Hudson Valley Tom

I decided that after all the years I have viewed TBD to finally register to hopefully help you and others you have encountered gout. Gout is a form of arthritis and there are no treatments that will make gout go away for every, it is about managing your level of uric acid in your bloodstream. At age 42 I have already encountered over 60 gout attacks :I starred in Brokeback Mountain: . In years past I would get gout about every 6-8 weeks. Now that I understand gout more and have changed my eating and drinking habits, now I only get it once or twice a year. All males on my mother's side get gout, so heridity does have a role in my case. I know the pain and don't wish it on anybody. I have learned to control gout through daily medication such as Alloporunial (sp), drinking plenty of water, avoid drinking binges, and modifying my eating habits. I suggest that you follow your doctor's advice and take the medicine as long as you don't get any side effects. If you don't get gout under control the build up of uric acid forms not only the crystals for a gout attack but will ultimately lead to kidney stones. All the older males in my family have had kidney stones and like an actual gout attack they are very painful and may eventual lead to surgury or other treatments to pass the stones. But even taking Allopurunial everyday does not stop all attacks. You need to be very attentive to the warning signs that lead up to a gout attack. First of all there are all types of foods that you will find that can cause a build up of uric acid and I won't list all the different types, but the one thing that was told to me by my doctor is that if you eat these various types of foods, make sure you do it in moderation, just like drinking. Eat shellfish, turkey, organ meats, and/or drink alcohol (especially beer and hard liquor) three days in a row you will get gout no matter what you do to prevent it. The best way to cure a gout attack is right in the beginning. At the first twinge of pain in the joint (usually a toe joint) I begin rubbing the effected joint to get the circulation going and try to move the crystals along, take sodium naproxin (OTC anti-inflamatory), and drink plenty of water to help dilute the sodium naproxin and flush the system of the uric acid. During this time avoid all alcohol or other foods mentioned above (the complete list is extensive and some of the items I would never believe are on the list). Also, I have found that cherries and blueberries are the best to help reduce the amount of uric acid in your blood stream. Hope this helps you out.