Stressed Out and Now With Gout

by Terri
(St. Petersburg, FL USA)

I've worked 3 jobs for 2.5 yrs, changing careers & I'm 53 now. Last June my uric acid was 9.8 (I just re-looked at the level today)--I had no symptoms. Both of my children were in accidents, one in October and one the day after Thanksgiving, both with injuries. I was saving for a vacation to go on a cruise with my boyfriend--the first vacation I've had in many years and being overworked, I needed it. Saving $ was very stressful & hard--everything came up & it was a stressful challenge. I got food poisoning the week before Christmas, which lasted 2 weeks. I acquired a bad cold from patients at the clinic (where I perform massage) the next week and was told to stay out until after I returned from my cruise. I felt better and went on my cruise for 5 days of--evening dining (yikes), and I tried not to over-eat, but I had no idea about purines either! On a day trip to the island, I got a blister at the base of my second toe on the left foot from walking around the island and didn't have antibiotic cream to put on it. The day after I got home, my big toe joint hurt so I soaked my foot in tea tree oil in case I had an infection. It felt better. Later that week I got a massage--my foot was massaged because at that point it felt okay. The pain came back 2 days later at which time I started taking 800 mg Ibuprofen around the clock. I googled foot pain, toe pain & found your website. I bought Bragg's apple cider vinegar and made the cocktail and drank it 3 days (2 x/day on Sat, once Sun, and once Monday). By Monday afternoon at work I could barely walk, the pain was excruciating & swollen. The chiro looked at it & said I had an infection. I went to the walk-in clinic & dignosed with cellulitis foot infection. I was told not to come back to work & thought they were going to fire me. The foot felt great after 12 hrs on antibiotics then progressively got worse again. I went back to the walk-in clinic & was given a cortisone shot. The swelling went down the next day, but it progressively got worse again. I went to the ER Monday night, the first day back after being out a week with the cellulitis foot infection, my foot was out of control in pain & I could barely walk even on the around the clock Ibuprofen. I have gout-uric acid 9.0; now on Indocin, Tramadol, steroid pack, and finishing the antibiotic. I'm glad I went on the cruise because I got some R&R but I wish I had known about uric acids. I'm paying the price for not knowing. I'm trying to eat right now and hopefully will lose weight. I have kidney stones from oxylates and I have to figure out WHAT I CAN EAT...THERE ARE MANY FOODS I CANNOT EAT, ESPECIALLY NOW. This is a real challenge. But, Gout is the worse pain I've ever experienced in my life--and I've had many many surgeries. Thank you for allowing me to share my story and thank you for your awesome website, www.gout-aware.com!