Gout Isn't Gone, Guys

Women too!!

I am over 60 and had my first gout attack on my left foot last November. I have suffered since then. Never being entirely free of this curse. Just had another agonizing weekend which included colchicine and vicodin. My 2 uncles and my aunt had gout too. I was given diuretics a couple of years ago and no MD asked my family history before prescibing a medicine that is known to trigger gout. Now of course I don't need them.Whether I would have gotten gout anyway will never be known, Supposedly allopurinol will prevent further attacks,but I'm not keen on taking another med for life. I too have not been treated sympathetically by my Drs. Like it's my fault. I had to plead for months to get a prescription for colchicine.

Thanks for publicizing gout!

Like most men, I inherited this affliction from my father. Also, like many men my onset of gout began after age 40. It began with the classic symptom of a sore big toe in the middle of the night. As the symptoms increased (swelling in the hands and feet) I discovered that gout was now a part of my life.

In the 6 months since I discovered gout I have radically changed my diet to eat low purine foods and increase my level of exercise. My body has responded nicely thus far and I hope to avoid medication by watching what I eat.

The one gout inducer that I can't seem to give up is beer. It is my one "treat" -- however I do not drink more than 1-3 beers and only a couple of times a week. Anymore than that I will have a bad gout flare up. I suppose on the plus side my gout will prevent me from ever becoming an alcoholic!