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I finally got my blood test results back and my UA level is 7.1.? Thankfully all my other tests came back normal, no kidney issues etc…? The Dr. insisted I start taking Allopurinol to get my level lower than 6 which seems to be the consensus around here as well.? I am reluctant to take a medication for the rest of my life… I have had two attacks in the last 7 months and this last attack is lingering on and on.? One day it seems almost totally gone and then the next I can feel it coming on, like today it's a bit sore and I promised myself that if my change in diet, weight loss were not enough to rid me of it, then I would take the Allopurinol, sure enough a few days after I made this Vow, I can feel a flare on the way.
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I have 2 questions for the Gout elders.
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I know it is advised to not take the Allopurinol during an attack, I can't say I am experiencing a full blown attack, I'd call it a residual or minor flare up.? Should I wait until it feels near normal again to start the Allopurinol?? I also have a script for Colchicine that I have not filled yet.? It seems obvious that this will not go away no matter how many salads I eat and weight I lose (though I will continue to do so for general health reasons).? So again, Do I wait until I am feeling 90% in my foot before I start the Allopurinol?? Or can I start now, while it's in a minor flare up?
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I am also curious to hear other peoples experiences with Allopurinol?? How long have you been taking it and what happens if you miss a dose and or suddenly stop?? ?
drknow, you sound like me a few years back. ?Starting AP was the best and only effective solution I tried in over 5 years of trying to solve the attacks. ?I tried all the usual things you read and hear about but the attacks just kept happening more frequently, more intensely and lasted?longer. ?My last big attack lasted almost two months with glimmers of hope mixed in but it just came back and lingered and lingered. ?SO with my history and a new doc I was given predisone to stop the attack which works very well for me and 300mg a day habit for AP. ?I started AP right after my first round of Predisone(8 days). ?I was attack free but had another within a few weeks and even another a few weeks after that but I stuck with the AP and each time Predisone got rid of the pain. ? ?When I returned for follow up blood work I was bumped up to 600mg a day and have been there since. ?Another light attack just after the increase and now my UA levels are under 5 and I have been attack free for over a year now. ?I hike and bike alot but my diet is pretty much what ever I want in moderation. ?I eat and drink all the forbidden stuff and never have a problem. ?My experiences with AP have been uneventful. ?I miss half dosages once or twice a week and it has never been an issue. ?Depending on how long you have been taking it and other factors in your life can impact what missing a dose does. ?I have missed doses a day here and there but just took it at my next scheduled time with no issues. ?I thought taking a pill for the reat of my life would be difficult to keep doing but having attacks is much more difficult so I take those pills and smile while doing it. ?If you have a good and on hand treatment for the swelling and pain then jump in with the AP because it is a long process to drop your levels and disolve existing deposits but in time things will stabliize. ?
I'm ready to take it but sadly my foot is slowly blowing up and burning right now pretty bad.? I drank a large bottle of black cherry juice and I dare say it feels worse right now, not that I blame the Cherry Juice.? On a side note I went to try and fill my scripts for Colchicine and Indomethacin here in the USA and the price was around $320 to fill them!!? I don't have health insurance and if I could afford that kinda money on pills, I'd have healtrh insurance wouldn't I?? Right across the border from me in Canada I could get the same script for $60 as long as I could get a Canadian Dr. to sign my script.? Go Canada!?
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The pain is pretty rough right now and I give up trying to figure out what I ate to cause this current flare up.? I did have two glasses of red wine last night but also drank copius amounts of water.? I don't care anymore.? Let's hope the Ibuprofen can calm the swelling and throbbing down a little.?
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Out of curiousity, have any of you ever taken Allopurinol during a bad flare up?? Did you end up in the ER?? I'm tempted to start it up right now…?
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thanks for the feedback rdavisiii & zip2play. ?
I took my first dose of 100 mg Allopurinol today.? I did not have any allergic reactions so far.? For a spell I felt kinda hot and sorta had the sweats but it passed rather quickly.? I wonder how long it takes to know if one is allergic to this medication???
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For fellow USA gouties, if you live close to Canada, it is much cheaper to fill your script for Colchicine, especially if you have no health insurance.? You will have to go to a clinic and pay a DR. around $30-40 to have them sign your script but you will save a lot money provided you don't have to drive too far.?
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I am mentally preparing myself for oncoming attacks.?
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Am I guaranteed serious attacks or is it possible that they could be minor or not at all?? I have only had two attacks in the last 8 months and my Uric Acid Level was 7.1 These were also my first attacks ever.
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I also notice that my gouty joint is visibly more pronounced compared to my non gout toe joint even though there is no pain unless I were to hit the sore spot.? Will my foot ever go back to normal and how long would it take?? I do not think my shoes would fit right now!? Good thing it's summer.? My whole toe isn't swollen, just where the main pain was/is.
drknow said:
For fellow USA gouties, if you live close to Canada, it is much cheaper to fill your script for Colchicine, especially if you have no health insurance.? You will have to go to a clinic and pay a DR. around $30-40 to have them sign your script but you will save a lot money provided you don't have to drive too far.?
Great idea – anything that reduces income for the morally bankrupt URL Pharma sounds good to me.
I am mentally preparing myself for oncoming attacks.?
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Am I guaranteed serious attacks or is it possible that they could be minor or not at all?? I have only had two attacks in the last 8 months and my Uric Acid Level was 7.1 These were also my first attacks ever.
You're worrying too much. And I'm worried that I've over-emphasized the small risks of painful allopurinol side effects.
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I also notice that my gouty joint is visibly more pronounced compared to my non gout toe joint even though there is no pain unless I were to hit the sore spot.? Will my foot ever go back to normal and how long would it take?? I do not think my shoes would fit right now!? Good thing it's summer.? My whole toe isn't swollen, just where the main pain was/is.
Unless permanent damage has been caused, the swelling will go down. Just be certain to get your uric acid level well below 5mg/dL so this happens as soon as possible. Personally, I've noticed much more foot comfort recently – stairs are no longer nightmares! 🙂
Thank you so much for posting that link about the side effects, it has really relaxed my mind after I read that.? I think I have been worrying too much and that certainly stress has probably played a role in some of my more minor flare ups.?
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I told a friend about having the gout and he laughed about it!? He seemed to think I had it coming and when I look back, I realize in many ways I begged for it but uric acid issues are in my family and genetics played a role.?
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In a way I have to be thankful as this exprience has made me re think a lot of things and ways I have been living my life.? I had awful eating habits.? I drank quite a bit of beer, and would more or less ignore water in my lifestyle.? Maybe a glass a day… Eating garbage food before bed… not eating brekfast or lunch and then having a large dinner… not doing much physical activity… You get the picture.? So, yeah, maybe I had it coming but I can't beat myself up about it, mother nature and my body has done that already! 😉
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It does seem that some people seem to think I brought this upon myself or all that all gout sufferers do.? Considering how I was living, It's kinda hard to argue against that but I have to believe genetics are a big part of this that many people don't understand.? When I read posts from the people who are physically active, weigh proper, and eat good and still get it, it is a reminder it's not totally my fault, though I do accept the majority of the blame.
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I only hope I can stay on this path and lose even more weight and continue relearning how to eat right in order to feel right.? Such simple things like fruit and water!!? Why would I turn my back on them??? It's shocking to think that the vast majority of the food options that are thrown in our face are more or less GARBAGE and almost dare I say poison.? It almost seems that healthy food campaigns are made by the big food corporations to be non effective… why have a banana when you can have Doritos?? Or a Snickers Bar! But after all I am an adult, I chose to eat Burger King and Fries etc… I had a choice all along and chose poorly.
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I don't expect that I am going to go vegan or full on veggie or quit all alcohol forever or anything like that, I'm gonna eat pizza, just not everyday.? It's sad to think that big business has brain washed nations into awful eating habits.? No wonder Diabetes is going haywire.? I think that's were I was headed.? fast food so cheap, quick and easy but hardly even “real” food.?
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I'm rambling.?
I hope the allopurinol will help me out and I hope to share my experience here on this informative site so others might learn from me.? Without this site I fear I may have gone on for years trying to avoid allopurinol and other drugs.? Who wants to rely on drugs???? But after reading these pages and forums, I realize now that without knowing and LOWERING your UAL you will never dissolve these crystals and they will lead to more and more bad news.?
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Thank you KEITH for this incredible site and taking the time to respond to mine and other peoples posts.? I realize, I am a total newbie at this but I feel as though I have been treated with respect but at the same time responded to firmly and realistically.? This is a priceless gift to me and all of us.? Thank again, Really, Thank you Gout-Pal.
drknow said:
I hope the allopurinol will help me out and I hope to share my experience here on this informative site so others might learn from me.? Without this site I fear I may have gone on for years trying to avoid allopurinol and other drugs.? Who wants to rely on drugs???? But after reading these pages and forums, I realize now that without knowing and LOWERING your UAL you will never dissolve these crystals and they will lead to more and more bad news.?
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Thank you KEITH for this incredible site and taking the time to respond to mine and other peoples posts.? I realize, I am a total newbie at this but I feel as though I have been treated with respect but at the same time responded to firmly and realistically.? This is a priceless gift to me and all of us.? Thank again, Really, Thank you Gout-Pal.
WOW!
You really know how to make my day.
?Thank you
I had a really bad attack of gout attack in summer 2009. I tried all the natural ways of beating it, but the pain lingered on and on. In the end I started Allopurinol and haven't looked back since. I actually had a pretty good diet before the attack, but that final attack made me think even more about what I ate and how much alcohol I drank. Even once the allopurinol had done its magic I still continued with the better diet and lower alcohol. Things changed.
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My brother in law also had an attack of gout around about the same time as I was in great pain. His attack lasted a day or so and then went away. He shrugged it off and continued on with his previous lifestyle. He is overweight, drank too much, smoked too much, did no exercise. To be honest, I rather hoped that he (and others like him) would have a gout attack from hell – that would give him the wake up call he needed. The gout hasn't happened again – instead a couple of weeks ago he had a massive heart attack. He almost died, but as he lives close to his local hospital, was saved. A few days later he had a minor (hopefully) stroke. He is back home now. He is still in danger, but will hopefully pull though. He has a stack of pills he needs to take now for the rest of his life. He has smoked his last cigarette and has already lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks.
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Gout is painful and can cause us distress, it is true. However, if it gives you a wake up call and allows us to change our lifestyles without needing a spell in A & E (or ER, depending where you're from) it could also, in some weird way, save our lives.
nokka said:
Gout is painful and can cause us distress, it is true. However, if it gives you a wake up call and allows us to change our lifestyles without needing a spell in A & E (or ER, depending where you're from) it could also, in some weird way, save our lives.
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I think this may be very true and should be noted!
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