Interested in gout

question, a topic, or just say hello! <<
OK--first of all, I can tell everyone that this reflector is going to be of
great value to me, and I hope it has been, and will be to many others.
There are a lot of subleties about this gout business that the literature
doesn't tell us. I think that a bunch of people who've "been there, done
that" can help fill in a lot of the blanks.
My first questions are going to be about Allopurinol (Xyloprim). Most of us
have been told to take this med "forever" as a control to prevent gout
attacks. Dunno why, but years ago, I decided not to take it, and just live
with and try to control the pain.
1. Does anyone know of any long term adverse side effects to taking
Allopuinol (I haven't heard of any)?
2. I just had a friend who is a gout sufferer who has been on Allopuinol
for a long time tell me his doc told him it would be harmful to stop taking
it. I asked why, and got no answer. Has anyone heard anything that might
shed some light on this? Never heard it before.
Let's see well everyone does on this pop quiz, and then we'll go on to
harder topics.
Ron B

Here is the link for Wellness Web:
http://wellness.onlinedirect.com/cgi-bin/login.cgi
You will have to sign up, but it's free and only takes
a minute or two. They have a message board for gout
sufferers under the link called (I think)
"Communication Center." I learned a lot from reading
all the messages on there (there are over 90 of them).
--Diane

Here is a link about allopurinol:

Here is a link I found about purines:
http://www.pumpa.co.uk/
They even have a low purine diet you can follow!
Also, are all nitrates bad, or just sodium nitrates?
There is nitrates of some kind in nearly every food I
eat, it seems.
--Diane

That's what I need to figure out: just what foods
contain purines. I know that shellfish does.
Anything else I should be aware of?
Thanks for any help you can give me.
--Diane

After a second visit to the doctor, with the "attack"
no better, my doc prescribed indomethacin for me. It
did seem to help a lot with the inflamation, but I
still have a large red, sore, tender patch from the
left side of my ankle all the way down the left side
of my foot. It's gotten a tad better, but the
improvement is so slight every day that it's
maddening. It's going on four weeks now since I first
noticed the red welt and pain. Is it normal for
attacks to last this long, and take so long to clear
up? I spent the last 6 days home with my left foot
up, which I think helped a lot as well (doc said I was
exacerbating it by walking around too much on it, week
before). I hobbled more than walked, but this week I
can almost walk without limping, and am back at work.
I'm not sure what triggered the attack, but I did
drink a lot of scotch (whiskey) and ate a lot of
turkey processed sandwich meat, the week just prior to
the attack. I am now quitting drinking, and eating
any sandwich meats. Anything else I should stay clear
of?
--Diane

Do any of you know how dairy products effect gout
conditions? I eat quite a lot of cottage cheese and
yogurt, and drink 1-2 glasses of milk a day. My
doctor said this was okay, but I wonder.....
--Diane

i just got a blood test back today and the uric acid levels in my
blood were normal, or maybe even below the normal range
i wonder if this means i don't have gout just bunions
C

(Sending this again, as it hasn't seem to have gone
through yet for some odd reason).
Hello to all of you! I am Diane from California, and
newly diagnosed with gout (just last week). Went to
the doctor and she said it was probably gout and to
stay off my feet (my left ankle and the left side of
my foot is terribly affected by the gout) and to take
Advil (double-dose) three times a day with meals.
This advice has not really helped, and the gout is as
bad as ever after following it for a week. So I have
another appointment with her tomorrow, to see if she
can't prescribe something that will make the gout
attack go away faster. Does walking on the affected
foot make it last longer, do you think? I have had to
do some walking about, commuting to my job and the
like.
Also, I obviously need some advice about diet. I have
read about the "cherry thing" and am going to try
that. I read somewhere that pineapple seems to help
also (fresh, or juice?). My doctor said to stop
drinking and to try to cut out as much fat out of my
diet as I could, and I am working on that.
Any advice at all that any of you can give me would be
so incredibly welcomely received! (Is "welcomely" a
word?).
I am very depressed over this, and hope I can get a
handle on this condition so that I don;t have gout
attack after gout attack for the rest of my life.
--Diane

I found your E-Group while looking for help for a friend of mine who
suffers from gout. From your letters I was able to introduce him to
the tremendous benefits of cherries, which he had never heard about.
He has been drinking a lot of cherry juice, since cherries are only
now starting to come into season here in Israel, and just from that
he has already seen a huge improvement in his general, all-round,
health. I really enjoy the way you all give each other so much
encouragement, even if it is only in helping someone to unsubscribe!
I hope you all have a total and speedy recovery! I didn't notice
anyone referring to the spiritual side of healing. If anyone is
interested in this subject, you might like to hear more about a book
a friend of mine wrote on the subject. It is called The Wings of the
Sun, and he has a web site at http://www.azamra.org And while you
are connected, you might like to look at my web site at
http://www.shuvubonim.org which doesn't talk much about gout, I'm
afraid, but it does have lots of other interesting stuff on it. Well
I think so anyway. Good luck to you all, jonathan.

Hello to all of you! I am Diane from California, and
newly diagnosed with gout (just last week). Went to
the doctor and she said it was probably gout and to
stay off my feet (my left ankle and the left side of
my foot is terribly affected by the gout) and to take
Advil (double-dose) three times a day with meals.
This advice has not really helped, and the gout is as
bad as ever after following it for a week. So I have
another appointment with her tomorrow, to see if she
can't prescribe something that will make the gout
attack go away faster. Does walking on the affected
foot make it last longer, do you think? I have had to
do some walking about, commuting to my job and the
like.
Also, I obviously need some advice about diet. I have
read about the "cherry thing" and am going to try
that. I read somewhere that pineapple seems to help
also (fresh, or juice?). My doctor said to stop
drinking and to try to cut out as much fat out of my
diet as I could, and I am working on that.
Any advice at all that any of you can give me would be
so incredibly welcomely received! (Is "welcomely" a
word?).
I am very depressed over this, and hope I can get a
handle on this condition so that I don;t have gout
attack after gout attack for the rest of my life.
--Diane

This seems to be a continuing problem. How did you guys sign up for this
list anyway? Usually, you have to go through your "onelist" or "e-groups"
page to find the group, and then "subscribe"/and you do just the opposite to
unsubscribe. So, when you click on www/onelist.com (which automatically
sends you to www.egroups.com you need to sign in (you should have had to do
this in order to get onto this list and then click the "unsubscribe" box by
the list you no longer want to be a part of.
I hope this helps, don't know what else to tell you to do.
LeeAnne

Have gout again in the big toe for the fifth time. I take drugs for
high blood pressure, cholesterol etc. Take an aspirin a day (I know,
a no no). I need to take these drugs for a heart condition. I have no
insurance to pay for these drugs, so I have to pay out of my own
pocket. I have my own business which is in the construction trades.
Sometimes things are good (money) and sometimes not. Right now I do
not have the money to see a doctor for gout teatment nor the money
for any scripts. Are there any home remedies out there other than
diet that have worked for any of you? I am on my second day off of
work, which doesn't help the financial situation. I would greatly
appreciate it if someone knew of a home treatment that would at least
get me up and hobbling around the job. TIA Robert

please dont send this stuff to me

Dear Emily,
As you seem to have more guts than I do, do you think I could talk you into
pigging out on some shellfish... (ie. Crabs, Lobster, Shrimp)... for a day
or two? Then let me know what the results are.... If you have a massive
GOUT attack, then as far as I'm concerned it IS the shellfish... hehehehehe
I definately don't wanna go through that pain again... I think I'd be happy
just eating bread and water if I knew I would not get an attack from it...
Or maybe even a can of "DOGFOOD"...
Perhaps when I am knocking on deaths door, I'll pop a shrimp or two... But
until then, they can stay in the ocean for all I care...
So how is life treating you otherwise anyway?
Thanks for writing back again...
See ya,
Mark

Thanks Emily,
By the way, my name is Mark as I'm sure you know.
I'm 44 and this is my very first attack. It made me whimper like a baby
I'll tell ya that much.
Its pretty much cleared up right now except I don't have very good side
movement in my ankle without a LOT OF PAIN.
I am watching my diet now and although I love shell fish (Crab, Lobster,
Shrimp, Clams)... They are no longer a part of my life...
The pain I suffered through the first two days even with the pain killers is
enough to make me give up those things which I can basically live without.
I really appreciate your responding to me. Thanks for your advice, and keep
in touch.
Mark

GAG,
If you read the bottom of your email, it tells you how to have yourself
removed off of the list. I am not sure this list even has a moderator to do
it for you, so this might be your best bet.

Remove me

=====
Carlos E. Cao
caoc@...
UC Berkeley School of Public Health
MPH student in Infectious Diseases
home phone: (510) 548-6033
fax: (978) 477-8935

Hi,
My names Mark, and I thought a few days ago that somehow unknown to
me that I had broken the big toe on my left foot..
It just started hurting and progressivley got worse as the day went
along. It got to the point where I decided the only sane thing to do
was go the the hospital (I hate hospitals) and check it out.
Well, after the doctor saw my foot he said "Chances are you have
GOUT" and a blood test confirmed it.
I know a little about the meds they can prescribe to control the uric
acid, but the doctor suggested we try a diet change before going that
route to see if I can get my uric acid level under control.
Right now I am only on pain medication and he said the gout attack
would subside in a few days... A FEW DAYS OF THIS PAIN AND I WILL GO
INSANE...
How long does it usually take the attack to subside?
Also, I have stopped drinking... THIS CAN MAKE YOU STOP ANYTHING I
BELIEVE...
But as far as diet is concerned I don't know where to go to get info
on what I can and can't eat... Can someone help me out.
Also, is this cherry thing for real? I cannot get cherry juice here,
but have been eating cherries and the pain seems to be worse instead
of better...
One real quick question... Don't laugh... Can I eat popcorn or is
that taboo?
If anyone can tell me things like I need to drink this or that,
please help... I have never felt a pain like this... I need help...
Even my wife is not this much of a pain...
Appreciate any advice you can give me...
Thanks to all,
Mark

i told my doctor about the bump on the inner ball of my foot and he
said it was gout. has any one else had a quick diagnosis?

Esteemed friends:
It's me a pleasure communicate them that it's already available by
Internet a new WEB page of Resources and Fountains of Information of
Medicine in Internet. In this page has been attempted to compile the most
interesting fountains of information available in Internet and at the same
time that they are useful to the professionals of this science.
The WEB page is available in the following address:
http://est.unileon.es/medicina
(NOTE: please, write all the address in miniscule)
I wait for that it's of your interest. To get into touch with the
Webmaster of the WEB page, send an e-mail to: medicina@...
Receive a cordial greeting. Sincerely, Roberto Juan.
#########################################################################
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JOSE MANUEL BERJÓN DOMÍNGUEZ
- moderadores de la lista MEDIRED <medired@...
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Área de Biblioteconomía y Documentación.
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WEB: http://est.unileon.es/medicina
CORREO ELECTRÓNICO: medicina@...
rfalagan@...
FAX: (707) 276-1122
#########################################################################

I joined this list a couple of days ago, but the list has been quiet! I
would like to pose a question. My mother has gout, and she hasn't been
able to find relief. Does any one have a diet or a type of herb that they
can tell me for her? She has it in her foot, and she can't walk. Any help
would be appreciated.

My name is Angie and I think I have gout...I was told at my last physical
that my uric acid level was high. I am now having problems
with pain in my right foot. I have had pain for SHORT
periods of time in the past, but it never has lasted very
long. I had 4 drinks Sunday night and Monday I
started having some REAL pain. Could the drinks have
triggered an attack? Does it come in spurts sometimes?
...coming and going? Can your uric acid level be reduced
or is your only option keeping it from going higher?
What foods do I need to stay away from...what foods are
good for me? As you can see I know almost nothing and
need some held and guidance. Thanks in advance for
helping me...
AngieS (°¿°)
along w/ James & Kellen
send holiday {{HUGS}} to you!

It's me a pleasure communicate you that the mailing list MEDIRED is
entered in a new stage. Now it is administered by MAJORDOMO in the UniNET
server (Yagüe General Hospital of Burgos, Spain). Now we are subscribed more
than 450 persons. The main language is Spanish, although other languages are
also admitted (English, French, Italian...). Now the MEDIRED mailing list is
collaborating with a potent searcher / motor of search of Resources of
Health very important and well-known in Spain.
Next I adjunt, for the people that don't know this mailing list, the
most important information of the new MEDIRED mailing list:

Hello, I have been told I have gout. Since then I have been watcing my diet but
cannot get in to ease off I've lost the upwourd movement in my toe. It hearts
and is swollen and has been like this for 2 years this has stopped me playing
conpetertive squash. I can run when it is not quite so bad but when I get up to
25 miles a week it gets inflamed and out for couple of weeks. I am now a
vegitarian, don't drink any alchol, don't smoke and are very careful of not
eating uric acid high foods I take 300 mgs allopurinal. Can any one surgest what
I could do to helm reduce the swelleing . Thank you Ian Parish

Hi,
Glad to hear some news from this group.
I'm a 24 years old Malaysian and a gout patient of 3 years or so. My doctor
told me that I'm one of his youngest patient. Becuase people at my age
normally do not get gout. I'm not sure whether this is inherited because my
Dad(68) and elder Brother(32) are also suffering from gout. But they are not
having attacks regularly and not under any medication.
As for myself, I started with 100mg of Allopurinal daily and now it has been
increased to 300mg per day, most probably because of I'm unable to control
my diet properly and the blood test shows high uric acid level. But I have
not had any attacks ever since I started taking Allopurinol.
I'm very interested in finding out how natural food like black cherries and
celery can help me in lowering my uric acid level. Anyone with experience
with alternative treatment for gout care to share their experience? I'm
worried that Allopurinol may harm some of my organs, for example the Kidney.
That's why I am trying to maintain low uric acid level so that my doctor can
cut down on my dosage.
Thanks.
Regards,
Koo HL

Hi Pam........Thanks for the encouragement to say something..........I have
had gout for several years and the attacks were one or two times a year at
first and have been increasing since then and now I get an attack every
third week of the month for the last six months.....I have changed my diet
to decrease my intake of purines and take 300mg of Allopirinol a day for
prevention for almost three months and still get the attacks right on
schedule.......I will have my first visit to an Reumitologist July 1.......I
hope he can do something for me...........this disease is taking a week to
ten days out of my life every month......has anyone else had this kind of a
pattern?
Hugh

Hi everyone,
For those of you who don't know, I am your "list owner". :)
I am going away for several weeks starting April 9th, and I am posting
this to be sure everyone has this info in case it is needed while I am
gone. I am posting it now so that if something does not make sense
(or I screwed up!), you can give me feedback before I leave town.
Please also let me know asap if you have an idea for something that
should be answered in this FAQ!
Please feel free to share this information with other list people if
any questions come up before I return in May!
Common Questions
Q. I am not getting a lot of mail from this list; people aren't
posting very much. Is this list "alive"?
A. This list has a lot of subscribers, actually! But sometimes on
any mailing list, conversation will reach a lull, and then it is up to
those on the list to start another related topic! Suggestion: send a
mail to the list yourself and get the conversation going again!
Q. How do I send mail to this list?
A. Be sure your mail is going to: gout@onelist.com
Q. I am getting too much mail from this list...is there anything I
can do?
A. Yes!
1) go to http://www.onelist.com
2) in the blue column on the left, log in with your email address and
password...choose the "member center" button
***If you have forgotten your password: just enter anything you think
it *could* be! You will then get to a screen where you can ask for
your password to be mailed to you
3) when you get to the member center...you will see a screen with the
lists you have subscribed to. Look next to the "gout" link.
You will see these options:
digest: if you are getting too much mail and would like to have it
bundled together so there are fewer mails in your Inbox, check this
option (if you try it and want to go back to the regular format then
click on the box again to uncheck it).
no mail: some people do not want to receive mail but would like to
drop in from time to time and read the archives. If you would like to
try this, check the box for "no mail"
If you did any checking or unchecking, then click on the "change"
button.
Q. How do I unsubscribe from this list?
A. 1) go to http://www.onelist.com
2) in the blue column on the left, log in with your email address and
password...choose the "member center" button
***If you have forgotten your password: just enter anything you think
it *could* be! You will then get to a screen where you can ask for
your password to be mailed to you
3) when you get to the member center...you will see a screen with the
lists you have subscribed to. Look next to the "gout" link.
You will see the option to unsubscribe: we hate to see you go!
but if you must, then click on this link and follow the instructions
that Onelist provides.
Note: if you decided that a mailing list was just not what you
wanted, you may want to try our message boards! Check them out at
http://www.silcom.com/~sblc/msgboards.html
Q. How can I tell a friend/health professional/etc. how to sign up for
this list?
A. You can direct them to a sign-up page at:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/gout
Q. Is there a web page associated with this list?
A. Yes! The main page, with ALL the exciting features ;) , is at
http://www.silcom.com/~sblc . The specific page is at
http://www.silcom.com/~sblc/gout.html .
Q. How do I view the list archives?
A. Go to http://www.onelist.com. Log in with your user name and
password, then go to the "Member Center". At the member center, click
on the link for this list. Then choose "View archives"
Q. Is advertising allowed on this list?
A. Sorry, but absolutely not.
Q. How do I reach the list owner?
A. You can reach me, Pam, at beep@... or sblc@... .
Please give her some time to respond and note that if she is out of
town the response will take longer than usual.
Love to all
Pam
Pamela Gross
beep@...
Rheumatic Disease Web Site:
http://www.silcom.com/~sblc

I can see new sign-ups at the Onelist info site for this list :)
Now, to get all the shy ones to talk...!
It doesn't hurt! Just say something about gout and mail it to
gout@onelist.com !
Hugs
Pam
Pamela Gross
beep@...
Rheumatic Disease Web Site:
http://www.silcom.com/~sblc

On Mon, 22 Mar 1999 11:17:44 -0500 (EST), ONElist Tech Support

Pamela Gross * beep@...
Rheumatic Disease Web Site!!! http://www.silcom.com/~sblc
PLEASE help disabled people get a little closer toward being
ALLOWED to work: http://www.silcom.com/~sblc/incentimprv.html

Dear list-members,
I have a first gout attack on my big toe last month.
Since the acute attack which lasted 3 days, I still
feel the pain on my big toe, especially in the morning.
The pain goes away when I take Indomethacin (an anti-inflammatory
drug).
I would like to know if it is the sign of the chronic gout ?
I would like to take Allopurinol but I understood that this
drug can not be taken when I have the gout (acute or chronic ?).
God bless you all.
Penh.

Hi! New subscriberhere. Haven't recieved any posts yet. Testing to see if it
works. BJD

I am trying to find out if other people have the same simptoms as I and indead
do I realy have gout because the doctor has had a gues but cannot be sure. How
clever of them

Hi Pamela,
Family member has diagnosis of Gout. It's great to learn from others who
are dealing with same issues.
llmd@...

These are some pretty good recipes to try. hope you all like them Sheryl

Hi,
I started this list because some people with gout asked me to! and
also because I hope to learn more about the disease.
I myself have lupus and am the webmistress of
http://www.silcom.com/~sblc ... I have a gout page at
http://www.silcom.com/~sblc/gout.html.
Would everyone on this list please tell us all what brings you to the
list...i.e., what your interest is in gout?
To do this, send your mail to:
gout@onelist.com
Hope to hear from each of you ASAP!
hugs
Pam
sblc@... or
Pamela Gross * beep@...
Rheumatic Disease Web Site!!! http://www.silcom.com/~sblc
PLEASE help disabled people get a little closer toward being
ALLOWED to work: http://www.silcom.com/~sblc/incentimprv.html