UKC

Anyone had/got gout? How have you managed with it in the climbing/walking/gym context?

Had a pain in my foot for about ten days. It feels better now but the doc was suggesting it might be gout.

In reply to FesteringSore:

Seems your online moniker is quite apt then if it is .

I suffer from a strange attraction to onions - terrible business

Bump

In reply to FesteringSore:

I get a mild dose of it occasionally, watching what I eat and drinking lots of water seems to keep it under control.

In reply to FesteringSore:

Cherries are excellent at curing gout attacks, even the bad ones. However they have to be fresh, so not always an option. Out of season naproxen and cocodamol are my favourite.

I'm not convinced diet is the sole trigger. I get an attack may every 18months to 2 years, but theres no significant change in my diet.

Bloody painful when it does hit.

In reply to JimR & Ridge:
Thanks. Just been to the doc and he said it might have been caused by some water tablets I'm taking so he's taken me off them for the time being. On the matter of pain, when it flared up last week it was, on a scale of 0-10, circa 5 or 5. It's now probably <1.
Fingers crossed

In reply to FesteringSore:

Its f*cking painful ! Full medication for a couple of weeks.

I've dropped all the possible triggers apart from alcohol from my diet which has kept it at bay for the past year or so (notably Fruit Juice, Oily Fish, Yeast Extract)

In reply to FesteringSore:

Mate of mine tends to get it..he's fit as a fiddle, a good fell runner and slim but does like a beer and plenty of cheese! He reckons that staying very hydrated is the key for him....best wishes.

Thanks to those who provided useful and informative responses.

The doctor has not prescribed any medication for the gout per se but has told me to stop using the water tablets(for blood pressure) He also gave me an information sheet about the various "triggers". As he said, most, if not all of them, appear to be healthy foods(oily fish, pheasant etc) which I tend to enjoy along with an occasional pint of beer.

What I'm curious about is how long the "triggers" take to react. For instance, if I were to have my favourite pheasant casserole, how soon MIGHT I suffer an attack, if at all.

Ideally I would like to think that the only trigger in my case has been the water tablets; then I can carry on with my favourite grub.

Grateful for any further comments.

In reply to FesteringSore:

I think it can kick-in in less than 12 hrs - I had a bad attack shortly after eating venison once - a known trigger. As above - stay hydrated, I drink a pint of water every night before bed. Cherries do appear to help, I avoid beef and mackerel as they seem to be triggers for me - attacks are rare now and usually nipped in the bud with a voltarol or two,


Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs:

Conversely I've had heavy sessions over Xmas involving every gout inducing food and beverage known to man and been fine, only to have an attack a couple of months later.
Purines are certainly a trigger, but I think a lot is down to individual blood chemistry.

In reply to FesteringSore:

I get joint pains the day after eating red meat or drinking beer that the doctor has said might be mild gout. If I lay off the beer and meat I don't get the aches so I have never really looked into it. The aches tend to go after 24 hours so the odd sunday in front of the Xbox with a stack of painkillers isn't too debilitating.

In reply to FesteringSore:

Take Allopurinal. One 200mg tablet a day will prevent gout. Once an episode commences, for a lot of people, there is no pain relief for many days and often it is agony. If you are prone to gout see your doc about controlling your purine levels using this drug. Lifelong medication may be the best bet. It is worthwhile pinpointing medically exactly why you are a candidate for gout.

In reply to FesteringSore:

In my experience you can't put your finger on exactly which 'trigger' pushed you over the edge. When I had a really bad attack I wasn't aware of any particular increase in sardines, orange juice or marmite in my diet !