Gout, Arthritis or something else?

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Green Nomad
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Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by Green Nomad »

This maybe somewhere else on here but I don't see.

Just had a blood test for new employment medical, which had zero results for uric acid crystals. Could be they did not check for anyway. But when I had a blood test last year was told that my Uric levels were getting high. Saw doctor for knee pain back then, which, after an MRI scan, was diagnosed as a torn medial meniscus, and no worn bone structure..

Anyway, my point is, I get very warm feet and toes very often in the evening time and sometimes in my finger joints. I am 48 yrs old and know that it could be my time for this, but has anyone had similar conditions/symptoms and found it to be something else???

Cheers GN
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by Terry »

I'm no doctor but I've known this to be symptomatic of the side effects of long term statin use.
If you are on blood pressure pills of the statin kind - check it out with your GP.
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by Dannie Boy »

Green Nomad wrote:This maybe somewhere else on here but I don't see.

Just had a blood test for new employment medical, which had zero results for uric acid crystals. Could be they did not check for anyway. But when I had a blood test last year was told that my Uric levels were getting high. Saw doctor for knee pain back then, which, after an MRI scan, was diagnosed as a torn medial meniscus, and no worn bone structure..

Anyway, my point is, I get very warm feet and toes very often in the evening time and sometimes in my finger joints. I am 48 yrs old and know that it could be my time for this, but has anyone had similar conditions/symptoms and found it to be something else???

Cheers GN
From both personal experience and recalling what my doctor told me, when you get a gout attack, the affected joints are hotter than normal, but the most obvious symptom is the acute pain and inability to get any relief from resting or raising the affected limb. As you are already aware, gout is associated with a high uric acid level, so if you've just had a test that didn't show it as high, you would naturally assume it isn't gout, but maybe some form of arthritis? My personal experience of gout has only affected the knee, ankle and big toe - not saying it can't affect fingers but I don't believe it is very common, but again from personal experience, gout comes and goes, so maybe a blood retest for the uric acid level would at least set your mind at rest, or actually identify it as the problem, if not then I can only suggest you get the medics to carry out further tests.
Last edited by Dannie Boy on Wed Jul 30, 2014 5:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by Green Nomad »

Thanks guys...

Firstly, on Terry's point, no I am not on any medication for blood pressure, so that's ruled out. But I agree with you Dannie Boy, I need to get the blood test done again for uric acid levels. Like I said before, in my blood test the other day, they may not have tested for this as it was not required by the employer. There was also a zero reading on sugar levels as well, which is not normal.

GN.
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by Siani »

I have arthritis in my feet. I cannot stand it if my feet get hot at all. The symptoms I have is stiffness, pain especially when resting them. At night time I have to hang my feet out side of the bedclothes. I am better when walking around.
I have used statins for years, so maybe that contributes to the problem :?
Foot massage does help as does reflexology.
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by Jose »

I never had gout till I came to Thailand,

Its to with eating and drinking the wrong types of food,

Try drinking the vegetable drinks from 7-11,
If I feel a slight gout attack coming, I drink these.
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by Dannie Boy »

Jose wrote:I never had gout till I came to Thailand,

Its to with eating and drinking the wrong types of food,

Try drinking the vegetable drinks from 7-11,
If I feel a slight gout attack coming, I drink these.
Most doctors recommend cutting down/or stop eating chicken if you have gout.
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by migrant »

Dannie Boy wrote:
Jose wrote:I never had gout till I came to Thailand,

Its to with eating and drinking the wrong types of food,

Try drinking the vegetable drinks from 7-11,
If I feel a slight gout attack coming, I drink these.
Most doctors recommend cutting down/or stop eating chicken if you have gout.
Yes the MIL won't eat chicken due to this. I've gotten gout, usually when I eat a lot of seafood and on consecutive days.

I found Korean Red Ginseng helped me, vs the meds that doctors prescribe
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by kendo »

Trust me Green Nomad if you had Gout you would no about it. I get Gout from time to time in my right big toe and even a few loose bed covers or a duvet touching it is really painful. The joint swells up and i can't move my toe at all, its caused by Uric acid cristalising in your blood.

The last time i had this was about a year ago and it was so bad i convinced myself i had broken my toe, so off i went to A and E i told the nurse, i think i had waked my toe at work but couldn't quite remember how I done it. Off she went to get a senior nurse i was then summoned over to a desk and was told-

Its your life style lots of sugar alcohol and yeasty things you have no bruising just inflammation, she then hit the button on her mouse and gave me a four page hand out on how to avoid getting a gout attack.

Now i love strong cheeses, beer, and sweet foods but also on this list is Marmite, now i love the stuff and have it often on my morning toast. :D

It just seems that some of the things i like the most are really conducive to bringing on a bout of gout so its all about moderation something i am not really disciplined enough with.
If i get a bout its foot up on a stall ice rapped in a towel to take the sting out of it and anti inflammatory tablets.

Kendo. :cheers:
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by Spitfire »

If you get gout or are worried about getting it then a good idea is to boost vitamin C intake (probably best in the form of a buffeted pill) as vitamin C is believed to boost uric acid excretion in the urin.

As for hot, numb, cold or tingling/pins and needles in the extremities....could be a sign of peripheral neuropathy, which has many causes from type 2 diabetes onset to alcohol abuse.
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by Green Nomad »

One symptom I notice I don't seem to have is the sensitivity to touch, I can touch the skin on my toes and find it does not hurt. Just an ache and hot at times, so it could well be its arthritis.

Thanks for Kendo's comment about peripheral neuropathy, will look up no the net about that. Don't want to consult a doctor at the moment as I am applying for new job.

On another point, one of the replies mentioned about reflexology helping with these problems. I always wondered when having a foot massage, and the toes get pulled and sometimes you get that cracking noise, same like when pulling fingers, is that a sign of anything, or is it natural. Any comments??

GN.
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by Green Nomad »

Apologies to Spitfire,,It was you who mentioned Peripheral Neuropathy... :oops:
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by huahin4ever »

I have gout, but I never get any outbursts anymore. My "secret" is Granny Smith apples! Either eating one apple a day or drinking Granny Smith apple juice. According to my doctor this is the best way to avoid gout. There are some kind of substance(s) in the Granny Smith apples that work against the uric acid. I'm very pleased with this discovery since nothing is better than to be cured by something growing in the nature. AND it is healthy too :D
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by Dannie Boy »

huahin4ever wrote:I have gout, but I never get any outbursts anymore. My "secret" is Granny Smith apples! Either eating one apple a day or drinking Granny Smith apple juice. According to my doctor this is the best way to avoid gout. There are some kind of substance(s) in the Granny Smith apples that work against the uric acid. I'm very pleased with this discovery since nothing is better than to be cured by something growing in the nature. AND it is healthy too :D
Can you buy them in HH?
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Re: Gout, Arthritis or something else?

Post by hhinner »

Usually see Granny Smiths in Makro. If you see green apples in the markets and supermarkets they'll likely be Granny Smiths I think.
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