The Gout

Yup, being a drunk old fat man has caught up with me.
Back in October, I woke up one morning and my big toe hurt. I blamed the wife for throwing all the blankets on me during her hot flashes. Then the next day it was worse and got worse over the weekend.Guys at work made fun of me for getting hurt sleeping. I went to the doctor who took 10 seconds to figure it out.
I took pills to deal with the pain. They don't work. Then I took the stuff that makes you shit yourself. It did. But the Gout never really went away. When it came back hard again I quit drinking. Then I quit coffee. Then ( Gasp ) I quit bacon. I've been sober for 6 weeks now and the shit keeps coming back. Last week I got a size 13 ski boot from rental so I could ski. This past week my foot has started getting better. It is still swollen and painful but I can wear my regular ski boot without the liner. ( Those who know me know that I don't buckle my boots except the top one. I go on feeling the sole of my boot to feel the snow instead of over using the boot. So now it's like skiing on one leg. )
For those that don't know, Gout is caused by a build up of Uric Acid crystals in a joint, usually the ball of your foot where the big toe happens. It typically happens to middle aged men who drink too much and are out of shape and overweight. With a family history...Me.
There are some home remedies ( Cherries, lemon juice ) that I have tried without success. The docs told me to keep eliminating the trigger that sets me off. Lately I found sugar to be that trigger. A glass of egg nog with some sugar wafer cookies set me off the other day. I am paying more attention to my diet and hope to have this shit under control.
Any stories?

A quick edit.
I'm skiing without my footbed, not the liners. And a build up of Uric acid is not the cause of gout but technically is a symptom. The cause is bad circulation due to many health reasons. That joint is pretty much the furthest away in the body. Too much Scotch made me dehydrated.
BTW, I lost 12 pounds so far. Almost a whole DIN setting!

I shit myself one time but that was purely the whiskey.

I shit my pants once as well

I was on the way to a golf tourney, had to fart, it wasn't a fart. I was hungover as hell. Went home, changed my britches and still made my tee time.


I've known 2 people who have gout --- it sucks, but sounds like you already know that. No drinking and LOTS of water.

Good luck man

Your fucking old dude.  You may as well go lay in a snow bank and shit yourself to death now.   

Cherries and Ginger work if you load up when you first feel it coming on.  Cherry extract in the fridge you can guzzle it and it tastes pretty good.  The shit meds work just don't over do it or you will be doing it in your pants as you found out.  And of course cut down on the drinking...or drink your booze in cherry extract.

Shit stories.  Yeah, never shit myself ever I swear.

tjf1967 wrote

   Yeah, never shit myself ever I swear.

Really??? I TRULY find that hard to believe

Ok, shit myself.....no (I don't think so, maybe).

Now shart?  Who hasn't done that at least once or twice?!  I fear I may shart on the way home tonight.  Took my team to Fogo De Chao for the holiday lunch today.  You know, one of those Brazilian churrascarias where they bring around skewers of every meat imaginable and you eat until you explode, vomit, or......shit yourself.  Well, things they are a' rumblin'!

Not to make light of the serious thread (sorry).....I really hope you get the gout thing under control.  It's a good warning that shit (no pun intended) can go sideways health wise in a hurry.  I should cut back on the booze and unhealthy food, as it's bound to catch up at some point.....

BS Lolkl wrote

Lately I found sugar to be that trigger. A glass of egg nog with some sugar wafer cookies set me off the other day. I am paying more attention to my diet and hope to have this shit under control.
Any stories?

Had chronic gout in all of my joints for a while... it got me a Medical MJ rec when I first moved out to WA.  It was awful... it would travel from the toe to the knee and then to my wrists and shoulders.  I would have it for weeks at a time.  A couple of times it hurt so bad, my wife had to bring me to the ER so the could shoot me up with morphine.  I made every diet excuse in the book... My doctor would ask "How many drinks per week?"  I would sheepishly respond... "Between 20 and 25"... "Doc... I have a tolerance... I don't get 'drunk'... just a bit sedated after a hard days work.

My chronic gout was not cured until I ended my love affair with the Ninkasi Triceri-hops (Triple IPA with ABV 8.9).

Smoke more pot... drink less beer.  It did the trick for me.  My natural blood composition is high in Uric acid... I take Alopurinol daily... Even with meds, I was still getting gout regularly until I reduced my booze in-take by 75%.  I still drink, but only 1 or 2 nights a week.

Try alkaline? Water and baking soda ? Don't go too crazy tho.

Never trust a fart.

Q: What's the sharpest thing in the world ?

A: A fart. It goes right through your pants and doesn't even leave a hole.

Gout is no fun. I remember when my father had it (and shingles as well) when he was in his 80s. Get yourself better, but now that you are susceptible you will have to always regulate what you eat.

Good luck. Behavior mod will help "but let me tell ya gittin old aint for the weak " 😄

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Never trust a fart.

Heard this as I approached 50...10 years ago now..

Rules for guys over 50:
1.Never trust a fart.
2.Never pass up the chance to take a leak.
3.Never waste a boner.

I'm on Allopurinol on a daily basis.  It works.  Previously I took Indomethacin for each flare up.  My dad has gout.  He swears it was from citric acid.  Every time he ate citrus, or drank Coke or Pepsi (whichever one has citric acid) he got a flare up.

Sucks dude.  But now we have something in common with Henry VIII.

thanks for the info.
hey, what are the side affects of the allopurinol? I have tried everything they gave me and I am still in pain.
Merry Christmas. it is 4 degrees out and expected to get colder. It did snow a few inches. taking the wife out for her first day this year. She got some new dps skis and we better go try them out.

I've had it for years,and it sucks ,very painful,there is something you can take daily,not sure what it's called tho..my Dr gave me Colchicine for whenever I have a flair up,take 4pills in a 3hr peorid,takes about 24 hrs too fully kick in,but then I'm good..I usually have 3to 4 flair ups a year,and this stuff works for me..good luck,I know your pain

I got it this year.  Toe had been bothering me for months particularly after playing golf probably due to post round beers.  Got a really bad flair up late Oct.  did the whole indicin and alloporanol routine.  Went on a diet and cut back on booze particularly beer.  Started ski season and all was good then I had to work a trade show and stand on cement for 3 days.  I also had shared a order of mussels with my wife and that set it off really bad.

My doc then gave me a steroid pack and that knocked it out so fast I could ski a couple days after taking it.  
Get this stuff
https://www.drugs.com/comments/methylprednisolone/methylprednisolone-dose-pack-for-acute-gout.html

I am drinking beer again but only a few a week.  I also heard to avoid hoppier beers as the hops is what sets it off.  And for me no shell fish which is tough becuase I love that.  Tuna sushi is also to be avoided.

No side effects that I can tell.  My doc said if you have more than 3-4 flare-ups/year, then you should be on Allopurinol.  Otherwise, keep an anti-inflammatory handy (in my case, Indomethacin).

Get your blood checked every 6 mo. or so - including measuring your uric acid level - for a while to measure the effectiveness of your dose.  That's Dr. D.B.*'s recommendation.

*note:  D.B. is not a physician nor does any other type of doctoring.....