re: Wife says I have gout, wtf is gout? Update: No gout; shrimp and red meat still on the menu

quote:

---

well, I have a friend with gout and almost every time he would drink alcohol he would get a nice swollen foot or ankle from gout.

---

Alcohol dehydrates and hot summer months dehydrates your body even more. Personally I drink more in the summer and it never fails gout attacks my big toe every few weeks.

I've found that 3 Advil liqui-gels (Naproxin) twice a day and over a gallon of water a day helps when it starts to flare up. But recently that didn't work and I had to got to the doc for a steroid shot - almost immediate relief. Gout is an unpredictable bitch.

quote:

---

I get the gout occasionally.

---

I get it about twice a year whether I want it or not.

I can feel it coming on the night before. When at full tilt it will bring tears to your eyes even when a ceiling fan is on and blowing air on it. I have to keep the foot elevated and it literally takes several minutes to put it on the ground and stand on it.

I have been on regular meds now for six months and haven't had a flare up.

quote:

---

ertain kinds of food, like organ meats, are supposed to contribute to it.

---

And shellfish, tuna, haddock, halibut,cod, redfish, mackerel and Beer!....I am a piscetarian and have been battling gout for the last 6 weeks. Luckily, mine has been mild. And I am 6' 160 so not fat at all.

quote:

---

My dad used to get it once or twice a year. If I recall correctly it is hereditary and has something to do with the acidity of foods consumed. Again, look it up and figure out a plan. They make medicine for it, but my dad either wouldn’t take it or it didn’t help much.

---

My dad, my grandfather, and one of my dad's brothers all would get it a couple of times per year as well...I think I might be fricked. 39 and nothing yet though

Mine is hereditary. My grandfather was 150lbs soaking wet and he got 3 or 4 times a year. My dad gets it occasionally and I've started getting 2 to 3 bouts a year of it. Usually if I look back I can pinpoint the flareup is related to recent eating activity. For me that usually means eating on BBQ leftovers for a couple of days and that will send my acid levels soaring.

Go to a Doctor and get a script for Colchicine after confirming high uric acid levels with a blood test.

Also, they may put you on allopurinal to take AFTER the flareup is over to prevent future ones.

During a flare up, the best thing for me that works is:

1. Drink lots of water to help flush out the acid.
2. Eat bananas. The potassium in them helps neutralize the effects of Uric Acid.
3. Take Colchicine. (You will shite like a goose fyi as your body flushes out the Uric Acid.)
4. Take an OTC inflammatory unless the doc gives you steroids or something like Mobex.

quote:

---

This is going to start being my go-to advice for people: take some random shite you've got laying around and see if it helps.

---

Antibiotics and steroids probably wouldn't be bad for most minor ailments people have, you might end up helping out a lot more people than you think

quote:

---

Antibiotics and steroids probably wouldn't be bad for most minor ailments people have, you might end up helping out a lot more people than you think

---

Problem is the antibiotics. Don't take enough, and you just piss off the bacteria that survive; take too much and you end up re-colonizing with C.Diff.

ETA: and of course, if you aren't actually infected with anything, there's no such thing as the right amount.

quote:

---

; take too much and you end up re-colonizing with C.Diff.

---

I have no idea what this means

quote:

---

if you aren't actually infected with anything, there's no such thing as the right amount.

---

What actually would happen if you took antibiotics and don't need them? Just pass through your system?

Just back from the doctor, bone spur in my left heel which has been bothering me for months and no gout in the right toe. I took my tamily down to the beach because I had to do some punch list work on a project I completed 2 months ago. I was in beach mode and wore a leather pair of rainbow flip flops that I. ever wear. I ended up working for 12 hours instead of the 4 I thought and walked several miles over the course of the day and fricked up the big toe joint. The prednisone I took last night reduced inflammation and swelling and most of the pain and when I woke up this morning I could put my shoe on and put my foot on the ground as long as no pressure was on the ball of the foot. I got a steroid shot and a prescription for more steroids. So no flesh eating bacteria and no gout and I can limp around with almost no pain.