Yay, I get the first GOUT discussion!

Hi fellow gout sufferers!

I'm 47 now, but got my first attack of gout at around the age of 33. Of course, I had no idea what it was then - the big toe on my left foot blew up like a balloon and the pain was excrutiating. I lived with it for two days before seeing my doctor, who confirmed it was gout. I couldn't believe it. I said "I thought that only old guys who drank too much port got gout!" How wrong I was.

The doc said I had high levels of uric acid in my bloodstream and that was making its way into my joints and causing the stiffness. he didn't elaborate much further (I believe he didn't know much more than that - as I found out, surprisingly few doctors actually do!) He put me on medication (allopurinol) to reduce the amount of uric acid produced by the body, then told me I would have to take it for the rest of my life. Oh, great!

I wasn't satisfied with that advice, so I went in search of some more information. I found a truckload on the internet so went about sifting through it to separate the "probably useful" from the "downright insane".

It seems I had to change my diet (the biggest contributary factor to getting gout in the first place) and look after my kidneys (they filter uric acid out of the blood). The diet change meant out with red meat, shellfish, mushrooms - its a long list - suffice it to say cut out foods with high levels of purines because they cause the body to produce excess uric acid. To keep the kidneys in good working order, drink lots of plain water.

There's more, much more. I suffered two more attacks a few weeks apart (despite the drugs), the last was in my right ankle. I was getting desparate. I found out that asprin is an anti-inflammatory and was advised to take it to help reduce the swelling. So I took a lot. And what did it do? Zip.

In fact, the swollen ankle was joined by a swollen big tos on the other foot and wham! I was crippled. Couldn't walk anywhere without enough pain to have me passing out. Yep, it was THAT bad.

More research found that asprin reduces kidney function. Oh, great! The one thing I thought would help has made things worse. So no more asprin for me - ibuprofen was the next on the list, still no good at reducing inflammation and not a good drug to take in any case. I was told that the only really effective treatment that took the swelling down fast was a cortisone injection directly into the joint. Ouch! Apart from the fact that cortisone is a very bad drug (bad side effects), there was no way I was letting anyone near my poor foot with a needle!

So I suffered with this attack for about three weeks before the swelling went down enough for me to walk properly again.

Strangely, neither my father nor either grandfather ever suffered with gout, so I am a bit skeptical as to the "it runs in the family" theory. More later...

I have a father who used to get it. I don't remember in recent years of a breakout from him. I do remember it was like his foot was on fire.

DON'T GET NEAR MY FOOT he would scream... I would laugh as a kid but now that I see others have the same condition it is a serious thing and something that should not be taken so lightly.

Luckily I have never gotten it myself... pray to God I don't.

Yes congratulations for being the first, yes it is a dreadful ailment. Yes I have suffered the gout for many years, I get it in my right foot and it is very painful I agree I get it more now that I am getting older so that is very true, I am 55 now I get it about every couple of months.

I had annual bouts satating at age 40. Eventually in my lates 40's my ankle would swell up. I could not even walk. I started watching my diet (i.e. all the good stuff, Booze.Steak, shellfish). Warning. Last year I was put on Lipitor and had 2 severe attacks in one month.

I am the odd one out lol. I am 29 and female and have gout. I go crazy when it gets inflammed, gaurding my foot like a dog does a bone. I got my first inflamation about 1 year ago and every couple of months since then.

Wow. Let me revive this topic. LOL.

I'm 30 and I've been suffering through gout for four years now. It started right after I got married (though I doubt that had anything to do with it). I went to the emergency room because I woke up with it out of no where, and thought "Oh crud.. I kicked something in the middle of the night and broke my foot!" The doctor there told me he suspected it was gout, but hadn't heard of someone my age (26 at the time) getting it. I went to my general doctor, who suggested I see a podiatrist (foot doctor).

Biggest mistake of my life. I went in, and he looked at my foot, moved it around a little and said "Hmmm.. I'd say it's gout. Take this, see me in one week." I took whatever he wrote to the pharmacy, filled it, took it and returned one week later, no better. He looked at my foot, moved it around and said, "Hmmm... no, I think it's Bursitis. Take this, see me in one week." One week later, still no better... looks, moves... "Hmmm... No, I think it's arthritis. Take this, see me in one week."... After which it was "No, I think the problem is, your tendons are too short. We're going to cut them, slide them.. thus lengthening them."

To which I said.. "NO!" and promptly fired the doctor.>_<

I ended up going to a chiropractor who specialized in sports injuries, and he worked on the foot a little, put those little electrode things on it to zap it (which hurt like you wouldn't believe!) and in half an hour, I could walk again. I was fine for a month, then had another attack. This time I went to a different general doctor, who put me on the Allopurinol. Like others, I was told I'd be on it for life, and had to watch my diet.

Red meat went out right away. I can't even eat anything cooked on the same grill as red meat without having an attack. Large amounts of green leafy veggies are also out, as is seafood and alcohol (no big loss felt with those two). I've noticed Soda pop is another no-no for me lately, as is too much chocolate. I've been told to cut out my mushrooms (*sniff*). So far, nothing has really worked to stop the attacks, which seem to get worse each time.

My new doctor (hubby switched jobs, and thus insurance) has recently told me that she wants to test to see if I'm either making too much uric acid, or else not dumping enough from my system. She said that the treatment is actually different depending on which it is. Apparently, if I make too much, they give me one drug to tell the factory to lay off... and if I'm not getting rid of enough, they give me a different drug to help ship more out. LOL.

I'm supposed to go get blood work later today. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction!.

As for genetics, I really couldn't say as I'm adopted. I do know in my adopted family, my father's father had it, as did my mother's uncle (he had it really bad). I tend to get an attack once a month, and it lasts for a week. Most of the time it's crippling for two to three days at the start, and then tappers off. Occasionally I'm lucky and it's just a mild inconvenience. The time before last I actually ended up in tears in the waiting room because the pain pills wore off before they could get me in. I ended up with some kind of shot, and four prescriptions... one for Tramadol..

I<3 Tramadol!