[thedutymon]

Morning,

Gout is also herditary, I have it, my Brothers both have it, my Father had it. I was diagnosed at age 28 because of what I thought was a spider bite on my big toe. The attacks I had throughout my early 30's were some of the worst, totally debilitating, like someone was hammering on your toe with a hammer. Missed work for days sometimes. In my latter 30's it started migrating around and affected my ankles and occasionally my knees. This was also the honeymoon period where it became more a minor nuisance than a full blown disability, I was down to 1-2 attacks per year.

The early 40's it roared back with a passion, but now it was a Knee issue, sometimes fluid forming to the point of having to get it drained. This is when I started the daily allipurinol about age 45.

It settled down again in my late 40's, to a dull roar, once or twice a year until I was about 50. I am now 56 and after adjusting my Allipurinol intake several times to 450 milligrams per day I am going on three years this stretch with out an attack...Knock on wood !!

Lifestyle changes are the biggest way to deal with Gout....Don't drink Beer, since that isn't going to happen for me, only if they can pry my Beer out of my cold dead hand, I have found other ways. I only eat red meat about once a month, pork/chicken for me. Food for me doen't seem to be that big of a incitement like it is for some, nor is alcohol.....I have been dealing with this for going on 30 years and what is a trigger one time will not be the next, sometimes there really is no rhyme or reason, sometimes its obvious such as my Honeymoon week long cruise 12 years ago where I drank almost everyday for a week, (Hard Liquor), and had one of the worst attacks I've ever had, got off a plane in Denver and went straight to the Hospital to get my knee drained.

Indomethicane (Indicin) is about one of the nastiest side affects drugs you can take and although I have a prescription sitting in the medicine cabinet, I have not touched any in 5-6 years.

Colchisine is just about as bad with side affects, for me at least, although some people tolerate it with almost no side affects....which I don't understand, but it is what it is!

Predisone is your friend, at the slightest hint of a Gout attack (About once a year) I start the regimen and don't have a full blown attack. Predisone is nasty as well though, it is a Steroid and suppresses your Immune System, so it should be taken as seldom as possible. One.twice a year is not a concern as there are people with Gout so bad they have to take this for months on end...And that is really bad on your body!

Gout is so interrelatd with Arthritus that some attacke are refered to as Gouty Arthritus, where one ends and the other begins all depends on who you ask the question of. 10 Doctors will give you 10 variances of the same answer. There are a lot of times no clear answers, although there are good indicators that work sometimes, but taken with a grain of salt. My Uric Acid Blood tests have been in the totally acceptable range when I was having a bad attack, and through the roof when nothing was going on! Go figure !!!

Gout is with you forever, there is no cure but with proper management its just another facet of your body!!

PM me if you have any questions, I have dealt with this for going on 30 years and have done some pretty extensive research as well!!

Neil