In my last post about what causes gout I talked about the factors that cause gout.

One of the factors was high purine foods.  What foods are considered to be high in purines and do you have to avoid all of them?

Each individual is different.  Some can eat some foods, some can’t eat any foods that have high purine content.  Ultimately, you will have to experiment.  I suggest in moderation.  I have found food over time that has caused gout that initially did not bother me.  However, I eat a lot of chicken which is high in purines.  I have never had a gout attack by eating chicken, however, I know people who have terrible attacks if they eat chicken so again, experiment.

One of the worst foods that can cause gout and you should avoid is beef.  Especially hamburger.  Lower quality hamburger is often made out of the leftovers of the animal such as organ meats.  Organ meats are especially noted to be high in purines so if you are going to have a hamburger, make sure it is not from organ meat and make sure it is high quality and lean.

Turkey,  well, happy thanksgiving!  Turkey is noted for being high in purines.  For me, if I eat a lot of leftovers I will usually get an attack, however, if I just eat moderately on thanksgiving, I usually have no problem.  Again, it is person specific.

The worst food for me personally unfortunately is venison.  Any game meat such as pheasant, grouse, rabbit, venison is considered high in purines.  Before I found out venison was bad for gout, I was given some by a friend and went to town because I was tired of eating chicken.  I was going to replace it with beef.  That was a big mistake.  It took me two weeks to figure out where my attack originated.  It took me two more weeks and a cortisone shot to get rid of my gout pain.  It was in my left wrist.

Next post, I will give you more foods to avoid so you can prevent gout attacks.

Posted: November 28th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 1

What causes gout?

Gout comes from having too much uric acid in the body.  This is medically called hyperuricemia.  The excessive uric acid crystallizes in the joints causing intense pain and swelling.  Usually this happens in the big toe, although it can happen in other joints including fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles.  Gout can also happen in the false joints of the feet.

High uric acid levels can be caused by either eating high levels of foods with purines or by the kidneys not being able to properly get rid of the uric acid crystals therefore increasing their levels.

Gout mostly occurs in men usually over the age of 30, although men in their 20’s have been known to get gout.  While it does happen in women it is fairly rare.

It used to be known as the disease of kings because in the middle ages most of those who were susceptible to gout were usually the well to do.  They were the only ones who could really afford to buy and eat high purine foods.  They just figured it was due to rich foods.  When they did get gout, they would unknowningly make their condition worse by drinking wine to ease the pain.  Alcohol actually makes the pain worse.

Foods that can cause gout are games foods such as venison and rabbit.  Also, beef is famous for causing gout.  Some high purine foods such as chicken are usually not cited as having caused gout except in certain people.

Most of the common attempts to get rid of gout include prescription medicines such as allopurinol.  Once an attack begins, most people take either Indomethacin or colchicine.

There are many home remedies you can use.  Some people use baking soda, some focus on fruits and vegetables high in vitamin c and potassium.  Most efforts focus on reducing swelling and foods that turn the uric acid crystals into liquid.

Stay tuned for more information.

Posted: November 24th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 1

Welcome to my blog on gout.  This blog will be showing all the information I have found on gout and also any news I come across.  I have successfully overcome gout and rarely have an attack anymore.  This blog will help show you how you can lessen your frequency of attacks and how you can use treatments and remedies safely to get rid of this painful disease.

Medic

Posted: November 19th, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 2