wtf?...gout!?

[Victor]

i woke up early this morning with intense pain in my 2nd toe. it was very swollen and red. i thought maybe i had broken it playing soccer the night before. regardless i was in a lot of pain so i went to an urgent care center.

xrays were negative. the doctor then diagnosed gout. huh? im 25 and fairly heatlthy. i eat a normal diet and not a lot of fatty foods. i dont drink much anymore and hadnt drank in 4 days. im not obese, 5-10 and 190lbs. hell, i just ran a half marathon last week. i exercise a ton.

wtf? this is like the worst day of my life.

anyone out there know much about this condition. i am i f'ed forever.

[Shajen]

Veektor:

you "rich food" eater, you...

[AZK]

If someone has gout on and off for years, eventually uric acid crystals may accumulate in the body to form gritty nodules called "tophi." These nodules can appear as lumps under the skin near joints, at the rim of the ears or in the kidneys.

Uric acid comes from the natural breakdown of the genetic material in cells, RNA (ribonucleic acid) and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Some foods contain large amounts of uric acid, especially red meats and organ meats (such as liver and kidneys), as well as some shellfish and anchovies.

Uric acid in normal amounts remains dissolved in the blood and easily passes through the kidneys, leaving the body as waste. However, uric acid in high amounts makes a person more likely to develop gout.

The amount of uric acid in your blood can change depending on what you eat, your overall health, how much alcohol you drink and what medicines you are taking, as well as in response to a sudden illness.

Gout was once incorrectly thought to be a disease of the rich and famous, caused by consuming too much rich food and fine wine. Although diet and excessive drinking contribute to gout, they are not the main cause of the condition.

Gout results from abnormal deposits of uric acid crystals in the joint cartilage. The crystals are later released into the joint fluid.

ver time, gout attacks may occur more often, involve more joints, have more severe symptoms and last longer. Repeated attacks can damage the joint.

Some people will have only a single attack. However, most people who have one gout attack will have at least a second attack, although it may not occur for several years after the initial onset. Others may have attacks every few weeks.

Gout affects more than 2 million Americans -- most commonly men between the ages of 40 and 50, people who are overweight, people who frequently drink alcohol and people who use diuretics ("water pills") to lower blood pressure or treat heart failure.

n addition to diuretics, there are some medications that reduce the body's ability to flush out uric acid, thus increasing the risk for developing gout. These medicines include:

* Anti-inflammatory medications made from salicylic acid, such as aspirin.
* Cyclosporine, a medicine used to suppress the body's immune system (Cyclosporine often is used to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs.).
* Levodopa, a medicine used to treat Parkinson's disease.
* Niacin, a vitamin that is part of the vitamin B complex and sometimes used to treat high cholesterol.

There is no cure for gout, but it can be treated and controlled. Symptoms often are relieved within 24 hours after treatment has begun.

Dietary changes for most people do not play a major role in controlling their uric acid levels. However, limiting certain foods that cause an increased production of uric acid -- such as red meats and organ meats (for example, liver and kidneys), as well as some shellfish and anchovies -- and reducing alcohol intake is often helpful.

What Is the Outlook For People With Gout?

Although there is no cure for gout, it generally can be controlled with medication. Controlling gout can help prevent permanent damage to the joint.

[man]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gout

apparently half of our founding fathers had gout.

that's terrible, sorry to hear that man.

[Hopey]

Didn't the doctor give you any information about it?

I've had pain in my big toe for awhile. I thought I hurt it playing soccer a few months ago, but the pain never went away. It doesn't hurt constantly, but flares up once in awhile.

A friend of mine who is 39 was recently diagnosed with gout. He's a big drinker, though, and had his attack after drinking a massive amount of beer.

[asofel]

[ QUOTE ]
Didn't the doctor give you any information about it?

I've had pain in my big toe for awhile. I thought I hurt it playing soccer a few months ago, but the pain never went away. It doesn't hurt constantly, but flares up once in awhile.

A friend of mine who is 39 was recently diagnosed with gout. He's a big drinker, though, and had his attack after drinking a massive amount of beer.

[/ QUOTE ]

hmm....i might have to rethink that keg party with pjn...

[Victor]

[ QUOTE ]
Veektor:

you "rich food" eater, you...

[/ QUOTE ]

see im really not. i rarely eat red meat. my usual day is cereal in the morning. lunch meat and cheese sandwich tho only like 2 slices of meat. dinner is pasta or rice and usually chicken or pork.

i did drink a lot in the post but have lost interest and only drink once a week or so.

[Victor]

[ QUOTE ]
Some people will have only a single attack.

[/ QUOTE ]

i suppose i can cling to this for now.

[Victor]

[ QUOTE ]
I've had pain in my big toe for awhile. I thought I hurt it playing soccer a few months ago, but the pain never went away. It doesn't hurt constantly, but flares up once in awhile.

[/ QUOTE ]

likely not gout. gout is uber-painful and i could barely walk.

you may have turf-toe as i had that before.

[samjjones]

[ QUOTE ]

I've had pain in my big toe for awhile. I thought I hurt it playing soccer a few months ago, but the pain never went away. It doesn't hurt constantly, but flares up once in awhile.

[/ QUOTE ]
Might be turf toe. I jammed my toe really bad in my early teens, and 20 years later, this still flares up from time to time.