Anyone know anything about gout?

So I have had this knee problem. Started in July.  It was really swollen and painful, could not bend it do to swelling.  Went to doctor, did xray and MRI too swollen to see much.

Went to ortho he drained it (for the second time) it felt much better.  Then other opposite knee started to act up the same exact way.  Now they are BOTH swollen, painful and it is getting hard to walk.

I am really getting worried.

My boyfriend has been looking it up on the computer, so I have.  We both think it might be gout.  It is cause by too much protein which is something that I picked up, like the rest of you, after surgery.  But it does not both any other joints.

I just wondered if any of you have had this problem, or know about gout.  I am losing my mind and don't know why this is happening after years of being "large" now I am normal sized and NOW I start having knee problems!  NOW! 

Gout is generally a foot problem from what I've been told.  It may be from your body trying to redesign itself after the weight loss?  A trip to the Dr. can diagnose or rule out gout. 

Yeah, I thought so too, so I put the gout thing on the back burner.  I have been to both my primary and an ortho a few times now and neither of them have even mentioned gout and they know I am a RNY patient.  I guess my next doctor will be the surgeon, I seen his next week for my 3 months check up (a month late!) so maybe he has some patients with this issue.

I am a teacher, so this is getting to be a bit inconvenient  

Gout begins in the toe joints. Next time ask your dr to test for excess uric acid. Gout is not something you get from too much protein, but it is connected to a high fat diet and sometimes eating too much fat/nitrites can bring on an attack. I would have your dr check you for auto immune disorders that affect joints.

Gout is a form of arthritis and is caused by to much uric acid in your blood. The uric acid crystallizes and causes pain in your joints and alot of times people get it in there feet. My poor grandpa had it the last 3 years he was alive and it would get so bad he would have to crawl to get where he was going. You can have it once and not have it again for years or it can be a daily thing. They always gave him corticosteroids for it and it would usually help. Diet plays a MAJOR role in it to. A blood test can tell if you have gout or not also. But from being around him... you will defiantly know if you have gout its very painful.

It is uncommon for gout to affect the knees, and in cases when it does, it is usually aleady present in other joints (usually in the toes and feet).  Gout has nothing to do with high protein consumption, but CAN be exacerbated by foods (primarily organ meats) that are rich in purines (perhaps you misread purine as protein...?).  High alcohol and red meat consumption, as well as chronic low level dehydration, however, can contribute to it.  I don't know how old you are, but it is very uncommon in women prior to menopause.

Lora

My brother suffers from gout and I know its very painful some home remedies he uses to help prevent outbreaks are avoid alcohol and sea salt they are both major triggers. Dried not fresh cherries are part of his daily diet for some reason the dried cherries help prevent outbreaks really well.
Good Luck on finding a solution.