Gout Medical Treatment Research

Another post and another topic:  the future of gout prevention and treatment.  We will again look at at the National Institute of Arthritis Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases website, a very useful resource for learning about gout.  

As I've stated before, gout is a tricky condition, for example, if you are overweight you are more susceptible to developing gout and after you've developed it if you lose that weight you can often get a flare up then. What a horrid place to be in!  Fortunately in my mind the future of gout treatment is looking up!  Let me tell you why:

In my readings, I've learned that gout is rare in animals.  Scientists do believe, however; that poor Sue the Tyrannosaurus  did suffer from gout. Gout is rare in most animals because they have an enzyme that breaks down the purines in their body.  New medicines like Krystexxa help humans to do the same, though this treatment has just hit the market and is very expensive though I am personally hopeful that in the future we will see cheaper versions of this medicine that will be easier to take.  

Let's look at the NIAMS websites discussion on the future of gout treatment:

What Research Is Being Done on Gout?

Scientists are studying:

• Which NSAIDs are the most effective treatments for gout
• Optimal dosages of medications for gout
• New medicines that safely lower uric acid in the blood and reduce symptoms
• New therapies that block a chemical called tumor necrosis factor
• Enzymes that break down purines in the body
• The role of foods and certain vitamins
• The role of genetics and environmental factors
• The interactions of cells involved in acute gout attacks.

Scientists are also studying the role of genetics and environmental factors in hyperuricemia and gout. [1]

 Gout sufferers and friends and family, I believe there is hope. Have you heard any news concerning gout research or treatment?  Leave your comments here!

**This website is for informative purposes and should not be substituted as advice of a medical professional.  If you believe you have gout, I STRONGLY recommend scheduling an appointment with a medical professional and getting the problem checked out.

[Source: http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Gout/gout_ff.asp]

Preventive Measures Against Gout

For gout sufferers, preventative measures are among the most important bits of information you could ever have as they will stop you from future pain.  However; You may be suffering from an attack now and wanting information about how to stop your current attack, I would recommend starting here though there might be other posts on this blog in the future that talk about treatment.  

Let's again return to the National Institute of Arthritis Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases website and learn what they say about preventative measures:  

What Can People With Gout Do to Stay Healthy?

Some things that you can do to stay healthy are:

• Take the medicines your doctor prescribes as directed.
• Tell your doctor about all the medicines and vitamins you take.
• Plan followup visits with your doctor.
• Maintain a healthy, balanced diet. Avoid foods that are high in purines, and drink plenty of water.
• Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy body weight. Ask your doctor about how to lose weight safely. Fast or extreme weight loss can increase uric acid levels in the blood. [1]

Most experienced gout sufferers can attest that preventative measure #1 is the drink water.  Some doctors agree with this as well as can be seen here.  I personally make a goal to drink 3 liters of water a day which is more than half a gallon (1 gallon = 3.785 liters source: google).  I have personally seen my gout attacks go down.

Many of the gout sufferers that swear by water drinking would also suggest preventative medicine that can be prescribed by your doctor.  I take allopurinol, which reduces uric acid.  Some of the main side effects of allopurinol that I have experienced include: some skin rashes and initial gout flare ups in the first 2-3 months of use.

This second side effect shows just how much of a tricky condition gout can be, i.e. taking a medicine to prevent it makes you get it.  

Other side effects are more rare but fatal.  So scheduling follow-ups with the doctor would be advisable.  If patients show adverse effect to allopurinol there are other preventative medicines they can take like febuxostat.

One final note:  future discussion on this blog will include avoiding purine high foods, though this subject is another example of just how tricky a condition gout is. Until then: what are your preventative measures against gout?  Let me a comment.

  

**This website is for informative purposes and should not be substituted as advice of a medical professional.  If you believe you have gout, I STRONGLY recommend scheduling an appointment with a medical professional and getting the problem checked out.
[Source: http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Gout/gout_ff.asp]

How is Gout Treated?

Many people who visit this site are probably hoping for assistance with relieving their gout.  The pain your in probably means that you're looking for a quick fix.  I'll begin with more help again from the National Institute of Arthritis Musculoskeletal  Skin diseases website, then I will give you some of my own experiences. 

If  your experiencing a gout attack the way to treat it according the site is:

How Is Gout Treated?

Doctors use medicines to treat an acute attack of gout, including:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Colchicine, which works best when taken within the first 12 hours of an acute attack.

Sometimes doctors prescribe NSAIDs or colchicine in small daily doses to prevent future attacks. There are also medicines that lower the level of uric acid in the blood. [1]

 When I had my first experience with gout in China, the doctor didn't know what was wrong with me, but gave me sodium diclofenac, which did the job.  I remember in my first attack it took 2 days for the pain to clear up.  It was over the counter in China, and since I didn't know what my condition was for a long time, I would take this to clear up the pain when I would have a flare up.  I don't recommend doing this because it didn't do anything to clear the condition, rather it slowed and cleared up the symptoms until the next attack.  

This was okay at first, as the following year I still only had 3-4 attacks, the problem was that by 2013 I was having attacks every week or two.  Walking on a gout attack is horrid and something I would only wish upon my worst enemy.  

More recently I began taking colchicine for the pain.  Colchicine works most of the time, but is in general poisonous to the human body.  I will have a future blog about colchicine and will link it here.  You really must be careful with it

Another medicine I have taken for gout is Arcoxia I found this medicine to be very helpful.  The doctor who diagnosed me with gout gave me this medicine and really takes the gout away very quickly.

What medicines do you take to relieve gout?  In my next post I will talk about preventative measures and how they changed my life.

**This website is for informative purposes and should not be substituted as advice of a medical professional.  If you believe you have gout, I STRONGLY recommend scheduling an appointment with a medical professional and getting the problem checked out.

[Source: http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Gout/gout_ff.asp]

How is Gout Diagnosed?

I'm going to start with my own story of how I came to be diagnosed with gout.  After which I will again share some material from the National Institute of Arthritis Muscluoskeletal and Skin Diseases website.

In September 2006, I moved to Fuzhou, China.  When I went I was overweight (near 300 lbs).  In my first few weeks in China, I walked everywhere and climbed the local mountain.  The day after walking up the mountain steps, I had some of the worst pain I had ever experienced in my left foot.  I was unaware at the time that I was experiencing my first gout attack. 

For 6 years I would experience similar pain.  The whole time through doctors visits in China, I thought I had a problem with my foot shape thinking my arches were too high or that I was walking incorrectly. Over time the pain appeared in different places on my left foot and sometimes even in my right foot and knee. The pain was sometimes a heated spot that was right near the surface of my skin.

Finally in May, 2013, I was introduced to a doctor that gave me the true diagnosis.  I will tell you my story, but first let's look at how gout can be diagnosed by a doctor from the aforementioned NIAMS website.: 

How Is Gout Diagnosed?
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, medical history, and family history of gout. Signs and symptoms of gout include:

• Hyperuricemia (high level of uric acid in the blood)

• Uric acid crystals in joint fluid

• More than one attack of acute arthritis

• Arthritis that develops in 1 day, producing a swollen, red, and warm joint

• Attack of arthritis in only one joint, usually the toe, ankle, or knee. [1]

To confirm a diagnosis of gout, your doctor may draw a sample of fluid from an inflamed joint to look for crystals associated with gout.

My doctor asked me about diet, family history with arthritis and similar conditions, then had me to a blood test.  My blood test returned a high uric acid reading and he concluded that I had gout. The six year mystery had been solved, and I was ready to move on to preventative measures.

In future posts, we will discuss how gout attacks are treated, and then how to stay healthy and try to prevent it.  

Do you have gout?  What is your diagnosis story?  Leave me a comment!

**This website is for informative purposes and should not be substituted as advice of a medical professional.  If you believe you have gout, I STRONGLY recommend scheduling an appointment with a medical professional and getting the problem checked out.

[Source: http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Gout/gout_ff.asp]

What Causes Gout?

Many of you searching this page might be wondering how gout is caused.  I know that in my personal experience, I had no idea until a doctor told me.  Today's post will try to explain a bit of the causes of gout.  Again we'll explore the website of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases website for some more information about this horrible condition.

What Causes Gout?
Gout is caused by the buildup of too much uric acid in the body. Uric acid comes from the breakdown of substances called purines. Purines are found in all of your body’s tissues. They are also in many foods, such as liver, dried beans and peas, and anchovies.
Normally, uric acid dissolves in the blood. It passes through the kidneys and out of the body in urine. But uric acid can build up in the blood when:

• The body increases the amount of uric acid it makes.

• The kidneys do not get rid of enough uric acid.

• A person eats too many foods high in purines.

When uric acid levels in the blood are high, it is called hyperuricemia. Most people with hyperuricemia do not develop gout. But if excess uric acid crystals form in the body, gout can develop.
You are more likely to have gout if you:

• Have family members with the disease

• Are a man

• Are overweight

• Drink too much alcohol

• Eat too many foods rich in purines

• Have an enzyme defect that makes it hard for the body to break down purines

• Are exposed to lead in the environment

• Have had an organ transplant

• Use some medicines such as diuretics, aspirin, cyclosporine, or levodopa

• Take the vitamin niacin. [1]

To sum up: gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid in your body which is caused by a compound called purines.  Many purines occur naturally in your body, but some are found in the foods you eat.  
When your blood gets too high of a concentration of these purines, they can crystallize and lead to gout. Emphasis on can because in some people this buildup does not affect them.  If you have gout today, you've unfortunately won the worst lottery ever.

 Do you have any questions or comments?  I want to be a help and resource to your questions.  If you leave a comment I will do my best to answer your question.

In our next post I will discuss how gout is diagnosed and my own personal account of how I learned I had gout.

**This website is for informative purposes and should not be substituted as advice of a medical professional.  If you believe you have gout, I STRONGLY recommend scheduling an appointment with a medical professional and getting the problem checked out.

[Source: http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Gout/gout_ff.asp]

Why does my foot hurt so badly? Do I Have Gout?

How I wish this post existed for me back in September 2006 when I had my first attack.  I didn't even find out I had gout until early 2013.  That was near seven years of pain popping up at the worst times and near ruining my life.

Let's start with some simple advice that will go at the end of all future blog posts:  This website is for informative purposes and should not be substituted as advice of a medical professional.  If you believe you have gout, I STRONGLY recommend scheduling an appointment with a medical professional and getting the problem checked out.

A Website for a Good Start: What is Gout

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has an informative page here that gives fast facts on the symptoms of gout.  Basic gout facts found on the linked site include: 

Gout is one of the most painful forms of arthritis. It occurs when too much uric acid builds up in the body. The buildup of uric acid can lead to:

• Sharp uric acid crystal deposits in joints, often in the big toe
• Deposits of uric acid (called tophi) that look like lumps under the skin
• Kidney stones from uric acid crystals in the kidneys.

For many people, the first attack of gout occurs in the big toe. Often, the attack wakes a person from sleep. The toe is very sore, red, warm, and swollen. 

Gout can cause:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Redness
• Heat
• Stiffness in joints.

In addition to the big toe, gout can affect the:

• Insteps
• Ankles
• Heels
• Knees
• Wrists
• Fingers
• Elbows.

A gout attack can be brought on by stressful events, alcohol or drugs, or another illness. Early attacks usually get better within 3 to 10 days, even without treatment. The next attack may not occur for months or even years. [1]

My personal recollection is that my first and certain other attacks of gout felt like some of the worst pain ever.

Ever had swelling in your foot, knees, elbows, or wrists and felt like it would hurt less if you cut off that body part?  I recommend seeing your doctor as you could very well have gout!

In future posts I'll explain some of the science behind this horrible condition, how a doctor diagnoses this condition, how to treat it, and the future of treatment.  

[Source: http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Gout/gout_ff.asp]