Can Gout Be Triggered By Activity? - Gout Forum - eHealthForum
gout is triggered by: sleep apnea (low oxygen states), cold feet, underhydration (lack of trace minerals), food poisoning, exercise due to lactic acid buildup...
takeaway snippets from this forum:
- drink mineral water - or some celtic sea salt in water - for its dozen trace minerals
- sleep apnea (in low oxygen states) and cold feet are known triggers
- of the best two drugs, one dehydrates and causes anemia, the other has lethal sidefx
- gout crystals can be present in a joint even when serum UA shows 'normal'
- that change in pH in the joint matters, to check pH to monitor gout
- get checked for sleep apnea, see a rheumatologist
- 2-5am your acid levels are the highest
- association to lack of circulation in extremities
takeaway snippets from other forums:
- low carb diet = no gout attacks
- ph balance and alkalizing foods may play a role
- often gout is tingling, numbness or other low-grade discomforts
wolfcomment: check your genetics, you may have the MTHFR gene variant
check your genetics, we may all share the MTHFR gene variant and the detox/hydration/sensitivity issues it comes with, you'll find much of what you describe maps to various genetics incl ABCG2, MTHFR/CBS/MTR/MAO, etc., ask your doctor for a free MTHFR test or get all your gene variations tested by investing $99 (not more): https://refer.23andme.com/s/w
gout is one of the oldest diseases known to medicine, yet the medical establishment (beyond fed nih.gov studies) seems to know very little about its anatomy or how to prevent/monitor it, one learns far more from victims athletes and self-healers who share their experiments and experiences on user forums such as the one included below.
from the sounds of it, uric acid in the joints is 'triggered' by sleep apnea, cold feet, underhydration, acidosis and detox issues, which are all tied to methylation hurdles and the gene variants noted, which in turn set the stage to where exercise or food poisoning, can also trigger a gout attack. my gout attack came on with food poisoning and a day after first easy jog on a treadmill in 3 months due to a previous gout 'sprain' (that isn't real, its gout).
immediately after a midnight chorizo/egg burrito and refried beans (i ate half), i had GI issues aka 'food poisoning' for some hours, couldn't get to sleep as did my buddy, he had bowel issues for 7 days, where i had sudden gout pain that mimicked a 'toe sprain' that night for 3 days, followed by joint stiffness low-grade pain for weeks thereafter. it was also the day after my first few minutes jogging on treadmill in 3 months, the last time the same thing happened, after a few minutes jogging on treadmill and spin class, i had odd foot pain and a similar mysterious gout-based sprain in my other ankle. so i've been limping a few times in 2017 and the last two years too, typically when ramping my fitness from 70% to 90%.
i also lived in europe, so i think there's something to the person who had 'no gout while in europe' where they ate more high-purine foods and drank more (killing those theories), but noted the one difference was how europeans drink 'mineral water' (not club soda) which has dozens of trace minerals and alkaline salts that help your cells retain water aka keep you better hydrated. that sounds like a key to the equation to me. one that trumps all the other factors i.e. what you eat, and most casual exercise (intense athletic performance excluded).
my early warning signs were years of cold feet and hands, pain in my feet, pain after standing 10min (as i do on video gigs where i stand for hours shooting pro ball games), years of unexplicable ankle and toe sprains that are actually gout. i also had 10 years of come/go dynamic pain in knees, shoulders, tight hips which may also relate to underhydration and/or gout.
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Can Gout Be Triggered By Activity? (Page 1)
BrianF
May 2nd, 2006
I am 33, have had gout for about 3.5 years that I know of. Might of had it for 5-6 years if I think back to times when my feet / toes were sore after long days on them.
1st let me say that doctors are tools. The 1st time I was diagnosed with this the doctor printed something directly off of the internet for me to read. Simple, here ya go, have a nice day, take this medicine kind of answer. The next doctor saw that there was something more here and sent me for therapy in thought that it may have been an injury that never healed properly. Next I went through a chain of specialists including a podiotrist and ruematologist (sp?). I was diagnosed for several things that never stuck. The only real one that they all concluded on was gout but could never explain the constant pain that I had even with treatment. Had an mri and several blood tests but never a test of the fluid in the joint affected (my right ankle). Ua levels in blood always come back elevated but in the normal range. I don't remember the numbers but that is what I was told. I think that it is gout and maybe something else. Maybe even damage to the joint though xrays and the mri have showed up fine except for the excessive fluid that forms in my ankle.
Took colchicine for 1 year. Seemed to help out but I always have a soreness / off pain in my right ankle. It is more of an uncomfortable annoying pain than a painful one if that makes any sense. I take indocin for attacks but probably don't take it long enough. As soon as I feel it gone I stop and I hear that you should go 7-10 days no matter what. Same with colchicine I take it when I feal an attack coming on (3 on day 1, 2 on day 2, and 1 a day for a couple of weeks). I have been trying the bs but have not been measuring any ua levels and don't know that I have been taking it steadily enough. I was doing 1/2 teaspoon in the am and very rarely 1/2 in the afternoon. I still need to try this more and keep up with it for a better assesment.
Now for my question. Can gout be initiated by activity or heavy use of the joint that later is affected? My experience is yes but is this really 100% gout since I have soreness and discomfort in that joint even when I don't feal an attack? Could an attack untreated have caused much bigger damage to this joint? Has anyone ever had surgery to correct this?
Lastly, is is possible that I have crystals that have found a nice home to live in my ankle and can I evict them? :? If so how? I understand that alklizing the blood will help this but is there a faster way?
This really stinks that medical science can do all that it can in certain areas and yet some diseases and problems are so low on the radar screen of interest to fix them. Makes sense though as they can make more money off of drugs and doctor visits for ilnesses that are not life threatening.
I wanted to punch the ruematologist square in the face when he said it was not about fixing the problem rather it was about managing the pain. I was very ready to give him some pain to manage. Sorry for the violent outbreak there, I just want the pain to stop - it is not manageable until it is gone.
Brian
JYY2 wrote:
Any interest in taking a look at http://www.Icuredmygout.Org
BrianF
Thanks. I have seen your site and find it very informative. Regarding the baking soda, I have tried it briefly and worked about a month ago so well that I stopped taking it a very short time after the pain was gone. I have been taking it for 1.5 days now (as I have a pretty bad attack right now). We'll see. I will give it more of an effort this time.
I literally just got back from having my ankle drained just now. Well, what they could anyways. This was be my 1st crystal test. For those needing to get one done, it is not that bad. I envisioned a giant cattle needle and a mad scientist holding it up with two hands saying (don't move this one is a little tricky). :)
i was pretty upfront with the doctor this time. Told him that all i'm interested in is getting that test done and that was it. I also asked him the same old questions looking for contradiction. I did ask him about bs and he said there is not scientific research that proves that works. Great then I guess if there is no research on something that it is not true? That is the kind of mentality that stops science from progressing.
I eat well and avoid most of the foods on the don't touch list, don't drink, but do work long hours sometimes (note: I have an office job). Never the less I do burn myself out and sometimes forget to get a good nights sleep.
The more I learn about gout, the more I hate it. Everytime I think i'm doing good I get a good kick in the pants lesson from gout. Don't eat this or that, don't move around too much, don't drink, don't take cold medication, etc.
Here is something strange... Everytime I go for an xray (got another today) they always point out this chip of bone that is loosly floating in my ankle. Then they say it is nothing. Well duh! I'm not a doctor but some clues are just right there in your face. Maybe they are right though.
Gas prices rising, taxes rising, and gout! All things that I can count on in life.
Brian
--
nremondelli
replied May 6th, 2006
I am in a similar boat. Thirty-one and have had it for about six years. Just lingering pain in my toe. Enough to stop me from running. My doctors told me (2 now) that working the joint does not cause gout only diet and of course bad genes. I disagree. Every time I start to excersize again it hurts again. I am startin to think however, that I am not giving it enough time to heal first. I wait until it doesn't hurt anymore and then I think I am cured.
Good luck
--
kokako88
kokako88
replied May 7th, 2006
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chill3dreplied July 30th, 2006
I found this little bit about lactic acid, the same type of acid muscles produce when excersizing heavily
*when alcohol is digested, a form of acid (called lactic acid) is produced. Heavy alcohol intake leads to enough lactic acid in the blood that it competes with uric acid for excretion by the kidney. If levels of lactic acid are high enough, the blood level of uric acid rises.
Haresh
replied October 27th, 2007
yes, heavy use of joint can trigger gout.
crystals accumulated during a prolonged gouty attack can be removed with a surgery but it can gather again in future attacks.
Sloth97
replied December 11th, 2007
Exercise And Gout
I'm no doctor but have suffered gout for over 10 years. I'm a runner and it stinks when I get gout in my foot. I've had it in my foot, elbow, finger, toes, ankles, shoulder and possibly my hips and knees but it's hard to tell if it's gout of just general pain. I tend to get it only on my left side which is strange.
As far as excerise, I get it a lot less often when I exercise regularly. The longest times without gout is when I'm able to run all the time. Sometimes, my knees won't allow me to run so I ride a stationary bike but that's not the same.
I've actually experimented and gone running when I have gout. It's torture when I start and I have to start walking first and then build up to a jog. It definitely helps for a short period but It comes back when I sit for periods of time or when I sleep. What does help though is exercising when I first feel the gout coming on. If its in my finger, I will used some sort of squeezing device to get movement in that area. I work on a computer at work and if it's in my foot, I will bring a baseball, take off my shoe and press it to the floor with my foot and role it around. This seems to help stop the gout from becoming acute. When it's acute, it's too late. Colchicine is my friend in those cases.
My gout attacks at night when I sleep and sometimes I don't know it's coming until it's too late. I know most people die between the hours of 2am to 5am and that's when your acid levels are the highest which is probably why gout comes on at those times.
Makoto
replied December 21st, 2007
I think working out and gout are connected. But I also think that a lack of hydration is a factor. Latic acid build up might be a consideration, but I think lack of water is more of a concern. I also think heavy pounding on a joint can bring on attack there if conditions are right.
To prevent this, make sure you have lots of water in your body. When you sweat alot, make sure you also use your baking soda. It works well.
For me, summer is a time when I sweat alot, and it is a time when I get a few attacks. While winter, is not a time where I get many attacks.
I wonder also if lack of sleep or being tired affects gout. I think it does.
ralftheeskimobaby
replied December 27th, 2007
JYY2 wrote:
Any interest in taking a look at http://www.Icuredmygout.Org
that was interesting. i have suffered from gout for over twenty years. i retired from the fire department cause of it. due to steroid treatment i have gained over 200 lbs, this was also caused from my inactivity due to extreme pain. i was misdiagnosed for 5 years when it started. i had an incident when i was an emt. i got food poisoning and had the worst case in my life. i almost lost my left foot because of no circulation. after extensive steroid treatment it went away. i had a bone scan done four years ago and it revealed that gout had deteriorated my joints in my ankles, knees and wrist. i have a huge gouty legion on my right wrist and my wrist is deformed. two days ago i had swelling around my eye socket and jaw and i had fluid drained from it and low and behold it was gout. i was one in one million to get in in my face. i am the exception i guess. i am currently on colchicine and naproxin. they help alot better than anything else i was on.
if i get sick, dehydrated or hurt myself i usually get the worst cases of gout. moreso than whether i eat or drink the wrong thing. i don't drink alcohol, and i definitely dont eat right. stress and things of that nature also cause severe gout in me. it has gotten the best of me and i am only 38 years old. i am due for joint replacements in the next few years. it is a very scary illness that cause severe pain and malice. i wish doctors would quit saying that it is just what you eat or drink and actually do more research.
also your uric acid levels do not have to be elevated to have an attack. sometimes it is only in the affected joint. it would have to be drained to find it. just wanted to pass along some info.
stanl
replied December 28th, 2007
>
> i had an incident when i was an emt. i got food poisoning and had the worst > case in my life. [same in my case, immediately after eating a meal, my buddy and i both had food poisoning GI issues on way home, he had bowel issues for 7 days and i got gout that night]
This is interesting. About 10 days before I got my very first gout attack (3 weeks ago) I got food poisoning. (The suspect was fresh ginger from China which might have been sprayed with a pesticide called aldicarb.)
I lead a pretty healthy lifestyle so I was surprised I got gout and have been trying to figure out what could have caused it. Food poisoning was on my list of suspects. [mine too. in my case, it was also a day after my first jog of the last 3 months, since my last attempt to jog on treadmill ended in a similar unexplicable mysterious sprain on other ankle.]
Stan
TallMikey
replied January 11th, 2008
Soreness From Exercising
I am SURE that it has something to do with lactic acid.
I am 37 now, used to play pro basketball, and when I am out of shape and go exercise, the "sore days" (i.e. the day after and day after that) I have an attack. It's happened so many times I can count on it. Those are the days that I am sore (which is caused by Lactic Acid in muscles.) Guess it is a good reason to stay either in shape or out of shape!!!
Thing is I am rail thin. I don't understand why I have this gout.
JYY2
replied January 12th, 2008
Re: Soreness From Exercising
Hi TallMikey,
Read that long distance cyclists take baking soda in water with them for the trip. The purpose is to neutralize the extra lactic acids produced during the long ride. It may help prevent gout attacks triggered by heavy exercise too. If you try, would you let us know if baking soda in water works? Check with a doctor before trying.
May I ask what is your blood uric acid level and the amount of uric acid excreted in 24 hours? Thanks.
TallMikey
replied January 12th, 2008
Re: Soreness From Exercising
JYY2 wrote:
May I ask what is your blood uric acid level and the amount of uric acid excreted in 24 hours? Thanks.
How do I find this out? I'm just getting into this self-regulation and treatment, so if you could kindly point me to some resources. I would also like to test my blood PH levels. Thanks!
JYY2
replied January 12th, 2008
The blood UA test, 24-hour urine UA excretion test, and blood pH test, are normally ordered through doctor's office. The (arterial) blood pH test is rarely done unless a person is under certain medical emergency. You can test the urine pH yourself using a pH paper.
The blood UA level and the amount of UA excreted in urine a day, are very useful info in managing gout. Studies have shown that if we can maintain the blood UA level under 5~6 mg/dL, the crystals will dissolve thus can prevent future gout attacks. This usually requires medication and may take months or years for the crystals to disappear.
The pH and the amount of UA in urine can tell us if steps are needed to increase UA excretion and to prevent kidney stones and kidney failure. If the amount of UA excretion is too low, it is beneficial to increase the excretion rate using Sulfinpyrazone, Probenecid, Losartan, etc. However, if UA excretion is too high and the urine pH is too low, one needs to cut these medicines and alkalize the urine to prevent UA kidney stones and kidney failure.
"The pH of the body" is a general and vague expression. Medically, the pH of the arterial blood and anion gap (AG) obtained from blood electrolyte test, are used to diagnose acidosis and alkalosis, the serious medical conditions. For others, "the pH of the body" may mean the pH of the urine, or some other general and value conditions. While the pH of the urine is normally positively correlated with the pH of the blood, it is not always so.
For patients whose kidneys are unable to excrete acids in the urine, they will have normal or high urine pH and lower than normal blood pH, i.e., acidosis, a serious condition. As for gout patients, it is important to keep the pH around the joint at normal level to avoid gout attacks. Heavy exercise, as well as lack of exercise, can both cause changes of the pH around the joints and trigger gout attacks. [or lactic acid and underhydration are greater factors than anyone is talking about, as are one's genetics and detox capacity.]
For patients whose kidneys are unable to excrete acids in the urine, they will have normal or high urine pH and lower than normal blood pH, i.e., acidosis, a serious condition. As for gout patients, it is important to keep the pH around the joint at normal level to avoid gout attacks. Heavy exercise, as well as lack of exercise, can both cause changes of the pH around the joints and trigger gout attacks. [or lactic acid and underhydration are greater factors than anyone is talking about, as are one's genetics and detox capacity.]
More gout info can be found at ICuredMyGout.org . Take care.
JYY2
replied January 12th, 2008
Experienced User
Hi ralftheeskimoboy,
Sorry you have such sever gout.
you said you are taking colchicine and naproxin. But aren't you also taking uric acid (UA) lowering drugs such as Allopurinol, Probenecid, or Sulfinpyrazone? If you can keep your blood UA level under 5~6 mg/dL, the urate crystals will dissolve and prevent your joints from further damages.
Rasburicase is a very potent injectable which can lower the blood UA level down to less than 1 mg/dL and clean out a lot of UA from the body. More info can be found at:
A similar drug, PEG-uricase is in Phase 3 study and may be available in the near future.
If you haven't, I strongly suggest that you see a good rheumatologist. Good luck and take care.
TallMikey
replied January 12th, 2008
Thanks JYY2, your info is very helpful! I think mine has a lot to do with my PH level. I'm going to try to really lower this. I was living in Europe for a few years where my Gout subsided, however I was eating and drinking "worse" than I am now from a purine standpoint. However I drank "sparkling water" (i.e. club soda) all the time, which might have been a simple thing but lowered my PH enough to not have Gout affect me. [its called 'mineral water' and has dozens of trace alkaline minerals/salts in it that keep all your cells well hydrated which may be a secret to counter gout. mineral water has zero resemblance to 'sparkling water' or 'club soda' beyond the 'bubbly' they added to it to make salt water go down easier. mineral water is literally medicine water.]
Panache
replied January 20th, 2008
Intense exercise DOES trigger gout!
Please refer to this research:
I am 31 yrs old and have had gout for 7 yrs now. For the first 6 years, I could not find a significant link between exercise and gout, probably because my UA level was still 'relatively' low. A year ago, my attacks became more frequent and I noticed a pattern to it. After an intense bout of aerobic exercise (HR 180 for 15-20 min), I will get an acute attack 80% of the time within the next 2 days, despite ample hydration and being on allopurinol.
I came across the above paper last month. Since then, I have resumed regular exercise (3X a week), but at reduced intensity (HR 150 for 30 min). I also stopped allopurinol. I have not had an attack in 2 weeks now. If as the paper says, ua level is elevated by 40% for 2 days after intense exercise, then this is not only a trigger point for acute gout, but could also have been contributory to my ua buildup over the past 7 years! Geez! I wish someone told me earlier! [interesting, and some other person suggests under HR 160 has kept them safe from gout, and its worth testing, but it seems uric acid rises beyond what kidneys can handle due to so many factors to where exercise can just nudge it over the line aka my exercise did not exceed HR 130, but the next night i had gut irritating food poisoning and got it, i also always have cold hands/feet yet sleep cool with thin sheets, tend to be underhydrated and have electrolyte tabs 'minerals' but dont drop them into my water daily (but will resume)]
If you too suffer from exercise-induced gout, please try lowering the intensity of your workout and publish your results! I will update again soon.
Gwalch
replied January 22nd, 2008
Exercise definitely does it to me. In fact, for a few years before I was diagnosed, I had some symptoms that would appear after beginning to exercise (sharp pains in foot when I woke up that went away after I warmed up) after being out of shape for a while. At the time, I figured it was because I'm kind of a big guy (210-220 pounds when in decent shape) and ran on less than ideal terrain, but in hindsight they were probably warning signs that I was developing gout.
I have discovered something called "soda-loading" that ath
My guess would be that the combination of acid formation from lactic acid and carbonic acid, stress to the joint and dehydration caused by exercise could all contribute to gout. But this doesn't mean you can't exercise -- only that you should be careful and take precautions. Perhaps take a teaspoon of baking soda in water before exercise (ask doctor first), be careful to rehydrate after you have finished, and then take a warm footbath and a little more baking soda before bed. If you're really worried maybe take a couple hundred milligrams of ibuprofen before going to bed, too. I've found that a half teaspoon of baking soda and 200 milligrams of ibuprofen before bed is usually enough to avoid a gout attack even if I feel one coming on.
BTW, has anyone noticed that taking baking soda decreases one's craving for salt? I hardly salt my food at all when using it. I'm actually starting to wonder whether the practice of using table salt doesn't contribute to gout, because it substitutes for natural sources of sodium that are found in more alkaline food and water. I think JYY2 may be on to something that has implications far beyond just gout.
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Can Gout Be Triggered By Activity? (Page 2)
Panache
May 16th, 2008
Results
I haven't had an attack since my last post, 4 months ago! I didn't use baking soda and am off allorpurinol. In fact, I am hydrating less than before and am not getting attacks!
All I had to do was monitor my heart rate and keep it from going beyond 160 during aerobic exercises. This apparently prevents the extreme fatigue that triggers high uric-acid production in my body.
I would encourage every gout sufferer who exercise regularly to try this too!
tommytowne
replied May 19th, 2008
I have had gout since my early 20's and I am now 34. Whenever I twist an ankle I get an attack. Whenever I walk a long distance and get sore knees or feet I get an attack. If a carry something heavy and twist my wrist I get an attack. I hate not being able to exercize and play sports/martial arts etc. I am always careful to not over exert myself.
I just signed up for a water aerobics and water weight lifting class at the YMCA and start in a few days. I am very excited about losing weight and regaining strength. I will let you all know how it goes.
painfree
replied May 19th, 2008
I have seen a medical journal paper that reports that one effect of anaerobic exercise (as opposed to aerobic exercise) is the cellular overproduction of xanthine oxidase, which is a link in the chemical chain that leads to overproduction of uric acid. Thus, it is possible that anaerobic exercise can lead to a gout attack in some people.
Exercise can also lead to a gout attack by another means. In earlier gout attacks, the body stopped the attack by stopping the immune system forming a coating around monosodium urate crystals. Exercise can rupture that coating, so that the presence of MSU is again detected, initiating the immune system's inflammatory response that causes more gout pain and inflammation.
rubberfeet
replied June 9th, 2009
Exercise Induced Gout
Firstly, looks like most of the people here who get gout are young..I am 34, and I got my gout since about 25. It was after heavy swimming and running. And that's when I had my first attack.
Since then, I tend to get it after heavy running, of course there are times when I didn't need to exercise to get an attack. I believe there is a real correlation between exercise (fatigue, lactic acid build up) and gout. It masks itself as a "sprain" after running when I did not sprain my foot. It will then creep up slowly within 2 days and becomes a major turn off.
I am writing so that more people can tell their doctors that exercising could be one of the bad reasons for gouts, especially from what I have seen here. - young adults.
Even yoga can trigger gout from what I have seen. So exercise safe. And not go overboard. Usually I know it's coming when I "over-exercise".
Raylk
replied December 19th, 2009
Gout triggered by twisted ankle
I had my first bout of gout earlier this year. I'm battling another bout right now after twisting my ankle playing volleyball. I really am frustrated over this disease.
mistered2
replied December 19th, 2009
In my experience, high impact exercise can trigger gout in my toes or ankles. I assumed it was the impact and trauma to the area, from running hard. Reading here about the possibility of lactic acid triggering it is interesting, hadn't thought of that.
Also, I'm overweight and tried several times to lose weight, including doing more exercise, and I would get gout attacks. Even from walking and low-impact stuff. What was going on there, I think, is that when you shed a few pounds, and your body dissolves some of its fat, and there is uric acid stored in the fat that gets released, raising your levels and causing an attack. It sucks, it's a catch-22, being overweight can cause gout, but so can losing weight.
Someone said about drinking sparkling water. That does help, but not just carbonated water like club soda. It has be actual mineral water, with minerals in it. I drink Apollo mineral water from Germany, and just from the taste I can tell it is alkaline, because I tried baking soda and it tasted similar. I drink a couple glasses a day of this mineral water, and I think it helps. I have tried baking soda, but only during attacks, and it seemed to help a bit, but as far as using it daily always, I don't like the taste and feel it [baking soda] adds too much salt to my system, makes me feel weird. The mineral water, on the other hand, seems good and achieves a similar effect.
I read somewhere else on the net about someone who uses Celtic Sea Salt, a little bit in water, and it helped them with gout. Sea Salt doesn't have just salt, but other trace minerals. It's interesting, there may be some trace mineral that helps with gout.
I've had gout for 8 years. Exercise didn't trigger my first attack. It came after a business trip in which I had eaten steaks and drank a lot of alcohol. Travelling in airplanes and airports also dehydrates, so that contributed.
Anything that changes the relative balance of things in the blood can trigger it. In that sense, exercise can dehydrate you, raising the relative amount of uric acid in the blood, even if the absoluate amount stays the same, and therefore promote crystallization and therefore gout.
After my first couple of attacks, as part of trying to change my diet for the better, I began drinking unsweetened iced tea at lunch time. I got hooked on it, and made jugs of it at home to sip on at night watching TV. But then, I got a horrible gout attack after several weeks drinking [unsweetened iced] tea. Ever since then, if I had two or three cups of tea across two or three days, I'd get an attack. My theory is that tea didn't have anything itself that triggered gout, but it is a diuretic, and caused the balance of things in my blood to change relative to each other, and so raised the relative percentage of uric acid in the blood.
I agree with what people have said about doctors. Modern doctors do not understand gout. They have read a blurb about it in some book, but that stuff is so general it's almost useless. My doctor I don't think has ever seen a case of it before me. Also, I think each gout sufferer's experience is different, different bodies are sensitive to different things, so the overly general stuff about avoid meats, poultry, legumes, blah blah blah, isn't useful, and everyone has to learn for themselves what things are good or bad for them, and I don't think it's the same for everybody. But for what it's worth, here's what's been good and bad for me.
Here's a summary of what has helped me in the past with gout:
> Black Cherry juice (but not Oceanspray's cranberry or cran-cherry juice -- turns out cranberry, though helpful for the urinary tract, is bad for me for gout).
> Gout Cure supplement, available online.
> Celery Seed extract
> Apollo mineral water
> Baking soda
> Half a glass of milk before going to bed
These things helped, however, my attacks still became more frequent over time.
Summary of things that contributed to gout attacks, that I learned to stay away from. When something is a problem, it's not immediate. If I eat or drink a trigger food, it takes about 24 to 48 hours for the bad effect to be felt.
> meals heavy with meat.
I could eat chicken and meat just fine, as long as it was easily digestible. Hamburgers, ground beef, fajitas with little bits of steak, or thin steak by itself, all these were fine for me, contrary to what general info about gout says. But one time I had Steak Gorgonzola at Olive Gardens, which is a thick slab of meat with a cream sauce, and that triggered gout. How I could tell a meal was going to affect me, is if I felt it was still digesting it hours later or through the night into the next morning. That kind of meal could trigger.
> Pork and ham
Though I can eat beef and chicken just fine, pork was a killer for me, just one piece in a meal could trigger. As a result, I learned to stay away from ham too, even the thin deli-style lunchmeat ham, though I could eat that occasionally. My family would have Honey-Baked Ham on Christmas, and I realized a couple of years ago that that was triggering gout for me, so I stayed away from it since then.
> Organ meats (kidney, liver, heart)
I never liked kidney or liver anyways so easy to stay away from.
But my mother-in-law is peruvian, and she likes to use kidney or liver once in a while in her dishes, and one time a sort of goulash dish she made with bits of meat and other stuff mixed in, I thought the meat tasted funny, turns out it was kidney, and sure enough, by two days later I had gout attack.
Also, I tried something called "anticuchos", peruvian dish with a shiskabob/skewer with bits of heart meat on it. Very tasty, but blam, problem.
> Alcohol (mixed drinks, liquor) and wine, but beer OK
One rum and coke could trigger gout. I tried other stuff, whisky, tequila, some are better or worse than others. Tequila was the least bad, I could get away with a shot every now and again. Rum was the worst. But I learned to just not have any liquor at all.
Wine also bad, especially red wine. There were times that I indulged, and had 2 or 3 glasses of red wine, and blam, problem.
Beer, on the other hand, is fine, contrary to what I've read that it can be worse than liquor. I drink beer frequently and it's hardly been a problem. I say hardly, because obviously if I drink a lot of it over several days, it has caused mild attack. Two pints a day, no problem, even every day. One night of 6 pints, and 4 the next day, and 4 the day after that, then yeah, problem, but I don't drink like that all the time, only two or three times a year on special occasions.
> Tea (green tea, lipton tea, black tea)
I love tea and miss it dearly, but tea triggers gout in me. I may be the only one with that, I never heard another gout sufferer mention it, even when I searched the internet. On the contrary, I came across articles saying tea is good for gout. Not for me.
People say drink water. Yes, avoid dehydration, but beyond that, drinking extra water didn't help me. I think once your body is bad at eliminating uric acid, doesn't matter if you drink more water, your body will expell the water, but not the uric acid. Anyways, that was the case with me.
I was scared of trying colchicine and allopurinol, but a year ago I was having attacks more frequently and one really severe one that had me on crutches. So, I gave in and asked my doctor to prescribe colchicine and allopurinol.
I used the colchicine to help with attacks, and took it for like two months, one a day, to prevent attacks. It worked great, but it also made me anemic. I didn't have the anemia confirmed by blood test, but I was very tired, and even having dizzy spells, and my wife who has had anemia that was confirmed by blood tests, said those are the symptoms. I read the extended use could cause permanent anemia and that scared me, I stopped taking it. The anemia went away. I still take it when if get an attack, because if used briefly I think it is safe, just not on extended basis. I used to use naproxen against attacks, but once an attack progressed to a certain level, the naproxen was useless. Colchicine, on the other hand, is great even on a strong attack. Doesn't stop it completely immediately, but reduces it and makes the attack end sooner. Colchicine is the best anti-inflammatory against gout. The good news is, because of using allopurinol (read below), I haven't had attacks and haven't had to take colchicine for a long time now (not since 8 months ago).
The doctor gave me prescription of 300mg allopurinol. Didn't tell me squat about how to take it etc. Sure, bottle says one a day. Well, I tried it, but just one pill made my foot hurt within hours, and I had just recently had a gout attack and wasn't in the mood for another, so I stopped it. I used colchicine instead, which was new for me too, and found it to be very good, until I got anemia and decided I can't take it on extended basis. So, after some months, I decided to try allopurinol again. Took it for three days. Felt like crap, extremely tired, and my kidneys actually hurt and ached. And my foot hurt a bit, but not a full-blown attack. Stopped it.
Then, I found out reading more on the internet, that you should start slow, with lower dosages, and build up to a higher dose. So I cut my pills in half, making them 150mg, and started that... that was fine. Also, the first days of taking it, have to drink a lot of water. Allopurinol makes you urinate like a race horse the first days. Before, when I would have beers with my friends, they'd all be getting up to go to the bathroom, and I could sit there the whole time, not needing to go until the very end when we paid the bill. I was proud of my strong bladder. Now I realize that was a sign of the gout, my body doesn't eliminate stuff well. Once I started the allopurinol, and I'd be out with friends, then I was the first to be running to the bathroom. So, I got past the initial period of allopurinol by using the lower dosage and drinking lots of water. After two months, I went up to the 300mg pill, and having been taking it daily since.
That was 9 months ago, and I haven't had a single attack. I've been able to eat and drink more liberally without consequences, been able to do more exercise and lose some weight, without consequences. It's been life-changing. I wish I had started allopurinol years ago. Even after starting it, I did have a couple of minor gout incidents, but not even attacks. Just a chronic stiffness with mild discomfort that last days before slowly subsiding. But that was in the first three months of usage. For the last 8 months, nothing, perfect. Well, three months ago I did feel anemic again. I take an iron/B12 supplement and now I'm good. Seems allopurinol is flushing not only uric acid out but maybe some other stuff.
Well, that was my long story about gout, hope it's helpful.
mistered2
replied December 19th, 2009
Me again, wanted to add one more thing that helps. Wearing wool socks at night in bed seemed to help. Wool has some property that it whicks away moisture from the skin, keeping you warm but if you sweat, keeps you dry. That seems to be the key. Because if I used other types of material to keep my feet warm, they would just sweat, and still wake up with them stiff and gouty. But wool socks have been good. I ordered them online from Lands End, but any wool socks would work.
painfree
replied December 21st, 2009
One of the theories promulgated by gout experts about why gout attacks occur most frequently during sleep in the feet is that the reduced body temperature during sleep is most severe in the extremities. The lower body temperature reduces the concentration of uric acid that the blood can hold in solution, which results in the precipitation of the uric acid crystals which the immune system react to with the severe pain and inflammation of gout. If this theory is correct, then the wool sock remedy suggested by mistered2 makes sense.
During the time in which I suffered from gout, I learned that theory and went a step further. I began sleeping with an electric heating pad on my feet. They were the warmest part of my body. It didn't work. I got gout attacks in my feet anyway. [but that isn't even close to wool socks. why not try wool socks, maybe there's more to the 'uniform warmth with organic fibers and whisking' than any electric device can emulate, try it. i should try it. i have cold hands/feet day and night and residual gout stiffness, so will try it and electrolyte tabs before anything else or rx.]
What did work for me was the discovery and resolution of my sleep apnea. Most doctors haven't figured out yet why sleep apnea causes gout attacks, even though the basics were described in pulmonology journal literature over 20 years ago, and even though they know that most gout attacks develop while sleeping. [i might also look into this tip, as i do wake up choking, gasping for air 3-4x/year for the last few years, thinking it was acid reflux or excess mucus/histamine, read its commonly how the elderly die, didn't enjoy the sensation at all, so bought a big wedge pillow to tilt my whole upper body to drain the throat better, which works, so i forgot about this 'choking/drowning' symptom that may be a sign of sleep apnea thus not enough oxygen aka higher than acceptable acid buildup, thus gout.]
BobbyCharles
replied April 4th, 2011
Thank you for confirming this for me. I am going in tomorrow morning for my sleep study I too found an article indicating the same thing. It seems to be the only really reliable common thread as to what has lead to and continues to cause my gout. Despite the fact that I have lead a very health-conscious life with excellent diet and vigorous activity since I was 16 YO, I have been plagued with elevated BP and now really painful gout for no apparent reason. I am now 34 and still maintain as good habits as ever save for my running activity which has been completely suspended due to effing gout. A link citing some information over that study follows below. Thank you again for bringing this back up.
link:
Jerrybarnes
replied February 15th, 2010
Hi pain free
what are u doin for your sleep apnea?
Jerry
painfreereplied February 16th, 2010
Hi Jerry,
What works for me is I have trained myself to never roll over onto my back while sleeping. I sleep on my side always. The sleep docs call this position therapy. It is most effective only people who are not overweight, and even then it doesn't work for some with normal body mass index who experience sleep apnea.
To use this therapy effectively, I know that I need to have good indicators to show that it is working. Indicator #1 is no more gout attacks. Indicator #2 is my wife telling me that I am not snoring. Indicator #3 is no more artial fibrillation ( a heart arhythmia). Indicator #4 is that my diabetes has receded so that my blood sugar is in acceptable range with no medication, although I need to maintain a low glycemic index diet to keep it that way.
Jerrybarnes
replied February 16th, 2010
Thanx to the reply
I have severe obstructive sleep apnea unfortunately so I use Cpap
After reading this Forum ive begun paying attention to many things
I do Bikram yoga ( hot yoga) that has help my body ,but im wondering
how with my diet maybe that explains my gout attacks and foot pain over the years!
My Uric acid has always come back High around 9 or 10
My doc is recommending Allurpurinol
I think im gonna try it ( i hate drugs.....but)
The life experiment continues! lol
painfree
replied February 16th, 2010
Hi Jerry,
I hope that you always use your CPAP, and that it is properly set to be effective for your needs. Just a few hours of sleep without [CPAP] or with an improper setting can lead to a gout flare.
...
joehasgouttoo
replied December 17th, 2011
soda loading
After reviewing all postings I am seeing something confusing here and that is people claiming that both soda as in Club Soda(acid) and baking soda (alkaline)help. If one helps, the other would be counter productive. I suspect the baking soda would help dissolve uric acid crystals, and the Club Soda would either not help or be counter productive.... thoughts?
wolfcomment: ignore 'club soda' reference: trace 'mineral water' alkaline optimizes hydration
the person who wrote 'club soda' and 'sparkling water' was trying to describe 'mineral water' popular in europe to US audiences, but there is nothing comparable in the USA. european 'mineral water' is alkaline and contains trace minerals, similar to a pinch or two of 'celtic sea salt' in bubbly water. the bubbles make it easier to drink alkaline salt water. the salt water helps you retain more water in your cells aka stay more optimally hydrated.
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