Gout

[Myshitisreal]

Hi there

I wondered if anyone had any experience with gout? I've been getting this excruciating pain in my big toe. I'm going to ring the doctors in the morning, but I was curious in the mean time.

After reading nhs website, its just the pain. No swelling or redness.. Just an excruciating stabbing pain in my big toe. I can't put up with it any more. My general health isn't great at all with chronic pain, thyroid issues, anaemia, uhhh the list is long. So it can be confusing as things ask blend together. I've had two episodes of temperature the past few nights.

My partner has it sporadically and is prescribed naproxen which really helps.

How do they experience it? Symptoms? Naproxen makes me projectile vomit for some reason 😂 thank you for replying

My DH is currently suffering from it and has been prescribed Colchicine as he can’t take anti-inflammatory medication. He’s been on crutches with it, the pain has been so bad. I hope you get it treated quickly.

We had to go to A&E as well and they ran tests on his uric acid levels before prescribing. He has had a renal transplant so his medication needs are complex.

Gout is so painful. I'm on Allopurinol for the rest of my life. I have to say, it has done the trick. There were times I couldn't bear the weight of a blanket on my toe. Colchicine made me as sick as a dog, only provided short term relief. You have to rest the joint, just don't move it. There are sharp urea crystals in there, and if you move the joint it wears the bone away. I regret trying to 'get my joint moving' now. I found that alcohol and stress brought on an attack, and got a leaflet from my GP about what foods antagonise the condition (plenty of fish, no red meat). So diet helps - but get drugs. Fast.

@ulysees that's awful, that must be scary.

I've been putting it off for weeks. It's not as bad as you guys say. I've been in the house a lot and put a shoe on yesterday while sat on the sofa and it just started throbbing.

I've read a bit about it but not too much. I'm just fed up adding new conditions to the list Truth be told.

I already take Tramadol and strong codeine but it looks like its the inflammatory route is helpful. I have ummm mefanemic acid which falls into that category I think.

My diet isn't awful and my husband is veggie so I don't eat heaps of meat. In fact I've only really started consciously eating it because of anaemia, and I had a folic acid deficiency last year (second time anaemia in a year) . My diet is restricted slightly as I have issues with food and textures so I do eat a lot of the same things. But we cook from scratch and most dinners have loads of veg.

Booze i can take or leave (but im probably an alco by mumsnet more than a glass of sherry a year 😅)

Sigh. I've bloods booked in for 9 days from now for other reasons and the doctor won't be able to magic any appointments up sooner.

Appreciate all the input
Hugs and solid to those struggling.

I had it in my big toe last year - out of the blue.

Doc diagnosed on a phone consult by asking about symptoms/history and saying 'does it look like a google picture of gout' - so you could have a look! I could not stand sock or bedsheets on it, and was using a walking stick to hobble about.

I took colchesine for about 3 days which helped a lot - got to about 90% better, but still appreciably painful if I poked it. I was walking and running again after 4 days. It then took several weeks to completely disappear.

It has not recurred since, so I'm hoping it's just a random one-off. I had uric acid levels tested after it had resolved, and they were fine.

Unfortunately, you do hear stories a lot worse than mine.

Be prepared for everyone to joke about your drinking habits - very funny ha ha. I hardly drink at all, and it's not always associated with that - though it can be. It can also be set off by some foods - venison is on that list and oddly (due to farmers market freezer clear out) I had eaten venison burger and venison sausages the two nights before mine struck, that that was a possible cause. Or maybe just random bad luck.

Dh suffers from it, started out of nowhere last january in his right big toe. Last summer it went for both his knees too, he literally couldn't even stand.

He used to be given colchicine and naproxen for a flare and then allopurinol but he can't take any of them now due to starting immunosuppressants. He usually just takes a 5 day course of prednisone.

I hope you're on the mend soon.

DH was also previously on allopurinal and looks like he will need to go back on it. His GP gave him tramadol for the pain but it barely took the edge off it he says. A few weeks prior to this he was hospitalised with Covid as well due to his weakened immune system. He doesn't have a rich diet and hardly drinks at all. Was taking coca-cola quite regularly though and had neglected to the take magnesium supplements following Covid so it might have been enough to tip him over the edge possibly.

That's funny/not funny about the blood tests - DH went to his GP who considered that it might be gout but then it was going to take another two weeks to test his uric acid levels. Two days later the pain was so bad the GP sent him to A&E and that's when he was diagnosed.

Its definitely one you want to deal with sooner rather than later. He also couldn't bare as much as a bedsheet on him.

OP, if you have any sports tape, look up the way to tape your toe (you'll need quite a long length!)
I've found it really helps the pain in my big toe joints when I get it.

You've all been so helpful. I'm unsure as the pain is intermittent & sharp stabbing (makes me suck my breath in) but not to the degree any of you have said. Then again I am taking mentioned tablets daily so possibly they're working to a tiny degree? But it's not near the level you all have described.

There's absolutely no visible signs or redness. I feel like my ankles are swollen but my wrists are puffy too. But then a lot of this i believe is thyroid related as I have thyroid antibodies as well 😂

I went out yesterday and am having knee pain in the same leg so that could be just general me shitness, or related.

I've not had so much luck health wise (although am incredibly lucky also if that makes sense), so I'm sorry. I know i probably sound like a hypochondriac. This is why I was reluctant to ring the doctor (hi, I've got a sore toe) but I'm making myself tomorrow. If it's not gout, it's something new and very painful when it strikes.

Everyone's been so nice. Mumsnet a bit scary to post on so i appreciate all your kindness and stories.

Hi there.
I'm really sorry if this is not helpful at all but could your toe pain be a corn? I only say this because I hobbled around last spring with excruciating toe pain - it was so bad that I got back pain from walking in such a weird, compensatory way! Anyway, if turned out that I had given myself a corn on the side of my toe from wearing my (then new) wellies. I treated it and it came out and then, as spring came and I wore them less, the corn didn't come back.

Just thought I'd mention it in case it's useful!

Honestly it was surprisingly painful for such a tiny thing!!

No it's not a corn but thank you for the thought ♥

Feet stuff is horrible isn't it 😂

My partner's toe swells, goes red and is incredibly tender. Gout can actually be a hereditary thing, rather than dietary.

Ok so it's not gout (thankfully) . I suspected this after chatting with you folks last night . The doctor said there would definitely be some visible sign/redness etc. She had no idea what it was and i felt a bit embarrassed for ringing. She was very very nice. I said look i was just worried in case it was gout. She wanted me to go in to get examined but I told her there's no point, there's nothing to see (and I know how precious doc appointments are at the minute).

So I'm going to use anti inflammtory cream on it 3 times a day and see what that does. 🤔

If it doesn't hurt like hell it's not likely to be gout. But gout is treatable - Colchicine got rid of mine in 6 days - and paracetamol helps.