Medicines For Gout Attacks
The main goal of treatment during a gout attack is to decrease pain and swelling. Some medicines are safe for people with kidney disease, and some are not. Talk to your doctor about which medicines make the most sense for you to try.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
NSAIDs are medicines that decrease pain and swelling. Some NSAIDs are available over-the-counter, like ibuprofen and naproxen sodium. Stronger NSAIDs like indomethacin and celecoxib must be prescribed by a doctor. Taking NSAIDs can lead to kidney disease over time or make kidney disease worse. NSAIDs may not be recommended when you have kidney disease even for the treatment of gout attacks.
Colchine
Colchine is a medicine that can relieve pain. Your doctor may recommend taking colchine during a gout attack, or low doses of colchine every day if you have chronic gout. Colchine may not be recommended for people with kidney disease. Talk to your doctor about whether colchine is right for you.
Corticosteroids, also known as steroids
Steroids are strong medicines used to decrease swelling and pain. Steroids are usually only given for gout if you cannot take NSAIDS or colchine. Steroids can be in the form of a pill or given as an injection. Talk to your doctor about whether steroids are safe for you.
Take Caution With Supplements For Gout
As for the many supplements and other purported home remedies available for gout, including turmeric and bromelain, there is no significant evidence backing them up as of now, and theres no adequate evidence showing that supplements have any effect even comparable to that of medicines.
From my point of view, says Dr. Fields, the home remedy concept to gout is often harmful because it keeps patients from taking medications that we know are effective.
Who Is Affected By Gout
Gout can affect anyone. It usually occurs earlier in men than women. It generally occurs after menopause in women. Men can be three times more likely than women to get it because they have higher levels of uric acid most of their lives. Women reach these uric acid levels after menopause.
People are more likely to get gout if they have:
- Obesity, or a lot of extra weight.
You are also more likely to develop gout if you:
- Consume a diet high in animal proteins
- Consume a significant amount of alcohol
- Are on water pills .
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A Little Reminder About Gout
Just as a reminder in case you havent read our general page on what gout is gout is created when your body produces more uric acid than it can get rid of. The result is a build-up also known as hyperuricemia.
This build up isnt always a major problem some people can still flush it through.
Unfortunately for many people however, this build up ends up forming urate crystals and these crystals travel around your body until they settle on joints, causing very painful inflammation, swelling and long-term joint damage.
This stage is known as gouty arthritis or gout to you and I.
If you want to more about how gout is diagnosed, the triggers behind likely attacks and the dangers of not treating it properly, please see our pageGout Triggers.
Now Back To Your Gout-Ridden Knee
We all know gout loves to attack your big toe, but the truth is that many people get it in their knees first or in addition to other areas. Gout is just a lover of your joints and will happily rest on your knees and attack them either instead of, or as well as, lodging on other areas of your body.
However, if you understand how gout operates, what causes it to flourish and how your knees interact with gout, then it is manageable now and avoidable in the future.
Avoiding future attacks
Treatment for gout in the knee, as with all gout, revolves around two key aims to control the pain during an attack and to prevent future flare ups.
Studies On Cbd And Gout
In a 2015 study published in the European Journal of Pain, the research team investigated the effects of transdermal CBD in a rat model of arthritis. They found out that transdermal administration of CBD has long-lasting therapeutic effects without psychoactive side effects . Thus, the use of topical CBD has potential as an effective treatment of arthritic symptomatology, as cited in the study. Although these results were noticed in rats, they are encouraging for gout patients seeking relief from pain and inflammation, as all animals have the same endocannabinoid system.
According to a 2018 review of the literature published in Current Opinion in Pharmacology, cannabinoids such as CBD and THC could potentially treat pain linked to osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis that causes the cartilage and bones to degrade. The authors of the report also noted that the bodys ECS has an important role in pain signaling from joints to the brain. This could benefit patients who experience high levels of pain from gout .
Another 2018 study conducted by Baron et al. reported positive results from a cohort of medical cannabis patients. Researchers found that cannabis strains high in caryophyllene and myrcene one of the many terpenes in the plant were successful in treating headaches, migraines, and other sources of pain, including arthritis .
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Fourth Stage Chronic Tophaceous Gout
Finally, chronic tophaceous gout, or fourth-stage gout, occurs when gout is left untreated for too long. Most people do not get this far with proper medication and treatment. Often taking several years or more than a decade to develop fully, chronic tophaceous gout entails hard nodules called tophi developing in the joints and tissues surrounding the joints.
Over time, tophi can do permanent damage to the joints and is the most debilitating, causing skin ulcers to appear. This is extremely rare and only if left untreated for decades. Tophi also often appear in other parts of the body, such as the fingers and ears. Permanent kidney damage at this point is also a possibility.
Treatment For Gout In The Knee
‘The Knee Is Unique In It’s Function And Delicacy’
Treatment for gout in the knee specifically which exercises help? How far should you elevate it? What supportive equipment is best?
Anything Affecting Your Knee Needs To Be Customised. Treatment For Gout in the knee is no different. Gout is agony. In your knee it will literally stop you in your tracks.
This is part of our series looking at specific treatments for gout in detail. Not just listing exercise, but which exercises for each part of your body affected by gout? Where so many big websites seek to offer generic advice that doesnt help at all, we seek to get to the heart of the issue.
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How Will Gout Affect Me
Attacks can vary from person to person. Some people only have an attack every few years, while others have attacks every few months.
Without medication attacks tend to happen more often and other joints can become affected.
Having high urate levels and gout for a long time can lead to other health problems, including:
- narrowing of the arteries – which can lead to an increased risk of stroke or heart attacks or other heart problems
- osteoarthritis, which occurs when the urate crystals and hard tophi cause joint damage.
- an increased risk of developing kidney disease or worsening of the condition if you already have it
- kidney stones
- an increased risk of some cancers, especially prostate cancer
- mental health problems, including depression
- underactive thyroid
- erectile dysfunction in men.
If you take medication to lower your urate levels, and have a healthy diet and lifestyle, most of the damage and complications caused by gout can be stopped.
Treatments for gout are incredibly successful. There are two main parts to treating gout, which are:
- treating the acute attack
- treatments to prevent future attacks.
Why Are Your Feet So Vulnerable To Gout
Your feet and, more precisely, your big toes are the most common area to be affected if you suffer with gout. Just why your feet are so vulnerable is unclear.
Some parties claim this is down to temperature urate crystals forming faster in cooler temperatures and your toes being among the coolest areas because they are furthest from the heart.
However, the truth is more complicated than that as Roddy concluded in an article for the Journal Of Foot And Ankle Research, the reasons for gout appearing in the toe first are
multi-factorial in origin and arises from the unique combination of the susceptibility of the joint to OA and local anatomical considerations of temperature, minor physical trauma and biomechanical stress
In other words, there are a number of reasons why gout will often attack your toe first.
The same is also true however of your heel its distance from your heart and its propensity to suffer trauma or stress make it another prime target.
How gout forms
Just as a quick reminder, gout is formed when your body produces more uric acid than it can get rid of via your kidneys. This condition is often referred to as hyperuricemia.
Having a high level of uric acid doesnt necessarily mean that youll suffer with gout, because its only when urate crystals are formed from the uric acid that gout begins.
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Risk Factors For Gout
Gout is more likely to occur in:
- Men. Men have a seven to nine times higher risk of gout than women, although the risk increases for women after menopause
- People with a diet high in purine-rich foods such as red meat, organ meats , seafood . Processed foods , refined carbohydrates and beverages high in fructose or sucrose also contribute to gout
- Certain ethnicities
- People who overindulge in alcohol, particularly beer and spirits
- People with certain medical conditions , and with some medications or treatments .
What Increases The Risk Of Gout
The exact cause of gout is not known. But, certain things may increase the risk of getting it. You are more likely to have gout if other people in your family have it. Being overweight can also increase the risk of gout.
Some medicines may raise the level of uric acid in your body and lead to a gout attack. Such medicines include aspirin and some types of diuretics . Tell your health care professional all of the medicines you take, and always talk with him or her before you stop taking any medicine.
Certain foods and drinks may also increase the risk of a gout attack:
- Red meats and organ meats
- Seafood
- Foods and drinks that contain high fructose corn syrup
- Alcohol
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Why Do I Suffer From Gout
One word: hyperuricemia. Or, in other words, increased uric acid in your blood. This is the reason why your joints are painful and inflamed. Uric acid is a normal product in your body it is a substance that breaks down purines in your body which are found in certain foods that we eat, in addition to being found in human cells. When your body overproduces uric acid, youre at risk for developing gout. But, why would your body overproduce uric acid?
The triggers of hyperuricemia include:
- Injury
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Eating large amounts of red meat and shellfish
- Dehydration
- Drinking sugary sodas
It is these types of triggers that can create the hyperuricemia, which can result in gout. When you overproduce uric acid, your kidneys have to work harder to flush out the extra uric acid out of your bloodstream, as they would normally do.
What Increases Your Chances For Gout
The following make it more likely that you will develop hyperuricemia, which causes gout:
- Being male
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How Much Should You Take
Despite the fact that research strongly suggests that cherry juice can treat gout, there isnt yet a standard dosage. The amount of cherry juice that you consume should depend on the intensity of your symptoms.
The Arthritis Foundation suggests eating a handful of cherries or drinking a glass of tart cherry juice per day, since the available research noted improvements in people who drank a glass every day.
However, its always best to talk to your doctor before pursuing any treatment, as they might be able to give you more specific directions on dosage.
Pain Relief Without Medicine
Use cold. If your pain isn’t too bad, try cold packs or compresses on the joint to lower inflammation and soothe the ache. Wrap ice in a thin towel and apply it to the joint for up to 20 minutes several times a day. Do not apply ice to your hands or feet if you have nerve problems from diabetes or other causes.
Rest the joint. It’s a good idea to rest it until the pain eases up. You probably won’t want to move it much anyway. If you can, raise the joint on a pillow or other soft object.
Drink water. When your body doesnât have enough water, your uric acid levels rise even higher. Stay hydrated to help keep those levels normal.
Watch what you eat and drink. Foods that are high in substances called purines, such as some seafood, organ meats like liver, and fatty foods, can raise the uric acid in your blood even more. So can fructose-sweetened drinks and alcohol — especially beer.
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When Should Someone Seek Medical Care For Gout
Anyone who has a sudden onset of a hot, red, swollen joint should seek medical care, either with a primary care physician, at an emergency department, or with a rheumatologist . These symptoms can also be due to an infection, loss of cartilage in the joint, or other reasons. It is important to make an accurate diagnosis of gouty arthritis for optimal treatment.
If one has been diagnosed with gout and has had more than one attack of arthritis, take the medication prescribed by a physician for these attacks. The individual should be seen by a physician, in the emergency department, or urgent care center if the attack does not respond to this treatment. The individual may need regular medications to prevent further arthritis flares.
Attacks of abdominal pain due to kidney stones may be related to uric acid kidney stones from gout.
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Tea Tree Essential Oil has so many diverse uses that it is a must-have in every home. It has broad antimicrobial and antifungal properties making it perfect for the treatment of conditions such as gout.
When blended with a carrier oil and applied topically, tea tree essential oil desensitizes inflamed nerve endings, therefore, relieving the pain of gout.
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Is Marijuana Good Or Bad For You
As always, I cannot give you a single answer that will satisfy your interest here. Marijuana has been used by people for over 3000 years to treat various issues, symptoms, and conditions. It was banned in most states and most countries, but this is changing as we speak.
In essence, . There was plenty of research across the globe and all of them found the same thing. It can be used and it is beneficial in this case scenario.
In 2018, the FDA approved using a medication that contains CBD for treating a particular type of epilepsy called Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes. Keep in mind that they were referring to medicinal marijuana, and it wont get you high. CBD doesnt contain psychoactive properties, only THC does.
Some risk is present and it is linked to testicular cancer, chronic cough, and also the development of the bipolar disorder. However, the risk for all of these conditions is very low, and there is no single, major link discovered. What about marijuana and gout?
How To Prevent Gout
Most people can avoid gout by introducing simple changes to their lifestyle. Dietary changes that can decrease your risk of developing gout include cutting out high-purine foods, such as high-sugar processed food, alcohol, and trans fats. Also, increasing the intake of antioxidant-rich foods such as vegetables or grass-fed meat may help prevent the condition. Doctors recommend limiting alcohols and drinks sweetened with fructose on top of increasing water intake to help the kidneys flush out the excess uric acid.
Some people are at a higher risk of developing gout, especially those with a family history of gout attacks or an underlying health issue such as kidney underperformance. In these cases, doctors may prescribe medications that decrease the concentrations of uric acid in the blood, such as Allopurinol.
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Applying Ice To Affected Joints
Applying a cloth-covered ice pack to the joint can help reduce gout-related inflammation.
Try applying an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel for 1015 minutes at a time to help relieve pain.
If gout is affecting the feet, a person can also use a pack of frozen vegetables covered with a washcloth, as this may drape more easily over the feet.
Heightened stress can worsen a persons gout symptoms. While it is not always possible to eliminate all sources of stress, the following tips might help:
- exercising, such as taking a brief walk, if the pain does not limit movement
- asking for time off from work
- journaling or reading a favorite book
- listening to music