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Conditions

Gout

Inflammation and swelling of a foot joint (Photo courtesy of Jerry Lawrence - Uncle Jerry - flickr)

Nineteenth century American humorist, Ambrose Bierce, defined gout in his Devil’s Dictionary as: “A physician’s name for the rheumatism of a rich patient.” Gout is a form of rheumatic arthritis characterised by recurrent episodes of joint inflammation, but it affects approximately one in 200 adults – most frequently men between 40-60 years of age – whether they are moneyed or not! At any rate, it’s painful. Sufferers have described the pain of an attack as “worse than childbirth” and like being jabbed with a “million tiny white-hot needles.” The pain and swelling of gout are caused by uric acid crystals that deposit in some joints, most notably the big toe, but can also strike the knee, ankle, foot, hand, wrist and elbow. No longer just a “disease of kings”, people who are overweight, have high blood pressure, eat diets rich in protein and consume vast quantities of alcohol have an increased risk of developing gout. And it’s no laughing matter.

What the Men in White Coats Say

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I am in my mid thirties & I have had gout in my big toe about three times & once in my Knee. It really is quite excruciatingly painful. I thought I had kicked the bed/wall in my sleep & broken my toe the first time. I couldn't wiggle it & it was very red/hot to the extent where I couldn't sleep or stand even my sock against it. It took about six weeks to heal the first time and I ended up hurting my other foot by over-compensating when walking(At half my usual pace). When I had it in my knee for a couple of days I eventually went to my Doctor & was prescribed Dicoflex & sent for an x-ray (Presumably to discount other causes of pain). The symptoms had already reduced by then thanks to taking Ibuprofen which I think helped more than the Dicoflex which caused nausea. Thankfully I have not had it for a while.





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hi, im 14 yrs old and i got told i had gout at the age 13, like a typical teenager i love skateboarding, my councler said it doesn't help, whats your opinion?





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Hi i am 20 years old,i have i swolen little toe-it gets realy itchy on a night and along the bottom of my foot on the side please can u help!!!





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hi i am 21yrs and i get achy pains in my back hips and im legs and right knee, my gp says there is nothing wrong and my blood tests come back normal i wonder if you could tell me what it could be!





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my right foot has a burning sensation . It gets really hot underneath my right foot and some time my toes get hot > can you please advise what I can do





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I have gout and it is not always put down to drink it also passed down by generation and ill health but also doctors do know not enough or how to treat this. I have asked many of time for something that treats this but because of mental health problems carnt have it. I also have many more health issues not dealt with.





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I have a really sore little toe. I tried treating a corn with a corn plaster and my little toe became really sore and inflamed. It has been like this for over a month and it is not getting any better, I can't even stand the bed covers on it. I cannot wear any shoes other than my crocs, which is not always a good look!





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Hi I'am 39 years of age my left elbow has swollen up I have been to the doctors 3 times and still no joy.They have drained it,given me antibiotics but it's still there and I keep nocking it.It's been there for about 9 weeks.Over the last three weeks I have started to worry about this.





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my boyfriend has been suffering with pain in his left toe for about 3 weeks now, it started with the pain then swelling which moved from his toe to his foot then the ankle. After a trip to the doctors he was given some tablets that took away the swelling and some of the pain. But then a week later the pain in his toe got worse so we went back to the doctors, they said it wasnt gout as his uric acid levels are fine but it could be something to do with his blood. We are still none the wiser of what could be wrong, do you have any suggestions?





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Peter , that sounds like fallen arches underyour foot ive had the same problem for years,best way to strengthn them up again is to sit down and roll a golf ball under your foot, i know how painful it can be sitting down and getting up after a period of time or even getting up in the morning and trying to walk, other than that it also looks like ive gout my big to and right foot is swollen, can hardly walk on it ive shooting pains constantly,any advice or should i go to the gp? thanks in advance for your help.





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It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





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Content supplied by NHS Choices

It is difficult to predict when an attack of gout will occur. Symptoms can develop rapidly over a few hours, and will usually last for between 3-10 days. After this time, the joint will start to feel normal again, and any pain or discomfort should eventually disappear completely. Read More »

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