What are the best ways to manage Gout? Diet ideas welcome

Hello @mgmpops44 !!
So important to be proactive when it comes to our health. You ask a very good question and here is a link for some information. Based on my own experience with gout, I am curious if your md had any recommendations for you? Have you been diagnosed with gout or just worried you may be prone to getting it with the high uric acid levels?
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/gout-diet/art-20048524
Thanks,
Dawn

The doc increased my meds Alluprinal to 300 msg. They claim I have severe gout. I have had flare ups but they are not to bad. My other gout attacks were terrible. The doc recommended a strict diet and that’s the part my wife and I are trying to figure out.

I think I may have the classic symptoms of gout. I've been trying to do home remedies: More water, cherry juice, yogurt and I've done heat and ice and put my feet up. Stopped eating meat and sugar. I have an appointment already scheduled next week. Anything else someone can suggest that I can do until then?

@sandilee, may I suggest that you go beyond home remedies and involve a physician in diagnosing your problem. My grandmother was treated for years by a chiropractor who believed she had arthritis. She survived regular physical manipulations and regular prescriptions for pain medicines. But her problem turned out to be the gout, not arthritis. It was diagnosed by a new physician in town who simply ran a few laboratory tests and confirmed excess uric acid in her blood. The treatment was all the more difficult, because her system had been generating uric acid (and depositing it in her joints) for several years, but the result was positive, and she lived to a ripe old age.

Thank you for the advice. I do plan to see my doctor next week. The swelling has gone down but it still hurts to bend my toe. At least it’s only been a week and not years. I will have this addressed but was hoping not to reschedule my regular appointment.

Hello @jrofri,

When I had gout in my right foot it was so painful I was unable to walk on it without difficulty. I had high uric acid readings and was prescribed colchicine which made it go away pretty quick. If you aren't having any pain, I wouldn't think you have gout but then I'm no medical expert. Mayo Clinic has a symptom checker for skin rashes that might be helpful:

-- https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptom-checker/skin-rashes-child/related-factors/itt-20009075

John

Thank you John for responding to my inquisition of "Gout". I have never experienced it before and the 'rash' I referred to in my post was cellulitis. I could not remember the name of it until today. Cellulitis vs Gout was the medical Dr's dilemma. He first treated me for Cellulitis with Antibiotics for 5 days, and then when I got worse and did have difficulty walking because of the pain, he treated me for gout with Prednisone for 5 days. The mild swelling went down and Heaven's to Mergatroid!!! My neuropathy stopped tingling too. Maybe some future scientist can latch onto that one and give us some answers for Neuropathy! I know prednisone is not a permanent answer. Well, that didn't last long and soon the neuropathy was back but the cellulitus/Gout seemed better. It was only after I started to explore the world of internet that I saw that it is reoccurring and I thought about what should I do? My physician did not think I needed medicine at the moment, and when I asked him about an OTC one that was not FDA approved, he did not want to touch that with a ten foot pole. Anyway, that's my story for today.....and I'm sticking to it, unless I hear some good advice from folks like you. JR

Hi JR (@jrofri) -- do you have pain with your neuropathy or just tingling and numbness? I've found an over the counter protocol that has given me some relief or at a minimum stopped the progression of the neuropathy. Rather than repeat the info, here is the link to my story and what works for me:

-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anyone-here-dealing-with-peripheral-neuropathy/?pg=43#comment-65985

Hope this helps. ~ John

Hi John, No I do not have pain with my neuropathy but rather the tingling and numbness. Some days I am fine, others I want to scratch the wall. I am currently taking 150 mg Lyrica 2x day. My primary is willing to up the dose, but I am getting along in years and I don't want to sleep my life away. I would love to get off the LYRICA since I have been on it for 10 years but I am afraid to do it. I read your post and referred connection. Still not sure what the OTC protocol is that helped you. I have found a product called "Magnilife DB Pain Relieving Foot Cream" in the pharmacies or on line. It has a green and yellow label and found in the foot cream sections at most pharmacies. It works for me when my feet are screaming at me for some relief. Online the cost is $14.99; at pharmacies $19.99. Most of the foot creams, including horse liniment, that were advised to me burned my skin. this one does not, and it works immediately. I finally went to a Neurologist yesterday and she advised me there was nothing that could be done except more painful testing. And then it would only confirm my neuropathy, not tell me what was causing it or how to cure it, in fact she said there was no cure. She called it Idiopathic perifial neuropathy, which means .....well you figure it out. That is exactly what my primary called it, only he went one step further and called a spade, a spade. IDIOPATHIC. jr

Hi JR, sorry for the acronym OTC - just means Over the Counter...like vitamins, supplements. I've never found any topical, cream or lotion that does anything for the numbness which is the same thing my Mayo neurologist told me. I do think it's important to keep the skin on the feet and legs moisturized so I generally use a magnesium lotion but it doesn't make the numbness go away. The list of the supplements I take was in the link to the website. Glad you found something that helps for you and it's not too expensive. Sounds like you have the same or similar diagnosis that I have - mine is idiopathic small fiber peripheral neuropathy.

John