my doc said to take 1x allo a day =100mg and 3x colcacine =1500mg to
prevent more attacks ? i thought i only need 1xallo a day not the
colchacine i thought this was just if you had a attack ? why is he
giving me it ?
thanks all
I have had three attacks of gout. Presently I am having one and had
one about six months ago. Like most I searched the internet and found
a couple of products. One is Goutcure and the other Purcil. I was
wondering if any of you folks have tried them and if so what has been
the results or sucess. I know we are all different healthwise but was
wondering if any of these products have had good results and how strick
you had to be in your eating habits while using the products.
Appreciate any comments. dave
Has any one ever had Gout in your knee joint. I have it in my big toe
joints for years but this is a first for me. Any feed back? Thanks.
please can somebody help my dad has terrible gout in his hands, all
the medical doc can do is prescibe steroids which at the moment
doesn't seem to be helping, l am desperate to get some help for him as
he is in so much pain ????
Hi Tony !
When i first came here last year I flailed about trying to avoid going
on allopurinol. You told me then " try what you like, but allo works".
Well, after 4 months on allopurinol, I have been attack-free for a
month after the attacks becoming less severe and further apart ! I
can see a time when I will be gout free and I do not seem to have
suffered any side effects from Allopurinol other than the mother of
all attacks when I first started taking it. I even started back up the
gym last week !
You were right.
Please continue to advise calmly about allopurinol when newbies thrash
about !
great group you have hear thanks to all.
1 first had a gout attack 2 years ago when i was 33 i did not know
what was going on at first. ine morning i got up out of bed as usual
and put the full weight of my body on my right foot. ouch!!!!!! i
went flying. at first i thought i had broken a bone in my foot. then
i thought it must be a trapped nerve. i put up with it for about 4
days until it was so pain full i could not put on my sock or shoe or
even drive. i went to accident and emergency at 1am in the morning
and they did some xrays and blood tests. they gave me pain killers
but. they hardley worked at all. the next day the doctor said i had
gout... every since then i have had about 8 attacks a year. i take
colchacine to kill the attack off and now think i should start taking
some allopurinal. what do you think people?
i dont think the docs know really how to handle this cndition. the
latest doctor said to take allopurinal ( 1 a day for the rest of my
life) and if i get another attack to switch to collchacine then have
a 7 day break from all medication wha attack gone then start on the
allopurinal again.
now he suggests taking another drug as well beginning with d???????
he then says take 11mg a day then changes it to 300mg per day
what should i do .please advse all
thanks
i felt attack starting at 3pm and i took by accident 2 allupurinol
tablets at 4pm then another tablet at 7pm then another at 11pm the next
day . ihad no attack and it completley cleared up canyou explain ?
is this the best(fastest acting tablet) to take when you fell a attack
in the foot. or is there somthing better
Happy New and Pain free year friends !!
My own symptoms are reducing hugely since I started taking allopurinol
in September. I have high hopes for a gout-free 2006 !
However - over the holidays I was talking to my Wife's karate
instructor- he is an ex european champion, HUGELY fit who SWEARS by
two homeopathic substances for general and joint health.
Aloe Vera Pulp for joints and
Kombucha cultures for, well, everything else particularly liver and
digestion.
Now I am very cynical of all such anecdotal recommendations but he
avows arthritis was enormously reduced by the Aloe Vera AND his
father's gout was controlled by Kombucha.
Anyone tried this jungle juice and can anyone help me find some proper
scientific tests of its effectiveness? I don't see how ingesting
mushroom products will hep gout ( Mushrooms are a SERIOUS grout trigge
for me).
Thanks !
I'm a new subscriber and wonder if my history might be of some value to
the group.
I'm 70, suffered my first gout attack at about age 50 and continued to
have sporadic attacks until about six years ago. At that iime I began
taking 1000 mg of gelatin and 2000mg of glucosamine each day to ward
off knee and hip joint problems. My orthopod at that time said I would
need knee replacement surgery in a short itme. He didn't recommend the
glucosamine/gelatin regimen...I had to come up with that myself. The
knees and hips responded famously to the treatment and I have remained
pain free since and continue a relatively vigorous exercise program and
lifestyle.
I have also noticed that I have not had a gout attack in the last six
years.
Is this in my mind or is there a connection between my
gelatin/glucosamine regimen and freedom from gout pain?
Hi folks
I'm 50 years old male, vegetarian for 5-6 years - strictly no meat nor
fish.
Recently i got first gout attack. My doctor prescribed indocid to kill
pain, but suspect it may not be gout because blood test should 0.41
urate not exceeding gout threshold.
what did i eat caused uric acid to elevate ?
now what should i eat among veggies ?
Thanks in advance for advice.
fist of all i would like to say what a great group this is...thank god
i stumbled on it...
anyway can anyone give me some advice here please.
i have gout and also suffer with asthma...i am currently taking
beclazone inhaler wich is a steroid and recently ive had a chest
infection wich my doctor put me on a course of antibiotics..ive had a
bad attack of gout whilst on these drugs...does anyone have any info
on these please...
many thanks....brad
224 Foods (alphabetically) Total Purines in mg uric acid/100 g (Average) Min Max Nutr. Density in mg/MJ
HIGHEST IN PURINES (400 mg. uric acid/100 g and higher)
Fish, sardines in oil 480 399 560 519.5
Liver, Calf's 460 837.5
Mushroom, flat, edible Boletus, dried 488 932.8
Neck sweet bread, Calf's 1260 3012.9
Ox liver 554 1013.3
Ox spleen 444 1052.6
Pig's heart 530 1382
Pig's liver 515 937.9
Pig's lungs (lights) 434 911.2
Pig's spleen 516 1208.2
Sheep's spleen 773 1702.6
Sprat, smoked 804 795.6
Theobromine 2300 1611.3
Yeast, Baker's 680 2071.3
Yeast, Brewer's 1810 1866.6
MODERATELY HIGH IN PURINES (100 to 400 mg. uric acid/100g)
Bean, seed, white, dry 128 127.1
Bean, Soya, seed, dry 190 139.1
Beef, chuck 120 192
Beef, fillet 110 216.4
Beef, fore rib, entrecote 120 185.4
Beef, muscles only 133 292.1
Beef, roast beef, sirloin 110 110 120 201.4
Beef, shoulder 110 203.9
Black gram (mungo bean), seed, dry 222 194.3
Caviar (real) 144 141.6
Chicken (breast with skin) 175 288.4
Chicken (chicken for roasting), average 115 165.8
Chicken, boiling fowl, average 159 149.2
Chicken, leg with skin, without bone 110 152.2
Duck, average 138 146.2
Fish, Anchovy 239 560
Fish, Carp 160 330.9
Fish, Cod 109 335.9
Fish, Haddock 139 425.2
Fish, Halibut 178 439.9
Fish, Herring roe 190 342.4
Fish, Herring, Atlantic 210 216.9
Fish, Herring, Matje cured 219 197.6
Fish, Mackerel 145 95 194 191.2
Fish, Pike-perch 110 311.3
Fish, Redfish (ocean perch) 241 544.1
Fish, Saithe (coalfish) 163 473.4
Fish, salmon 170 110 250 202
Fish, sardine, pilchard 345 693.2
Fish, Sole 131 125 137 376.2
Fish, trout 297 686.7
Fish, Tuna 257
i had my first attack of gout 3 years ago when i was 32 and on
holiday.i thought i had been stung on the toe...since then i have a
flair up once or twice a year which cripples me for a week or so..at
the momment ive been off work all week as its gone to my ankle(not
good)..im now completly off the beer and planning on losing a bit of
weight..the problem is im not to sure of what foods to be eating as
most sites i look at all say diffrent things.
In the spirit of ...
Anyone who's experienced gout , has experienced real pain.
gout is a leveler , pain is a leveler.
it's a bit of shame that there was a bit of a bust up in the gout
group a while back. for one reason or another there was a split-off
group formed called gouthelp formed by some of the most "experienced"
and knowledgeable professionals.
As someone who has experienced the gout phenomenon and who has been
gout free for some time I'd like to wish everyone a happy Christmas
in this group and a happy new year (and the secret is to stop drinking
and lose weight and your sorted!)
Steve.
I believe that the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine
contains an article showing that a new drug (undoubtedly more expensive
than allopurinol) lowers uric acid more than allopurinol. Somehow I
doubt that it would be worth it but one never knows.
Does anyone have access to the full article and the abilty to post
excerpts of it here?
Hi. I am a 60 year old female. I have just been dx with gout. It is
mostly in my fingers. I seem to have arthritis everywhere but I think
it is not gout. I take NSED for my arthritis but have not been told to
do anything for the gout. I've been reading about it and will stay
away from high purine foods. Oh, he did take me off a diaretic and
will take me off lipitor in two weeks. Has anyone had the experience
of taking these two things and/or stopping them? Also, what is the
best form to injest cherries? Thanks. Deb
Hi Everyone,
My name is Allie and I come from Sydney Australia. I joined this group
for my partner (Andy) who was just diagnosed with gout in his knee.
Andy has Cerebral Palsy and walks on crutches and I just wanted to
find out info and recipies on what I should be cooking for him and
stuff like that.
Allie M.
Hi All,
Judging from postings here and email and phone calls we have
recieved, there seems to be quite a bit of concern and suspicion
among members of this group that the Online Gout Study is up to no
good, preying upon gout sufferers.
We would like to assure you that the study is being conducted at
Boston University Medical Center, a well-known, non-profit, research
institution (http://www.bumc.bu.edu/). The study team consists of
members of the Clinical Epidemiology Research and Training Unit at
Boston University School of Medicine
(http://www.bumc.bu.edu/Dept/Home.aspx?DepartmentID=353) and the
Data Coordinating Center at the Boston University School of Public
Health (http://www.bu.edu/dbin/sph/research_centers/dcc.php).
There is no cost to particpate in the study, and no obligation to
join. We do not provide nor recommend any specific treatment. We
apologize for any alarm we may have caused, that was not our
intention.
Thanks,
The Online Gout Study Team
Hi everyone. My name is Amy, I'm 22 and have had 3 attacks since April
2004. At least I'm pretty sure it's gout. I'm taking some anti-
inflammatory medicine prescribed last year. First attack was in the
toe and up my leg to behind my knee. Second one was about 8 months
later in my index finger. Last week, 12 months from last my instep.
I'm not sure what I'm eating that is causing this because so many
sites suggest so many different foods that cause this.
Just wanted to introduce myself. I'm interested in getting rid of this
painful disease. I'm going to start an exercise and diet program at
Gold's Gym.
Hi Amy. Welcome. We've been getting
alot of young females on this list
recently despite it normally being
rare for young females to have gout.
Usually gout is confirmed by aspirated
synovial fluid being subjected to a
bichromatic light test so as to rule
out other types of arthritis that
require different treatments.
Anti-inflammatory drugs are temporary
measures and have considerable risks.
Diet is but one component of your
uric acid burden.
Good luck.
The staff of the Online Gout Study would like to take this opportunity
to:
Thank Craig Crawford for his encouragement and interest in our study.
We could not conduct this study without the help of generous people
like you!
Thank Harris West for his healthy skepticism and giving us the
opportunity to reassure that we are indeed a legitimate study,
conducted at a well recognized research institution.
Apologize to Epicurean for his unhappiness with our study in the past.
We believe strongly in thanking people for their time and commitment,
and certainly did not intend to annoy him with our thank you cards.
If anyone has questions or concerns, please contact as at
goutinfo@...
https://dcc2.bumc.bu.edu/goutstudy/
flares.
Beware that gout study. They insist on sending
emails to you as attachments instead of as text
and they will send annoying 'thank you' messages
and 'birthday greeting' messages.
I finally dropped out of the darn thing rather
than put up with their emails, though I do
understand that others may have a greater
tolerance level for that sort of stuff.
I have had a rash appear on my neck in the area of the throat, which
is spreading quite markedly.
I am taking 200 mgs of Allopurinol each day, for about 3 months now,
and wonder if this may be a side-effect of the medication. I wonder if
any of you recognise the symptom and can offer some advice, as the
medication appears to be working remarkably well and I would be
reluctant to discontinue.
TIA
Just Joined the following groups:
Dialysis, Gout, and Heart Failure. the other day and been thinking now to state my condition(s). It seems like over the pass 15 years since this all started with a stroke that affected my kidneys and eye sight. Was blind for 6 months with all the blood that had built up behind my eyes. The kidney problem has never gotten any better.
Will try to explain. 1989 had a stroke and ever since been on medication for high blood pressure and kidney functions. Been to Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota and Jacksonville Florida. University Hospital in St Paul Minnesota and University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago. Each time was told "that they did not know what was causing the blood pressure problem" In 2001 the doctors finally came up with a combination of pills to keep the blood pressure under control. By blood pressure out of control the pressure stayed between 210/100 to 190/110. Now it is around 120/68 to 112/ 52.
The kidneys have been a royal pain since day one. In the last 5-6 years been a daily fight with water build up. They either work or less they do nothing. Have been in the hospital at least 10 times with congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema. Weight gain can be 10-20 pounds in a 24 hour period. Legs, feet swelling, and gout.
Was in the hospital October 10-22. The first 4 days weight went from 320 to 258. since October 22 have lost another 20 pounds. Every time I have these weight loss my blood chemistry and potassium levels are all screwed up. When able to get the blood work at least normal for me, within a week or so it all starts all over again. In fact last week was told to gain at least 25 pounds back to help get the levels at a higher level.
About a month ago the doctors start to do the dialysis Pre-op. Round February 18 they will start dialysis. Some birthday present. Had surgery on my arm last Friday to put in the tubes for the vein and artery.
Guess with the next few weeks will be having all the tests re-done to establish the results for some thing they can go by at a later date, have had MRI, cat scans, ultra-sounds, and any other tests they can dream up.
As far as the gout. Have had it now for some 10 years but within a day or so it has except the treatment and went away. Now I have gout in the hip. As I understand it the gout in the hip is eating away the hip bone. Talk about hurting the pain at times is just too much, can't sit down, stand up, lay down, forget walking.
Hope this established a general idea of my medical problems. Any questions just ask.. Can answer questions easier than trying to explain.
Two things that I have lived by ever since this all started.
"Lord, there is nothing going to happen to me today that YOU and I can not handle."
"Lord, let me know the difference of what I can change and know the difference of what I can not control"
I have a lot of questions but by reading some of the pass messages, little by little finding the answers.
Will close for now. Hugs for u'all
Sonny
Hi All,
Boston University is conducting an online study to determine possible
triggers for acute gout flares. If you have had an acute gout attack
within the past year, reside in the US and would like to participate,
we could use your help. All questionnaires are completed entirely
online and all information is strictly confidential.
For more information please visit our website:
https://dcc2.bumc.bu.edu/goutstudy/
If you have questions or concerns about this study, please contact us
at goutinfo@....
Thanks,
Online Gout Study
Hi
just wondering if there is any doctor / MD / specialist in this
group... i mean also having gout??
i think i want to ascertain whose advise to take ;-)
I have been taking 300 mg of allopurinol for about 1 year. 3 weeks ago i had some mussels for lunch, then 2 days later...an ATTACK!! How could this be? I really do watch y diet, except for an occasional treat such as a beer or some mussels or scallops. I an not overweight and I exercise regularly---
In the old days, before I was taking the Allo to control the uric level, I would take Vioxx and a day later I could walk and tolerate the pain. But since they have pulled Vioxx, that is not an option....what a shame [INLINE]
These days I am taking Celebrex (200mg /day), but it is not as effective as Vioxx and I have pain in my foot for 3-4 days. I also chase the celebrex with celery seed and black cherry concentrate pills...and I cross my fingers that something in that combination will break up the urate crystals and free me from this severe, localized, yet diffuse, ground glass pain in the bottom of my foot (if you have gout, you know what I mean).
Besides the usual symptoms of gout, I also had the other symptom of modern day gout sufferers, which is rarely listed on the medical sites---
We, fellow GOUT sufferers, need to recruit highly skilled researchers, who also suffer from Gout, to find a cure......lets join together to find a cure...... peace
I am 35 not overweight, exercise, eat right, and I have been on 300mg
of allopurinol for the last year, but I still get attacks. I watch my
purine intact and have all but given up alcohol and red meat. Does
anyone have any ideas? Do they prescribe more than 300mg of
allopurinol/day?
Any tips on getting rid of this crystals?!? Ouch it is such a dirty
feeling.
thanks for any help or suggestions
Hi
I m Waqas, male, 36. It was after few para jumps (in 1991) that I got
severe pain in my right (or may be left) foot. Initially doctors
thought it was soft tissues which are damaged; it was the usual big toe
swelling that a doctor asked me to get my uric acid level checked......
and there it was !!
This is an interesting group..... for all of us.... i wish it ends up
soon (alongwith the disease ;-) )
Hi,
I just joined the group today. I was found chronic gout. I have been
prescribed Urinorm after the doctor checked the result of my blood test
which indicates that kidney's creatine reading was higher than normal
and kidney may be harmed by other gout drugs.
But Uninorm may harm liver. Does anybody know more about this and give
comment. Thanks!
I say again: [b]citation[/b]!
Hi,
My name is Anish and I live in India , a few months back I realised I
had gout because of the obvious symptoms!
Would love to be of help and also be a part of this group to know
more ...
Anish
Am interested to see whatr you say about Allo and the liver. One of the reasons I had held off going on Allo was that I had been diagnosed with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver last year, and had some pretty high liver enzymes readings. It was only earlier this year that I got my readings down to a reasonable level (still high, but not clinically worrying). I'd be concerned if by taking Allo on a long-term basis if it reversed the improvements on my Liver. Anyone else got a view, especially anyone who has tackled both Fatty Liver and Gout successfully at the same time.
Does anyone have a citation to modes of excretion
of uric acid other than via the kidney.
It never occurred to me to search for a support group on gout in
here but I am now so totally glad that there is one.
Hi, Andre here. I've been dealing with Gout more in the last couple
of years that I have have since the most minor of acute
inflammations kicked in high school. At the moment, I'm dealing
with kicking in my hand, the middle finger on my right hand to be
exact. This is a first for me, having it occur in my hand. It's
actually scaring me a little.
I thought I was doing good with dietary changes, but I guess I
wasn't doing enough. I have indomethacin for the inflammation, and
once it's preety much cleared up, I'm going to get myself back on
the allopurinol because I'm getting tired of this.
I'm looking to install a complete lifestyle change to deal with
this, and I'm looking to prove to myself that I can do this and
doing this will help.
My question for all of you is "Did you have to make serious changes
to your lifestyle to deal with this? Like going vegetarian? Or
treating your life responsibly the way someone is diabetic has to?
Your thoughts, and once again, thank god for this group.
Andre (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
I wonder if it was the roast beef, the garlic or
the wine or simply the excessive consumption of
it in a narrow time frame. Or even a sheer
coincidence?
I would vote more for the wine as the culprit
than the garlic or the beef. I think it likely
that if smaller portions and a few more
intervening days might not have avoided a gout
flareup.
Ofcourse, who knows what other actions might have
triggered the gout flareup?
Diet contributes only a portion of uric acid
levels but that portion may indeed be the tipping
point for an attack.
My wife cooked an 11 pound top round roast 2 weeks ago
today. She marinated it in wine and buried 40 cloves
of garlic in it first. It was the best roast beef I've
ever had. I took it to the deli and they sliced it
super thin and I pigged down on it for 4 days, eating
at least a pound and a half every day.
I have been taking the Allo for 3 months and it
really cut the attacks down to almost nothing. I
thought I was home free until 10 days later, Wed of
this week. I got up in the morning and had horrible
pain in both knees and both ankles, I literally
couldn't walk for 2 days without crutches. My theory
is that the beef raised my uric acid level but didn't
excrete it as crystals into my system for 10 days,
Allo or no Allo. I've been popping 2 Celebrex a day
and it really helps, but doesn't get rid of all of it
by a long shot.
Beef, forget about it. Live and learn. I upped my
Allo from 300mg to 450 without asking the doc, I've
read that some people take as much as 800mg a day..
As per my last post my uric acid levels were high and dr diagnosed
gout and I have been experiencing pains in my hands and feet for a
long while now but is this the normal pattern for gout as it seems it
usually attacks your big toe or just one joint and I seem to get pains
in my feet and my hands. Dr has given me some medicine called
Indometacin but I have not taken it yet as reading the side effects
puts me off any information would be appreciated.
Hi,
My big toe began to throb, became twice it's normal size and turned
blue 2 l/2 weeks ago. Everything I read sounds like gout, but the
uric acid test was normal and there is nothing in the x-rays. Has
anyone else had this happen?
Debbie
I recently started taking aspirin for pain and fish oil (omega 3) for
healing purposes, but my gout seems to be getting worse. Are either of
these substances harmful to gout sufferers?
Hello to the group.....I have just joined thinking I had gout. My
big toe became inflamed, swollen , hot and painful two weeks ago
yesterday. Nothing has really seemed to help it. Walking at times
has been impossible. The end of July I had ankle surgery on the
same foot which included a tendon transfer and a calcaneal
osteotomy. I initially thought there must be some problem as a
result of the surgery. I had only started full weight bearing two
weeks before the big toe problem, so to become immobile again has
been very difficult. Then after such a long period of time and the
swelling never going down, I thought I must of broke it, although
there was no acute trauma to my toe. Finally, after searching for
answers on the internet, gout sounded like it fit my symptoms.
Yesterday, I had the uremic blood test and x-rays. My level was
normal and the x-rays showed nothing, so my primary physician said I
need to talk with the orthopedic surgeon when I see him tomorrow as
the pain may be the result of a problem from the surgery and if its
not, she'll explore the problem more. I have read several of the
posts, but wanted to ask if one could have gout without the tests
revealing that.
Thanks for any information.
Debbie
Yes I am yet another female with gout, I am going through an attack
atm. I was told by a dietician that because I am taking Allopurinol I
could pretty much eat what I like, so if that is true then why have I
had yet another flare up?
I would be grateful for any advice as what other people do when they
get gout, ie do you keep taking Allopurinol? (as I was told this could
make gout worse).
Thanks in advance
Kerrie
I have been a gout sufferer for over 20 years. Was on allopurinol and
after about 7 years the attacks came back worse than ever. Then they
put me on allo and Colchicine and I was OK for a while, when the
attacks started again they could not stop them. I was having attacks
every 2 to 3 weeks, even if I ate a salad with mushrooms in it.
The "doc" did blood tests and said my uric acid was fine in my blood
stream, this is while both knees were inflamed. They did a liver scan
on me fearing cancer and found my liver was enlarged and full of fat.
The fat was from the years on allo, guess where allo stores the
purines when it inhibits production of uric acid? Guess why my blood
uric acid levels was fine but both knees were in a constant gout
attack?
You have it 1) the liver 2) crystallized uric acid does not show in
a blood test! The blood test while under a gout attack is worthless
at best. Also uric acid levels that are above normal are nothing to
be concerned with (if there are no other underlying medical reasons)
if there is no gout attack present.
I have been off allo, Colchicine, and indo for over 5 years with zero
attacks except for one when I was on an antibiotic. Watch out for
antibiotics if you are a gout sufferer it will get you every time.
How? By getting in my daily doses of acidophilus (double for those
that have to use chlorinated water for bathing) Never never drink the
stuff or cook in it for that matter. Plus the use of some herbals and
adding more sour dairy into my diet daily. I eat steak, fish, crabs,
lobster, clams, pork or any other dam thing I like. I even have a
drink or two a few times a week.
My uric acid levels are a little high at times 8mg/ml, but with no
gout attacks who cares. All other blood work is fine. The "doc" even
tries to put me back on Allopurinol and I ask why? I have not had a
gout attack for 5 years except for when on antibiotics, and allo's
use is not suggested unless gout attacks are present! It is my belief
that most doctors including mine do not fully understand gout or care
unless they themselves suffer with it. Uric acid is needed in out
blood stream, it is actually an antioxidant that helps protects our
DNA. Most uric acid production in our system comes from the cellular
level and not from foods themselves. It is the foods that for some
puts you over the top in your tolerance levels.
The 'conventional medical wisdom' is that gout is
caused by prolonged hyperuricemia, that estrogen
is protective and that therefore younger females
are less likely to have gout and older females
are at higher risk only after menopause.
It seems there is anectdotal evidence that
younger men are also being diagnosed with gout.
We take note of the females who join the group,
but a male is simply 'one more subscriber'. Part
is the bias of our observations and part seems to
be the bias of doctors in their diagnosis and
testing.
Just as doctors don't think 'heart attack' if the
patient is a younger female, they don't think
'gout' either.
Ofcourse, my particular interest in gout being
caused by an infectious agent, notably P.
multocida would be relevant here too though I
admit I am decidedly in the minority of
subscribers to this list as far as a fungal agent
being causative, despite allopurinol and
colchicine each being anti-fungal agents.
Impossible.
Uric acid levels in blood or urine can not show
that you have gout. They can only show that you
have high levels of uric acid consistent with
having gout or a number of other conditions.
The confirmatory test for gout is a bichromatic
light test on crystals aspirated from the
synovial fluid. Uric acid levels do not confirm
the existence of gout.
It is rare. It is not impossible. There are
several females who are young and have gout who
subscribe to this list. Neither they nor you fit
the statistically most likely gout-patient
profile. That doesn't mean they don't have gout.
Probably not. Although various forms of arthritis
are possible, it is indeed most likely gout. I
would ask for the aspiration of synovial fluid
and the confirmatory laboratory test however just
to be sure.
I am wondering if you guys eat meat(red meat or white meat) after being
diagnosed and aking Allo? I'm now eating vegetable only --- but I was
really a meat monster before I was diagnosed.
By the way, I am a Chinese. And I noticed that all the guys here take
Allo, but, I am taking Benzbromarone instead, which is also made in
Germany as Allo.
I was diagnosed gout when I was still in Germany last year, and my
doctor prescribed ne Allo. But the Chinese doctor said that Allo would
damage my liver and kidney function, so I turned to Benzbromarone ---
It seems not bad since I took Benzbromarone, the UA level is
controlled, and no more attacks from then on. But the biggest headache
is that I do not dare to eat the Purine thing like meat ---
Any suggestion? Thanks.
Eric
Just been to the dr to get results of my blood test and he has said
uric acid test shows I have gout I have been experiencing pains on and
off for a few years in my ankles and wrists I seem to have flare ups
and then it goes for a while the pain is like a burning bruised
feeling and is very painful if I accidentally knock the joint I am a
bit worried though as I read it is rare for a female to get gout
before the menopause and I am 46 years old and havent had the
menopause yet should I be worried it could be something else?
Hello to my group.
what is the scope on the puricil formula? Has anybody found relief?
And I also was taking Cherry Flex but did not notice any thing
different. And does Chocolate cause gout attacks?
Thanks all
Ken
How soon after the end of an acute attack is it safe to start taking Allo for the first time?
I have suffered with gout for seven years now....tried
everything....my attacks cause me to use crutches to get around....my
DR has no clue , text book diagnosis and prescriptions.
I was wondering if anyone on this board has applied for SS disability
as a result of Gout. I am self employed but with much difficulty.
I think that I would be unemployable in my trade (construction) due to
my inability to work everyday.
I am a 48 year old male, doing some jobs about 3 weeks ago I bent my
toes under too far on the left foot and stretched the tendons
underneath. It was sore but not too bad and as I had a family funeral
to arrange just carried on as normal. After about 12 days it suudenly
got worse overnight, after a busy day at work, and the big toe joint
swelled right up, I had to leave my foot sticking out of the bed as
couldnt stand the weight of the quilt on it. The doc did a blood test
and said it was gout.
Does anyone know if a physical trauma can trigger gout, and what is
the best thing to do, to rest or to try to get going asap. I have
arthritis in my spine, so the peculiar gate started to give me
problems elsehwhere. Its much better now and I am really missing the
gym but dont want to set myself back. I am hoping it was a one off
event though, am still not able to get into my work shoes!
Ant
I just read on this list that starting allopurinal will often trigger an attack. I took my first pill yesterday. That would explain why my right foot is throbbing this morning then, wouldn't it? LOL.
This is my third attack in two months. It will taper off now, right?
Next question. Last week at the doctor I was informed my sed rate was high, too. (Result of recent blood work)
Now, what significance does that have? What does that mean?
Thanks again for all the help.
Marta
I am new commer to the group. I have gout attacks for the past seven
years. Initially I used to get it every 2 year or so. I used to
consult with homeopathy doctor. I was responding very well. But lately
my attacks has been happening frequently. No I have started taking
ALlopurinol. I feel better. I read in this web site
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/health/comp/herb/articles/0,,181167_182160,00
.html that dandelion is usful in eleminating uric acid. Has anybody
has any experience. Cheery juice has not helped me.
Gout
Dandelion, Devil's
claw, Lemon balm,Pycnogenols
Dandelion's diuretic action helps remove uric acid which
causes the pain of gout. Devil's claw and pycnogenols are
anti-inflammatories. Lemon balm relieves muscle spasms.
...after too many years of increasingly brutal attacks. My last
started 10 weeks ago and lasted about 8 weeks travelling from ankle
to foot to knee to wrist on both sides of my body. Eventually left
for 10 days (thankfully my wedding/honeymoon) and now BANG! My left
wrist and hand are completely on fire, swollen up like a balloon, no
amount of painkillers are helping. Last night I sat up all night -
i'm not ashamed to say the pain was so bad I was in tears.
So, going to see a new doctor today, hoping to start the allopurinol
as soon as this attack goes. But I have some questions....
1) i've started with allo' 3 times before, but it has always brought
on another big attack. I've then stopped taking it as I was advised
to take it after an attack by my previous doctors. Is this right?
2) my last doctor said to start off at 100mg for a couple of weeks,
then up to 200mg etc and see how it goes. Anyone followed this path?
3) any tips for keeping pain free?
No-one had ever mentioned (in depth) the food groups which cause
this, and so i'm staggered there is so much info which I could have
had (note i've only just joined the computer/'net age). I'm going to
get printing now, and hope you may be able to help with the above.
Thanks
Lloyd
Hi !
Six weeks into my allopurinol regime and improving ! I've had only
two attacks in that time ( as opposed to one every week) an both seem
to have been bought on by eating mushrooms.
This is DEVASTATING to me as I ADORE mushrooms, but what heck I loke
being able to walk too ! :)
My lunch yesterday was chinese stir fried mushrooms and spring onions
* slurp * and today I have the ball of my foot behind my middle toes
is VERY sore angling for a full on gout attack. I started Colchicine
this morning to mitigate it.
My question is - do any of you long-termers have any 'trigger' foods
than seem to provoke an attack? I searched the site and found a
gentleman who cited that Strwberries trigger attacks in him, but
couldn't find anything else.
BTW I know how unscientific this is ! It could be NOTHING to do with
mushrooms, but its seems highly coincidental to me !
Thanks in advance folks.
I know most people are going to say
rheumatologist but I think the best doctor is the
patient because he seems to be the only one these
days who keeps up with the research and insists
on tests being performed and questions being
answered.
So to answer your question: YOU are the best
doctor to manage your treatment. That podiatrist
probably doesn't even subscribe to this list. You
have!
I'm Lars, and new to the group.
Background---I guess I had the classic onset of symptoms:
(1) Five years ago---Sudden onset of big toe joint pain & swelling
one morning. Doctor said it was probably bursitis and taking an
NSAID would help. It did. I had a "miracle cure" within 24 hours.
(2) Two years ago---Same symptoms out of the blue. I didn't see a
doctor this time. I took NSAIDs and had another miracle cure within
a couple of days.
(3) Two months ago---Same onset of symptoms. This time NSAIDs
didn't work. After 10 days, I went to a podiatrist, who told me he
didn't think it was gout (?!!!--See below), because my toe joint
wasn't that "hot". He told me I should consider bunion surgery. (He
had a point, because I do have hereditary hallux valgus). Because I
was in acute pain, so I scheduled the surgery for ASAP, which was two
weeks later. Meanwhile, about a week after I saw the podiatrist, the
symptoms resolved on their own. I considered calling off the
surgery, but eventually became convinced I should do it anyway ("it's
a degenerative condition, will get progressively worse without
surgery", etc., etc.). So, I had the surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago, on
September 30.
Interestingly, now the podiatrist tells me that he saw "moderate
gout" in my big toe joint when he operated to remove the bunion!
(Why didn't he run a few tests before he performed the surgery? A
question for another post?). Anyway, the doctor tells me that he
removed most of the gout crystals in my big toe joint when he
operated; but, of course, the gout is still there.
Anyway, the bunion surgery provoked another attack of gout symptoms
in the big toe joint. Thankfully, the symptoms are now subsiding and
I'm getting around OK. I think I'll be back to normal soon---in a
few months?
So---My questions:
(1) Do any of you have experience with gout AND a bunionectomy? How
are the symptoms and progression of gout in the big toe joint
affected by bunion surgery in that joint?
(2) What kind of doctor or specialist is best for evaluating and
supervising treatment? Unfortunately, I have little confidence in my
podiatrist at this point. Nice fellow and all, but he seems
uncertain (or am I just uncertain about him?), and so far he's
offered little information. I do have an appointment scheduled next
week with my family doctor, an internist. Is he likely to be
more "on the ball"? Or, will I have to do my own research and tell
him what to do? (We live in Western Nevada---probably not the center
of the universe for medical specialists, but it's not Hooterville
either).
Anyway, thanks for reading my post. I'd appreciate any suggestions.
Lars
I was curious why magnesium citrate was so helpful for me and think
this may be a possibility. It might be worth it for others to try:
"What is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid (also called Hyaluronan) is a component of
connective tissue whose function is to cushion and lubricate.
Hyaluronan occurs throughout the body in abundant amounts in many of
the places people with hereditary connective tissue disorders have
problems such as joints, heart valves and eyes"
"Hyaluronic Acid and Environmental Factors
There are many factors known to influence hyaluronic acid levels.
Genes are likely to be a factor, but there are many environmental
factors that are known to have an impact, including zinc and
magnesium availability. Not surprisingly, magnesium and zinc
deficiencies are known to be associated with many of the same
symptoms associated with hyaluronic acid abnormalities..."
from
http://www.ctds.info/hyaluronic_acid.html
Apparently, a magnesium deficiency can cause the breakdown of
hyaluronic acid. This breakdown of this protective joint substance
can be possible why crystals are able to get in there.
Mindy
I do not know if this is a coincidence or not.
I can speculate that the increased uric acid
levels resulting from an infection were
sufficient to cause a gout attack, just as
increased uric acid levels from poor dietary
choices could well have caused an attack of gout.
It is biologically plausible. Also, since illness
and meds taken for illnesses can affect pH
levels, uric acid precipitation can be affected
in that manner too.
The important point to keep in mind is that the
proper action to take is get your uric acid
levels down and do as much as you can to keep
them down. You don't necessarily have to get them
down to these arbitrarily selected 'target
points' but you do have to get them down.
Allopurinol is the most commonsense way to do
this unless you have some hypersensitivity to it.
Cherry juice won't hurt you and if you happen to
like cherry juice then by all means go for it!
Any dietary modification will usually have a
slight positive or negative effect on uric acid
levels. I happen to find that cherry juice does
help me and that ham, sausages, pate and wine
tend to hurt me. The greatest effect is the
allopurinol not the dietary modification.
Having an understanding of the underlying
biological reactions involved is great but doing
what ever is necessary to drive uric acid levels
in the desired direction is what will be
therapeutic. The knowledge of what is going on is
simply very satisfying and a sensible thing to
have.
Hi
What is the value in getting one of these UA meters?
Are they worth it? Do they help you avoid an attack?
I just wanted to share with anyone who is interested that I started
taking magnesium citrate. I bought 400mg tablets. I split it in half
and take one half in the morning and one in the evening. Within hours,
my gout pain disappeared. Even on good days, there is a stiffness I can
feel, but even this has completely disappeared.
Mindy
Hi my name is jimmy i am 52 from liverpool uk i have suffedwith gout
for the last 20 years my right knee is swollen all the time and at the
moment i get constant nigly pain in both feet i gave up alcohol about 2
years ago and about 3 weeks ago i got a report off joe barton i am only
eating recommened foods i get up of a morning and the pain is there but
after about an hour it goes i have stopped taking the drugs my quack
doctor gave me i think if you eat foods low in purines you want get
gout but time will tell
Normally an aspiration of synovial fluid is
attempted during a gout attack so as to confirm
gout and eliminate any other type of arthritis.
The confirmatory bi-chromatic light test makes
drug choice more reliable and very little fluid
is needed. Indeed, even if no fluid is aspirated
merely wiping the outside of the needle is
sufficient for the lab test.
Allopurinol is often mentioned with this 'rest of
my life' phrase. An Rx for allopurinol does NOT
condemn anyone to constant renewals. It is
perfectly possible for some people to get their
UA levels down and then go off allopurinol and
find that their levels stay down. If so, they can
choose to stay off allopurinol or choose to go
back on it if they feel it is sufficiently
advisable to do so.
Except for those with a hypersensitivity to
allopurinol, it is a relatively safe drug and
presents little risk.
I'd be more concerned with the damage inflicted
by the various NSAIDs than with that inflicted by
allopurinol.
I had my first gout attack around 5 years ago and a blood test
revealed borderline high uric acid levels. My doctor suspected gout,
prescribed a NSAID and the attack subsided immediately. My second
attack occurred 4 months ago while I was out of the country, which
delayed my getting fast access to drugs and a doctor. It was
exponentially more painful than the first, and kept me off my feet
for a couple weeks. It also took a combination of NSAIDs, steroids
and colchicine, and a few weeks, for the pain to disappear
completely.
Though I'm fairly certain I have gout, I'm reluctant to start taking
allo every day for the rest of my life without a definitive
diagnosis, which will require a synovial aspiration. However, since
I've not had an attack in 4-5 months, will this decrease the
liklihood of finding urate crystals? I.e., is it best to have a
synovial aspiration while undergoing an attack, or can the crystals
still be detected between attacks?
Relatedly, has anyone here had any luck controlling gout OVER THE
LONG TERM (i.e, 20 years or more) via diet and lifestyle changes
WITHOUT allo? I'm not talking about herbal remedies, cherry juice,
and the like, but sensible dietary and lifestyle changes such as
cutting down on purines, alcohol, losing weight, exercising etc. If
I can keep my attacks down to one every 5 years or so, and keep a
stockpile of NSAIDs handy for when they do come on, I'm not sure why
I need to be popping pills every day for the rest of my life. Any
thoughts?
W.D.
Many do not and even those who do tolerate
colchicine investigate and decide not to take it.
You should have been Rx'd Allopurinol OR
Allopurinol and Colchicine. I don't know why you
accepted an Rx of just colchicine.
Corticosteroids such as prednisone for the pain
seem strange too but I assume this was only a
short term effort to deal with a very intense
pain.
I have been taking Alipurinol for two months. It has been effective in
controlling the gout attack - extreemly painful in the toe of my left
foot. I have noticed that my knees have been painful and stiff - i
cant crouch without experiencing the pain and its there in lesser
amounts all the time. The doc says its wear and tear (im 52 and pretty
active - gym two or three times a week) but the leaflet in the
allipurinol pack cites joint pain as one of the side effects. Has
anyone any experience?
Many thanks
Ray
Don't forget that there are advantages to having
high US levels. We tend to be of higher
intelligence and also UA does have other
functions that causing troublesome crystals in
synovial fluid. Among them are that it acts as an
alarm mechanism/switch for the immune system
during infections. There have been a few earlier
posts I believe a few years ago that dealt with
the discoveries concerning uric acid levels being
an infection-alarm substance.
Chris,
is is something to do with whether you are an over producer or an under excreta?
Presumably you could be over producing UA naturally perhaps?
justin
Hi all,
I've just had a shock. My UA reading this morning is 10.8. This is the highest I've ever had. Yesterday was 7.0. Supper last night was a cheese omelette, which, previously, has given readings < 7. No other high purine foods taken that I can remember, no alcohol.
However I do have a cold today, which came on last night.
Has anyone else noticed an increase in UA levels when an infection arrives?
Chris Haynes
Good morning. I'm a 46 year old female suffering my second bout of
gout since early September. I do not tolerate colchicine very well
and this second time around (very intense pain) I was given prednisone
and quite simply I hate prednisone. I had some bloodwork earlier in
the week and am hoping that I might be given purinol.
My first bout was in the big toe of my left foot. This time it is in
the other foot. I've always heard you can get it in your hands, is
this true?
What I've seen of low purine foods doesn't look encouraging either.
Hoping that you all might help turn my head around and give me some
suggestions and hope for the future.
Marta
Hi folks,
I have had gout for a couple of years (I'm 35 now). My gouty attacks
tend to be located in my ankle (right primarily). They have been
quite persistent all year (some level of pain almost every week or
second week).
I've just moved to Bellevue, WA from Vancouver, Canada...does anyone
know of a good doctor in Bellevue or Seattle to consult with?
One of my big concerns is that the gout has moved also into my left
ankle area and since I've only recently got medical insurance I've
left things alone (as far as any allo or treatment goes) since the
beginning of the year...simply fighting attacks with naproxen and
whatever leftover cholchicine I had from Canada...but mostly by
gritting my teeth and living with it (I know, not the best choice in
treatment:-(
As alarming as the possibility of a simultatious attack in both
feet/ankles is, I'm also worried because that for some time now I
can not plant and drive off of my right ankle...I play a lot of
sports but I've never had any serious ankle injuries of any sort.
I'm worried my prolonged limping may have even altered my gate such
that I'm becoming asymetrical in my joints and in my muscles in my
lower body.
I'm really worried that the somewhat untreated gout has caused
permanent damage or will.
I went to a doctor here in Bellevue and explained all this...he put
me back on allo and said he'd do an xray or something like that in a
months time...is he being lazy?...am I being paranoid?
Would love to take a jump shot again or run at full sprint with out
getting a shooting pain up my leg from my right ankle...but just
being generally pain free would be a good starting point:-)
Any advice or comments?
Thanks,
Vick
DEAR ALL,
I AM WORKING IN POLAND AND FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM GETTING COLCHICINE 0.5MG. I HAVE ENOUGH TO LAST FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS.I TODAY FOUND OUT THAT YOU CANT BUY COLCHICINE FROM ANY CHEMIST IN POLAND I HAVE TRIED THIRTY CHEMISTS WITHOUT ANY LUCK. I HAVE A FAVOUR TO ASK IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE THAT COULD POST ME OUT ANY, IF SO I WOULD BE GLAD TO PAY YOU INCLUDING THE POST AND PACKING.
I LOOK FORWARD TO ANYBODY THAT COULD HELP ME.
KIND REGARDS
MICHAEL BRONISZEWSKI
Hi all,
I've just had a shock. My UA reading this morning is 10.8. This is the highest I've ever had. Yesterday was 7.0. Supper last night was a cheese omelette, which, previously, has given readings < 7. No other high purine foods taken that I can remember, no alcohol.
However I do have a cold today, which came on last night.
Has anyone else noticed an increase in UA levels when an infection arrives?
Chris Haynes
Hi everyone.I'm 52 years old and I'm pretty sure I have gout.Maybe you
can tell me.My symptoms are recurring pain in my right foot big
toe.The pain may last a few days then subside for weeks or months.No
swelling or stiffness though.The pain will come in spasms every
several minutes.Sometimes the pain is so severe that I see stars.Very
little helps.Motrin helps very little.Does this sound like gout to
you? About 15 years ago I did fracture my right foot.
Hello,
I just joined the group because my husband, Lars, was diagnosed with gout last week. During bunion surgery, the Dr. found a build up of crystals in his toe joint where he has been experiencing much pain.
We are in the process of learning what we can about lifestyle changes that might help reduce these attacks. In looking around the internet, we've found it difficult to locate information other than people selling products. We hope to find information so that we can treat him without expensive products.
So far, we are going to try reducing meats, eliminating shellfish, and adding black cherry juice. Any other ideas? Although he probably won't do anything that involves radical changes to his diet, he has agreed to give up the buffets!
I'd love to hear about things others have done to successfully minimize their gout.
Thank you,
Holly in Nevada
I have been told that gout can develop into rheumatoid arthritis, I
don't know how true this is, and am somewhat sceptical however does
anyone have any views on this?
Any confirmation or rejection would be most appriciated.
Don't know if anyone has tried this but my dad takes 5 or 6 tins of
those destoned cherries you can buy at the supermarket (waitrose sells
them in a glass container that seems better), sieve away the liquid
and throw them in a smoothie marker with a load of ice and smoothie
them. You can certainly eat alot more cherries this way.
People say there are no side effects from allo but what about the long term. What side effects does long term use produce - kidney, heart problems etc? It strikes me that these medicines particulary the 1000 year old colchincine are ancient drugs. Why is it drug companies have made no advances in preventing gout?
..Poo ?
Lets just say mine has been 'different' in the week or so I have been
taking Allo.
Wondered if its the Allo.
Diet contributes only 20 percent of the uric acid
in the body and since the Meat and Potatoes diet
is the only diet available at the Firehouse it is
going to be particularly important for you to
keep his home diet at the 'very low' level. There
are a variety of lists of foods to be avoided and
foods that are okay. Get them and use them.
I hope by now he is on allopurinol and no longer
taking any of the dreaded NSAIDs. Has he been
Rx'd colchicine also? He might want to do some
reading before taking it.
I did a search and found this:
my uric acid level to be consistently high (.7, .7, .6, etc) compared to the normal range of .1
... It was in a BB where they were talking about their levels... Not sure if this helps you any, couldn't really find anything else...
Michelle Davis
Mommy to Jimmy (5), Alisa (1) and Caiden in heaven
"Be joyful because you have HOPE. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times." Romans 12:12
Hi! My husband was just diagnosed with gout yesterday. He is only 31 years old. He has had severe pain in his foot for about a month now that never goes away, worse at night. From the sounds of this, many "attacks" only last for a little while and then comes back many months later. Does anyone else have gout that is painfull all the time like him? He is an EMT and Firefighter, going to school for his Paramedic and we are scared this will be something that slows him down and affects his job. It already does get horrible during the night on his 24 hour shifts. We are just now getting into the whole diet part of this too - he eats a LOT of red meat (meat and potato guy) and is a little overweight. Any advice for us would be greatly appreciated!
Michelle
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Michelle Davis
Mommy to Jimmy (5), Alisa (1) and Caiden in heaven
"Be joyful because you have HOPE. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times." Romans 12:12
Grim news indeed. Would be even more grim if it
were true. Its not.
I've been having a persistent series of attacks recently, and I'm
trying to figure out if something in my diet is triggering them.
Basically, the only new things I've added recently are soy sauce and
liquid smoke. I've glanced at some purine diets on the Internet, but
all I've seen are the usual warning to avoid sardines.
Are soy sauce and liquid smoke flavoring known to trigger attacks?
Edd
The following excerpt is from the British Medical
Journal's now current issue. Access to the full
article is time-limited for those who are not
subscribers to the BMJ.
BMJ 2005;331:623-624 (17 September),
doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7517.623
Fatal allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome after
treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricaemia
Allopurinol, an analogue of hypoxanthine, which
inhibits xanthine oxidase, is an effective urate
lowering drug that has been the cornerstone in
the treatment of hyperuricaemia and gout for
decades. In most patients, the drug is well
tolerated, however, about 2% of treated patients
develop a skin rash. Also, an estimated 0.4%,
particularly people with kidney failure or having
concomitant thiazide diuretic therapy, may
experience a severe idiosyncratic reaction, known
as allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome. This
syndrome is characterised by skin reactions,
fever, eosinophilia, and multiorgan involvement,
with a mortality of 25%.
About 5% of the population and a quarter of
hospitalised patients are hyperuricaemic. Most
are asymptomatic and will never develop gout.
Also, high urate concentrations do not seem to
cause cardiovascular disease, as was previously
thought. Consequently, urate lowering agents are
not indicated in the treatment of asymptomatic
hyperuricaemia. We report a case of fatal
allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome after
inappropriate treatment of asymptomatic
hyperuricaemia.
At what number do the doctor's decide if your uric acid level is
getting too high? Where do they want it to be?
Thank you -
Cindy
Concerning the term Mediterranean Diet:
One should recall that as with any 'buzzword' it
may have different meanings. Also any statistics
for large regions often hide a great deal of
variance.
Some attribute the lack of cardiovascular
problems despite a high calorie high fat diet to
it simply being that many in the Mediterranean
Area live in rural areas where outdoor exercise
is not only common but unavoidable so that the
hard work, fresh foods and absence of urban ills
leads to an artificially skewed mortality rate
that does not reflect a high antioxidant diet as
much as a lifestyle of fresh air and hard work.
Just saw this article and thought whether it might have relevance to gout relief/prevention.
Does anyone know if "Mediterranean Diet" countries have a lower incidence of gout?
Olive oil 'acts like painkiller'
Freshly pressed olive oil is the most rich in the key ingredient
Good quality olive oil contains a natural chemical that acts in a similar way to a painkiller, a US study says.
Researchers found 50g of extra-virgin olive oil was equivalent to about a tenth of a dose of ibuprofen.
A Monell Chemical Senses Centre team in Philadelphia said an ingredient in the oil acted as an anti-inflammatory, the Nature journal reported.
The team said while the effect was not strong enough to cure headaches, it may explain the Mediterranean diet benefit.
The active ingredient - found in greater concentrations in fresher olives - is called oleocanthal and inhibits the activity of enzymes involved in inflammation in the same way as ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory drugs.
It seems plausible that oleocanthal plays a casual role in the health benefits associated with diets where olive oil is the principal source of fat
Paul Breslin, report co-author
Inflammation has been linked to a wide range of conditions such as heart disease and cancer.
Report co-author Paul Breslin said: "The Mediterranean diet, of which olive oil is a central component, has long been associated with numerous health benefits, including decreased risk of stroke, heart disease, breast cancer, lung cancer and some dementias.
"Similar benefits are associated with certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
"Now that we know of oleocanthal's anti-inflammatory properties, it seems plausible that oleocanthal plays a causal role in the health benefits associated with diets where olive oil is the principal source of fat."
The team was led to the discovery after one of the researchers noticed that fresh extra-virgin olive oil irritates the back of the throat in a similar way to ibuprofen.
Claire Williamson, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, said: "Olive oil contains a range of bioactive compounds, but we are not entirely sure what they do.
"We believe it has some antioxidant properties, but to say it mimics a drug is taking it one step further and needs more research."
And she added olive oil was high in fat so should only be taken in moderation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4204076.stm
Friends
I have learned a lot about Gout - amazing how we can reasearch and ask
our doctors when it hurts so bad right ? :)
It seems my metaboloism has been laying down uric acid in my system
since birth, and not quite excreting it as quickly as it ha sbeen
produced for a numbe rof years. In those if us with a propensity to
gout it can take years of joints being bathed in high levels of uric
acid to form crystals, but once it does , others form regularly
because, once again, our bodies don't excrete uric acid as quickly as
it is made.
My question is - Allopurinol can CEASE uric acid production right ? So
could Allpurinol be used for a year or so while a regime of hydration
weight loss and sensible diet are run and then STOPPED ? Or is that
just stupid and allo needs to be taken for ever ?
Thanks for your opinions here folks.
cheers
Bob
Yes, that is good news. You can easily develop a
new list of "fun foods" from the items at the
bottom of the purine charts. If for some reason
you really feel a need to start back with what
you now refer to as 'fun foods', I would
certainly suggest moderation and carefully
selected re-introductions.
And rightly so!!
By the way, I see no reason to refer to
allopurinol as a 'lifetime' drug. There would be
nothing wrong with tapering off allopurinol and
monitoring your levels for awhile to see if the
allopurinol is still needed. There are no
'withdrawal' symptoms.
Just about any drug drives some reaction in a
particular direction. I'd actually prefer
allopurinol to NSAIDs even though this goes
against the conventional wisdom.
I've noted a great deal of misinformation being
posted recently.
"dreaded allopurinol" ... there is no reason at
all for allopurinol being dreaded. Only a few
seem to have a hypesensitivity reaction to it and
when it is withdrawn they recover.
"herbal remedies" ... I don't think the majority
of gout sufferers ever even consider much less
try any sort of unproven herbal remedy much less
is such a thing their first choice.
"no more beer/wine/meat/etc" ... Certain dietary
modifications are sensible and some people may be
highly sensitive to certain dietary choices, but
in general a gout sufferer can still enjoy, in
moderation, most of the foods that he enjoyed
previously. There are lists that show certain
foods as being particularly high in purine
content and avoiding these are not particularly
difficult.
Don,
I got a clarification from my doctor.
His comment was that he hated to discourage anyone from exercise,
especially since such a large percentage (no pun intended) of his
patients suffer from maladies that are either brought on or worsened by
excess weight and sedentary habits.
His recommendation was to continue with my usual regimen, unless
something appears to be a "trigger" for attacks. He suggested that this
might be more likely with anaerobic exercise, such as weight training,
sprinting or sports like soccer or football, than with aerobic exercise
such as swimming, bicycling or distance running (jogging).
So, that's the word I got, and that's what I'm going to do. Of course
your own doctor may have a different opinion - your mileage, as they
say, may vary.
--
Mike Harris
Austin, TX
Owner, Toy_Coma
Howdy all,
I'm 41 years old and a new sufferer. I had the first flare up three
weeks ago and thought I'd broken a bone in my foot.
I'm hoping to get this condition under control mostly by diet, as it
seems the drugs can have some unpleasant side effects. I'm about 40
pounds overweight which I'm also going to get under control - not too
quickly, though. As I understand it, rapid weight loss can cause
metabolism of muscle tissue, to negative effect.
I'm still trying to adjust to the lifestyle changes this will take - no
more beer? I brew my own - or used to. I consider myself an
accomplished cook as well - no steaks? No shellfish? No organ meats?
No pate de fois gras? Can I use fish sauce? How many ways can one
prepare pasta? At least I can still enjoy stinky cheeses.
I'm also trying to sort the wheat from the chaff. I'm skeptical of
"herbal remedies" - it seems too easy for the unscrupulous to take
advantage of a condition wherein flare-ups are the result of so many
variables. Cherry juice - does that stuff really work? If you drink
two quarts you might dilute your uric acid levels to good effect, but I
would think that pasteurization would destroy any enzymes that might
have some benefit.
My doctor wasn't able to answer a few of my questions. How does
exercise affect attacks? "Moderate exercise is good," he says. Is
bicycling 12 miles and swimming 1000 yards considered moderate? What
does weight training do?
I'll likely lurk a bit, and prowl through the archives, but I wanted to
introduce myself.
--
Mike Harris
Austin, TX
Owner, Toy_Coma
Hi all,
What are Allopurinal side effects, please share your experiences with how
long any one has taken and what side effects faced other than skin rash
which is common.
Thanks in advance.
regards
Khalandar
Hi
What are the side effects of allo? My dad is reluctant to take it as he thinks its dangerous, this is why i ask. However he is quite happy to take a disolveable drink from israel called urosolvine that contains colchicine which he says is very effective.
Richy
Hi,
Does anyone know if exercising while gouty is dangerous? I am 42
(today), always had good diet, gym active, good shape, little alcohol.
I get acute attacks nearly every month dammit. I still want to
exercise and I work out my unaffected limbs. Am I busily shredding my
insides when I do this?
How much Furosemide (diuretic) should I be taking
if I have edema related to atrial fibrillation
but also have gout and wish to avoid a flareup?
If anyone has experience with this issue, are the
flareups bilateral?
Good! I hate those pages that have qualitative
rather than quantitative data anyway.
Yes, but diet contributes at most 20 perent of
your uric acid levels so there is no need to go
to an extreme to avoid purines just don't go to
an extreme in consuming them.
I thought it was just the opposite! Low
nutritional density means that that you could eat
a good deal of it before obtaining a certain
nutritional result.
Its like grass. It can't run, it can't hide and
it can't develop thorns, so all it can do to
survive is to force a predator to eat grass all
day long inorder to get a decent meal. It is a
nutritionally sparse, not dense, substance.
Or am I the dense one here?
Can anyone help with this?
I'm trying to get my mind round selecting gout-friendly foods.
The simple statement of 'pick low purine foods' is not good enough for me:
1) How low is low?
2) If you had a diet of exclusively very-low purine foods you could end up having a totally unhealthy diet.
I started to think about the protein content of possible foods. In my mind protein = life = DNA = purines = Uri c Acid, so you seem to go round in a circle - more protein brings with it more Uric Acid.
So, my question is:
What is the ratio of 'useful' protein to purines for various foods?
I've been searching the Internet for anything which relates purines to any other kind of 'goodness' factor. The only page I can find is this
http://www.acumedico.com/purine.htm
It lists milligrams of purine (Uric Acid) per 100 g of foodstuff and the 'Nutritional Density' of the food in mg/MJ.
Now a MegaJoule is a measurement of energy, so I presume that a _low_ Nutritional Density means that a given mass of that food contains a _high'_amount of energy.
So if I multiply the purine level by the Nutritional Density I get a value which I want to be as _low_ as possible: lower means a _higher_ proportion of energy-to-uric-acid'.
So to get the energy I need to live, and yet have the lowest possible purine amount I ought to pick foodstuffs with _low_ ratios.
So, taking a few examples from the table in the link above, and sorting them according to this new ratio (I don't have a name for it)
We get:
35 Cheese, Brie
500 Almonds, Sweet
2,600 Nuts, peanut
2,600 Carrot
19,000 Chicken, roasting
23,000 Beef, chuck
27,000 Fish, Mackrel
30,000 Beansprouts, Soya
37,000 Fish, Cod
39,000 Beef, muscles only
50,000 Mushroom
50,000 Chicken - breast with skin
103,000 Liver - chicken
250,000 Fish - sardines in oil
So, if I want to get all the energy I need with as few purines as possible, I should eat foods like cheese, nuts and carrots.
Of course, one would need to check that one was getting _all_ the nutrients, vitamins etc. needed for health and get the right protein : carbohydrate ratio etc. (to not put on weight!)
Does this line of thinking make sense?
Can anyone see any flaws?
Chris Haynes
Hello folks
I am a newly diagnosed gout sufferer.
'Enjoyed' an attack per month pretty much for the last six months,
undiagnosed.
Lived the highest purine diet imaginable - seafood Marmite toast,
beer, red wine, livers...also 20 lbs overweight - I could go on but it
makes my ankles throb to think of it. :(
Used colchicine to address attacks. Worked fine but aggravated my IBS
( yes I guess I am a wreck).
I have begun a modifed diet avoiding high purine foods and drinking
lots of water. Its causing a lot of grief in the family however as
obviously theres another meal to prepare in the house now instead of
my sharing with my family.
Having reasearched colchicine and allopurinol I am VERY loth to use
these drugs. Colchicine inhibits cellular mitosis and that is a
pretty serious modification to system function IMO.
Allopurinol binds the enzyme that creates uric acid ANOTHER really big
system modification that I want to avoid if AT ALL possible.
So for now, I am drinking loads of water, avoiding alcohol ( very hard
in his lovely weather) and hoping to delay or prevent my next attack.
I LOVE berries and fruit fortunately but its costing a fortune in
Blueberry, strawberry and cherry punnets !
Homeopathic remedies appear tempting, but (apart from cherry juice)
appear to be unsubstantiated.
I will try a LOT to avoid taking a metabolic inhibitor like
allopurinol however.
Thanks for the reasource, I am searching and learning now !
Thats all really.
:)
Hi, my husband has gout and wants info on what to avoid and what works. I
thought
I'd find it here in the Files section, but there's just one medical article.
Shouldn't
there be some basic info in the files? Or is there a website you can refer me
to?
Thanks,
Carol
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4204076.stm
I wonder if using this would help with gout inflammation.
Has anyone got any statistics on the prevalence of gout in Mediterranean regions?
Chris Haynes
Hi all,
As promised, I've published result of my evaluation of a herbal product claiming to cure gout
at http://www.harvington.org.uk/gout/sep02.html.
I've decided not to identify the specific product tested - I can't afford lawyers.
I have been taking daily UA readings using the 'UA Sure' meter.
The conclusion, is that, for me, there is no measurable benefit from taking the product.
Other comments and observations are:
- There were no inflammatory attacks during this period
- On days when the UA level was above 8, I was aware of a 'prickling' feeling in both feet - between the ball of the foot and the toes - which was not present at other times
- UA levels are very directly and obviously linked to daily food and drink intake.
- It appears to take up to 48 hours for the effects of a 'High' level of provocation to dissipate.
- Having less than 4 pints of water in a day has the same impact on UA levels as a meal containing food with high purine levels.
- Alcohol has the same effect as a purine boost,
- Isolated measurements of UA levels (taken months apart) are a poor indicator of overall UA activity levels if diet and fluids are uncontrolled.
Chris Haynes
Any routine changes at that time of the year such
as bedding, temperature settings in ventilation
system, any special celebrations wherein a unique
food is ingested, any travel at that time?
It really doesn't pay to spend much time or
effort on these coincidences but I rather doubt
it is a coincidence.
I'm just getting over my first gout attack. It happened while I was
on vacation so it was easy for me to stay put and take it easy. I
had to go to the after hours center Sunday because I couldn't take
the pain and lack of sleep anymore. The doctor prescribed
Indomethacin and it worked. However when I sa