Not a Happy Gout Story

by Journey Smith
(Calgary AB CAN)

I have had gout for not a very long time. My first flare up came about maybe 5 yrs ago. But I have to say I had minor flare ups or mild foot pain leading up to the first major flare up but didn't know why or what it was so thought nothing of it as I had only heard about gout but didn't really know what it was. Until my bands bass player told me about it since he had it. So my first big flare up came at a time when I was drinking an awful lot of beer not knowing I was headed for some trouble. It was very painful and so I went to see a Doc as I didn't know what this was. One quick look and she said GOUT !!! Gave me some Indo-Methycin and sent me on my merry way. I used it and if memory serves I think it helped and the attack didn't last more than 10 - 14 days but I can't remember for sure. In the time from that 1st experience and today I remember having soreness in my big toes (both but more the right one) loss of joint motion and it would come and go without a major flare up. And I continued to drink beer up until I decided to switch to Vodka a few years ago. I am currently going through what I'm pretty sure is my second major attack. It started about 3 weeks ago or coming up on 3 weeks and it was unbearable through the 1st week so I hit the internet after eating close to 4lbs of cherries with no effect. Found out about baking soda tried it and thought it was working at 1st but then I gave up on it as it was just getting worse. Found out about cherry extract so went and got some and started pounding it back and no noticeable improvement. Tried Aloe Vera and Vit C topical with no noticeable results. Started rubbing castor oil on it and think it gave some pain relief but not much. Took the last of my Indo Meth and using naproxyn after that and it didn't seem to help.
So long story short I'm thought none of what I had tried was working to help clear it up fast(er). Towards the end of the 2nd week the swelling finally abated and the pain was subsiding ... thinking I was finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel ... BOOOM !!! Left toe started hurting and got worse over a few days so now I got it in both feet at once. Never happened before. You should see me try to walk LOL !!! My sister had an air boot which helped with walking but now I need two of them.
I also had in the right foot a pain that was on the outer side of the foot that came up over the instep somewhat. This is a pain I have had on and off and have not thought that it had anything to do with gout. It flares up while sleeping and after getting up it's very painful to walk until after an hour or two it starts to subside and I'm good for the day. Until I sleep and next day it's there again. These bouts last maybe a week then disappear for long periods of time. But it really flared up along with the gouty toe and mad walking on it nearly impossible without the boot or crutches. I'd like to find out if it's gout related or not but haven't found any info on the net about it since it's in such an odd spot where the pain centers ... feels like a very nasty bruise or a broken bone/fracture, nit a burning like gouty toe.
I'm wondering why my gout attacks last so long and why any of the treatments I tried didn't speed the recovery time up much if at all. Diet wise I ate very little and nothing on the list of nooo nos. Actually a day or two before the onset I had a huge bowl of fries and gravy and I was thinking that was the trigger but not 100% sure as I had been drinking some moonshine around the same time but not very much as I have really cut down on the booze these days ... can't rule it out even though I have not seemed to have a problem since switching from beer. I've never dome the blood test for the acid so I'm curious to see what that would show. Though I saw apple cider vinegar on the list of treatments haven't tried that yet. Also been pounding the vit C with large amounts of MSM and still no help. Only relief I can get is staying off my feet being a couch potato. Read lots of testimonies for all the items I tried and none of them worked for me.

I must be a mutant. Any ideas why I'm SOL with treatments that are NOT pharma pills ?
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