Good evening and welcome to Connect. @pfreeman61. You have arrived at a very welcoming community of other members who can share their experiences. Your hosts or mentors are folks who have been patients, providers, and caregivers. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for every member.

I am drawn to your post because of the introduction of a word I haven't heard in quite a few years: pseudogout. Where is yours located...knee or that ankle? What have you done to ameliorate the discomfort? Has your clinician drained the area for you? Did that work at all? And, if you don't mind, do you or have you had Baker's Cysts?

Mine was in my left knee, a common site for pseudogout. A total knee replacement with complete removal of the pseudogout crystals was the only viable solution.

You may find valuable information at this Mayo Clinic link:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pseudogout/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20376988
Would you mind sharing some more information with us, e.g. Do you have a relationship with a clinician at this time? It would be helpful to know and understand your current situation.

May you be safe and protected from inner and outer harm.
Chris

@pfreeman61 It sounds like you have a couple medical alignments happening at once. You will notice that I moved your question into an existing discussion on pseudo gout. I did this so you could connect with members like @gingerw @johnbishop @eden that have experience discussing this topic and may be a good resource for you. You may also be interested in a previous discussion on gout that I linked below.

What are the best ways to manage Gout? Diet ideas welcome
- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/gout-1/

I know you feel the V.A. doctors may be incorrect in not seeing a relationship with the previous trauma, gout, and needing a knee replacement. I'm wondering if a second opinion is an option available to you?

@pfreeman61 Welcome to Mayo Connect! Your situation sounds concerning to you. @johnbishop offered you some sound advice.
I have gout issues, and frankly had not heard of pseudogout! My body has wierd things going on, anyway, and my uric acid levels caused gout problems. I take allopurinol to decrease that, but still find keeping a healthy diet to be critical for me. Overdoing it on sugary sweets can bring on my gout, as well as shellfish and pork products.

Here is a Mayo Clinic article on pseudogout that you might find helpful https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pseudogout/symptoms-causes/syc-20376983
Ginger

I had. Pseudo gout at age 35, and many times in my 70s. It’s usually in my right hand and left knee. I blame it on overuse, it’s caused by crystals that settle in the joints and makes the joint very painful, swollen, and appears just like gout. No one in my family ever had it. I also had my right knee replaced due to sever arthritis and I just assumed my left knee was arthritic too. But, it’s fine, very little arthritis, and the pseudo gout is under control at this time. I’m 83 and suffering with other arthritic conditions right now. It’s an ongoing issue!