Has anyone here ever had gout?

I have a painful bone spur on my pinky toe. I have had it for many years and the area flares and becomes very red from time to time. I have had cortisone shots and they help a lot. My podiatrist wants me to be tested for gout. I am wondering what are the chances that this is gout?

Re: Has anyone here ever had gout?

my dad has gout. his doc told him that shellfish,wine and red meat will aggrevate it and give symptoms. he had it in his finger and his toe. he has not been drinking wine and it has gone away. i beleive there is a blood teat for it as well.

Re: Has anyone here ever had gout?

My dad has it. It's Uric Acid crystalized and it's VERY painful. He eats red meats all the time and is an alcoholic (red wine).

Could it be bad shoes in your case?

Re: Has anyone here ever had gout?

My husband has it and is a very healthy 20 something year old, not a huge meat or fish eater or drinker.
He is on daily medication for it. His body over produces uric acid.
Sometimes he slacks on his meds due to his career and also cold flares his gout.
It is super painful. I've seen him suck it up on many occassions but prior to his daily medication when it flared even a sheet in our bed touching it had him in alot of pain.
My husband's family has a history of it but he has one of the worst and earliest cases. Now if he does drink he will drink a Becks instead of Yueling since yeast affects it as well. He also tends to be more acidic then base.
If you scratch him it instantly turns red rather then white which is common in people with the gout.
It really pisses him off because he is very healthy and not your A typical person with the gout.

Re: Has anyone here ever had gout?

Re: Has anyone here ever had gout?

My mom was recently diagnosed with gout. And unfortunately, the meds caused other problems that were worse than the gout.

She's stopped the meds and is on a "gout DIET" that helps and reduces flare ups.

Message edited 1/27/2008 7:45:45 PM.