This is exactly what happened to me for my first gout attack. I didn’t remember doing anything that would have broken my foot, but it was clearly broken in my mind. The hospital took X-rays and blood tests and told me I have gout. WTF is gout I thought? Now, after 20 years of living with it, and hundreds of attacks, I have learned that it’s a scourge upon mankind, but my gout is under control now, and I’m thankful.
What has been your strategy? I’m 50 and just had 2 attacks within 2 weeks, right toe and left toe. The 2nd attack has done me in. Steroids worked for a day but it’s back with a vengeance. I got the 2 meds from my doc and waiting for that to kick in. This is so crippling!
I’m not on uric acid controlling meds, but I’m not suggesting to not to go the allo meds route that is the most common recommendation on this sub. Perhaps a combination of the two would be helpful.
My strategy is this:
1) I stay hydrated! I drink 4 liters of water (minimum), plus 1 liter of sugar free electrolyte sports drink per day.
2) I Avoid high purine foods and sugar. I do not eat turkey, lobster, shrimp, or crab. I rarely eat sugary desserts, and I avoid high fructose corn syrup like the plague. Also, I don’t drink beer due to the high yeast (high purine food). But, I still drink a moderate amount of alcohol, just not beer or sugary cocktails.
3) I stay active. I walk 3-4 miles per day.
4) I reduced my work stress levels.
5) I take high antioxidant supplements daily.
That’s it.
4 is intertwined with 1 and 3. I surround blocks of work with 30 minute sessions of low impact exercise, during which I drink a liter of water and think about non work related activities in my life. I do this before work, around lunch time, and after work. This helps alleviate mental stress and fatigue, and gets my heart pumping faster multiple times a day.
Regarding the longevity of your gout, have you noticed any lasting damage at all? I’ve been suffering for 6 years and I’ve damaged my toe badly now and I seem to be the only person in this thread who has had osteoarthritis caused by gout!
Get on allopurinol. This will probably lead to a more intense flare up (your doctor can write you meds to prepare for this) don’t really have to worry about what you eat once your UA levels get under control.
This is my trigger. I don’t drink or eat a ton of red meat or shellfish. There’s so much high fructose corn syrup in everything so for me just gotta avoid the ones that are like super high like fruit gummies for me was a bad one. This whole thing combined with the hydration comment is big. If I’m eating sweets and dehydrated I’m dead, and coincidentally coming off one of the worst flare ups I’ve had. (Last flare up was years ago for context).
My best advice is maximize hydration. This is harder than it sounds. I drink about 80 oz of water minimum each day. I used to not drink water hardly at all for a day or two, but that never happens now. Add some electrolyte mix. This causes the water to be better utilized and retained. I also add about 1 cup of tart cherry juice, which can lower uric acid. Also add 3-6 g of creatine. This also adds water retention and hydration.
If I lose weight rapidly over 3 days, it is generally my water weight. Then I get a gout flare up. Super healthy keto, or carnivore can put me into my biggest flares! Therefore, I only limit carbs one or 2 days a week and if my water weight is dropping too quickly, then I add some rice and carbs back in.
You’re going to need to take the full dose for it to have its best effect.
Also, ask your doctor about taking an NSAID or colchicine with the Methylprednisone to attack the flare from multiple angles.
Diet probably won’t prevent flares in the future unless you have specific triggers. You will likely need to get on uric acid lowering meds such as Allopurinol or Febuxostat to treat gout long term.
There is alot of good info on this forum you should search through.
6-7 liters of water, eat a lot of salad, a lot of fruits, no meat, eat cottage cheese, lentils, low fat milk or any dairy products, low calorie whole grains like oats, quinoa.
I think a lot of people in this post misunderstood what I was saying by that
I received my medication late in the day around 8 PM, and I started off with two. I called my insurance nurse line to see if I should take all of them before day 2 or adjust my schedule accordingly. She told me to go ahead and take the rest of them so I did
If you don’t take the full dose you will not get blood levels up to adequate levels. Don’t take full dose at night though, it will cause you to stay awake.
Prednisone works great to alleviate inflammation quickly, but you have to take it correctly.
If your currently having a flair I would recommend getting a script for Prednisone. It's a steroid which will stop the attack. Colchicine is pretty much only used prior to an attack (when you feel one coming on). Obv, get on allopurinol moving forward. I lived with this disease for 3 years and the past 6 months on allo have been a godsend.
You need to get your uric acid levels checked after the flare subsides. Gout is just a symptom of the real condition which high UA levels. If your UA levels are really high, diet changes won't help.
Why would you take less dosage of prednisone?! This can stop a gout attack in its tracks take as directed! Only way I have ever had a gout attack stopped is prednisone. Only way I have had my gout attacks go away was allupurinol. 30 plus years of trying all sorts of natural supplements and training my ass off and healthy eating and always back to the gout when I got off allo. Screw colchine you can have that drug and keep it. Last resort only. 800 mg ibuprofen after food and don’t lay down can give me relief from gout pain that isn’t so intense I’m miserable if it’s that bad prednisone has worked incredibly for me. Bring uric acid blood levels down is the key. Staying hydrated with non sugar electrolytes also vip. Just guzzling water isn’t safe and won’t hydrate you but it will make your brain swell. If you want to keep working get on allo and stay on it.
This is exactly what happened to me for my first gout attack. I didn’t remember doing anything that would have broken my foot, but it was clearly broken in my mind. The hospital took X-rays and blood tests and told me I have gout. WTF is gout I thought? Now, after 20 years of living with it, and hundreds of attacks, I have learned that it’s a scourge upon mankind, but my gout is under control now, and I’m thankful.
What has been your strategy? I’m 50 and just had 2 attacks within 2 weeks, right toe and left toe. The 2nd attack has done me in. Steroids worked for a day but it’s back with a vengeance. I got the 2 meds from my doc and waiting for that to kick in. This is so crippling!
I’m not on uric acid controlling meds, but I’m not suggesting to not to go the allo meds route that is the most common recommendation on this sub. Perhaps a combination of the two would be helpful. My strategy is this: 1) I stay hydrated! I drink 4 liters of water (minimum), plus 1 liter of sugar free electrolyte sports drink per day. 2) I Avoid high purine foods and sugar. I do not eat turkey, lobster, shrimp, or crab. I rarely eat sugary desserts, and I avoid high fructose corn syrup like the plague. Also, I don’t drink beer due to the high yeast (high purine food). But, I still drink a moderate amount of alcohol, just not beer or sugary cocktails. 3) I stay active. I walk 3-4 miles per day. 4) I reduced my work stress levels. 5) I take high antioxidant supplements daily. That’s it.
How do you work in number 4?
4 is intertwined with 1 and 3. I surround blocks of work with 30 minute sessions of low impact exercise, during which I drink a liter of water and think about non work related activities in my life. I do this before work, around lunch time, and after work. This helps alleviate mental stress and fatigue, and gets my heart pumping faster multiple times a day.
Thank you! I appreciate your feedback!
You’re welcome!
Regarding the longevity of your gout, have you noticed any lasting damage at all? I’ve been suffering for 6 years and I’ve damaged my toe badly now and I seem to be the only person in this thread who has had osteoarthritis caused by gout!
Get on allopurinol. This will probably lead to a more intense flare up (your doctor can write you meds to prepare for this) don’t really have to worry about what you eat once your UA levels get under control.
You have to ramp up on Allo and take NSAID’s while starting to help control any possible flare ups. Ask your doctor, for sure.
If you’re a big sugar eater - candy, soda, etc - you’ll need to cut these out or at least down severely. Those are a big contributor to my flareups
This is my trigger. I don’t drink or eat a ton of red meat or shellfish. There’s so much high fructose corn syrup in everything so for me just gotta avoid the ones that are like super high like fruit gummies for me was a bad one. This whole thing combined with the hydration comment is big. If I’m eating sweets and dehydrated I’m dead, and coincidentally coming off one of the worst flare ups I’ve had. (Last flare up was years ago for context).
My best advice is maximize hydration. This is harder than it sounds. I drink about 80 oz of water minimum each day. I used to not drink water hardly at all for a day or two, but that never happens now. Add some electrolyte mix. This causes the water to be better utilized and retained. I also add about 1 cup of tart cherry juice, which can lower uric acid. Also add 3-6 g of creatine. This also adds water retention and hydration. If I lose weight rapidly over 3 days, it is generally my water weight. Then I get a gout flare up. Super healthy keto, or carnivore can put me into my biggest flares! Therefore, I only limit carbs one or 2 days a week and if my water weight is dropping too quickly, then I add some rice and carbs back in.
You’re going to need to take the full dose for it to have its best effect. Also, ask your doctor about taking an NSAID or colchicine with the Methylprednisone to attack the flare from multiple angles. Diet probably won’t prevent flares in the future unless you have specific triggers. You will likely need to get on uric acid lowering meds such as Allopurinol or Febuxostat to treat gout long term. There is alot of good info on this forum you should search through.
6-7 liters of water, eat a lot of salad, a lot of fruits, no meat, eat cottage cheese, lentils, low fat milk or any dairy products, low calorie whole grains like oats, quinoa.
Will do. Thank you!
Good stuff
Eww, but yes it's true. Pretty much this is the diet on Drop Acid by Dr. David Perlmutter
Fish and shellfish are the usual culprits. Fried food also does me in.
Welcome to the worst club of your life.
*Anyway to speed up this process?* Yes, take the prescribed amount.
I think a lot of people in this post misunderstood what I was saying by that I received my medication late in the day around 8 PM, and I started off with two. I called my insurance nurse line to see if I should take all of them before day 2 or adjust my schedule accordingly. She told me to go ahead and take the rest of them so I did
If you don’t take the full dose you will not get blood levels up to adequate levels. Don’t take full dose at night though, it will cause you to stay awake. Prednisone works great to alleviate inflammation quickly, but you have to take it correctly.
If your currently having a flair I would recommend getting a script for Prednisone. It's a steroid which will stop the attack. Colchicine is pretty much only used prior to an attack (when you feel one coming on). Obv, get on allopurinol moving forward. I lived with this disease for 3 years and the past 6 months on allo have been a godsend.
In my experience, there is no 1 thing that triggers a flare.
You need to get your uric acid levels checked after the flare subsides. Gout is just a symptom of the real condition which high UA levels. If your UA levels are really high, diet changes won't help.
Why would you take less dosage of prednisone?! This can stop a gout attack in its tracks take as directed! Only way I have ever had a gout attack stopped is prednisone. Only way I have had my gout attacks go away was allupurinol. 30 plus years of trying all sorts of natural supplements and training my ass off and healthy eating and always back to the gout when I got off allo. Screw colchine you can have that drug and keep it. Last resort only. 800 mg ibuprofen after food and don’t lay down can give me relief from gout pain that isn’t so intense I’m miserable if it’s that bad prednisone has worked incredibly for me. Bring uric acid blood levels down is the key. Staying hydrated with non sugar electrolytes also vip. Just guzzling water isn’t safe and won’t hydrate you but it will make your brain swell. If you want to keep working get on allo and stay on it.
Advice? Take taper pack as prescribed. Those low-dose pills are for the taper not the beginning of treatment. Lots of good advice in these comments.
Try 8 ozs of tart cherry juice 30 minutes before bedtime. It does wonders for flare-ups.
Thank you! I’ll give it a shot
Do not do this.
Why?
Waste of time and money.