pseudogout–they say diet won’t make any difference

[Health 4 me]

My husband has been diagnosed with pseudogout and the doctor says that diet hasn't proved any noticible benefit other than weight loss. ?He is not on allipurinol but the other “c” drug and not much has changed his pain. ?I am away from home on a trip right now and don't have the name of the drug but sure you know what I am talking about. ?The gout has settled in his knee so he can barely walk unless he is on heavy pain meds. ?Does anybody out there have this kind of gout who can tell us what we can do to make it better. ?We have been battling this with ?diet, and drugs for about 3 months now. ?He got the injections as well but their benefits only lasted a couple of days.

?

HELP

[esabogal]

From what I know there is no drug to get rid of the calcium pyrophosphate crystals.

The only treatments for pseudogout are intended to reduce the pain: NSAIDs, Colchicine, corticosteroids (oral and injected into the joint).?

[Keith Taylor (GoutPal Admin)]

Allopurinol won't make a difference as it works only on uric acid. Diet won't make a difference, as pseudogout has very little todo with diet – the calcium deposits are not a result of too much calcium, but (often) shortage or excess of other minerals that cause calcium to be deposited.

?

You need to find a rheumatologist who has experience of pseudogout. Magnesium supplements have been known to help, but this varies from case to case, depending on the underlying cause. One fairly common cause is thyroid problems, but some rheumatologists might not check for this, which is why I say find an experienced one.

[Health 4 me]

The doctors believe the cause for my husband's pseudogout stems from his 40% working kidneys. ?He had bad kidney stone problems for years until we found the diet answers for that but his kidneys haven't functioned right since. ?Because of the kidney problems he can't take the usual anti inflamatory meds or alot of the other meds that someone without these issues can take. ?He upped the Colchicine and I talked with him last night–it helped enough so at least he could walk and slept better. ?

Neither of us have ever been ones who love taking pills, we'd rather take care of our health with natural means, but this isn't working for pseudogout. ?Thanks for your input. ?Do you still think seeing a rheumatologist would help? ?

[hansinnm]

Health 4 me said:

… ?Do you still think seeing a rheumatologist would help?

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Without trying to answer for Keith, I, a gouty for more than 27 years, would suggest that you and your husband consider the following facts: Neither gout nor pseudo-gout is a life-threatening condition. They are lifestyle-threatening conditions. Kidney problems, however, can turn into a life-threatening condition. While a rheumatologist is considered a specialist dealing/knowing more about arthritic problems (gout and pseudo-gout falling into that classification), a nephrologist is the specialist to deal/know about kidneys and associated problems.

A guess on my part is that a nephrologist may know more about arthritic problems than a rheumatologist knows about kidney problems.

[zip2play]

I think that doctors know too little about gout but what they know about pseudogout is far less. I wish I could add more but I cannot.

?

There seems to no good treatment other than pain relief.

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