Hello all

[simon]

I have been a gout sufferer for the last ten years or so.I have an attack right now and am at home with my leg stuck up in the air.Ive been to the doctors about 50 times over the last 10 years and have never really got much help.I dont bother anymore with them,i just get non paracetamal pain relief.Im a non drinker so its not that,i have never been able to work out what sets it off in my case.The attacks are slowly but surely lasting longer,usually starts off in my right foot toes and then moves up to the ankle where it gets really bad

[thurstonb]

Hi there Simon.

Sorry to hear that you are having another attack. It sounds like this is something that has been vexing you for some time now.

Do you understand the link between uric acid and gout? It's an important thing to get your head around, as this is the main cause of gout. Too much uric acid leads to uric acid crystals in the joint, which triggers gout attacks.

There are various reasons why uric acid levels can be high. Some people are genetically predisposed to it. It can be a case of your diet containing a lot of "purines" which are found in proteins in particular, although recently fructose (such as found in fruit juice) has come under scrutiny. Overweight people are more susceptible to it. As are people who drink alcohol (not you obviously). There is a school of thought that if your diet is too acidic then this can lead to imbalances in the body.

Has the doctor ever tested your uric acid levels and talked about prescribing any uric acid lowering drugs? It seems odd that you've been seeing them for 10 years yet you don't mention this in your post.

Anyway - welcome along. There are people here with a wide knowledge on gout, and differing views on the best way to treat it (ranging from medication through to natural remedies). It sort of depends on your point of view as to how you wish to attack your gout, rather than have it attack you.

All the best
Brett