beanie72

Sorry to hear about the attack and I know exactly how you fell. I would get an attack of gout if I am dehydrated which can happen when travelling and flying as you are away from your routine as well I have had attacks after drinking beer.

The good news is if this one time attack or they happen rarely, you don't need to be on meds for ever but you need to watch it and get your blood checked for uric acid counts. My doctor gave me a standing order for an anti-inflammatory as well as some meds which break up the crystals.

The main thing that has reduced my attacks to almost zero was I lost weight and watch the amount of sugar I consume.

firecracker725

I'm aware. I lived in the French Alps for two years. In every place I've traveled within Europe, I've found it easy to locate public water fountains. Of course, most of the American tourists preferred to buy bottled water from the illegal sellers at a ridiculous price because they were scared to drink from the fountains. Me, I just keep a collapsible bottle in my bag and fill up at fountains.

rubesl

When you get an attack drink two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (preferably organic) in a glass of water every day until it subsides (works within a day or two). Also, I take a 1200 mg tart cherry extract pill every day along with my daily vitamin c & d. Colchicine, the prescription gout medicine is nasty stuff - avoid it. Also, avoid eating foods with purines (you can look up what food has purines in it).

jonsg

I was veggie, and mostly non-drinking (apart from regular fluids!) for 30 years...didn't stop me getting kidney stones...

lhrsfo

About three years ago, I woke up one morning with it in my left toe - absolute agony and at first I thought I must have broken my toe in the middle of the night. Looking at all the information on diet, I certainly cut some foods out, but much of the information is quite contradictory so I inevitably pick and choose a bit. The strange thing was that I had not consumed any of the danger foods for a week or so prior to the attack.

Fortunately it has not reappeared so far and I do take daily cherry extracts.

HomerJ

Does gout only affect your toes as indicated by the above posts.
Had a 3 day pain in the side of my foot which was unexplained. I didn't twist or hurt it in any way....just woke up with it and found it hard to walk.
So can it hit anywhere on your foot or just your toes?

Eastbay1K

It can hit most anywhere in your body.

frio1981

Did you change your footwear or do something that could cause tightness in your calf muscle? This can create tension in the tendons in the side of your foot and cause pain.

This happened to me and was due to wearing and walking in flip flops whilst on holiday.

frio1981

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Talking on the gout - I've had it, these are my top tips.

-stayed hydrated, I live in Europe and have no issues finding water despite it not being the USA.
-eat cherries
- don't eat, or be careful of, meat, wine, lentils, spinach, fruit juices
- take Naproxen with you everywhere (yes, that is available outside the US)
- if you lose weight, you're more prone to a gout attack as the weight loss puts strain on the kidneys which is usually processing uric acid.

Jeannietx

No beer, red wine, and red meat.

Water, water, and water.

Put healthy whole foods up front in your diet. Ditch all junk food.

Every time it happens it will get worse. Keep that in mind when you are tempted.

I travel all over and I have to drink 3-4 liters a day, so I don't buy the
no water in Europe either.

Zorak

I can't quite tell if tart cherries work or it's just placebo. Colchicine did nothing for me except make me sick (which as I understand it, it's supposed to, being toxic and all -- but for some people it helps with the gout first).

For me the best thing for gout is simply not to get it in the first place. Allopurinol as a preventative has been fabulous. I was on a 1-2x/year gout flare-up schedule before going on allopurinol, and have not had an attack since in years (knock on wood)

It commonly presents in the big toe joint where it attaches to your foot but it can occur in any joint space, as well as in soft tissues (tophaceous gout).

I thought the mechanism was something like, as the fat burns off the metabolic products result in purines -> usual gout pathway?

MaxBuck

As a gout sufferer myself, I've not found that cider vinegar has any effect whatever, and it's (IMO) a disgusting regimen. Not sure about sour cherry juice, but at least it's tasty.

The most effective anti-inflammatory for me personally has been indomethacin. Ibuprofen not nearly so much. But the proscriptions against beer and red meat above are right on target. And as suggested above, losing weight and exercising regularly help reduce the frequency of attacks.

Rebelyell

Gout can attack any joint, but the usual first attack is the big toe and the joint right behind the big toe.

Did it hurt so bad that you couldn't stand for your sheet to touch the area? My doctor says that is the sure sign of gout.
_____

Oh, and about the water thing. I know water is available in Europe. At home I buy 12-packs of seltzer water for $2.50 and drink six or eight cans a day. In American restaurants the first thing they do is put a big glass of water at your table and then come by about 15 times to make sure it's full. It's just a little easier to drink lots of water as part of my routine at home.

I drink wine and beer at home. I just found my ratio of beer and wine to water was pretty dramatically altered on my most recent trip. I've certainly learned my lesson.

tmorse6570

I have the same problem and it's also in my right foot.

Dairy products may help reduce the risk.

From WEBMD.

Foods that are safe to eat (low in purines):

Green vegetables and tomatoes
Fruits
Breads and cereals that are not whole-grain
Butter, buttermilk, cheese, and eggs
Chocolate and cocoa
Coffee, tea, and carbonated beverages
Peanut butter and nuts

Dairy products that may lower your risk of gout:

Low-fat or nonfat milk
Low-fat yogurt

Alcohol should be avoided, especially beer and weight loss is encouraged.

standard

WRONG! Limiting or not eating meat and not drinking beer (it's the hops, not the alcohol) is not to prevent kidney STONES. It is to prevent kidney damage from the tiny crystals.