Having the Gout and gettin out?

I have a question about gout and hiking with it.
First a little background:
I have been having some ankle problems for some time now. I figured it was the normal wear and tear, age, etc... At times it has become very bad to the point of causing problems just walking, so I figured this is not right. I have been seeing my doctor and all the standard stuff has turned up nothing. Then about 3 weeks ago I had what felt like a small battle between my heel and my ACL and this lasted for about 2 weeks, it went away and I was happy. Then about a week later I get the exact same pain in my right heel, now I am thinking this is strange. I have not been hiking, or running or anything since December so I know I have not strained it. I then had an interesting conversation with my Mom and she describes the Gout that she gets. Turns out she has had very similar experiences with her heel, and so has grandma and my aunt. So I head back to the doctor again this week to get this possibilty checked out, after all I have had these elusive ankle issues for about 2 years now and have continued to hike but not a whole lot. As good as I can guess it is related to my diet because I am not a drinker. Now here is the problem I see. I have been on a pretty steady diet while I have not been hiking, trying to keep the weight in check while I sit on the couch waiting for my ankles to get better. Each time I have had this ankle pain I have eaten items that I normally do not eat, things like girl scout cookies, white bread, etc... If it checks out to be Gout and I have issues eating my favorite carbed loaded hiking foods, I see this as my main problem.

Has anyone here had to deal with this type issue or known anyone that has? Once I can pin point what foods cause this I can adjust my hiking diet, it may be rough without my PBJ and GS cookies but I am sure I can manage.

As with all medical questions, advice given by random folks on a website (and this is a pretty random group) is worth every penny you pay for it. Your under a doctor's care, and that's good. Once you get a diagnosis from him/her it may be more appropriate to ask folks here who've had similar problems. But your best bet is to listen to the doc.

-dave-

My old friend Gout

There is plenty of info available on the Net regarding diet and gout for you to reference. Check with some of the arthritis groups and sites.

For me, it was a very rich diet one time that landed me in an hospital ER with a foot that looked like it was going to explode because it was so swollen. I have never experienced pain like that, just dragging a kleenex across the skin above the joint would not just make me cry, but could bring me to my knees. It hurt in ways I never knew. The week leading up I had been indulging in lots of things like alcohol, red meats, seafood, whole milk... Classic foods that can cause gout in people. I was 26 when my doctor informed me of having a rich old white man's condition... Well I at least have the white guy part down, not the other two. The only real way I know of being diagnosed is to have a blood test done, usually when you have a bout of it. But I am sure genetics play a role, my father and grand father both were diagnosed with it. And I am sure more people actually have minor bouts with it as it is a very common form of arthritis.

Basically gout is caused by an increase of uric acid crystels that collect in the joint fluid around any number of joints, generally in your foot or ankle, as you have found out. Usually once I get a gout attack, I end up taking a couple of Aleve and hope for the best. Sometimes Advil works, but Aleve works the best for me. Also I try to stay off the foot as much as possible, and about using a hot or cold compress... Well they have not really worked for me, they may for you, YMMV.

Generally foods high the protein purine (I forget the spelling) can trigger an attack. Things like red meats, some seafoods, dairy, some veggies even, I have something 90% of the population would like to have, a doctor's excuse not to eat brussel sprouts! LOL...

Best of luck, it sounds like you have the right ideas, watching your diet as a good start. And drink plenty of fluids to help flush out the uric acid!

Catch you later...
Kevin

I used to work with a fellow who had bouts of gout - was extremely uncomfortable during those times, and as Kevin points out above, diet plays a big factor. As for the GS cookies - they may be playing a role. Lots of commercial cakes/cookies contain large amounts of saturated fats and trans fat, so read labels carefully. I like GS cookies too, but there's a reason those things can/are kept for months. If you can't live without commercial cookies, check out fig newtons - those things are pretty healthy to boot.

Minor injury can "trigger" gout

My husband has been getting "bouts of gout" almost every 6 weeks for the last 6 months or so. His doctor puts him on prednisone (steroid) for 12 days decreasing the amount of tablets per day, every two days, for instance: 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1..... He is more prone to gout because he has had a kidney transplant. Anyway, many times his gout is triggered by a minor injury. He may twist an ankle on the stairs, have a couple minutes of discomfort and totally forget about it. Unfortunately, about 24 hours later his foot will start swelling up, usually in the middle of the night. It is extremely painful, even a sheet on the foot brings extreme pain.

The good news is that the prednisone works very quickly. The pain level decreases significantly during the first day of treatment.

I hope this was helpful to you...good luck.

Ginny

I agree - the advice is you're soliciting is worth every penny you’re paying.

That said, I’m gonna offer some anyway I have been keeping gout at bay for years, by watching what I eat (avoid shellfish, rich meats - especially organs like liver - incomplete proteins, and alcohol ) I also take Vitamin E and B supplements. When I get the slightest inkling an attack is imminent, I take ibuprofen or naproxen, and Colchicine. If your doctor has not tried Colchicine for you yet, I suggest you ask about it.

My gout may be minor compared to others (it sounds like this may be the case) so YMMV. Good luck.

Thanks for the input. I saw my doctor last week and I do indeed have Gout. I had what they referred to as a minor attack, I would hate to see a major attack

It is good to get feed back from hikers that have this, anyone else(non hikers) I have talked to always refer to managing it but do not take into consideration mutli day trips into the sticks. It is good to know that it is manageable.

I'm glad it was diagnosed and is manageable. What you originally described did not sound like gout to me, but that just goes to show you ! While it stinks having any problem like this, at least yours is treatable, which is preferable to something more severe or untreatable.

reiters syndrome

after 5 years in chronic pain my rheumatologist thinks i may have reiters syndrome. sounds similar to gout but hits others areas as well. does anyone out there have or know anyone who has experienced this?
nothing i have taken really has made a difference, prednisone has helped a bit though not sure if the potential side effects are worth the risks. my doctor may start me on azulfidine soon...any insight out there?

been hiking nonce since november and lets just say im not a happy camper! my snowshoes and brand new crampons mock me.

thanks, charlie

BillyRay said:

I agree - the advice is you're soliciting is worth every penny you’re paying.

That said, I’m gonna offer some anyway I have been keeping gout at bay for years, by watching what I eat (avoid shellfish, rich meats - especially organs like liver - incomplete proteins, and alcohol ) I also take Vitamin E and B supplements. When I get the slightest inkling an attack is imminent, I take ibuprofen or naproxen, and Colchicine. If your doctor has not tried Colchicine for you yet, I suggest you ask about it.

My gout may be minor compared to others (it sounds like this may be the case) so YMMV. Good luck.

Click to expand...

Been there, done that, though briefly. My image of gout was a "Henry VIII" figure, sitting on a throne all day long with a mutton chop in one hand, a flask of wine in the other, and with his foot propped up on a stool. Not exactly my typical diet! It was indeed painful for the short time I had it. Even a slight brush of bed sheets on my toe was excruciating. It turned out that the culprit may have been niacin supplements, used to regulate cholesterol levels:
http://www.diagnose-me.com/treat/T120793.html
Additional medication has prevented additional attacks for years, and I continue to enjoy my wine, mutton, shellfish, and liver!

Hiking with Gout and trying not to pout

rdavisiii said:

I saw my doctor last week and I do indeed have Gout.

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You may have already discovered this but just so you know, there is some very good research out there on Gout and advances are being made towards understanding this disease much better and offering treatments including lifestyle changes that may greatly minimize gout attacks.

Coincidentally, a researcher at the medical center where I work is conducting an online study on Gout. If you or anyone else with diagnosed Gout is interested in participating and contributing to the knowledge of this disease, then see this link: https://dcc2.bumc.bu.edu/goutstudy/

Good luck my friend!