glen asked on Thu, 17 Jul, 2008

is there any medicine or anything that can cure my gout? coz i was told by my doctor that i have to take the medicine till my last breath. is it true?

jay_d_skinner replied on Thu, 17 Jul, 2008

You got it, no magic cure. If you are just having the symptoms and this is your first attack. Its possible that you can stop the medication after you feel your toes/foot is better. Then just keep an eye open for the dull ache returning and hop back on your medications. There are some dietary rules to follow that might (might) reduce the rapid repeat of the attacks, but you probably won't like them either.

TXcousin replied on Thu, 17 Jul, 2008

No cure. Allopurinol is the medication your Doc says you will have to take for the rest of your life. Allopurinol acts to reduce the amount of uric acid in your body, it does nothing to relieve the pain of gout flares. For that there are anti-inflammatory drugs, colchicine is the age old remedy for flares, or naproxen and other nsaids, and celebrex is currently being studied for approval by the FDA for treatment of gout flares.. Allopurinol works, but in some people it can start to screw up your liver. I was on Allopurinol for 8 months, never having a flare during that time, but my liver funtions got a little high, so I stopped, and still haven't had a flare 8 months later. So, regarding the rest of your life thing, I think thats partly a judgement call on your part, and your doctors, along with close monitoring of your blood levels. A new medication called Febuxostat has been approved for use in Europe, and should soon be approved by the FDA, is supposed to work better with less side affects. Don't believe anyone who tells you that red meat and alcohol is the cause of your gout. That is a misconception from ancient times, the so called "Disease of the Kings". Higher protein foods have higher purine content, but all protein contains purines. Your gout is caused by your bodies inability to eliminate uric acid, nobody knows why. The uric acid forms crystals which get stuck in your joints, which causes the inflammation. You can avoid high protein organ meats such as liver, and shellfish too they say, but you still have to eat, and drink, and the uric acid will build no matter what, (without medication.) So don't let anyone try to lay a guilt trip on you about your diet or your alcohol consumption, that's crap.

♥ღ♥Jeanene♥ღ♥ replied on Thu, 17 Jul, 2008

I think you may have to. You may want to check out this site,or google Gout to find out more. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gout/DS00090