Anyone Had Gout?

[grinder]

G'day fellow brewers.
Have recently had Gout from drinking too much of my home brew and eating too much shell fish over x-mas.
What is the best solution to this problem???
Don't say stop drinking your home brew!!, I will be devastated!!
Anyway, any suggestions welcome.
Cheers
Grinder

 

[newguy]

G'day fellow brewers.
Have recently had Gout from drinking too much of my home brew and eating too much shell fish over x-mas.
What is the best solution to this problem???
Don't say stop drinking your home brew!!, I will be devastated!!
Anyway, any suggestions welcome.
Cheers
Grinder

I've never had it, but a couple of my uncles, my mom, and a few co-workers have had it over the years. From what I understand, you're not peeing enough. The uric acid that normally gets disposed of by the kidneys accumulates (crystalizes) in your joints because your body isn't able to dispose of it quickly enough. I'm not a doctor, but every person I know who has had gout has had the same prescription/remedy from the doctors.....drink a lot of water and preferably take some sort of diuretic as well - coffee, tea, etc. in order to make you pee more. Some doctors will actually prescribe a proper diuretic.

I suppose homebrew fits the bill to help you pee more, but be careful to not drink so much you start to do other damage (liver). If you sweat a lot (gee, summer in Australia, who doesn't?) make very sure that you drink even more water.

Be careful you don't throw your electrolyte balance out and drink a bottle of gatorade (sports drink) every day as well. If you pee out all your electrolytes you won't be doing yourself any good.

 

[Aaron]

No offense to anyone, but I would go for the advice of a health professional. Do what your doctor says.

 

[blackbock]

Several of my co-workers complained of it often (quite painful I believe)
and nearly everyone I've heard agreed that alcohol (not just homebrew) definitely aggravates it - and preserved meat products like salami!

 

[albrews]

G'day fellow brewers.
Have recently had Gout from drinking too much of my home brew and eating too much shell fish over x-mas.
What is the best solution to this problem???
Don't say stop drinking your home brew!!, I will be devastated!!
Anyway, any suggestions welcome.
Cheers
Grinder

hi, for you to know it is gout ,you must have already had it diagnosed by a health professional.

you don't say where the gout is in your body. usually it is in the toe joints or fingers. it is a form of arthritis.
and unfortunately imbibed alcohol is not recommended.

if you have the gouty arthritis with the uric acid crystals in the joints ,you would be experiencing terrible pain.
so, you have to dissolve the crystals somehow. a doctor can prescribe phenyl compounds (red pills)

using natural products, vit b5, and b6 high dose will help

ibuprofen will be needed to reduce the pain. maximum dose

things can only get better for you. alan

 

[johnno]

Bloke I work with got it about 3 years ago.

He loves his drink and meat but unfortunately for him he has had to give drinking up entirly and can only have meat rarely. Apparently his is a very severe case and he will need medication for many years to come if not the rest of his life.

He was on a very bland diet for a long long time as it is not only meats that affect you but the levels of protein in certain foods I beleive.

I hope you recover from it as from what I have seen with him it is a real shit of a thing to cop.

chers
johnno

 

[Paleman]

Im wondering if im a candidate for gout down the track ? I love a beer ( dont we all ).......and i frequently eat shellfish.

I have a weakness for fresh crabs, oysters and prawns......and whatever else is going. And eat this food as much as possible as i live in a fishing town.

My old man gets it every now and again, and says its the most painful thing he's ever experienced, although he hates seafood of any kind :blink: .........go figure.

 

[albrews]

Bloke I work with got it about 3 years ago.

He loves his drink and meat but unfortunately for him he has had to give drinking up entirly and can only have meat rarely. Apparently his is a very severe case and he will need medication for many years to come if not the rest of his life.

He was on a very bland diet for a long long time as it is not only meats that affect you but the levels of protein in certain foods I beleive.

I hope you recover from it as from what I have seen with him it is a real shit of a thing to cop.

chers
johnno

hi,
having had gouty arthritis myself, and recovering fully, since it is a temporary condition, the joints need lubrication after the crystals in the joints dissolve.

vitamin c , lemons and citrus, a little meat, a cigarette , a bache flower(usually the missus will suffice).i.e a buena vista
there's joint food like glucosomine sulphate but it takes weeks to have effect.
cartelidge food like pork ,lamb,beef joints will help (treat like with like)

fish products

all these help the situation, and iced water can be used to help extract the heat formed at the joint

cheers . alan

 

[dicko]

Hi all,

I dont think that I have ever suffered from gout but I do get arthritis in my knees ankles and hands in the winter and I have been taking
Melrose Norwegian Omega 18/12 Fish Oil.
I take 15 mls a day as recommended by the Royal Adelaide Hospital who are the suppliers of this product in SA, and it has a remarkable effect on my mobility.
I stopped taking it for a time and I could definately note the difference.

Have a look at

http://www.melrosehealth.com.au/

BTW I have no affiliation etc etc.

Cheers

 

[Coodgee]

youre probably going to have to see a doc - gout tends to be a chronic condition that can eventually destroy joints if left untreated. I believe the term 'gouty tophi' has been coined for the feta cheesey appearance of a joint that suffers prolonged exposure to uric acid crystals (but this takes years).

for the acute attack antiinflammatories like nurofen offer some pain relief, but prevention is much better and there are other meds that a doc can prescribe. Good hydration is important, but diuretics tend to precipitate attacks and should really be avoided where possible.

or so ive read...

 

[Adamt]

I'm going to put my honest opinion forward here.

First of all this has nothing to do with brewing; we're about brewing better beer, not "Helping you get over Gout", so if anything it should be in "The Pub" or "Off Topic".

Just with any medical condition, any medicine or treatment, medical advice is HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE based on individual's health circumstances. Even though most of the suggestions here will likely be beneficial should your condition, see your bloody doctor!

If you have already and he/se has diagnosed it as gout and nothing else, I'm sure he/she would have told you how to treat, and subsequently reduce the chance of contracting gout again in the future.

For what it's worth, I've heard (once again this is completely unfounded for your condition) that alcohol is typically bad for Gout, ESPECIALLY beer as the yeasts/yeast by-products are particularly bad.

 

[Pumpy]

I'm going to put my honest opinion forward here.

First of all this has nothing to do with brewing; we're about brewing better beer, not "Helping you get over Gout", so if anything it should be in "The Pub" or "Off Topic".

Just with any medical condition, any medicine or treatment, medical advice is HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE based on individual's health circumstances. Even though most of the suggestions here will likely be beneficial should your condition, see your bloody doctor!

If you have already and he/se has diagnosed it as gout and nothing else, I'm sure he/she would have told you how to treat, and subsequently reduce the chance of contracting gout again in the future.

For what it's worth, I've heard (once again this is completely unfounded for your condition) that alcohol is typically bad for Gout, ESPECIALLY beer as the yeasts/yeast by-products are particularly bad.

this is quite an interesting read for Gout sufferers

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

Pumpy

 

[Franko]

Ive had the gout 3 times so far.
I always seem to get it in my left big toe- feels like someone hit it with a sledgehammer.All I can say is see your doctor and he will prescribe some anti inflammatory pills and possibly some preventative medicene.
Its not all bad I seem to get it when drinking wild turkey the day before and lasts from 3-7 days for me.
Lucky though I havent had it for 4-6 months now

 

[sinkas]

Hi All,

Gout is a fairly over diagnosed condition, but having said that one that can be tough to diagnose anyway, There area an awful lot of older men out there with sore toes, on gout medication without any real evidence they have it.

If you want to stay off meds for it, then over summer, lay of the meats and booze, and eat alot of rich ripe black cherries ( Fresh while they are cheap), If you need a rationale for this I can give it, but, a number of my patients have reported good pain relief form this simple dietary modification.

 

[Screwtop]

Sounds like someone who actually has gout should reply.

Firstly NEVER, NEVER offer Ibuprophen or Neurophen to anyone or take them unless you know for sure you are not allergic to them. They are extremely dangerous if a person is allergic.

NEXT:

see your bloody doctor!

I have suffered from gouty arthritus (Gout) for 16 years and also Meniers Syndrome which is related in a way.

Both are caused in some people by the kidneys inability to properly deal with certain compounds, and the result is higher than normal levels of uric acid in the blood. Gout occurs when uric acid levels cause calcification in joints, mainly in the extremities, commonly the big toe, ankle, knee and elbow. Gout causes extreme pain, just the weight of a bedsheet on an affected joint can be excruciating. Meneirs is caused by crystals (otoliths) forming in the inner ear (the bodys balance mechanism). The brain attempts to alter vision to suit the perceived tilt and voila, motion sickness. Having experienced seasickness it is exactly the same, inability to balance and nausea. During a Meniers attack I throw up constantly and cannot stand up, have to lie still, cant focus on anything, can last from a few days to a week, nothing they can do but put me in hospital on a drip. A travel sickness tablet carried in my wallet will stop an attack if noticed early.

Different people can be affected to varying degrees and by different trigger foods. For me, both are triggered by GINGER and manufactured ham, not ham off the bone. A friend and fellow gout sufferer cannot eat tomatoes or oranges, he gets Gout in the elbow. For many sufferers of meniers it's triggered by chocolate, alcohol and caffeine. Used to think it was caused by Scotch, but it was the gingerale that I mixed it with.

For Gout, GPs will sometimes prescribe a daily dose of Allopurinol as a preventative to guard against frequent attacks causing kidney damage. Also Colchicine may be prescribed to treat Gout attack. These give relief within hours, but cause diarrhoea for days.

See a doctor, have the blood test, then identify what triggers Gout for you, GPs are really not much help there, they will have suggestions, but you have to identify for yourself what your body doesnt like.

 

[sqyre]

I agree with screwtop. Talk to your doctor.or get a 2nd opinion.



I have also had it in my Knee.. which gave me strife for months untill i went to the doctors thinking i had busted something. He felt my knee and said by the heat coming off that it was an infection or gout.He did a blood test and found my "whos-a-whatsy" levels were to high and that it was gout.

I then took some absolutly brain numbing drugs for 3 weeks then onto another lot for a month and all gone. The Doc boasted it shouldn't come back... and it hasn't yet.



Apparently the drugs i took break down the crystals in the joins but the side affect is you sometimes just "wake up" watching television, driving your car,or whatever..
(oh and the kidney failure screwtop mentioned, must be the same sorta stuff)
Pretty much out of it most of the time. :blink:

Had to stop taking them as i was forgeting how to speak...



Sqyre

 

[PostModern]

First of all this has nothing to do with brewing; we're about brewing better beer, not "Helping you get over Gout", so if anything it should be in "The Pub" or "Off Topic".

Absolutely. Mods don't always read every thread, feel free to report the post.

Moving this to Off Topic.

 

[grinder]

I'm going to put my honest opinion forward here.

First of all this has nothing to do with brewing; we're about brewing better beer, not "Helping you get over Gout", so if anything it should be in "The Pub" or "Off Topic".

Just with any medical condition, any medicine or treatment, medical advice is HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE based on individual's health circumstances. Even though most of the suggestions here will likely be beneficial should your condition, see your bloody doctor!

If you have already and he/se has diagnosed it as gout and nothing else, I'm sure he/she would have told you how to treat, and subsequently reduce the chance of contracting gout again in the future.

For what it's worth, I've heard (once again this is completely unfounded for your condition) that alcohol is typically bad for Gout, ESPECIALLY beer as the yeasts/yeast by-products are particularly bad.

"Chill out" Adamt, have another brew. Lifes' too short.

 

[sqyre]

Get it looked at dude...and get it fixed..

If you love your beer you will just have to adjust to make it fit in with your life.

I'm doing the same at the moment..my problem is similiar, if i keep doing what i'm doing i may not live long enough to really enjoy it, or anything else. Sacrafices may have to be made.But you do them so you can have a few over the weekend and have the occasional session.

Iv'e had a bit of a reality check lately and i'm working so i can still be a brewer and still live to be 90..(fingers crossed)

i'm not bagging brewing, (hell no) but if you live on the stuff...well.. sometimes it can bite you on the arse.



Cheers Sqyre...

 

[Adamt]

I'm all for chilling out, and I've had PLENTY of brews this evening B)

Life doesn't need to be short, why in bleeding heck would you want life to be short when it can be longer and more enjoyable? Doctors and other medical professionals are specifically trained, educated and experienced in solving such problems as Gout.

I don't ask professional basketballers how to solve second order differential equations, even though the occasional one might know the answer. Why would you ask brewers how to prevent/treat a medical condition?

People who know me say I'm a pretty relaxed person. However, these people also know that human idiocy really irritates me.

I'm sorry that you're suffering, but see a doctor, get an educated solution based on your condition, if it gets worse, sue for malpractice.