Gout - The Gout thread

[barbaro]

^ Thanks for the info. I'll dig into it.

[Bower]

Having just suffered my worst bout of gout for 5 years, i am back looking at my previous diets.
I take Allupurinol but sometimes forget......
It was suggested to me by my doctor to keep a diary of foods to help find triggers, foods high in purines that trigger my gout.
I discovered that some foods could almost guarantee an attack:
Spinach
Shellfish
Smoked salmon

I have found the best treatment for me to date is, stop the Allupurinol, drink lots of cherry juice. Ask the wife to be my lacky and not attempt to walk more than need to, thus reducing the damage to joints caused by the needle shaped crystals that form in the joints of my feet.

[good2bhappy]

had it for a few days now

[rickpattaya]

Hi Babaro,
I am living in the Pattaya area and at the moment having a savage attack of gout. I am not sure which part of Thailand you are living, but can you tell me where you got the Baking soda. None of my Thai relations have a clue what it is.
Any help appreciated.

Cheers, Rick

[jizzybloke]

I've had a few twinges over the last couple of weeks but nothing much came of it... until today up until about 3pm i was fine but now at 10pm i'm in so much frigging pain I can't believe it

[Bower]

I've had a few twinges over the last couple of weeks but nothing much came of it... until today up until about 3pm i was fine but now at 10pm i'm in so much frigging pain I can't believe it

You have my sympathies, i am into the 8th week of on/off attacks.
Back for more tests Thursday, Dr thinks its Rhumatoid Arthiritus in my ankles through constant gout.
It would seem my attempts at losing weight by reducing carbs in my diet have increased severity of attacks.
'It never rains but it pours' chin up !

[Nice Guy]

I've had a few twinges over the last couple of weeks but nothing much came of it... until today up until about 3pm i was fine but now at 10pm i'm in so much frigging pain I can't believe it

Jizzy,

As soon as you feel the "twinges" start your Counter-Attack.

Maybe these twinges came and went, but it could mean your uric acid level are elevated. This means, some foods and certain drink can push your uric acid over the limit and you can have a full blown attack.

First twinge(s) -- counter-attack.

Signs of medium and full blown attack -- counter-attack.

What are you doing now to fight it, now that it has happened?

[Bower]

Found a year round way to take the cherry juice, www.cherryactive.co.uk

They run a mail order service, i will let you know how i get on with the capsuals instead of the juice.

[Nice Guy]

Found a year round way to take the cherry juice, www.cherryactive.co.uk

They run a mail order service, i will let you know how i get on with the capsuals instead of the juice.

We need to know (via research) if the capsules are as effective as the real juice.

Yes, blackcherry juice is very hard to find in Thailand, let alone anywhere else.

[kmart]

Found a year round way to take the cherry juice, www.cherryactive.co.uk

They run a mail order service, i will let you know how i get on with the capsuals instead of the juice.

We need to know (via research) if the capsules are as effective as the real juice.

Yes, blackcherry juice is very hard to find in Thailand, let alone anywhere else.

You can get black cherry juice in the Tipco brand "Cherry Berry", available in any large supermarket.

There is some good advice on the other 2 pages of this thread, especially regarding countering severe attacks of gout. Lot of info to wade through, but it will be to your benefit.

[cojones]

I would suggest Omega 3 fish oil capsules,coconut juice and uric powder for relief.In the long hall diet and exercise .You will find this also helpfull for athritus....good luck

[Tunaka]

Preventative. I've been gout-free for a while now, and would rather be pro-active in keeping attacks at bay rather than waiting on one creeping up on me. There is also not too many places stock it outside Bkk and Pattaya. I try and keep a stock on hand and have a a glass or two / day. It works the same as the soda in keeping uric acid / pH levels down, and seems to be an inhibitor or natural anti-inflamm agent working to stop any uric acid from crystallizing on your joints.

Kmart,

Since I have high blood pressure and want to avoid extra sodium, can I alkalize by using limes. Squeezing limes into water and drinking it in the AM and PM, instead of baking soda?

Thanks if you can answer.

[blue]

good site on acidity and alkalinity of foods
The Acid/Alkaline Foods List


Extremely Alkaline

Lemons, watermelon.

Alkaline Forming

Cantaloupe, cayenne celery, dates, figs, kelp, limes, mango, melons, papaya, parsley, seaweeds, seedless grapes (sweet), watercress.

Asparagus, fruit juices, grapes (sweet), kiwifruit, passionfruit, pears (sweet), pineapple, raisins, umeboshi plums, and vegetable juices .

[rickschoppers]

Interesting thread, but being a pharmacist by trade for over 30 years, I always like to hear what works for some people for what ails them. In this case, it is gout which can be extremely painful due to the uric acid crystals that like to lodge in the joints. There is no need for me to tell you what causes gout since everyone probably already understands the culprit. Uric acid levels can very from person to person and severity of attacks depend on each individuals chemistry and biological make-up. What works for one person may not work at all for the next. All of the remedys may work for the a few, but not for everyone. I personally have arthritis and hypertension that may predispose me to gout. One of the best cures for all three (arthritis, hypertension and gout) is shedding a few pounds. If you find a remedy that seems to work, stick with it but don't expect it to work for others.
Pharmaceutically, Allopurinol 300mg daily is the stadard treatment for gout. This needs to be taken every day to keep uric acid levels from increasing. Colchicine is typically used only during severe attacks. It is a lethal drug if taken like previously mentioned every 20 minutes. I would not recommend that approach. There is a new drug that was also previously mentioned that appears to be successful in patients with poor renal function. It is too new to know if it should take the place of Allopurinol since Allopurinol can be reduced in dosage for poor renal funtion.
If you take anything away from my thoughts, it should be that a remedy that works for one will not always work for all, but might be worth trying to see if it does work for you. If it doesn't, move on.

[kmart]

Preventative. I've been gout-free for a while now, and would rather be pro-active in keeping attacks at bay rather than waiting on one creeping up on me. There is also not too many places stock it outside Bkk and Pattaya. I try and keep a stock on hand and have a a glass or two / day. It works the same as the soda in keeping uric acid / pH levels down, and seems to be an inhibitor or natural anti-inflamm agent working to stop any uric acid from crystallizing on your joints.

Kmart,

Since I have high blood pressure and want to avoid extra sodium, can I alkalize by using limes. Squeezing limes into water and drinking it in the AM and PM, instead of baking soda?

Thanks if you can answer.

Don't see why not. Try it and see if you get good results.

[DrAndy]

Extremely Alkaline Lemons, watermelon.

Lemons always seem very acid to me (citric acid, of course)

are you sure they are alkaline?

[Bower]

Interesting thread, but being a pharmacist by trade for over 30 years, I always like to hear what works for some people for what ails them. In this case, it is gout which can be extremely painful due to the uric acid crystals that like to lodge in the joints. There is no need for me to tell you what causes gout since everyone probably already understands the culprit. Uric acid levels can very from person to person and severity of attacks depend on each individuals chemistry and biological make-up. What works for one person may not work at all for the next. All of the remedys may work for the a few, but not for everyone. I personally have arthritis and hypertension that may predispose me to gout. One of the best cures for all three (arthritis, hypertension and gout) is shedding a few pounds. If you find a remedy that seems to work, stick with it but don't expect it to work for others.
Pharmaceutically, Allopurinol 300mg daily is the stadard treatment for gout. This needs to be taken every day to keep uric acid levels from increasing. Colchicine is typically used only during severe attacks. It is a lethal drug if taken like previously mentioned every 20 minutes. I would not recommend that approach. There is a new drug that was also previously mentioned that appears to be successful in patients with poor renal function. It is too new to know if it should take the place of Allopurinol since Allopurinol can be reduced in dosage for poor renal funtion.
If you take anything away from my thoughts, it should be that a remedy that works for one will not always work for all, but might be worth trying to see if it does work for you. If it doesn't, move on.

I take on board everything you have said here and would like to add that dieting can also bring on severe attacks. If i find myself putting on a few unwanted pounds, upping my excersise is the only way to loose weight without an attack.

[blue]

Extremely Alkaline Lemons, watermelon.

Lemons always seem very acid to me (citric acid, of course)

are you sure they are alkaline?

no
like most people here , i can only go on what i read ,and the experts are always changing thier minds on whats good and bad ....
,i dont have gout , but i am trying to eat more healthy diet ,as we seem to eat too much acid forming food at least in the west , the chinese may have it right with thier balances in life ying and yang etc.

a quick search suggest - one site
''A lemon has a pH of around 2.2; extremely acidic!
so how can it be alkalizing?
let's look at what ALKALIZING means. It means that after the acids are used up in metabolism, there is a net increase or alkaline minerals that is larger than the increase in acid minerals LEFT OVER. This is what forms your alkaline reserves, or more correctly, buffer.''

or the The Acid/Alkaline Foods List
goes into more detail

A common misconception is that if a food tastes acidic, it has an acid-forming effect on the body. This is not necessarily true. Very often, an acidic-tasting food is alkalizing. Citric fruits are a good example.
People say that lemons, for example, are "too acidic"; however, they are actually alkalizing because the minerals they leave behind after digestion help remove hydrogen ions, decreasing the acidity of the body. (Many people use the term "residue" or "ash" to explain the effect of a food on the body. A food with an acid ash after digestion contributes hydrogen ions, making the body more acidic; a food with an alkaline ash after digestion removes hydrogen ions, making the body more alkaline.) Another misconception is that acid-forming foods are "bad." This is not correct; acidity and alkalinity are opposites and one is not intrinsically better than the other. This misconception has developed because the North American diet is excessively acidic, which does result in health problems.

[rickschoppers]

Extremely Alkaline Lemons, watermelon.

Lemons always seem very acid to me (citric acid, of course)

are you sure they are alkaline?

No, you are right that citric acid is, of course, not alkaline. What happens when you push your body toward the acidic range by taking citric acid, it compensates by alkalizing the blood and urine as if you took baking soda. You are using the body's chemistry to push your blood and urine toward an alkaline pH. It is a little complicated and I don't really want to bore you with the details.
A little more about taking baking soda to prevent or end a gout attack. I think everyone needs to know the down side of this home remedy so that you can decide on your own if you want to go down that road.

Warning! Baking soda may not be your natural gout cure. It MUST ONLY BE TRIED with your doctor’s approval since this could have many side effects including high blood pressure, headaches, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, stomach pains and others. Baking soda is high in sodium, so cut down your salt intake as much as possible if taking it. Gout attacks raise blood pressure, and so does excess sodium.
Moreover people with heart, kidney, and liver disease, and appendicitis should not try it, without their doctor's agreement. It is contraindicated with some prescription medicines. Take too much for too long and you could get alkalosis.So speak to your doctor first. It should not be taken when the stomach is too full. An empty stomach is better.

Your call in the end, but it is always a good idea to know the good and bad to anything.............no?

[Tunaka]

Extremely Alkaline Lemons, watermelon.

Lemons always seem very acid to me (citric acid, of course)

are you sure they are alkaline?

Lemons and Limes are metabolized by the body as Alkaline.

So yes, they are alkaline.

[rickschoppers]

Incorrect........lemons and limes are acidic because they contain CITRIC ACID. If eaten, they will force the body to become alkaline, but they are not considered alkaline fruit.
Google it if you do not believe this and learn for yourself.

[Tunaka]

^ Thanks for the clarification, ricks. OK, they're considered acidic but metabolization produces and alkalizing effect.

That's good enough for me, and I'm put 3/4 of a small lime into my tea with lunch, in addition to the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in the AM & PM.

I don't want to over do it, however.

(Alkilosis.)

[good2bhappy]

The gout is coming back in my little toe (lft)
It has been about 2 years since the last bad episode.
Shortly afterwards my LAD Coranary artety occluded and I was rushed to the cath lab
Hope it is not a harbinger of a repeat of that!
Happy Christmas all.

[cojones]

I would recommend daily potassium citrate 1080mg 4x daily very cheap but need script also short term Indomethacin 25mg 3xdaily this medicine is a little hard on the stomach so be aware.

[rickschoppers]

^
If your take Indomethacin or any other NSAID like Ibuprofen or Naproxen, be sure to eat something first otherwise you will burn a hole in your stomach. I live on Naproxen Sodium for my arthritic joints but eat some toast, rice or cookies before taking a dose.