a quick personal background and 3 questions on Gout
Dear All,
I am 34, slightly overweight (a stone) and have started having regular gout
attacks in my toes, achillies tendon, instep - on both feet. Only now do I
realise that those 'sprained ankles' that I suffered from in my twenties, were
probably gout too (my Uric Acid level has always been high on blood tests)
My opinion is divided about whether this is entirely a inherited metabolic
abnormality, or whether I have weakened my kidneys by binge drinking in my
teens/twenties and eating too many take-aways.....Anyway onto my questions -
1) I have read that low dose aspirin can cause Gout - but that a high does can
have 'the opposite affect'.
What do you read into this? That High does aspirin can reduce uric acid? Has
anyone researched this - or did I misread the statement?
2) I have read that Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) can increase risk of gout,
although I have also read that Uric acid crystals dissolve better in urea with a
high concentration of Vitamin C? Anyone done research into high dosage vitamin C
and Gout?
3) Alkaline diets. Any truth in this? e.g. that eating certain foods (e.g. tea
with lemonjuice - which despite its raw acidity is supposed to be 'alkaline'
once processed by the body) can make your body 'less acidic' or is this just a
step away from 'weight loss pills' - i.e a myth
I would be greatful for any positive info on these questions. Please understand
I am fully aware of all the well know drugs and medical texts on gout - I just
like to think that there must be a cure/alternative solution (the scientist in
me). It does seem to me that the medical profession has 'given up' on us and
closed the book on Gout research - having satisfied themselves that they can
keep us out of the doctors surgery with a prescription for Allopurinol and
Indocid (et al). By the way I also have a rare tissue type called HLA-B27 which
is associated with reumatic conditions (my mother suffered from rheumatoid
arthritis - not gout I know but... ) - has anyone else been tissue typed for
this? It won't help us in the short term - but would be very interesting to see
if there is a link
thanks
Rod
high does can have 'the opposite affect'.
Your finding about aspirin is what I have also found.
However, it is also important to point out that the high dose of
aspirin that you need to reduce your gout attack can, in many cases,
induce stomache and intestineal bleeding.
With low doses of aspirin, the aspirin molecule is preferrentially
adsorbed in the kidney and it blocks the removal of urate ion by the
kidney from the blood. In Higher doses its analgesic effect kicks in
and it is also thought to work because it surpresses the ionization
of uric acid. Aspirin is a water soluble organic acid, which will
tend to retard crystal formation of mono sodium urate.
As far as I know there has been no complete explanation of why high
doses of aspirin work opposite from how low doses work.
gout, although I have also read that Uric acid crystals dissolve
better in urea with a high concentration of Vitamin C? Anyone done
research into high dosage vitamin C and Gout?
Again, double edged sword with vitamin C. The data are overwhelming
in favor of vitamin C if you are on allopurinol. C acts as a free
radicle scavenger, anti oxidant if you will, and it has been found to
be beneficial when used with allopurinol.
All by itself and without allopurinol, vitamin C-ascorbic acid-is
very water and tissue soluble and will tend to surpress ionization of
uric acid to the urate form. It has been reported that it actually
increases the excretion of uric acid but that report is only from one
group although that group has reported it in various papers over
several years.
I haven't looked into high dose C although some people think that my
1000 mg a day is a lot. Linus Pauling was suggesting 10 grams a day,
10X my levels and at that level you will be affecting the overall
acidity of your system. I'll say more about acidity level of your
system in a bit....
foods (e.g. tea with lemonjuice - which despite its raw acidity is
supposed to be 'alkaline' once processed by the body) can make your
body 'less acidic' or is this just a step away from 'weight loss
pills' - i.e a myth
This brings up a very interesting and important issue for all of us.
If you are on allopurinol, which I am, then the following is much
less important but as I have said before and I knock on wood as I
write it, any of us on allopurinol today could be forced to abandon
allopurinol tomorrow and have to go back to fighting the fight
without it.
Look at the following simple minded equation
UH --
(uric acid) <-- ionized urate <--- Monosodium urate solid
It is the solid crystals of NaU that cause you pain but it is the
excess of UH in your fatty tissue, in your joints and just generally
scattered around your body that is the root cause of the excess
monosodium urate crystal formation.
You can treat the symptom, which all of us do when we get an attack,
by pushing the equillibrium back into uric acid which lowers the
blood urate which in tern slows or stops or in some cases, reverses,
the crystal formation. Thus, lower pH, i.e. more acid, like vitamin C
or even aspirin or plane old vinegar, acetid acid, will push the
balance back to the uric acid form and slow down or in some cases
stop the attack. So far so good but the underlying root problem,
that is, the excess uric acid goes unchecked. When you have taken
vinegar or vitamin C, your overall blood level of urate goes down and
the attack goes down or away but you have delayed the eventual cure
because with less urate in the blood, the kidney has less urate to
excrete and so you continue to build and even increase your overall
uric acid level.
Now on to the alkaline diet. I had not thought about it before your
post but an alkaline diet when you are not under attack makes a lot
of sense. It does increase the risk of an attack but it will increase
the overall urate in your blood stream, which, if it is accompanied
with lots of water, should dramatically increase your bodies
excretion of urate.
The following will sound silly but it does make good sense. When not
under attack eat an alkaline diet, drink lots of water and keep your
feet very warm.
I'll post why this should work later if someone wants more
explanation but I'm late right now for a meeting.