Gout

[RapidBreath]

Does anybody know anything about this? My Dad has it really bad in his right foot, it looks like a grapefruit. He also has kidney stones/problems. He is so miserable he is on vicodin. He can't walk at all.

If anybody has any ideas, please let me know,

Thanks,

Alisha

 

[lioness]

Hi Alisha,

My mom suffered from this many, many years ago. She drinks black cherry juice and eats dried cherries to have prevent it.

She is dealing with gout right now as it is a side effect of radiation. She had it in October and her uric acid was checked at that time and they put her on antibiotics and it went away. The gout came back this time but not as bad. She is back on the antibiotics and they seem to be working again for her.

Have him go to the doctor so they can check his uric acid.

Hope this helps,

 

[gillianorr]

Hi Alisha,
So sorry to hear that your Dad is dealing with this. Just yesterday one of my SilverSneakers clients came to class after a flare up of gout in her second toe...she, too, needed pain meds to get through it.

In addition, she was told to keep the foot iced, elevated and to keep weight off it as much as possible until the flare up passes. When able, she started to put weight on it with the aid of a cane. Additionally, proper hydration was stressed to her as was avoidance of alcohol.

Hopefully whoever prescribed your Dad the vicodin also talked about appropriate anti inflammatory meds...depending in his situation of course.

Hope this passes quickly for your family!

 

[rmrmr]

Hi Alisha,

Sorry to hear your dad is having to deal with gout. My DH suffers from gout and is on daily medication for it now. Gout is caused by having high uric acid, basically the kidneys are unable to flush out the uric acid. It is preferable to make diet changes to deal with gout, the daily meds have a whole other slew of issues that go along with them.

Unfortunately, there isn't much than can be done during a gout attack other than anti-inflammatory and pain medications. These can last for several days.

Here's a website that discusses they types of food to avoid, and also what you should eat to help prevent gout. Also, as another poster mentioned, having cherry juice and cherries on a regular basis can help.

http://arthritis.about.com/cs/gout/a/foodstoavoid.htm

I hope this article helps.

 

[Elle_p]

Gout is also known as the "rich man's disease". You should look into getting him to change his diet. You are what you eat.

 

[llp]

A guy at work has gout. It flares up if he eats rich foods with lots of fat in it. For example, I brought in my lemon bars(lots of butter in them), and he had a couple of bites and said his toe started hurting and that he forgot his medicine.

Also, he cannot drink beer anymore because it flares up his gout.

Sorry to hear of your dad's issues.

 

[maddiesmum]

My Dad got an attack of this when he was out here visiting me in October. When he got home it got so bad he had to be hospitalized.

However, red wine is one of his triggers. Inactivity is the other. If your family member has a tendency to get gout, regular physical activity is key to keeping it at bay. Daily walks are ideal with distance and time dependent upon age, inclination and fitness level.

Clare

 

[RapidBreath]

Thanks for all the information, I truly appreciate it.

Alisha