# gout



## mazza (8 Dec 2010)

ive just been dignosed with gout ive never had it before my foot started aching by big toe it is not horific pain but is uncomfortable im in my late thirtys i do a fair amount of cycling and walking and concider myself as fairly fit but a little over weight in 5 feet 11 and 90 kilos i have been eating a lot of fish for the last few years and i drink two or three milky coffees a day ive heared this may be bad for it im not even sure if the doctor has diagnosed this right has anyone got any experiences with gout or the couses


----------



## Broadside (8 Dec 2010)

I suffer from gout too, started about 4 years ago and it is now chronic (in medical terms which means it is now persistent). At first my doctor told me to just get on with it - I was 90kgs at 5'11" which is just slightly overweight. I am 37 yrs and now down to about 75kgs through cycling and he has since taken it more seriously.

Let me tell you that the pain with gout is horrific - people liken it to a fractured toe, even a sheet on your foot at night is unbearable and there is swelling and redness.

If you do have gout then for each attack you will need to take Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatories (NSAIDs) which reduce the swelling and completely remove the pain in 2-3 days. Some people just get irregular attacks say once or twice a year. If you get lots of attacks (more than 4 a year) then you need to consider that each attack causes joint damage so eventually you will lose mobility in the affected joint, therefore it is wise to manage the uric acid level with drugs. I had to push my doctor to refer me to a consultant rheumatologist who prescribed daily Allopurinol to bring the acid level down (at 5 times the dose that my doctor thought would be sufficient) so that the flare ups are less frequent but they do still happen, in which case I manage them with NSAIDs. His view was that some people are simply excess uric acid excreters, there is some truth that some foods will aggravate the problem but it is mostly a myth. I have tried cutting all booze and purine rich food from my diet which are known to increase uric acid and still got flare ups.

My doc initially suggested cycling might be the cause due to dehydration however this was dismissed by the consultant, but he did say trauma on the joint can increase likelihood of an episode, e.g. very long rides even though it is relatively low impact. I now ride about 3,500 miles per year and the gout was a big problem for me before I really got in to cycling.

There is a long long list of foods that may exacerbate the problem (but are not the sole cause). Regrettably on my list of avoid foods are nuts, Marmite (and anything containing yeast extract which includes lots of strong flavour crisps) and excessive boozing (i mean stag weekend excessive across more than two nights). Keeping yourself hydrated is important but there is no one thing that will fix it.

Good luck with getting yours sorted, don't just put up with it, the pain is hideous and the sooner you get it managed properly the less damage will occur to your joints.


----------



## Fab Foodie (8 Dec 2010)

dmoran said:


> Let me tell you that the pain with gout is horrific - people liken it to a fractured toe, even a sheet on your foot at night is unbearable and there is swelling and redness.



I had it once and know this to be true. If somebody hd passed me an axe, self amputation would have hurt less.


Sympathies mazza. I did nothing to change my habits, but have never had it again in the 10 years since.


----------



## mazza (8 Dec 2010)

thanks for that info the pain in my toe isnt as bad as you discribe may be ive been lucky im going to ring my docyor and fing out what she thinks might of coused it and weather there is anything i could do to make it better anyone with any thoughts to avoid a recurence would be good


----------



## buddha (9 Dec 2010)

I first had a gout attack at 30. Despite being an 'ideal' weight and fit. At the time though I was drinking a fair amount of wine/beer (socially) which may have contributed. Another factor is stress - I sometimes get an attack after my 5 year old nephew has visited 

There's a lot of stuff on t'internet about cures. Much of it conflicting. Apart from taking drugs, this site is helpful in knowing what's good to eat. Apparently you need to eat mostly alkaline forming foods. 

During an acute attack I generally live off fresh cherries (if you can find them), bananas, pineapple (for bromelin) and apples. And drink LOTS of tap water - not filtered or bottled - with a squirt of fresh lemon. I always make a point of drinking at least 1x750ml bottle per hour when on the bike.

After the acute stage, something like a mild veg curry (with lots of tumeric) is good.

I swear by the fresh cherries thing, although it doesn't work so well for some. It usually kills a 'minor' acute attack within a couple of hours for me. I keep a stash of them in the freezer 

When the attack is over, I can pretty much eat what I want - within reason. Although I haven't touched a drop of red wine in the last 9 years, and only drink say, one small bottle of beer a week.

Keeping your feet warm is also important, as uric acid crystallizes agt 30deg. Some people recommend using a warm foot bath for 30 minutes each day. I got some winter cycling boots instead.

For me, most of my acute attacks have been preceded my a slight fever. I use this as an indicator to stop the alcohol and meat, and go on the alkaline forming diet.


Best of luck.


----------



## DustBowlRefugee (28 Dec 2010)

I had an attack a few years ago and it hurt like hell for about three weeks. I'm the sort of person who is not overly keen on going to the doctor and the thought of being on prescription medication for any period of time doesn't sit so well for me. I looked about to see what alternative there was and found that cherries were supposed to work well (as the above post mentioned). Anyway I found this product online http://www.cherryact...-Cycling.html#5 and ordered some of the cordial and tablets> to be honest the cordial wasn't to my taste (still in the back of the outside fridge somewhere!) but the tablets are tasteless and certainly worked for me. They're also used by athletes to aid muscle recovery so I don't have a problem taking them each day. The upshot of it is that I've not changed my diet nor reduced the amount I drink. The only difference is I now take one tablet each morning and it has never come back. Not cheap but worked a dream for me. Plus with the British Cycling team and the England Rugby team using it I feel pretty good using it. It appears that the main use is for athletes and the gout prevention is just a lucky side effect. Anyway it's all on the website, I'd avoid buying cheap batches from eBay though as you can never be sure if they're the real thing. Hope this helps, Mark.


----------

