Embarrassing Illnesses

Doctors were surprised when 37-year old Gina Beauchamp came to them showing signs of gout, as the condition is extremely rare in young women. Now 59, she tells us her unusual story. 

"I was about 37 when my fingers suddenly started to curl up like claws and my toes would feel so painful, I couldn't move. I just thought I was extremely tired.

"My symptoms all showed signs of gout, yet the doctors were unconvinced. Gout is very rare in women, and when it occurs it tends to be after the menopause when oestrogen levels have fallen.

"Eventually my GP recognised that it was gout, probably a result of the hysterectomy I'd had one year before. It's thought that oestrogen protects women from gout, and my oestrogen levels had dropped after my ovaries were removed. She prescribed me allopurinol, a medication which reduces the levels of uric acid (urate) in the blood and controls gout attacks. It really worked for me.

"I still take one tablet of allopurinol day and I've managed to keep my gout under control for the last ten years. I also eat very carefully – I don't have too much protein, like meat and fish, and I drink white wine rather than beer or red wine, which can trigger gout.

"Apparently, cherries are very good at preventing gout attacks, so I have these with porridge for breakfast every day. I also drink plenty of water and herbal teas to keep me hydrated, which is important.

"However, I had a bad attack about three weeks ago. I went to some of my friends' houses for meals, and ended up eating beef three nights in a row, and drinking red wine.

"The following Monday morning, I could hardly move. The gout seemed to affect all my joints, not just my fingers and toes. I felt like I'd been run over by a car, and my eyes felt as if they'd been punched out.

"For the next few days I ate only vegetables and drank plenty of water, but I felt dreadful for days. The gout was so painful, I couldn't even bear the bedclothes touching my skin.

"It's made me even more determined to identify what I can and can't eat. But other than my recent attack, the gout hasn't really affected my lifestyle."