How long is this still going to last?

[Werner]

How long before allopurinol will make gout less painful

Hi guys

This is my first post here, bt I have been lurking in the background, reading and studying the sources here. I must say it is a great piece of work and my hat of to all the people who makes this site possible.

Now to business

I am a 39 year old male, 6′, and about 100kg. I have had gout since my early twenties. In the beginning I only got an attack once or twice a year, but every year it got worse, up to the point where i had a gout attack about 50% of the time. I tried many different drugs over the years but none of them really worked. My doctor put me on allopurinol but told me to stop taking it if i get an attack, which happened as soon as i took it, so i stopped. This cycle continued until i got fed up from the doctors device and started my own research into the matter.

About 3 months ago I started on Allopurinol again and steadily ramped up to about 600mg per day.

I also got a test kit and my current UA level fluctuates between 2 and 4 (been like this for about 7 weeks now).

I also take supplements like Vitamin C and some of these over the the counter mixes which includes the common homeopathic stuff.

For the last couple of weeks I am in constant pain, every time its seems to get better I get a fresh attack in another or the same joint. I am religiously taking the allopurinol though.

I know this is to be expected, but I must say I am getting a bit frustrated. How long is this going to last? Is there anything I can do to get it over faster?

On a side note, i have always been a heavy drinker, but i have cut back a lot in the last couple of years. I still drink about a bottle of whiskey a week though.

Thank you
Werner

[Keith Taylor (GoutPal Admin)]

When I started on allopurinol, the doctor also prescribed preventative colchicine. I found little discomfort, and soon dropped the colchicine, except for when I noticed a twinge of gout. On a few occasions, I had to resort to ibuprofen, but these attacks diminished to zero after about six months.

Everyone is different, and much depends on how long you have had gout, and on untreated uric acid levels prior to the start of allopurinol.

My best advice is to work with your doctor or pharmacist to find a pain treatment package that suits you. Some or all the elements of a gout pain package are important:
1. Limit the inflammation – colchicine is best here. It limits inflammation spreading, but does nothing for existing inflammation. This will reduce naturally in a few days, or you can use…
2. Reduce inflammation – NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, indomethacin, etc are best. These reduce inflammation in a few hours, and should soon stop pain. If you want to stop pain faster, supplement anti-inflammatories with …
3. Stop pain – any general analgesic that is compatible with NSAIDs will help kill pain faster. Be certain to tell your pharmacist about all medications and supplements you are taking so that they can advise a safe pain-killer.

You should find that, as the weeks pass, the frequency, duration, and intensity of gout attacks will reduce. You have to be patient. Every gout sufferer is different, so there is no definitive answer to “How long is this still going to last?”

I have a theory that a rough guide depends on how long you had untreated gout. Let’s say in your case it was 17 years – the same as mine. I’d expect gout attacks to be drastically reduced in about 17 weeks, and I’d expect them to be zero in about 17 months. Obviously, there are personal factors that could make this quicker or slower. Medical history will certainly affect it, but you can do nothing about that.

You can maximize current treatment for best results. As well as upping allopurinol to the maximum permitted dose, you can keep joints warm, and drink plenty of fluids. As well as improving diet with vitamin C, you can also get benefit from non-animal protein. Milk protein has been shown to be useful, so skim milk or casein supplementation may help.

Stick with it a few more weeks, with proper pain control where necessary. If there is still no improvement, we have to look at other issues, so come back later if this is needed. In any event, please keep coming back to report your progress.

[Author]

Posts