OT: GOUT ATTACK under control and abating ... finally

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:13 pm

BEFORE ANY BODY STARTS IN ON ME FOR ALL CAPS, DON'T BOTHER. I.VE GOT A GOUT FLARE UP IN MY RIGHT WRIST AND HAND. CANT USE IT, PAIN IS ALL BUT UNBEARABLE. SO I'M USIMG MY LEFT HAND.

DOCTORS APT 8:45 TOMORROW ... IF I MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT.

JOE

Rod WMG · Post by **Rod WMG** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:22 pm

Joe, you have my sympathy. I have gout in my right wrist, but not as severe right now as yours. Had it in my right big toe, but that was eliminated in the leg amputation. I know it can be excruciating!

Good luck on fixing this. Zyloprem is what they gave me and cherry cider helps a lot too.

Oh, and Paul over at Handloads has loads of good advice--no pun ntended.

RSY · Post by **RSY** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:55 pm

Dang, Joe. Hang in there and keep us posted.

Scott

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:56 pm

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:09 am

Joe - Repeat after me (and then to your Doc): Allopurinol.

It's a gout treatment tablet, that's used to reduce the body's production of excess uric acid - the pain producer in gout.
It's taken daily, as a maintainence & prevention Rx - and not just "as req'd".

Don't ask me how I know - I know you already know how I know.

BTW - RU SURE it's gout, and not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, in your wrist ? Self-diagnosis (if that's used) can be awfully mis-leading.

.

jlchucker · Post by **jlchucker** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:33 am

Gout is on of the most painful experiences you can have. I got it a few years back, had it recur a couple of times. You've got my best wishes. The good news is that the doctor will most likely give you two prescriptions: one will be allopurinol, like Pete44RU said. The other will be some green capsules. The green ones are pain-killers. When you take the pills, relief comes rather quickly. The worst attack I ever had was about 5 years ago, couple of days after a Thanksgiving dinner. Turns out that pigging out on shrimp while watching football after the family had left was the worst possible thing--shellfish has very high uric acid content. Don't worry too much about beer though. You'll still be able to have that once your'e off the pills. Good luck!!!!

Longfin · Post by **Longfin** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:10 am

Regarding Allopurinol, my wife was involved in a law suit from a woman who was prescribed this drug and ended up with Steven Johnson Disorder/Syndrome. She ended up with burned on 40% of her body and was in the hospital for 6 weeks, four of those in the burn center. I understand only 1% of folk develope this problem, but I would discuss this with your doctor if considering Allopurinol.

Joe, have sent up a prayer for your recovery. Hang in there buddy.

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 7:54 am

Prayers going out Joe!!!!

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:00 am

C. Cash wrote:Prayers going out Joe!!!!

+1 Hope you get to feeling better soon!

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:08 am

HAVE HADD DIAGNOSED GOUT BRFORE, THIOS IS IDENTICAL. WOULD NOT DOUBT THERE IS COME CARPAL TUNNEL THERE TWO.

JOE

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:46 am

I know exactly how you're feeling. I have had gout on-and-off in my left knee for the last couple of years and in my right knee a year ago. It's so bad sometimes that I can't walk -- LITERALLY!!

They say red meat is a contributor. I cut back to only having red meat no more than three times a week and cut those proportions and have not had an attack since April.

All I can say is hang in there. You have my FULL sympathy.

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:16 am

PRAYERS FOR YOU

Hillbilly · Post by **Hillbilly** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:26 am

Ouch! Feel better soon Joe.

Jeff

dr walker · Post by **dr walker** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:31 am

You got my sympathies Joe, Gout is a painful thing. I hope the pain subsides.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:52 am

JUST BACK FROM DR OFFICE.
BLOOD PRESSURE 170/110. NOT MUCH SLEEP LAST NIGHT, AND I DIDN'T TAKE MEDS LAST NIGHT OR THIS MORNING, AND THE PAIN.
GOUT HITTING LEFT KNEE NOW.

COULDN'T SEE DR SO SAW NURSE PRACTITIONER. SHE DISAGREED WITH THE PHARMACIST ABOUT THE MEDS CLASHING. PRESCRIBED SOMETHING I'VE NOT HAD BEFORE. IT'S CALLED COLCHICINE 0.6MG. SUPPOSED TO TAKE IT ONLY DURING ATTACKS. HOPE IT WORKS!

WIFE AND HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE THINGS INTO OUR HANDS. I'M GONNA STOP TAKING THE URINARY TRACK MEDS AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. IT'S THE ONLY NEW MEDS I'VE TAKEN LATELY.

WILL GET SOME CHERRY CIDER TO DRINK TOO.

I AN ONE SICK PUPPY ...............

6pt-sika · Post by **6pt-sika** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:55 am

Modoc ED wrote:They say red meat is a contributor.

I was not aware of that !

I have a friend who had it when he was kinda young 20's-30's and I thought alcohol caused his as we all drank our fair share then

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 11:02 am

MY GOUT WAS ORIGINALLY DIAGNOSED AS MEDICATION INDUCED. MY FIRST BP MEDS WAS HYDROCHLORATHIZIDE, A DIURETIC. SO ANYTHING THAT ACTS LIKE A DIURETIC WILL CAUSE ME TROUBLES.

JOE

RSY · Post by **RSY** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 12:36 pm

I think bananas are bad for it, too. Something about the potassium.

Scott

jkbrea · Post by **jkbrea** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 3:33 pm

Joe,
Like others, I too suffer from gout and have had some nasty attacks, including my wrist recently. It was so bad I could not draw my gun or even use a pen and had too miss work.
Allopurinol seems to keep it at bay. Colchicine (sp) didn't do much except wrec havoc on my stomach. The quickest relief seem to be a steroid called prednisone you get in a blister pack. You take 5 the first day, 4 the next day and so on to wean off it. It's not good to take it more than two or three times a year according to my doctor but some take it daily for asthma. It literally brings relief in a couple hours.
I was told one cause is dehydration. You need to drink LOTS of water to help flush the uric acid. Other causes are certain foods and alcohol. Your doctor can give you a list of food to avoid or limit the intake of them. Good luck and I feel your pain.

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 3:51 pm

Joe -- TAKE HEED.

I too take Colchicine 0.6 MG tablets when I have a gout attack. The thing to watch is -- it will make you nauceaus (sp?) to the point of making you sick -- soooooooo, stop taking it when you START to feel ill. Put a call in to the Nurse Practioner and double check this with what she says. Maybe she told you this already.

I will say that the Cochicine does work and does relieve the Gout Pain/symptoms pretty good.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:23 pm

Modoc ED wrote:Joe -- TAKE HEED.

I too take Colchicine 0.6 MG tablets when I have a gout attack. The thing to watch is -- it will make you nauceaus (sp?) to the point of making you sick -- soooooooo, stop taking it when you START to feel ill. Put a call in to the Nurse Practioner and double check this with what she says. Maybe she told you this already.

I will say that the Cochicine does work and does relieve the Gout Pain/symptoms pretty good.

THE NP DID NOT TELL ME THAT, BUT THE INFO SLIP THAT COMES WITH THE MEDS MENTIONED VOMITING AND NASEUA. THANKS FOE THE TIP. THIS STUFF IS ALREADY HELPING.

I WISH THEY HAD GIVEN ME THE MEDS I HAD BEFORE, BUT I COULDN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY WERE.

I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HELPLESS IN MY LIFE, THE RIGHT HAND IS TOTALLY USELESS. I CANT EVEN DRESS MYSELF WITHOUT HELP. MY WIFE TOLD ME SHE'D NEVER SEEN ME SO PATHETIC, AND SHE'S KNOWN ME ALMOST 30 YEARS.

I THINK I'LL HAVE THAT BEER WHEN THIS IS OVER.

JOE

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:39 pm

Joe, I'm not kidding about DMSO.......My friend Rush came over for dinner one night hardly able to hold his silverware and I talked him into applying it..He had a goodly measure of relief.....I've used it many times over the years myself...It won't hurt you and might help you....get it at a Tack Shop and get the pure liquid, not the gel or cream.....They use this in sports medicine and on million dollar horses.....

Post by **Hobie** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:44 pm

J Miller wrote:BEFORE ANY BODY STARTS IN ON ME FOR ALL CAPS, DON'T BOTHER. I.VE GOT A GOUT FLARE UP IN MY RIGHT WRIST AND HAND. CANT USE IT, PAIN IS ALL BUT UNBEARABLE. SO I'M USIMG MY LEFT HAND.

DOCTORS APT 8:45 TOMORROW ... IF I MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT.

JOE

CHERRIES, EAT CHERRIES. Always helps gout in our family. And yes, I've said a prayer and you have my sympathy...

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:59 pm

BLAINE,
WILL LOOK FOR IT.

HOBIE,
ABOUT THE BEST I CAN DO IS THE JUICE.

WILL HAVE TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THE MD AT MY NEXT APPOINTMENT.

JOE

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 7:39 pm

Joe -

Cherries do help. Try to get the ones with the stems on them in the vegetable section of the store. If you can't readily get them, buy the Maraschino Cherries off the shelf -- the ones that are processed, sweet, bright red, in the jar. I eat a 14oz jar of them a week as the store in our little town rarely has the unprocessed ones with the stem on.

Just hang in there. It will go away but I swear there have been times in the past that I thought it would never go away.

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 7:58 pm

I feel your pain Joe. I've inherited it from my Dad. The last two times I've had it in my big toes, doesn't matter which one, the toe swelled so big it split the skin. I have an emergency script for Indomethicin, derived from Indocin. It's a major inflamation drug. It helps me. My Dad used to swear by black cherry juice concentrate that he'd pick up at a health food store. That was before the advent of really powerful anti-inflammatory drugs.

When I feel gout coming on, I get a little warning ahead of time, small pains in my big toe(s), I make sure to drink a lot of water and cut back on the protein (purenes). I know what kind of pain that is, can't even have a sheet on my toes when I sleep, if I can. Hopefully you'll get some relief soon.

pharmseller · Post by **pharmseller** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:35 pm

Joe,
Be sure to ask your provider about fluid intake. People with gout often form uric acid kidney stones. My medical dictionary recommends 3 liters of fluid per day.
See http://arthritis.about.com/cs/goutdiet/ ... urines.htm
Ask next visit.

Quinn

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:23 pm

pharmseller,

I keep a glass of water near me all the time. I'm addicted to ice water. I get cranky when I don't have it. I probably empty it two to three times per day, and I think it's pretty close to a quart sized glass. So, I don't 'think' dehydration was a factor in this gout attack.

As I said earlier my gout is medication caused. It first showed up after I'd been on HCTZ for a time. Nobody (doctors) could figure it out. They just gave me meds to deal with the attacks. Then a nurse here in Springfield told us it was the HCTZ that was causing it. I stopped taking that med and had no gout attacks for several years.
In the last 8 years I've had maybe three attacks. We are pretty sure this last one was caused by an interaction between two meds. The Nurse Practitioner doesn't believe it but the Pharmacy does. So I quit the second and newer med.

I'll read your link in a bit.

To All,
If you have gout and your doctor prescribes Colchicine 0.6MG tell him/her to go straight to H.E.L.L. ! This is the nastiest stuff I've ever taken. I followed the confusing directions as best I could and now have running watery diarrhea. It started this morning about 2 AM and I'm still beating a path to the pot. There is no reason to prescribe a nasty drug that produces these side effects when there are others out there that work and do not have these effects. I have a list of drugs that I will not take, this one just went on it.

Joe

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:34 pm

J Miller wrote:
To All,
If you have gout and your doctor prescribes Colchicine 0.6MG tell him/her to go straight to H.E.L.L. ! This is the nastiest stuff I've ever taken. I followed the confusing directions as best I could and now have running watery diarrhea. It started this morning about 2 AM and I'm still beating a path to the pot. There is no reason to prescribe a nasty drug that produces these side effects when there are others out there that work and do not have these effects. I have a list of drugs that I will not take, this one just went on it.

Joe

Joe -

Nurse Practitioners have a purpose but I don't have a lot of faith in them. She SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU that when the "Colchicine" started to easy your pain that you should STOP taking it. Otherwise as I said yesterday and you just said it will make you sick.

But I've got to say that I don't know what is worse - the runs or the pain.

A word/words of advice: KEEP the "Colchicine" and the next time you have a gout attack start taking them. When the pain starts to subside STOP taking them. That's how I do it and it works fine for me. Less pain and no runs.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:48 pm

Modoc ED wrote:
J Miller wrote:
To All,
If you have gout and your doctor prescribes Colchicine 0.6MG tell him/her to go straight to H.E.L.L. ! This is the nastiest stuff I've ever taken. I followed the confusing directions as best I could and now have running watery diarrhea. It started this morning about 2 AM and I'm still beating a path to the pot. There is no reason to prescribe a nasty drug that produces these side effects when there are others out there that work and do not have these effects. I have a list of drugs that I will not take, this one just went on it.

Joe
Joe -

Nurse Practitioners have a purpose but I don't have a lot of faith in them. She SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU that when the "Colchicine" started to easy your pain that you should STOP taking it. Otherwise as I said yesterday and you just said it will make you sick.

But I've got to say that I don't know what is worse - the runs or the pain.

A word/words of advice: KEEP the "Colchicine" and the next time you have a gout attack start taking them. When the pain starts to subside STOP taking them. That's how I do it and it works fine for me. Less pain and no runs.

Ed,

Strangely enough that's pretty much what I did. The pain started easing up towards the evening and I had backed down the doses by then. Then the pain flared up again just before bedtime so I took some more. Ugh, what nasty stuff.

Here is the instructions on the bottle. To me these couldn't be more confusing:

TAKE 1-2 TABLETS EVERY 1-2 HOURS ( 3-5 TIME DAILY ) AS NEEDED.

Well that's what I tried to do. One of the problems with the Nurse Prac is that she was oriental with a very soft voice. With my hearing loss she could well have told me this and I may not have understood her. All I know is that I've had other gout drugs that didn't give me the back door scoots.

Joe

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:08 pm

Joe -

This is how the label on my "Colchicine" reads:

"Take two tablets by mouth now and then every 2 hours until you get improvement or get side effects".

Like I said, I take em until the pain starts to subside and then quit taking them. You may get a small flare up but just put up with it once you get your initial pain relief. Don't let the flares trick you into taking more Colchicine. Too much and it's the runs or vomiting.

Anyway, it seems you are on the path to recovery. Good!!!!

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:14 pm

Modoc ED wrote:Joe -

This is how the label on my "Colchicine" reads:

"Take two tablets by mouth now and then every 2 hours until you get improvement or get side effects".

Like I said, I take em until the pain starts to subside and then quit taking them. You may get a small flare up but just put up with it once you get your initial pain relief. Don't let the flares trick you into taking more Colchicine. Too much and it's the runs or vomiting.

Anyway, it seems you are on the path to recovery. Good!!!!

OK, your instructions I can easily understand. Straight, simple and to the point.
I wish mine read like that, I wouldn't be in this mess.

I just went to the fridge to ice up my water glass. I'm hungry but when I opened the food side just the sight of food made me wanna barf. Oh ... the wonders of modern medicine.

Joe

jazman · Post by **jazman** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:38 pm

Joe-
Here is a web site that saved my bacon with my gout. I have been using their supplements for years and they work wonders. Pretty cheap too for what they do. All natural stuff, zero side effects. The site has great information on all things gout, it's all they do. Keep drinking tons of water, best if it's bottled or filtered. Blueberries and blueberry juice great along with cherry and cherry juice. Meat, shellfish, beer are major triggers, better to drink whiskey or wine. Protein is the culprit in most cases in making too much uric acid. Big +1 on the Indocin, Indomethacin is the brand they give me when it hits.
Hope this helps, I know how you feel, unfortunately.
http://goutcure.com/

Hillbilly · Post by **Hillbilly** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:58 pm

Joe... if it makes you feel better.

A couple of weeks ago I got a ferocious case of the itch. I mean claw the flesh off itching.

Seems my wifes co worker had the chicken pox.... she brought it home for me. I had the pox as a kid...

Shingles are the bomb!

Hope the meds work.

Jeff

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 7:12 pm

jazman,

I'll check out that site. Thank you.

Hillbilly,

There was a news article on the tube about shingles recently. I'd hear of them, but gads I wouldn't wish that my worst enemy.

Take care.

I've said to my wife many times that co-workers can be "Typhoid Marys", more so if they have kids in school.

Joe

Bigahh · Post by **Bigahh** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:10 pm

Joe,

Hang in there, I also feel your pain. Never had it in my wrist, but every couple years I get a good dose in my right big toe, and as someone mentioned earlier I cant even sleep with a sheet on myself. Hearing your story gives me nightmares. I feel for you. Hope it clears up soon!

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:38 pm

Joe -

Of all things, I just got over the shingles. Haven't had much luck lately!!

Anyway, after I had them, I found out there is a vaccine for the shingles. It is at least 67% effective and even if you don't get the full benefits of it it will stop the rash from occurring.

Go to the Center for Disease Control for information on the vaccine.

My advise since having gone through the shingles -- GET THE VACCINE

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:34 am

Ed,

Just talked to my pharmacist about the instruction on my bottle of Colchicine.

He said, they have very little to no control over the dosage instructions. They have to print on the bottle exactly what the doctor writes on the prescription, word for word.

So from now on I'm gonna be paranoid about stuff I'm not familiar with. These doctors we get here in Spfld are mostly foreign. I don't doubt they are good doctors, but sometimes I worry about their grasp of the English language.

Joe

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:23 pm

10 days since my last post on this thread and some things have changed.

Thanks to you guys I've found out I like fresh cherries. Yum Yum!!!! But darn expensive.

And I'm still in pain and my right hand is all but useless. My fingers work, but there is little strength to them. I can't pull the trigger on my Mdl 25-5 Smith. And I have a lot of trouble cocking my single actions with my thumb. My wrist will only move about half way up and down, even when I use the left hand to move it. This is of course accompanied by a lot of pain. That attack has just about crippled me. I've been working on the strength with a squeeze ball, but it doesn't seem to help much. I'm really living on massive doses of Ibuprofen.

Not to mention the fact that I feel stiffness in my left knee and right ankle, so I could be slipping back into another attack.

One thing is for sure, this is the worst I've had in years.

I think I'm gonna look for a different doctor and clinic.

Joe

skinnygun · Post by **skinnygun** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 3:55 am

I had times when I could not walk ( I eat a lot of meat ) my massage therapist recommended black cherry concentrate, 1 oz. ever night . I haven't had a problem for a year so far.You might need more or it may take a few weeks to work .Good luck.