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View Full Version : Gout in wrist, my situation.


goutenrist
12th October 2011, 12:43 PM
Hello. This is not easy to do, to make a first post like this, so please be helpful if you reply. I'd like to post more and ask for any suggestions or help that anyone has a moment to share, but I want to wait and see how many, if any, replies I get first.

Male, early 30s. The gout is located in my left wrist and hand only. I'm left handed, so it's particularly difficult for me. I've been dealing with it for about a year it seems but it only became more noticeable and painful a few months ago, prompting me to finally go to for an ER visit to find out what it was. I'm pretty sure it's gout and not carpal tunnel unless it's more than one condition I'm dealing with. I say this because a diagnosis of gout was made back in June of this year after x-rays were taken. I went to the ER one evening because the pain was just getting worse. I had noticed swelling and light discomfort before, even about a year ago in August 2010 that but I didn't even consider gout as being involved. It's just not something a younger person thinks of, and it's uncommon in general to occur in the wrist or hand. They gave me the usual first line treatment for gout and of course recommended that I follow up with primary care if symptoms don't improve. But I haven't because I've been dreading it. I have other health conditions that compound the problem, but I'm not going to go into it until I'm more comfortable.

I would certainly appreciate any insight into the whole gout situation, directions to quality infromation to read or what I should know more about. Thanks :).

goutenrist
17th October 2011, 10:50 AM
Anyone?

popeye53
21st October 2011, 12:14 AM
as far as i know gout cannot be diagnosed with a x-ray.a sure diagnosis can be made from needle aspiration of the affected joint and the fluid checked for uric acid crystals.gout can effect the wrist but more commonly big toe,feet,ankles,knees.what was your uric acid level.many conditions can effect the joints,my advice would be to make a appointment with a rheumotoligist.

painfree
21st October 2011, 12:13 PM
Joint pain caused by gout is best diagnosed by examination of aspirated joint fluid under a polarizing microscope. But other effects of gout, which is defined as the deposition of crystals of monosodium urate, can be seen by ultrasound and X-ray. The clearest images of tophi (aggregated encapsulated crystals of monosodium urate) internal to the body, usually near a joint, are seen by dual energy computed tomography, which uses X-rays.

popeye53
21st October 2011, 12:31 PM
i stand corrected,thank you pain free.

goutenrist
1st November 2011, 04:29 AM
Thank you popeye53 and painfree for replying. Yes, that is how they diagnosed me, taking x-rays just as if I had broken an arm.

podagra
22nd February 2012, 03:50 AM
Hi goutenrist,
Please check out what I told this guy, who also got gout at an unusually young age (even younger than you)
http://www.goutonline.net/showthread.php?t=9338