I was just diagnosed with gout by a visual look by the doctor, no tests were ordered. He said he was 99% sure it was gout and take these pills. I am trying to figure out the diet changes I need to implement and don't know what sites to trust or what ones are false.
I am still in pain (only been on the meds for one day) but he said I can not take anything while on this medication.
I am also non insulin dependent diabetic and someone said I should have had blood tests as they are related?
Can someone give me advice and maybe some sites that are trustworthy so I can figure this out.

The amount of Uric acid In the blood, the cause of gout, can only be determined by a blood test. It doesn't necessarily follow that if you are a diabetic, you have gout as well.

Drink plenty of water to flush out impurities and you will find it will ease outbreaks, which I know are painful.

My doctor did not prescribe because I didn't want another pill for something that comes and goes.

Gout used to be called a rich man's ailment because it was believed only those had it who could afford red meat. There could be a modicum of truth in this old saying.

There is no site for dietary changes to correct this physical fault.

A friend who used to have terrible bouts with gout drinks pure cherry juice (not sure how much each day), and that has relieved his problem to a great extent. Maybe Google that to find out more about cherry juice and your situation. Your pharmacist and a knowledgeable health food store owner or manager may be a good source of information too.

(Hi, Owen! )

I agree that you should have a blood test. I researched Colchicine for my dad and frankly was horrified that his doctor would throw it down his throat without testing him. It is not a drug to be taken if you don't need it!

I am on Apo Indomethacin for the gout. My last Blood sugar average blood test was good 5.4 and my urine test for my kidneys was good as well. I get those done every 3 months.
Thank you all for your input. Owen says hi back to you WG.

You need to be tested for Uric Acid. However, gout has symptom of its own that don't necessarily need invasive testing for. The symptoms alone can diagnose you with the arthritic disorder.

Indomethacin is great for gout. But be sure not to take it on an empty stomach.

Cholachicine as well is great during an outbreak, but you must take it properly despite the side effects.

To add... I don't know that it is linked with diabetes as I have several family members who have gout but do not have diabetes.

I have a lot of experience with Gout and have helped family with research about the topic. Hopefully I can add something to what has been already posted.

First, "Gout occurs when high levels of uric acid in your blood cause crystals to form and accumulate around a joint. Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines. Purines occur naturally in your body, but you also get them from eating certain foods". [ 1 ]

Metabolic Syndrome
As far as the linkage to Diabetes, it is a condition called Metabolic Syndrome, a group of risk factors that usually occur together and signifies an increase in risk for stroke, type II diabetes, and coronary artery disease.

The risk factors include elevated blood pressure, (130/85 mm Hg and higher, or use of blood pressure meds), elevated fasting blood sugar, (100 mg/dL or greater, or use of hyperglycemia meds), excess belly fat, (apple shape vs. pear), or Elevated triglycerides, (Greater than 150 mg/dL), and having reduced "good" cholesterol, (less than 40 mg/dL in Men and 50 mg/dL in women). [ 2a ] [ 2b ]

Having one of these factors isn't enough, but having just one should be a motivator to get a check up to ensure you don't have any of the others.

For the longest time it was debated whether there was a correlation between Gout and the Metabolic Syndrome. A study published by the American College of Rheumatology showed that 60% of Americans who had Gout also had Metabolic Syndrome. This is the linkage you may have heard about. [ 3 ]

Colchicine
Gout's oldest pain reliever was brought to America by none other than Benjamin Franklin. He discovered the pain reliever being used in France and brought it to the United States. Colchicine has been in use in one form or another since circa 1500 BC when it was used to help treat rheumatism and swelling. [ 4 ]

It is a very serious drug with serious side effects when taken in toxic levels. The problem is that everyone's toxicity level is different. You need to follow your Doctor's prescribing orders and talk with your Pharmacist to feel safe in taking this medication properly.

I will tell you the instructions that were given for my family member; take two the first dosage, 1 pill each time thereafter, no more than four in a day. The result was pain relief to about 50% of where it was after the first dosage and by the following day of having a total of about 4, the pain was manageable.

An interesting and infuriating fact about this medicine, now brand named "Colcrys", the medicine had been generic for a long time until a pharmaceutical company convinced the FDA that it needed to have exclusive rights to make the drug. They have a three year patent preventing any other company from making the once generic compound. The result? What was once about 9 cents per tablet has skyrocketed to $4.85 per tablet. We were lucky to have gotten one of the last bottles of the generic version. [ 5 ]

Diet
Lastly, I will cover diet. Since I already mentioned Metabolic Syndrome, I am sure it goes without saying that anything you can do to improve your overall health, like losing weight, exercising, eating better, etc. will have a positive impact on halting, or possibly reversing the damage any one or all of these factors can have on your long term health.

Specifically, when it comes to Gout, there has been more and more research done on what causes attacks. At first, even vegetables and legumes were in the list of foods to avoid, but they have realized the vegetables and legumes do not affect Gout in the same way the core foods to avoid do. The primary thing to avoid is Purine-rich food and drinks.

They are the foods you would suspect. Meat and Seafood. The meat includes beef, pork and lamb and processed meats like salami, hot dogs, etc. Seafood includes tuna, dark fish, other fish, scallops, shrimp and lobster. [ 6 ]Something else to avoid? Alcohol. According to a study published in the Lancet, "Beer drinkers increased their risk by 50% for every daily serving, while those who drank hard liquor increased their risk by 15% for each drink". [ 7 ]

Drink plenty of water, especially before and after you consume a high purine food or beverage. The water will help flush out the uric acid.

Natural Health Alternative
Something you should try which worked wonders for my family member was straight cherry juice. No sugar or additives, just pure cherry juice. After drinking about 32 oz of cherry juice, within about 12 hours the constant pain from just sitting in bed ceased allowing him to sleep. The pain was still present when walking, but it did him a world of good, and it's just cherry juice. No side effects.

Summary.
It is scary to deal with any new disease, and to come face to face with the effects of choices made over the years. But, you are not alone. Once you get past this first flare up, as long as your medication is kept at a therapeutic level by getting your Uric Acid levels checked on a regular basis, you will not suffer like this again.

Like all other diet related diseases and ailments, you have a lot of power and control over what happens in your future. Good diet. Exercise and living life to the fullest is the best prescription for anyone.

Take a deep breath, and good luck.

Cliff you broke my heart I am from the Maritimes (Nova Scotia) and love my seafood and beer. I have made a doctors appointment to get more info as I had gone to a clinic to get the diagnosis.
I am heading out the door shortly and hope to have more of a treatment plan in place.
Thank you all for your input.

I am from New England, so I feel for you. I know how hard it is, however, just remember that the strict Gout Diet was once the only thing Doctors could give out to prevent recurrence, but it is no longer the only tool.

Drugs like Allopurinol and Febuxostat can maintain your Uric Acid at safe levels. Yes, you should be aware of the foods that can cause flare ups, but between the drugs, drinking more water and taking other steps, the diet changes will not be as drastic as you now believe. Trust me.

Is there any validity to the cherry-juice drinking? I've known people who swear by it.

There is one study I know of:

"* Having two servings of cherry fruit in the past 48 hours was associated with a 50% lower risk of having another gout attack.

*The use of cherry extract (any amount) in the past two days was associated with a 40% lower risk of recurrent gout flare-ups." [ 1a ]


"The researchers credit anthocyanins -- antioxidant pigments found in red and purplish fruits and vegetables, including cherries, purple cabbage, beets, blueberries, raspberries, and purple grapes -- for the beneficial effect. Antioxidants stabilize unstable molecules called free radicals, which cause inflammation and damage cells and tissue." [ 1b ]

And, from personal observation I can tell you the cherry juice was taken before any prescriptions were given. The improvement made was with about 32 - 40 oz of Cherry Juice and 800mg of Ibuprofen over a 8 hour period.

I have to go for blood work "uric acid serum" or something like that. He is also rechecking my 3 month average and kidneys to be cautious. Upon looking at my toe I was informed I also have a bunion and it will need to be kept an eye on and maybe xrayed if they pain keeps up after I finish the medication for gout. He also told me to Google "Low Uric Acid Diet" to see what I can and can not eat. He also told me if I have 3 or more attacks in one year I will need to go on a maintenance medication. After getting all of this info I was willful and had a burger and onion rings with a white hot chocolate. Now I will be serious and start taking care of myself

mogrann, I am a type 2 diabetic on low dose metformin, one per day, my fasting blood sugar has very rarely gone over 5 and also 70 years old; I too have gout, but not as extreme as when it first started which was a few years before I was diagnosed with diabetes. I work a full time job in the community. I give a little history so that you will know I am not worried about the gout and manage it with antioxidants and when having an attack in my toes only, with two advil, it works. Absolutely no meds for it.

I don't have a doctor that recommends pills every time I turn around. Every six months I have a check up and blood work, and every blood work does not include a uric acid check, in fact my next one coming up in a week is only for glucose and HbAIC

I am not worried about my diabetes, or the gout. Your problems with gout will settle down to a minimum in a while I am sure, but always make sure your doctor provides bloodwork maintenance and not a lot of pills.

Good luck with the gout and please do not worry about it. It doesn't help.
I am not qo

I am researching diets now Tickle and have told others in the house that my meals will be different. I am hoping to control it through diet and exercise. My doctor did say if it happens again that regular strength Advil 4 times a day would work, not as strong as what I am taking. He was telling me this to let me know I can treat it at home and not need medical aid. What antioxidants specifically do you use?

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Originally Posted by mogrann

I am researching diets now Tickle and have told others in the house that my meals will be different. I am hoping to control it through diet and exercise. My doctor did say if it happens again that regular strength Advil 4 times a day would work, not as strong as what I am taking. He was telling me this to let me know I can treat it at home and not need medical aid. What antioxidants specifically do you use?

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Any 100% NATURAL juice I can get my hands on! Normally pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, blueberry juice, can't handle orange juice, not allowed grapefruit juice; just about any natural juice will give you all the antioxidant power you need.
veggies carry a lot of antioxidant values, so I am a salad freak at lunch time.

I am not saying I pig out on juice and go crazy, but make sure I have 2 or 3 servings a day and lots of water, of course.

I don't eat a lot of red meat. Chicken, fish, etc. as you know diabetics need protein in their diet. A good balanced trail mix with dried cranberries is excellent for an afternoon snack.

I always make sure my clients are not over-medicated and always suggest they ask their doctors to review medications before adding a new one to eliminate negative drug interactions.