Terrible gout flare ups
I have had gout for 4 or 5 years but the flare ups were not real frequent and usually I would take some Aleve (I know I can no longer do that) and drink some black cherry juice and it would go away. Also it had always been confined to my right foot behind my big toe.
About a week into my two week pre-op liquid diet (protein shakes) I got a nasty flare up in my left foot. I "toughed it out" until my sugery. Once I was in the hospital and on pain meds, the pain was gone.
As soon as I went off my pain meds, 4 days after coming home, the flare ups are non-stop. It goes from foot to foot and it goes into my ankles and the tops of my feet also. I'm a little over a month post-op. I can barely walk today. I've been drinking some of the cherry juice and the sugar doesn't bother me but it doesn't seem to be working at all.
I just read that weight loss can cause flare ups. Anybody else having a problem like this.
About a week into my two week pre-op liquid diet (protein shakes) I got a nasty flare up in my left foot. I "toughed it out" until my sugery. Once I was in the hospital and on pain meds, the pain was gone.
As soon as I went off my pain meds, 4 days after coming home, the flare ups are non-stop. It goes from foot to foot and it goes into my ankles and the tops of my feet also. I'm a little over a month post-op. I can barely walk today. I've been drinking some of the cherry juice and the sugar doesn't bother me but it doesn't seem to be working at all.
I just read that weight loss can cause flare ups. Anybody else having a problem like this.
have you seen a rheumotologist? I recently thought I had gout and my PCP put me on colcrys which is colchicine, the primary treatment for acute gout attacks - it didn't work at first because the dose was too low but she wasn't sure if it was gout because I had no swelling or redness just terrible pain in my toes - both of them. So, she sent me to a Rheumatologist that treats gout since it is a form of arthritis - he again said he wasn't sure if it was gout but said to increase my colcrys to twice per day to see if it helped. I had a high uric acid level for quite some time but he said without any fluid from the joint or proof that kidney stones I have are uric acid, he can't put me on Alupurinol which my dad has been on for years. Well, the colcrys did seem to help but didn't want to stay on long term because of side effects of blood problems which I already have. He also took xrays and said I have osteoarthritis in my toes and that could be the cause of my pain.
I will say that for gout, you need a low protein diet which is tough for us and that is probably what triggered it for you. YOu also need to avoid purines - you can look that up - I know hot dogs is one of the big no - no's/
If bad enough, they can give you steroids but do stay away from all NSAIDS
I will say that for gout, you need a low protein diet which is tough for us and that is probably what triggered it for you. YOu also need to avoid purines - you can look that up - I know hot dogs is one of the big no - no's/
If bad enough, they can give you steroids but do stay away from all NSAIDS
high uric levels can just be from dehydration or a high protein diet = many have high uric acid levels for years and never develop gout. The only true way to determine if you have gout is if you have the joint fluids tested - they have to do a needle aspiration to take the fluid out and see what the fluid make up is. If it is uric acid, then it is gout -if it is calcium something - dont remember the second word it can be pseudo gout.
the reason for the hot dogs is purines - do a search for a high purine diet and it will give you a list of foods to avoid - I know knockworst is even worse than hot dogs.
the reason for the hot dogs is purines - do a search for a high purine diet and it will give you a list of foods to avoid - I know knockworst is even worse than hot dogs.
I had a gout attack the second week after surgery. I didn't know for sure at first, went to the ER and my doctor put me the medicine for gout( can't spell it or pronounce it) It didn't work, I ended up getting a shot in my ankle and that worked. It is because of the rapid weight loss. Losing weight was great, pain from gout was terrible, but we manage to survive especially when you get on that scale. lol Good Luck to you
are you positive that it is gout? I had high uric acid levels which they say could be due to dehydration which is very common after WLS and high protein diets also can cause just a high uric acid level or it can be a true gout attack. My doctor said since I didnt' have redness or swelling in my toe, that he couldn't prove it was gout and since there was no swelling they couldnt' get any fluid from the joint to test to prove it is gout. I did try the medication colcrys - which is colchicine - it didnt' work at first since the dose was too low so rheumatologist doubled the dose to twice per day and it did help. I stopped it about 2 weeks ago and now the pain is coming back. He also did xrays and found I have osteoarthritis, so not sure which it is - the arthritis or there is come gout. Being he can't prove the gout, he won't put me on alupurinol since it has side effects and needs to be taken long term.
Are you sure you don't have any osteoarthritis in your ankle joint? Did you have any swelling in your big toes or just your ankle? It usually affects the toes first and then can go to other joints.
you might also want to ask about pseudo gout - it can affect the ankles sometimes and is caused by a type of calcium rather than uric acid but again, the joint fluid must be checked via needle aspiration
Are you sure you don't have any osteoarthritis in your ankle joint? Did you have any swelling in your big toes or just your ankle? It usually affects the toes first and then can go to other joints.
you might also want to ask about pseudo gout - it can affect the ankles sometimes and is caused by a type of calcium rather than uric acid but again, the joint fluid must be checked via needle aspiration
Hi I have hyperuricemia but w/o flare ups. It was a fluke my doc ran a uric acid screen and I had hyperuricemia. She put me on allipurinol (not sure why the other posters doctor will not with a high count) as a preventivie to ever having a flare up and I have not. The only "gouty" flare I have had has been when I was not drinking enough fluids and got a bit dehydrated and my soles of my feet hurt and I could barely walk. After fluids and the maintainig I have not had this incident reoccure.
Are you a drinker? If I had even one drink before being on the allipurinol I could barely walk the next day so cutting out alcohol , if you do drink will be one of your biggest helps.
As you know wwe need a low purine diet and with our RNY that makes that much harder. I have not cut back on protein and get a minimum of 100gms a day but you may want to see the lowest you can maintain and make easier processed proteins your first choice, like dairy.
I would talk to you PCP about getting on Allipurinol or Uloriq.
Good luck to you.
Are you a drinker? If I had even one drink before being on the allipurinol I could barely walk the next day so cutting out alcohol , if you do drink will be one of your biggest helps.
As you know wwe need a low purine diet and with our RNY that makes that much harder. I have not cut back on protein and get a minimum of 100gms a day but you may want to see the lowest you can maintain and make easier processed proteins your first choice, like dairy.
I would talk to you PCP about getting on Allipurinol or Uloriq.
Good luck to you.
***ADRIENNE**
the reason doctors dont' put patients on alupurinol with a high uric acid level is because just because you have a uric level doesnt' mean you have gout. You can have a high uric acid level for 20 years and never develop gout plus it can also have other causes, some of which you listed above.
if you are dehydrated, your uric acid level will go up, having nothing to do with gout. If you are on a high protein diet, it can raise your uric level as well
pain in the soles of your feet has nothing to do with gout - gout is a form of arthitis and occurs when uric acid crystals form in the joint and another form is pseudo gout is when a form of calcium crystals form in the joints - regular gout usually occurs in your big toes but can affect your ankles, elbows and knees and psuedo gout can also affect the toes and ankles most commonly.
In order to diagnose gout, you need to test the fluid in the joint via needle aspiration to see if there is either uric acid or calcium (can't remeber then second word) - this determines the type of gout. An acute attack is treated with colcrys or colchicine. Alupurinol will lower your uric acic level but doesnt' stop the acute attack, so if you took alupurinol without taking any steroids or colchicine and you got better then you dont' have gout.
You should see a Rheumatologist - I just had a long discusion about all this yestarday with mine which is why I know all this. I have been taking the colcrys and it has worked but not sure if it is gout since I have no swelling or fluids to test, so I can't go on the alupurinol. I had x-rays and he said I also have osteoarthritis - the joint is slightly deformed - bone spurs and such and might be cause of the pain.
If you were having terrible pain in the soles of your feet, this sounds more like a vitamin deficiency especially if it was affecting the way you could walk. Have you had your vitamin B1, B6 and B12 tested ? These can all cause nerve damage - causing pain, numbness, tingling in hands, feet, fingers, toes, arms or legs. Once you get these feeling it is a sign that some damage has set in and you need to address it very quickly before it becomes much more serious and possibly permanent.
How much vitamin B1 do you take? Do you take a B complex? What is the dose? Does it have B6 and B1 in it? IF so, how much? How much B12 do you take? How often and what type - sublingual, tablet or injection? Have you had labs lately to know what any of these levels are?
Unfortunately alot of doctors dont' understant our symptoms and dont' connect one thing to another and many problems go overlooked. It is very common for us to get deficiencies in these things - actually the B6 could be toxicity if you are taking too much and that causes the same symptoms as a deficiency in the others. Another mineral that can cause these symptoms is copper
if you are dehydrated, your uric acid level will go up, having nothing to do with gout. If you are on a high protein diet, it can raise your uric level as well
pain in the soles of your feet has nothing to do with gout - gout is a form of arthitis and occurs when uric acid crystals form in the joint and another form is pseudo gout is when a form of calcium crystals form in the joints - regular gout usually occurs in your big toes but can affect your ankles, elbows and knees and psuedo gout can also affect the toes and ankles most commonly.
In order to diagnose gout, you need to test the fluid in the joint via needle aspiration to see if there is either uric acid or calcium (can't remeber then second word) - this determines the type of gout. An acute attack is treated with colcrys or colchicine. Alupurinol will lower your uric acic level but doesnt' stop the acute attack, so if you took alupurinol without taking any steroids or colchicine and you got better then you dont' have gout.
You should see a Rheumatologist - I just had a long discusion about all this yestarday with mine which is why I know all this. I have been taking the colcrys and it has worked but not sure if it is gout since I have no swelling or fluids to test, so I can't go on the alupurinol. I had x-rays and he said I also have osteoarthritis - the joint is slightly deformed - bone spurs and such and might be cause of the pain.
If you were having terrible pain in the soles of your feet, this sounds more like a vitamin deficiency especially if it was affecting the way you could walk. Have you had your vitamin B1, B6 and B12 tested ? These can all cause nerve damage - causing pain, numbness, tingling in hands, feet, fingers, toes, arms or legs. Once you get these feeling it is a sign that some damage has set in and you need to address it very quickly before it becomes much more serious and possibly permanent.
How much vitamin B1 do you take? Do you take a B complex? What is the dose? Does it have B6 and B1 in it? IF so, how much? How much B12 do you take? How often and what type - sublingual, tablet or injection? Have you had labs lately to know what any of these levels are?
Unfortunately alot of doctors dont' understant our symptoms and dont' connect one thing to another and many problems go overlooked. It is very common for us to get deficiencies in these things - actually the B6 could be toxicity if you are taking too much and that causes the same symptoms as a deficiency in the others. Another mineral that can cause these symptoms is copper
I forgot to mention, my surgery was in 2000. My PCP couldn't get any fluid from my ankle either. He did put me on 2 types of Gout meds. My RNY surgeon said it because of the weight loss 22 lbs in 9 days. After the shot directly in my ankle I was fine with a couple more shots in my arm. I believe I read back then that quick weight loss will cause flare ups of gout. I was not dehydrated because I went to the ER. My started up about 11 days after surgery. Lasted about a week and then I went back to work. I have only had a few flare ups in the last 10 yrs.
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