol over the past 9 months however, I'm finally seeing positive results. With a continued good diet, abstaining from alcohol and taking my daily dose of Allo, I hope to keep the worst of the gout attacks at bay for the rest of my life. I NEVER want to go back to where I was a year ago with my gout!
When I had my horrible gout flareup I would first gulp down half a litre of BBB, followed by another half litre within 2 hrs. Slowly but surely I could feel the pain and inflammation diminishing. I would finish up the remaining of BBB within the day. The next day, it was as good as if nothing had happened – the pain was gone and the swelling subsided, leaving only some traces of softness around the affected area. So far, mostly I only had gout flareups around both big toes and only a few times at the side of my feet. BBB had never failed me.
I do not take BBB anymore, as I have not experienced gout flareups for many months now. I am paying more attention to my physical cndition, lifstyle and the things I eat. It does not mean total abstinance from anything but everything in moderation. I am still able to enjoy all the good things in life.
After reading the posts by other gout friends here and learning from their experiences, I would consider my gout as very mild compared to many other's here at GoutPal. So, maybe BBB works better for those whose gout are not at any advanced stage. Those with serious gout problems should, therefore, seek medical advice as it could be more than meets the eye.
Since, jlew's is a 1st gout attack, I hope it would work for her too, without affecting her plan to have a baby. I am a person who is averse to long term medications or drugs and would avoid taking them. So far, I am lucky to be able to keep it that way. That's also why I have so much “FAITH” in BBB – because it is NATURAL!
jlew said:
I've recently been working hard to find natural ways to deal with my endometriosis(very painful condition) as well as my chronic migraines and tension headaches(again very painful). My husband and I are ready to try to start a family, and I will not take a bunch of drugs while trying to get pregnant or while I am pregnant. I was doing pretty good until this. Now with the recommendations of strong pain meds and long term med treatments, I'm feeling like I'm at square one again.
Have you tried Chinese medicine? If not, I suggest you consider it, as all the above conditions are clearly understood, related patterns within its diagnostic system. Acupuncture will help with the migraines/tension headaches, but for the endometriosis you will need herbs. In any case, Western medicine (hormone therapy & surgery) has a very poor record of success with endometriosis (as you probably already know).
As for the gout, once you have got over this current crisis with whatever meds you need to take, you may be able to provide yourself with a drug free breathing space in order to start a family by controlling the symptoms with Chinese herbs and dietary restrictions. Ultimately, however, you will have to start taking AlloP in order to lower uric acid to safe levels, but even if you start doing so before conceiving, you can be reassured that there are very few negative indications about its effects on pregnancy. It is probably quite safe, although I fully understand your desire to be as 'clean' as possible at this important time, so I thought I would mention this option. The only downside is cost, but considering the huge amounts that people pay for IVF treatments, you might consider it money well spent. TCM has a good track record on gynaecological and fertility issues. (For the record: I am an acupuncturist and I take herbs to control my gout symptoms, which they do quite successfully)
Thanks again to all of you! Your advice and info have been such a help! I found a friend who had been using BBB for years and got some from her, unfortunately it hasn't helped much. I have also been given alfalfa to try. I always prefer the natural methods of dealing with medical issues, but I'm not one to believe that's always the best way to go. My pain got very, very intense again yesterday, and so today I have been started on a steroid. Since starting it early this morning I can already feel the pain getting better. But now I notice my big toe looking almost purple. Hmmmm…..my doc is gone for the day, so I'm hoping this change isn't a sign of something worse. Previously I was just swollen and red, but now I look almost like I have a huge bruise.
Other than the discoloration issue, and some tingling sensations in my other toes, I'm still just waiting for real relief. My pain is better, but it's still there, sometimes worse than others. I've decided that since my normal, personal remedies for pain aren't a bit of help that I'll go ahead and take pain meds and the steroids until this gets under control. I have found there are a lot more causes for gout than I had realized. My doctor told me that some people produce too much uric acid, others can't filter it properly, and others have completely unrelated illnesses that cause an attack. Unfortunately he's thinking I'm the latter, but no way to know without lots of testing. But based on some other medical problems I have, family history, and some other basic tests, I may actually have a kidney problem that may not have been found so quickly had it not been for causing this gout. Soooo, strange to say, gout may end up being a blessing in disguise for me (if this larger issue is truly to blame). But no thanks from me until the verdict is in. I won't be thankful for this awful pain unless I know for sure it's helped me in some larger way.
For those of you who have had to deal with this for any amount of time, you will all be in my prayers, collectively, forever! I am not a religious person, more of a spiritual being, but there are certain things, people, that enter my thoughts daily, and you will all be there from now on. Because no one can truly understand the immense pain and disruption of daily life that this causes without having been through it themselves. I hope you all find the best way for each of you to be pain free and healthy!
As for me, I'm going to take my next dose of steroid and pain med and continue to wait and see!
Thanks again SO MUCH!!!!! This forum really has been so helpful to me! The big cry baby! =) But I now know that this is definitely something to cry about!
I've found pain is easier to deal with when you know the cause.
Speaking of causes, gout has only one cause – uric acid crystals, but there are many reasons for excess uric acid and also mysteries why it crystallizes at different levels in different people.
First you need a proper diagnosis. A rheumatologist has been mentioned, and that is by far your best starting point. Family doctors are generally good at treatment (with many exceptions before somebody points out their own poor treatment), but less good at diagnosis. Gout can be mistaken for several conditions, and vice versa, so if there is any doubt, a rheumatologist is the way to go. Check that they specialize in gout, because general rheumatics are not specific enough to distinguish gout.
For the second time today, I have seen mention of uric acid levels without numbers. Numbers, qualified by the measurement scale, are vital. Ranges like low, normal, or high are pointless. In fact they are worse – ranges are dangerous because they encourage misdiagnosis and promote the wrong treatment. Normal uric acid is the most pointless statement a gout suspect can hear.
In this context, the fact that uric acid in the blood can fall temporarily during a gout attack is a vital consideration.
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