Gouty Arthritis

Starinnaddick

I have had a few minor encounters with gout over the years but recently I had a severe flare up. After all the problems getting an appointment and then arranging for a blood test my doctor has finally put me on Allopurinol and I am hopeful that it will be a long term solution.
Yesterday I was phoned by a family friend who is a nurse and she recommended. taking a high dose capsule of cherry extract and I wondered if anyone on here has tried that remedy. 

Exiled_Addick

Thought this was going to be the first transfer rumour of the summer. New Greek defensive midfielder. 

SomervilleAddick

I’ve been on Allopurinol for years now, at least 15. My gout flareups we’re getting worse and worse. Once they put me on it, I can eat a drink anything. Before that I was following a low purine diet, but I was still getting attacks. I’ve not had any flareups since I started on it. It should take a couple of follow up blood tests to make sure they get the dosage right by checking your uric acid level. I get a flow up test every year, and it’s right in the middle of the normal range. You shouldn’t need to take anything else. I tried the black cherry supplement before allopurinol and didn’t see any change. 

Swisdom

Cherries are a superfood when it comes to gout.  Always used to work for me but not so recently. 
In August 2021 I had a gout flare up in my knee that my doctor assured me was not gout so I was referred to a physio who assured me it was not gout.  Eventually o got sent for a blood test and it was confirmed to be gout.  That took 4 months of extreme pain and discomfort that moved from one knee, to the other, and into a wrist, and a knuckle.  It’s horrific

Allopurinol on a daily basis now seems to have done the trick but I also had a course of Colchicine to help flush it and take one of those daily at the moment.  

_MrDick

I’ve suffered with gout or used to suffer with gout since my early 20’s and I’m now in my 60’s. I was prescribed with allopurinol at first and it didn’t work. In fact, it made my gout worse. I tried Chinese medicine, Acupuncture, homeopathic. Nothing worked! Until someone introduced me to Cherry juice. It didn’t fully cure it but it lowered the levels of Uric acid enough for a different drug, febuxostat, to have an effect. You’ll need to watch your diet. As good as protein is for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it’s an enemy when it comes to gout. You’ll also need to drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins. My gout is now in remission partly due to cherry juice … you’re welcome 

Gribbo

Had it since I was 19. There seemed to be a general lack of effective treatment for it. I was on prescribed declofenic at that time, but also took strong over the counter painkillers. Would always have a box of cupufen on me, so I could get through the day. 

Also seems to be a lot of misconceptions about why you're getting it from others. It's caused by consuming high purine food and drink, but I tried to cut out everything and still suffered. People often think you're causing it yourself from eating a bad diet and junk food, but when you explain fish, shelfish and even spinach, sprouts and brocoli all contain purines, they start to realise it ain't as straight forward as cutting out the port and venison lol

Re' the pain; for me it weren't just how bad the pain was, but that it was constant, no matter what I done - warm treatments, cold treatments, massaging painkiller creams in. The best I found though was voltaren / voltarol (declofenic active ingredient), but it was only temporary relief. 

I had a kidney transplant in 2013 and the biopsies of my original 2 have never given a definitive cause for them failing, but I'm convinced it was down to the years of neurofen based painkiller abuse.

I've not had a serious attack for quite a few years now and take allopurinol which keeps uric acid levels down. That also with eating all the foods above, reckon I must eat either spinach, sprout or brocoli with just about every main meal.

Gribbo

.....tried the cherry active pills and juices, but didn't have any affect in my case

Gribbo

_MrDick said:

I’ve suffered with gout or used to suffer with gout since my early 20’s and I’m now in my 60’s. I was prescribed with allopurinol at first and it didn’t work. In fact, it made my gout worse. I tried Chinese medicine, Acupuncture, homeopathic. Nothing worked! Until someone introduced me to Cherry juice. It didn’t fully cure it but it lowered the levels of Uric acid enough for a different drug, febuxostat, to have an effect. You’ll need to watch your diet. As good as protein is for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it’s an enemy when it comes to gout. You’ll also need to drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins. My gout is now in remission partly due to cherry juice … you’re welcome 

My doctor said to stop taking allopurinol if you're getting regular attacks and just to take colchicine as and when the attacks struck, but the side effects of colchicine were so bad for me (full on sickness and diarrhea), I was taken off of it. Sure iys got some pretty dodgy ingredients in it...

Pedro45

I get gout in my toes and occasionally ankles. My diet is poor, and my doctor originally thought it was brought on by alcohol, but I proved that not to be the case. Nor is it brought on by rich food. My own opinion is it is stress related, as that's when I first encountered it, and it does seem to follow stressful periods of my life. Charlton don't always help! Diclofenac works for me, and the orange powders given to me while in Malaysia also help a bit, but little else does. Luckily, as my job role is winding down towards my retirement, I haven't had any trouble in 2022 yet...

Gribbo

Pedro45 said:

I get gout in my toes and occasionally ankles. My diet is poor, and my doctor originally thought it was brought on by alcohol, but I proved that not to be the case. Nor is it brought on by rich food. My own opinion is it is stress related, as that's when I first encountered it, and it does seem to follow stressful periods of my life. Charlton don't always help! Diclofenac works for me, and the orange powders given to me while in Malaysia also help a bit, but little else does. Luckily, as my job role is winding down towards my retirement, I haven't had any trouble in 2022 yet...

Exactly that same with me mate. If I had something important coming up, guaranteed I'd have an attack of gout. Pulled out, or limped around, so many family occasions because of gout.

I'd also get or not get gout, regardless of what I'd eaten or drank the previous days.

Amount of times someone advised me to "cut down on cheese mate" when I explained I had gout, even though I didn't eat a lot of cheese and dairy products are considered low purine food, even if I did

Starinnaddick

Thanks everyone for your replies. I think I'll stick with the Allopurinol.

Swisdom
I am surprised you are taking both Allopurinol and Colchicine. How long have you got to take the Colchicine for? 

Mr. Happy

Been suffering from it for about 11 years. Used to be a heavy a drinker at which point I never really noticed any benefits from Allopurinol. 

Had no flare ups or bad cases of it for 2 years now, but that's with a combination of Allopurinol and zero booze, which i appreciate isn't for everyone! 

better red than dead

I used to have regular flare-ups until advised to have a handful of cherries every day. Only had one since then and it went within 24 hours with just a couple of Naproxen tablets. One thing to watch out for in the cherry concentrate are the additives; some may have an unwanted side effect.

Swisdom

Starinnaddick said:

Thanks everyone for your replies. I think I'll stick with the Allopurinol.

Swisdom
I am surprised you are taking both Allopurinol and Colchicine. How long have you got to take the Colchicine for? 

Colchicine was a month course to run in parallel with Alupurinol but it stared to come back so I got some more

PeterGage

@Swisdom. I suffered with Gout for many years. My pain relief came from a combination of Cherry Juice (which reduces the build up of Uric Acid) and Apple Cider Vinegar (which breaks down the crystals in the joins, which in turn, causes the pain). The latter is best taken in tablet form to disguise to terrible taste of the liquid version.

Isawlearyplay

Use cherry juice daily 25mls for rheumatoid arthris - seems to assist with keeping symptoms at bay. 

dajavouslagan

I’m on Arcoxia atm, take it as and when i feel an attack coming on.  Had a pain in my knees recently too not sure if it’s gout or not but obviously it can spread.  So painful! 

bobmunro

Montmorency Cherry Capsules from Holland and Barrett - one a day keeps the dreaded gout away (most of the time, anyway).

Gribbo

dajavouslagan said:

I’m on Arcoxia atm, take it as and when i feel an attack coming on.  Had a pain in my knees recently too not sure if it’s gout or not but obviously it can spread.  So painful! 

Had it in wrists, hands, elbows, shoulders, knees, ankles and feet. Sometimes 2 places at once

995632

I found that if I was dehydrated and had eaten a lot of chicken (mainly chicken, but lots of high purine foods) I would get a flare up. 

My "gout meal" would plain chow mein and beansprouts. And I would get multiple bottles of high alkaline mineral water which seemed to help neutralise and flush out the acid. There's a new alkaline water that has a ph of 9 and has other minerals etc in it. Green tea is also good. Always works for me when I have an episode. 

msomerton

Just to say Colchicine is a good anti-inflammatory but is also highly poisonous and in this country usually only given in short courses I have used when I have had gout attacks and yes it works wonders, Allopurinol has been the best long term treatment for me.

NorthStandUltra

Another gout sufferer here, been on daily allopurinol for several years now (can’t remember how long) and it changed my life - I can live a normal life in terms of diet & drink & rarely have gout attacks - I was adamant I didn’t want to take daily medication in my early 30’s but the gout was ruining my life - couldn’t bend my knee, had pain in my ankles, elbows & feet, hobbled when I walked, it was pretty grim.

The doctor tried me on Colchicine first & I ended up with ulcers & stomach issues so what works for some may not work for others, definitely a horses for courses approach!