In my gout pain relief pages, I try to explain a good approach to gout pain.

The main difficulty with stubborn gout pain is, it rarely responds to a simple treatment. Usually you need a combination of more than one gout pain relief. Often these combinations need to include general pain killers that are not specifically for gout.

Colchicine For Stubborn Gout Pain Relief

Gout pain, as I explain in the Understanding Uric Acid pages, is a result of the immune reaction to invading uric acid crystals. When the immune system becomes overwhelmed, it calls in reinforcements, and this process is at the heart of the agony we experience during an acute gout flare.

Colchicine is very effective when it is taken early enough. That is why doctors advise you to take it at the first sign of a gout flare. They also advise you to take it to prevent, or limit, gout flares when you take uric acid lowering gout medications.

Colchicine works to prevent gout pain, or prevent it getting worse, by slowing your immune system. White blood cells are restricted from growing, and this limits the inflammation that is part of that process.
See why you may need more than colchicine for stubborn gout pain

For many years I have tried to produce a comprehensive review of apple cider vinegar for gout. I have finally given up, for a very simple reason.

Despite the high level of interest amongst gout sufferers for ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar), there is absolutely no scientific information to say that ACV is good for gout. Having said that, there is no evidence to say it does not work. There is just no information.

The only mentions of apple cider vinegar relating to gout or uric acid, are only acknowledgments that many people believe that ACV helps gout followed by declarations that there is no evidence for this.

I am intrigued that such strong support for the benefits of apple cider vinegar can exist alongside zero evidence, but there are three explanations of how this may happen.
what are explanations for The Apple Cider Vinegar Myth?

I am almost reluctant to write more about foods that cause gout. There is a worldwide obsession with food as a cause of gout. Almost every conversation I have about gout, on my forums, on other forums, or just casually amongst friends, either starts with food, or degenerates into a food debate.

This is wrong.

Gout is not an eating disorder, it is a uric acid metabolism disorder.

But still, I have a duty to maintain the gout diet pages, and so I will continue to improve them. I just need you to bear in mind, that the most important aspect of managing your diet is not to waste every waking moment trying to avoid foods that cause gout.

I have recently completed most of the reorganization of excess calories and their effect on gout. These indicate that gout foods to avoid can be anything that causes excess weight. If you are overeating, then your body gets bigger and it produces more uric acid. It does not get any better if you avoid meat, but overeat everything else.

Allied to this, there is another hidden danger that applies to all food – not just the meats and other foods that have been typically presented as foods that cause gout. That hidden danger is bad eating habits.
continue reading Bad Eating Habits Not Foods That Cause Gout

A year on from my last annual gout blog review, and I have made many improvements.

Welcome To GoutPal’s Goutorium

Gout Symptoms Dept.

Gout Treatment Dept.

Gout Diet Department

Understanding Gout

Understanding Uric Acid

Gout Related

Gout Reception

Mostly, I have made steady progress to organizing gout information better. The biggest change for 2012 recognizes the growing amount of information about gout. I realize that the number of gout and uric acid pages may well top 1000 in 2012, and I need to organize different gouty arthritis topics to reflect that.

Let me introduce the new GoutPal Goutorium. This is the knowledge-base of all gouty arthritis information, with revised sections for Gout Symptoms, Gout Treatment, Gout Diet, and some supporting sections. I am changing Sections to Departments, and re-grouping pages within each department as appropriate. Continuing the Goutorium theme, subsections will become Wards.

Each Department and each Ward will have a blog, providing supporting information, and each Department will be supported by a forum. For gout sufferers or their carers who want to improve their personal knowledge, I will introduce Gout School. At Gout School, you can learn about any particular Ward that interests you, or study an overview of each department. Gout School will also allow you to monitor personal progress on Department Personal Progress Charts.

For example, the Gout Symptoms Department, will contain information on the Gout Symptoms, Gout Causes, and Gout Diagnosis Wards. There will be Gout Symptoms Personal Progress Guidelines that you can use with your doctor, or alongside friends from Gout School, or the Gout Symptoms Forum. This allows you to easily find relevant information to help you understand your doctor’s advice, and know what questions to ask, and how to ask them, so you get the best help and support.
Continue reading about the improvements to GoutPal.com for 2012

The debate continues to rage about heat or ice for gout relief.

There is no doubt that ice relieves swelling. There is no doubt that an acute gout flare causes painful swelling. The big question is: does the beneficial aspect of inflammation control from ice, outweigh the risks from lower temperatures?

There are several references to ice as a gout pain relief treatment in medical literature. One researcher has suggested that ice treatment can even be used to differentiate between gout and other forms of arthritis^[1]. In that investigation, patients suffering from proven gout, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and other forms of inflammatory arthritis were asked to report if ice treatment helped them, or made pain worse. The claim is that cold will help gout pain, therefore it is a useful addition to gout treatment.

But is short-term pain relief the only factor?
Read why ice for gout is not good gout relief

We have recently had discussions in the gout symptoms forum, about gout and sore joints in the neck.

We have learned a number of things from the discussions about sore joints in the neck with gout.

Most important is the need to seek medical advice and get the neck checked properly. Having gout does not exclude you from other health problems. One gout sufferer reported that a scan revealed damaged joints. There are many potential causes of sore joints in the neck. Gout is one of many potential problems, so you must let the experts check you.
Continue to read more about gouty sore joints in the neck

Reviewing some naproxen information today, I’m reminded of the serious nature of getting the right gout cure for pain.

Though due for an update after 4 years, my Gout Pain Treatment Guide is still very relevant. However, I remembered an important fact today that really needs to be considered if your doctor suggests steroid treatment.

“But what has that to do with naproxen?” I hear you ask. Nothing directly, except that both act to relieve inflammation, and both are commonly prescribed for curing gout pain. Naproxen is a member of the family of drugs known as NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs). Ibuprofen and indomethacin are common alternative NSAIDs, both of which are common gout pain treatments.
Continue to read why naproxen for gout is safer