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Gout sufferers know how good water is.
- Water reduces uric acid concentration, lowering the risk of pain-inducing crystals forming.
- Water helps flush excess uric acid, and many toxic gout treatments, from the body.
Two benefits for a gout remedy are good.
Where’s the third one coming from?
I’ve had a recent email exchange with a long-term gout sufferer who reckons he has found a new way to combat gout with water.
In an old forum thread we discussed gout and swimming.
In fact, this is not really about swimming, but the possible effects of water. Specifically, if immersion in water can cure gout.
The biggest question in my mind, is it it purely water, or is it purification products in the swimming pool water that bring this benefit.
Why not try it out, and let me know. Lounging in the pool might be your best gout experiment yet.
Please remember – when I write about high water intake as one of the best home remedies for gout, I include other fluids that contain mostly water – fluid intake and water intake are interchangeable unless the fluid contains substances that cause dehydration.
I thought it’d be a good idea to comment on this subject.
I am a 52 year old long-term gout sufferer and also a vey keen swimmer and I can say that I still get gout while swimming regularly. In fact, whilst swimming 3-4 times a week, recently I have had my worst ever attack, which coincidentally has led me to this site.
I thought the swimming thing was too good to be true, though I still have a hope that there may be some benefit for some gout sufferers.
I guess it’s another of those gouty aspects that needs some more research.
I’ve found that swimming or bathing in a pool containing chlorine can trigger severe gout attacks. Apparently chlorine kills an enzyme in the colon that breaks down uric acid. 30% of all uric acid is expelled through the colon, so if this process is slowed it will raise uric acid levels and trigger gout symptoms.
The good news is I recently swam in a pool that used purifiers other than chlorine, and I had no problems with gout at all.
Thank you vey much for sharing your informaiton. I swim for two years, 20 minutes everyday. And, I noticed that I got little tinggling and little gout pain after I swim. I do not know if it is chlorine related or I swat too much during the swimming, if I drink lots of water will that help?
Swimming has been great as a low-impact exercise when the gout is starting to subside. The flare-up is still enough to keep me from aerobic exercise like bicycling. I wear a knee brace to the gym, hobble into the pool, and that’s pretty much the only way I can exercise and recover. I highly recommend it if you are overweight or obese as I am. I realize that although gout can prevent one from exercise, there are still other things you can do during an episode of gout.
I don’t know if chlorine in the pool will trigger gout; BUT i do know that when I tried to ride the stationary bike, my knee flared up the next day. Exercise, if done right, will eventually kill gout, because not only will you be lighter and more fit, but it puts less stress on the gouty areas.
Yesterday,i swam.but this morning,i still pain!!!
Screw the Pain! Lift weights, swim, and get on your mountain bike and make some new pain! It hurts, bad, I know. But I’m through being a prisoner to it! Besides, I’d rather be in severe pain and fit and trim, than in severe pain and obese! Good grief, the logic compels meh!
You can get just as dehydrated by swimming as with any other sport if you are really exercising. You just don’t feel the thirst as much. Also the chlorine/bromine causes the body to dehydrate. If you want to swim, drink some water before and after and take breaks to drink more water. If you swim ofter in chlorinated water, you might think about replacing your intestinal bacteria with probiotics and/or yogurt with the bacteria in it.
There are a lot of advantages to losing weight for overall health and for reducing hyperuricemia. Doing with diet alone is almost impossible. You need some form of exercise. The problem is that when you have the pain, it means inflammation. It isn’t the crystals that do permanent damage to the joints but the inflammatory response of your immune system. The pain is your body’s way of protecting itself from irreversible damage. It is saying to you “STOP!”.
I do a lot of walking and I do have trouble with my smaller toes in terms of pain but I try to drink a lot of water before and after and during. I walk for several hours trying to lose weight. I do take fish oil & flaxseed oil capsules to keep down inflammation. I also use Vitamin E during the walks to keep down joint damage. You have to make so many concessions to gout that it is good not to. Also, I have put so much water into me since the gout started, that putting myself into water seems only fair.
I got gout attack about once a year. I take cochicine just right before I feel it may attack. It quite useful and always stop gout attack before it happen.
I have swim for two years, 20 minutes everyday, I feel little gout pain on my right foot every time I swim. I don’t know it is chlorine related or too much swatting? I trid exercise on treadmill instead of swimming, the little gout pain seems not to happen. I’m still experimenting ….
Just try to share my experiences …..
Swimming has always been promulgated as ‘good for joints exercise’ – and I’m sure it is.
I used to swim 40 lengths a few times a week but haven’t restarted due to worries about Chlorine and Fluoride exposure.
On this thread, water is just treated as water- but remember it IS treated and chlorine needs to be removed by agitation and further filtering- if you DON’T want it.
Chlorine has done its’ job by then- and your body doesn’t need it.
Fluoride is NOT removed by jug filtering, even ‘under the sink’ filters don’t take it all out.
Bottled is best here- Good job there are cheap suppliers.
@Brian: The pain is your body’s way of protecting itself from irreversible damage. It is saying to you “STOP!”.
Thankyou ! – I needed to be reminded- instead of feeling guilty about getting it wrong again!
also I will remember your tip on Vit E.
I have to update my comment here about Fluoride removal.
I’ve checked the spec. on a new under the sink filter ordered and it does effectively remove 99% or more of the Fluoride as well as many other unwanted visitors [potential] to my body, including Chlorine.
It’s important in this area to maintain good mineral compounds in drinking water and these are indeed left in place.
I wonder, now I’m trying to increase substantially my water intake , whether there hasn’t been in me, a latent resistance to drinking ‘iffy’ tap [Fluoride laden, natural where I am] or even plastic bottled water in great amounts.
I hope to improve my record soon, and decrease my acidity as much as possible to help ‘keep out gout’.