Gout after a round of AVELOX

[ableape]

I was treated with Avelox for pneumonia.  It has a known side effect of causing tendinitis, which I did get in my left ankle.  Also, I had a bout of gout in the same foot at the left big toe joint after the tendinitis started.  I already knew I had gout. I am wondering if the Avelox triggered the gout, too?

Avelox is very similar to Cipro, which I had already had cause a case of tendinitis in the ankle several years ago.  The thing is, these two bouts of tendinitis were very gouty in nature.  Along with the sore tendons, the ankle swelled up a lot.  It became a big red ball that was hot to the touch.  There was a non stop throbing pain, like a hammer on the ankle.  I couldn't walk for several days.

There are other things that might have triggered my current gout besides the Avelox.  During the flu, and the subsequent pneumonia, I lost all appetitie and lost several pounds.  I have read that disruption to the diet can cause gout.  I also ran a very high fever, 103-104 for a number of days.  Could the fever trigger the gout?  I had a hard time staying hydrated during the fever.  So, there is that consideration as well.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Able Ape

[Keith Taylor (GoutPal Admin)]

I cannot find anything to specifically link Avelox (moxifloxacin) with gout or elevated uric acid levels, but a bout of pneumonia is certainly enough.

Pneumonia can induce hypoxia (lack of oxygen in the blood) and acidosis (lowered pH), both of which are strongly associated with gout. If you couple this with rapid weight loss and dehydration, it is almost guaranteed to result in gout.

[zip2play]

ableape,

I have been under a hideous amount  of stress and anxiety for the last 6 weeks, and, like you with your bout with pneumonia,  in stressful times I have trouble LOOKING at food much less eating it. THus I have lost 11 pounds. The weight loss is welcome and attractive but it has caused a rise in my uric acid level, an increase in my allopurinol needs, and at least 3 suspicious “toe attacks” each of which I have aborted with 3 or 4 colchicine.

I am pretty sure the mechanism is this: When we lose weight it is impossible to do it witout considerable loss of lean tissue in addition to fat and some glycogen (which is quickly replaced.) The lean tissue is made up of cells crammed full of nucleic acids and the route of breakdown of these nucleic acids is>>>>>>Uric Acid.

I think rapid weight loss is perhaps the quickest way to a gout attack in people with gout. Even people WITHOUT gout may inititate their first attack this way.

I have no knowledge or experience with either of these newer fluoroquinolone antibiotics.

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