Stabilizing Gout

Aug 2, 2018 by admin

The goal when you experience an acute attack of gout is to suppress the swelling and help alleviate the pain.  If you are not taking any type of therapy or medication to lower your uric acid levels, this is not when you should start taking them.  The first thing you need to do is alleviate the symptoms you are experiencing right now.  Then you can move on to getting assistance from your doctor about treatment options for lowering your uric acid levels.

Treatment for the inflammation and pain can be reached by using NSAIDs, corticosteroids, or colchicines.  It will depend on each person as to what will work the best for you.  Make sure you know how the side effects will affect you before beginning any type of treatment.

1)      NSAIDs – These are normally used during an attack of gout and can include ibuprofen several times per day or indomethacin several times per day.  When the symptoms go away, this type of treatment needs to end.

2)      Corticosteriods – If a patient is unable to take NSAIDs or colchicines then generally corticosterioids are given instead.  This treatment can be given orally or taken as an injection into the affected joint.  This treatment should not be given long term if possible.

3)      Colchicine – This type of treatment is taken orally only as it can cause adverse side effects in most patients.  Generally this is given in low doses in addition to NSAIDs.

 

Treating Uric Acid Levels

Normally if a patient has recurring episodes of acute gout attacks every year then they are prime candidates for some type of therapy to help lower their uric acid levels.  Generally if the patient continues the treatment plan their gout attacks will eventually lessen until they go away completely.

Those who suffer from the following should likely take part in therapy to lower their uric acid:

1)      Chronic arthritis

2)      Renal stones

3)      High levels of serum uric acid

4)      Failure of colchicines prophylaxis of acute gout

If you are a patient that suffers from high uric acid levels it is important that in addition to whatever therapy your doctor suggests for treatment of gout that you also continue to eat a healthy diet.  Eat a diet that has less meat, seafood and alcohol.  This will help to keep your uric acid in balance.  Continue to exercise and keep those joints as healthy as you can.  If you are obese try to lose weight as the additional stress on the joints can contribute to gout pain.  Drink a lot of water so that your body can help naturally get rid of the uric acid so that it doesn’t build up and eventually lead to gout.