Anyone else have Gout?

[susanjoypaul]

Definitely - one benefit is I am going to be a lot healthier from now on. Issue will be protein intake - my body is used to 100g+ per day during heavy lifting weeks. I've been using a lot of chickpeas and other legumes, chicken and salmon but its hard to hit my usual macros without whey...

I lift six days a week and average 120 to 150 grams of protein a day - and I'm vegan. It's not hard once you do some research and get your diet dialed in. For example, a can of veg chili with a serving of Beyond Steak stirred in (I fry it first in a little olive oil) has 35 grams of protein. Add a cup of unsweetened soy milk and you're at 42 grams in one meal. If you're using whey protein, switch to a mix of rice and pea protein. You can find this stuff at grocery stores or just order it online. I hit at least 40 grams per meal to get my 120, and try to include protein in snacks, too - I usually eat half an apple a day with a big scoop of peanut butter (8 grams) and sixteen peanuts (in the shell) for another 8 grams (I think... Can't remember the exact number there). There are vegan and vegetarian athletes in here who do a lot more than I do without meat or dairy... You could reach out to them for meal ideas or just join an online vegan bodybuilding social group. Good luck

[TakeMeToYourSummit]

Gout is a very individualized ailment. That said - I can definitely share some of the foods that help/hurt me, as well as other general advice. I usually have my flareups in my ankles - but have also experienced them in my knees & even one time in my wrist. Allopurinol is a great option; not expensive & very mild side effects. The cherry (fruit, juice, & pill) advice above is good. Other fruits such as apples, oranges, & bananas also have helped me greatly. I still am able to drink moderately without usually experiencing flareups. Even when I do have a flareup I can usually trace it back to the lack of fruit in my diet being more likely as the culprit over an abundance of alcohol being the cause. For me, more than meat being a typical problem - I have found that bread (sourdough in particular) causes issues. Some studies show that 2 cups of black coffee per day can help males with gout (not sure why its gender specific). I would agree & usually have a cup or two everyday at work. I always like to think that gout is just reminding me that I should be eating healthier & watching my intake of certain things. Another interesting note is that times when I've injured myself have sometimes led to flareups or other times that flareups have sometimes led to injuries. I'm guessing that is probably the case with a number of other inflammatory ailments. As some have alluded to above - if I even slightly suspect a flareup coming (or roll an ankle) if I stop drinking alcohol that day & force fruit & plenty of water down - I can usually avoid a flareup or at least reduce the impact/length.

[ncxhjhgvbi]

There are vegan and vegetarian athletes in here who do a lot more than I do without meat or dairy... You could reach out to them for meal ideas or just join an online vegan bodybuilding social group. Good luck

Thanks! I need to find some recipes that I am excited to make and eat. I've ordered a few cookbooks for now (vegan/gout diet)

I always like to think that gout is just reminding me that I should be eating healthier & watching my intake of certain things.

Thank you for your advice as well! This is the mindset I am trying to take at the moment

Really appreciate all the responses from everyone. I was blindsided into having to make significant life changes and everyone's words and advice have given me a little bit more hope!

[Prairie Dog]

I haven’t posted here for quite sometime, but as someone who has dealt with gout flare ups for about the past 20 years, I thought I would offer up my $0.02.

I get flare ups once in a while - usually about once or twice per year lately. Usually affecting the big toe but occasionally the ankle. I usually can’t trace a flare up to a particular food but I’m usually not to careful about what I eat other than to maintain a typical healthy and varied diet. I don’t try to avoid anything in particular but try not to overdue it on any one thing - like if I want beer - I have beer but try not to consume a ton of it etc.

When flare ups occur - for me, prednisone is the go to. A few days worth of prednisone will almost always stop a flare up in its tracks. Prednisone requires a prescription and therefore will necessitate at doctor visit, but it’s cheap and if used only occasionally has few side affects. I usually get as much as I can and hoard it for future flare ups.

If I don’t have prednisone and it can’t get it quickly and easily, I have controlled flare ups with NSAIDs. Naproxen works best for me, but ibuprofen can work as well. Take as much as the label allows - maybe even more if you’re feeling brave

As for prevention, this is anecdotal because I’ve not seen many reports of using this method, but Vitamin C seems to work for me. I take vitamin C daily and as long as I take it - flare ups seem to be rare. If I get complacent and stop taking my vitamin C - I can expect a flare up within a few weeks…

I got the vitamin C idea from reading the works of Linus Pauling (a fairly famous chemist from back in the day). He advocated mega doses of vitamin C to treat almost anything (he basically said one could cure cancer with high enough doses of vitamin C). This is not widely accepted science and may be totally false - but take it for what it’s worth.

So, when I says I take vitamin C daily, I don’t mean one tablet. I usually take about four grams per day - way above the recommended daily allowance and also less than Linus Pauling would probably have recommended….

High doses of vitamin C can cause diarrhea - you can’t start taking 4 grams per day all at once without experiencing the runs. Start at a smaller dose and work your way up to higher doses to avoid this unwanted side effect.

I have no scientific evidence that vitamin C is effective in preventing gout flare ups - only my own anecdotal evidence. But like I said, for me - if I keep taking my vitamin C flare ups seem rare - stop taking it - flare up coming within a few weeks.

I must point out that I am not a doctor. Don’t trust anything you read from a random poster on the internet. Check with your doctor before starting any drug (or supplement) regimen.

Vitamin C seems to work for me - it’s cheap and readily available and doesn’t seem to have any harmful side effects. Maybe it’s a placebo effect because I expect it to work - but seems to work for me. YMMV.

[scalba123]

Allopurinol is a fairly innocuous medicine but it reduces your uric acid production which is the primary cause of gout. I've had gout, among every other foot/joint malady there is, for 30 years. If you get a blood test, and your uric acid levels are high, a script of Allopurinol is the way to go. I have been on it for nearly a decade now, and I honestly cannot recall the last occurrence. If you have an outbreak, the best medicine to take for "the most immediate" relief is Colchicine. It's also fairly benign otherwise. I used to carry a small quantity on all hikes and it really could break down an attack in about 20-30 minutes. Without insurance, it's now a pricy drug - but with a provider, it's not that bad and is great last-minute insurance when you're stuck 14K up and 150 miles from home, taking off the boot to massage a hot toe or ankle.

Diet is also a good route, especially if you aren't a believer in chemistry or western medicine.

+1 on the Allopurinol. Been taking it for years with no flare ups.