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Utubelite said:
Initiated with AP 150 mg 4 months back and increased by 50 mg every 2-3 weeks to reach 300 mg in 2 months. Also took Colchicine 1 tab a day first 2 months and then tapered down to 1 tab every other day, followed by 1 tab every 3 days.
I did NOT have any flare up in last 4 months that I am taking AP.
Plus List:
1. SUA levels dropped to 4
2. Snoring stopped( I call it SnoreTerminate)
3. Improvement in Gout condition and foot pain
4. Ability to eat at will
Negative List:
1. Drowsiness that's not going away
2. Heavyness in eyeballs
3. Some dizziness at times with poor focus when I move my head sharply( It is like time and space gap)
4. Less active body, variable mood with nerveousness and sluggishness
I would like to clarify on the list of negatives. I was taking Colchcine with Allopurinol. I have reduced the dose of Colchicine to 1 tab in 3 days for last 10 days. Poor focus and heavyness in eyeballs have disappeared. It looks like these negatives were due to Colchicine not Allopurinol, though I am not sure.
I am sure my doctor did not have it recently otherwise he would have been on this forum…unless he is hidden somewhere here
When you insert the strip, the code would show up on screen, which should be same as on the strip.
You do not have to take the strip out. The results are displayed while the strip is inserted. The monitor uses the blood on strip to calculate the SUA levels. I have never taken the strip out while it is working on the SUA number but I guess, if you take the strip out, the test would be aborted.
When I put the blood drop on strip, it beeps and starts working on SUA numbers. While calculating SUA numbers, it shows me four flashing bars, with each bar disappearing one by one. When the last bar disappears, the results show up. It generally takes less than 30 seconds.
Small answer – Keep the strip inserted.
zip2play said:
Up until last year it had been nearly a half century since the LAST development (allopurinol.) It was 58 years since probenecid was approved. So every half century or so is the best we can do.
Think of gout sufferers born in Medieval time who had to wait a millennium until the first drug.
I guess all of them turned into vampires, seeking to take revenge of their Gout sufferings. They somehow sucked our blood and passed on their Gout virus inside us Gouties. Their souls are liberated while ours are in a mess
I actually visited my doctor today. This one seems to know the Gout very well and actually insists that SUA should be below 5 most of the time and lower the better though occasional near 6 should not matter.
I discussed with him on twinges.
He said that most people get confused on twinges with the stress factor. For example, he said if you feel occasional burn in feet while you are wearing a shoe or walking, it is mostly due to stress on the foot. However, if you feel it when you are resting, sleeping, getup in morning etc. it is more like a real twinge.
After you think you know about Gout, we find there is so much more to know.
I guess it is like a maze – more you get inside it, more you get lost
ejackson said:
The only problem is that we are running out of strips and as the site says they are only good for a year I wouldn't need 25 strips at once a month, esp. as the shipping is high.
Anyone want to split a shipment? Anyone know of a a US source for strips or osmeone who has strips that last longer than a year? I have paypal.
EJackson
I do not think you can split 25 strips as the code has to match and there is only one plug per box of 25 strips. Without code match, the testing is not appropriate as per the test instructions.
cjeezy said:
I'm trying to think on the positive side of hopefully my early AP intervention at the ripe age of 31 will be more effective than if I waited years and years! Although it's still a bit scary knowing I could be on this drug for 40-50+ yrs lol.
You mean that there is no new therapy for Gouties next 40-50 yrs..That is really scary
Hi Wizza,
Your case is very similar to mine as we seem to have multiple syndrome symptoms. I also had a fracture that was in the bone connecting to sesamoid. That caused swelling in the sesamoid and it was hurting as I was putting my foot down…I could clearly feel pains in them as I used to walk. The post op shows helped me and it took couple of months for the pain to go away. Other area of pain was in bending the toe upward.
In the mean-time, gout was also suspected as Uric acid was high at 9.2 and Colchicine helped though the doses were small.
I have taken Allopurinol for 4 months, 300 mg for last 2 months and it got my Uric Acid down to 4 for last 2 months( less than 5.5 for 3 months now)
The pain is still there though it is only in the toe bending upward. It is very difficult to rule out one thing or the other and it is possible that they had been feeding each other. As such, I continued with treatment for fracture and Gout both. Things have improved and I hope to get better in the coming days.
Hi cjeezy,
Good to know you are back to normal routine.
I am also on AP for 4 months and 300 mg for 2 months. I now tested SUA once in 10 days in last one month. My home test on Monday showed values of 3.4 and 4.0( I generally test twice to ensure consistent values) while my lab test 2 weeks back showed 4.3. So, I guess, SUA levels are around 4. All were tested before lunch time with 4 hrs gap after breakfast.
I have also resumed near to normal. I am brisk walking mostly 3-4 miles a day about 5 days a week( 15-20 miles a week). I am still restricting my meat intake and no drinks yet……
I still have issues with the foot pain when I walk without wearing the sleeve. It pains a bit when my toe gets bent upward suddenly(like uneven road bump)….The bunion joint that seems much larger before and tighter has improved, getting almost back to normal shape and getting free( almsot 70% free)…All the pains are related to walking that makes the toe bend upward though the severity has reduced….and that's what it had been from beginning….
All the doctors I have shown ( 3 of them) are unanimous in decision that it is due to toe injury(bumping) that has reduced the gap in the joint slightly……The Xrays though do not show any abnormality…So, I am hanging in there and waiting for the foot to become pain free….hopefully, it wiil someday….
I think so…I never picked UPS…I think they also have option of Airmail or something similar name….I picked that and if I remember correctly, I paid 12 Dollars.
I got my shipment in 5 days.
Hi cjeezy,
How is your foot doing now….it is close to 4 months of AP….do you still get the occasional pains and uneasiness? Any updates on your SUA levels and gout condition in general?
When I started Colchicine, I was also hit in stomach but in much lighter way….extra gas, and one extra clearing of the gut on few occasions, though it was slightly painful gut clearing couple of times….besides I had extra acidity problem, for which I have to take Zantac few times.
All these were tolerable and after few weeks, it all settled well.
Hi David,
Having test results in hand is a big relief. The emails have worked fine with me so far. My doctor replies emails back quickly, mostly within same day. I take my lab and medicine prescriptions mostly by sending emails. It is such a big relief if the doctor is able to reply back to your questions one by one in a systematic way….And it also saves on the co-pay, which is 20 Dollars per visit in my case.
Taking an appointment to see him in person generally takes 1-2 weeks.
I get all the test results posted online agianst my user id…So, I get the access even before doctor probably gets to see them as I also get email notification that the results have been posted online….Mostly, the results are available in less than 24 hrs…
Besides, I can check history of all my results in tabular form or graph and compare the trends online…
And if I find anyting wrong, I shoot an email to doctor immediatly…..so, for me it is all online all the time….the treatment options and getting doctors appointment takes time but not the test results..
I think it is a good decision. I am using the SUA meter for last 2 months now and am happy to make this investment. The readings have been accurate as I have compared them with lab results multiple times.
It gives me a lot of confidence when I see my numbers….much more peace of mind. I was earlier measuing it every day / other day but now I am measuring it once a week. Results are very consistent based on what I eat and the time of the day I test.
I also had similar plan..2 weeks of Colchicine..then Allopurinol with Colchcine….then withdraw Colchicine….it seem to work for me….I am on Allopurinol for 4 months now with SUA levels of 4….I took Colchcine all these 4 months…1 tab a day for first 2 months, then 1 tab evey other day for 6 weeks and then 1 tab every 3 days….now almost on verge of stopping it if things remain good another week…
I hope, it will work for you as well….
Haldan said:
Post edited 6:24 pm – November 24, 2009 by Haldan
Hi All,
thank you All for your input. I would consider looking for another GP if I don't get refered to a rheumatologist. Same as Utubelite I only have pain when I put my foot on the ground, I have no pain while resting.
Could someone answer my other question – is podagra another name for gout?
Hi Haldan,
The difference I want to point out here is that my episode started with toe injury, that's why all this confusion. Without injury, it would have been direct Gout diagnosis.
Initiated with AP 150 mg 4 months back and increased by 50 mg every 2-3 weeks to reach 300 mg in 2 months. Also took Colchicine 1 tab a day first 2 months and then tapered down to 1 tab every other day, followed by 1 tab every 3 days.
I did NOT have any flare up in last 4 months that I am taking AP.
Plus List:
1. SUA levels dropped to 4
2. Snoring stopped( I call it SnoreTerminate)
3. Improvement in Gout condition and foot pain
4. Ability to eat at will
Negative List:
1. Drowsiness that's not going away
2. Heavyness in eyeballs
3. Some dizziness at times with poor focus when I move my head sharply( It is like time and space gap)
4. Less active body, variable mood with nerveousness and sluggishness
Hi Haldan,
I can understand your confusion as I have gone through it for last 6 months. My gout was triggered due to toe injury( fracture). My diagnosis has been all confused with Bursitis to Hallux Limitus to Gout. My pain was never typical of gout as I was able to bend my toe down without any pain but the upward movement was painful( it is still somewhat painful though better). Besides my pain was always when I put my foot down on ground, I never had pain while resting.
The gout was considered as Colchicine worked ( I took 2 tabs a day) and Uric Acid was 9.2.
I am treated with Allopurinol 300 mg and my current SUA levels are below 4. At the same time, I got treated for fracture with Post Op shoes, Toe therapy and many other things.
As I still have some pain while walking and moving the toe up, which improves a lot with a orthotic and sleeve, I am told that there is also a minor Hallux Limitus, due to toe bumping and possible gout.
Now one of the doctors feel that I probably never had gout ( and if I had it was a very minor flare of gout), while the other feels it was gout that made the fracture recovery worse. I have shown to GP and Podiatry both.
So, instead of suffering more, I am taking both the treatments – Allopurinol 300 mg and also toe treatment. Things have improved a lot with my SUA levels averaging below 4 and toe movement becoming better with passage of time.
I guess, doctors have their own limitations as our symptoms point to more than one condition and the diagnostics are not conclusive.
Yes, I limped for more than 3 months, almost 4 plus. It is now close to six months but I still have uneasy foot and difficult wearing most shoes…..it is pick and choose on daily basis…
But my case is a combination of Gout plus fracture in the bone under the toe due to hard stumping of my right big toe, which actually triggered the gout at first place.
Things have improved a lot but I am still not 100% normal in walking like I used to be. The doctors say it is due to residual effects of frature. They may be right as when I put the sleeve on my foot before wearing the show, it makes my walking much more easy.
Currently ,I am on 300 mg Allop for last 2 months ( started with 150 mg 3 and half months back) and my current SUA levels are hovering around 4 since last 8 weeks.
Here is a link for study that shows the vegetable purines do NOT contribute to Gout.
http://www.arthritistoday.org/…..t-diet.php
GoutPal said:
cjeezy said:
GoutPal said:
You've mentioned “healthy diet” a couple of times recently in a way that suggests that you feel it is not good for you. What do you mean by healthy diet?
I just meant that certain healthy foods like spinach, legumes, etc are bad for gout sufferers but otherwise would typically be healthy for the average Joe.
No they are not bad.
Many people get confused about purines (including myself
). Yes, uric acid comes from the breakdown of purines in the presence of xanthine oxidase, but there is no evidence to suggest that this happens to vegetable purines, and some evidence to suggest that it doesn't.When your allopurinol stops the xanthine oxidase being produced, it's irrelevant anyway – as it is for all food. Though this does beg the question “can food increase xanthine oxidase production?”
I'm looking into this, but not getting far at the moment. I have found one reference answering the opposite question – flavonoids inhibit xanthine oxidase reduction.
If anyone has any info on food (or anything else) that increases production of xanthine oxidase, I'd love to see it.
Got first gout attack on right big toe in Feb 1999 when I was exposed for long time to very low killer temperatures( minus 30 F and lower). Did not check UA levels, was prescribed Allopurinol 200 mg on 3rd or 4th day of attack and acute pain, and the pain went away with just 2 tabs of AP like a miracle. Left taking AP after 6 months.
No attack for next 10 years while I did not take AP or any precautions for Gout…Life was – Gout, what's that? My UA levels in my routine tests were around 8 all the time, still no attack of gout.
Second attack May 2009, after big time stubbing of right big toe that caused a fracture. The gout took 3-4 days to show up but I did not have pain like first attack. Pain was only at walking while there was no pain while resting, except some burning at times in Bunion though there was lot of swelling. The symptoms have been lingering with utter confusion – Gout, fracture, both??
Taking AP for last 3 and half months, currently on 300 mg dose, current SUA levels around 4.
Hi Nokka,
For me, the main side effects in first 4-6 weeks were:
1. Drowsiness
2. Some ithcing, more so when I increased the dose every two weeks
3. Sensations of food coming up the food pipe
4. Lethargy
5. A rash – it is still not fully gone and it is a small rash, about half cm in size….doctor say it is not due to AP but some insect bite as it happened after I came back from doing evening exercise near a creek.
To be frank, these were all minor to mild, nothing major to report. The body seems to have adjusted to 300 mg dose I am on for last 6 weeks.
And there are Right effects – low SUA levels( mine are hovering around 4) and SNORING is cured like it never existed….
I personally feel that though Allopurinol helps to keep the SUA levels low, the range based variations will always be there. I think, it is understandable. Our body is not static and the way SUA levels show up, it's clearly an indication that the levels depend on many factors – some short term and some long term.
Worrying too much is not going to make it better for us. For those who just get the labs done once in a month or even less frequent, they never knew how their levels were varying. The range based variations may be the natural way of the body and we may be worried just for no reason. You can't be worried about why the heart beats when it pumps the blood
Anyway, I checked my SUA levels twice today after gap of a week and the values were 3.3 and 3.9. So, my range is still 3.2 to 4.8( mean avarage is 3.7) after 6 weeks of Allopurinol 300 mg per day. 80% of the readings show under 4.
I have seen many benefits of AP, like low levels of SUA, freedom to eat, getting rid of snoring etc.. So, if one can tolerate AP, one should start it and get back to normal life quickly than waiting for long.
For last 4 weeks, I am walking 4 to 5 times a week, about 4 miles at a stretch, at a pace of 4.5 to 4.8 miles an hour…It takes me about 50 minutes.
I have measured my SUA levels after that and I did not see any negative impact on the levels. They have been around 4 to 4.3 when I measured them immediatly after the walk.
The walk seems to help. After the injury, earlier I was on toe stretching exercise and then I moved on to walking once I was taken off the post op shoes.
Trev,
How did your 8 miles walk go? If things go fine, I will also do that in few weeks. I used to do 5 miles jog and 5 miles walk ( 10 miles in about 2 hrs) about 2-3 times a month but I have not gone into that routine yet. I am giving the joint more time and mentally I am not prepared yet. The toe still hurts when stressed more.
What's about toe stengthening exercises for those who suffered gout attack on big toe? I have got mixed reaction from the 2 specialists I talked to. One says, it is very helpful…the other says – it may trigger gout attack.
Similarly, there are rolling balls and some other foot / toe strengthening rollers which can help.
Any suggestions /comments?
I guess Gout loves Big Toe….more so if it gets fractured.
But anyway, you are lucky to avoid it, even though it was not big toe…the hit seemed hard.
I do not have the pictures but my nail on big toe went all black…with the new nail grwoing, the black portion has got reduced( due to nail cuttting) but still 30% of nail on the top is black.
I had similar experience though my fracture was in the bone next to Sasamoid. I bumped my big toe against the bedpost very hard, which resulted in full toe nail turning black due to blood deposit. 3 days after that, I got increased pain in the toe, which was diagnosed as Gout( though doctor is still not sure if it was gout). It took 6 weeks to determine if it was gout or frature or both. Final dignosis – Both. The trigger for Gout – toe injury.
But my symptoms were similar to yours. Could not put my foot down, I was put on post op shoes, and it took its time to heal( still in the healing process as the area around sesamoid still pains when I walk barefoot or when I get up after sitting for a while). I was very active, doing a lot of jogging and running but it has put a stop to a lot of my activities( though I am getting back to them slowly).
What makes my doctor believe I had gout – Uric acid level of 9 before I start Allopurinol and Colchicine was helping in reducing pain and swelling. Besides that, I did not have the classic Gout symptoms. And I did not have pain anywhere else except the injured big toe.
Currently, I am taking Allopurinol for last 3 months (current dose of 300 mg a day)and that has got my Uric Acid levels down to 4 within few weeks. I am also doing Physiotherapy to help the injury /fracture.
The recovery is taking time but I am told the fracture in this area takes time to heal and the residual pains can take up to a year to fully go away. Sesamoid still pains at times. I am using orthotics and a sleeve to support the toe (given by the podiatrist), and that seem to help to some extent
I am using Uric Acid test machine at home and find it very useful and accurate( compared with lab 4 times and found the results consistent).
Did you ever try Colchicine?
Drinking 2 litres of water is good but I do not think it is a lot for Gouties. Incresing it further by 1-2 Ltrs may help more( provided there is no medical condition that pervents you from taking more water).
Other item mentioned on this site is BBB, which seems to have worked for majority of the Gouties, though I have never tried it.
