To make it easier to understand the treatment for gout guidelines, I have produced a chart showing which guidelines are important for your gout.
You simply follow the questions and recommendations to find the most important gout treatment recommendations for your situation. If you need further information about any treatment for gout guideline, you simply click the link to the discussion for that guideline. Please note that, as of 2010, the old discussions are no longer available, but you can start a new discussion to discuss your questions or opinions on gout treatment guidelines.
Please feel free to ask any question about the recommended treatment for gout. If you want to comment on the layout of the chart, you can do so below – I really appreciate your feedback.
As of 2011, I am totally reorganizing my gout treatment help section, and once that is finished, I will update and extend the gout management guideline charts. If you like this type of presentation, please let me know, and I will think about applying it to other aspects of coping with gout.
Thank you for this work you do. While I have most likely been experiencing discomfort from gout in my foot for over a year I had no idea. Even after I developed toe pain, even bilateral toe pain I was told I didn’t have gout because the blood chems showed auric acid levels too low to cause gout. So says the doctor at the walk-in clinic. It was an ER /Internist that explained the effects of a UA spike. This while my foot looked like a football.
I am seeing an arthritis specialist but info is slow in coming. It may be due to communication and culture barriers (he ain’t from around here).
Because of your site I understand that he can’t put me on the allopurinol at this time. I wish he was more forthcoming with info. He and the Mayo Clinic say legumes are fine but most sites say not to eat them. I love dried beans but have heard of one man that is positive they are a trigger. Who can tell me the truth?
My Mac is so slow that I may need to oil it. I will try to go the library and print off the whole of your site. You are at least letting me know the questions to ask while providing some answers as well.
I do know that if I push lemon water and fruit juices and load up on my high ORAC level Xocai Power Squares my pain is diminished and the swelling seems to fade faster than with out the chocolate. I had tried a few gallons of alkaline water but I suspect the back to back, ignoring the pun, cortisone injections had much to do with the huge reduction in the swelling.
I’m rambling on because it helps me think through this dis-ease. I still wonder of there is a true gout cure, something that takes one’s body to a point before the UA buildup began. I hope and pray that I can get to the point that my UA levels and my diet only need to be monitored and not policed.
Don’t think you have to post this. If you do I invite you to heavily edit. I am reminded by your site that while information is power, sharing information is powerful!
Thank you
I only edit posts to remove self-serving links.
The key to your issues lie in “blood chems showed [a]uric acid levels too low to cause gout”
The use of low/normal/high etc is pointless when referring to uric acid numbers. You must know (and share) the exact number complete with the scale. A single test is subject to fluctuations that might confuse the result. Until you have a clear diagnosis, I would recommend tests every 4 weeks. If any results are above 5mg/dL (0.30mmol/L), then you are at serious risk for gout. Though not conclusive, if this is combined with gout-like swelling and pain, then gout is almost certain.
If that is the case, then random adjustments to diet are not the answer – you need a gout management plan.