GoutPal Interactive

I’ve just read a fascinating study about a substance called L-carnitine and it’s effect on uric acid.

The study is not concerned with gout, but anything related to uric acid interests me. This particular study looks at how uric acid rises after strenuous exercise. The fact that exertion raises uric acid is the reason why I recommend gentle exercise for gout sufferers – exercise is important to aid mobility and help weight loss, but too much can have a bad effect.

L-Carnitine

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L-carnitine is currently being promoted widely as an anti-aging / anti-dementia supplement. It is produced naturally in the body if sufficient lysine (an amino acid found in protein), vitamins B1, B6 and iron is available. It is available from diet – mainly muscle and organ meat, fish and milk products.

The study about uric acid, exercise, and l-carnitine (L-Carnitine L-tartrate supplementation favorably affects markers of recovery from exercise stress) uses a commonly available carnitine supplement LCLT, combining L-carnitine with L-tartrate.

In the study, the subjects took the LCLT supplement for a 6 day rest period prior to starting the exercises. Although the study is mainly concerned with the effects during and after exercise, the volunteers on LCLT displayed lower uric acid levels even during the rest period.

The big question is – will it do any good for gout? If you’ve taken this supplement, please let me know how you got on with it.

Here is the answer to your short gout question, “How long between gout attacks?”

As with many gout questions, the short answer is, “It depends.”

The long answer needs an explanation of what it depends on.

First, let me define what a gout attack is. You know it from painful swelling of one or more joints, usually accompanied by redness and/or flaky skin. You might also experience some feverishness.

The gout attack is caused by Read the rest of this entry »

This article answers the short gout question “swollen toes diagnosis”. It also addresses a point raised in a recent comment about infection and gout.

Swollen toes are a common sign of gout, but there could be other reasons.

If you go to the doctors with swollen toes, they will usually start by asking about any possible recent Read the rest of this entry »

This answers the short gout question, “food list high in potassium.”

I have produced a table that lists foods high in potassium. Most gout sufferers should not worry about potassium. If you eat a healthy gout diet (see my Gout Diet Section), you will get adequate amounts of potassium.

The right amount of potassium is important for good health, but you must not eat too much. You must Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s third, and final, short gout question is home cure for gout.

Strange that you don’t get many people looking for “home heart surgery” or “home laser eye treatment”. There’s something about gout that makes us want to cure it at home.

Let’s face it, if your standard of gout medical care is the same as that described in some messages I get from disgruntled gout patients, then I don’t blame you.

But, you know, you should never Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s second short gout question is about natural uricosuric agent.

I think I’m like many other gout sufferers – a little wary of taking too many medications. But it’s funny how our reactions change to so-called natural products.

Colchicine is a common gout medication. It’s derived from autumn crocus, yet few people would regard it as a natural product.

Many so-called natural, or herbal, gout remedies are far removed from their natural sources. Most are pounded, processed and packaged to a form far removed from anything that might be regarded as natural. The truth is, Read the rest of this entry »

The first of today’s short gout questions is graph uric acid level.

It seems a strange question. Graph uric acid level against what? A particular gout treatment? A particular gout diet? Let me explain uric acid levels in general terms, then you can interpret your data against particular aspects of your own gout treatment or lifestyle.

The most important thing about uric acid level graphs is Read the rest of this entry »

Another short gout question, just asked, is gout coffee.

There are a couple of important things to know about gout and coffee.

1. Recent research indicates that coffee drinkers have less chance of getting gout. Now that is not quite the same as saying that coffee protects you from gout, as it is a statistical, rather than clinical report.

   Having said that, the figures look quite convincing. It is also relevant that coffee is a source of antioxidants, so maybe that is the reason that coffee is good for gout.
   Read the rest of this entry »

Now that the latest issue of my free gout newsletter is finished, it’s catching up time once again.

It is time to answer your short question about recipes for gout.

First, a warning. I have seen hundreds of so-called recipes for gout, and books of gout recipes. Most of them simply regurgitate old, out-of-date, advice about foods low in purines. Purines and gout are not that important, and certainly not for vegetables. If you see any of these, and you are not sure about their true value for gout sufferers, please let me know about them, and I will appraise them for you.

You might have noticed that I have started a new Gout Recipes section. Read the rest of this entry »

You asked GoutPal about medication for gout.

The key thing to remember is that all gout medication falls into two groups:

• Pain Relief
• Urate Lowering Therapy

I have given full information about all common gout pain treatments and all common urate lowering therapies at GoutPal.com.

The most important of all medication for gout is treatment to lower uric acid. The most common, and currently most effective, urate lowering therapy is allopurinol. It is important that you study all the information about allopurinol on GoutPal.com.

When you start taking urate lowering medication, it is vital that you keep taking it every day. It does not matter if you are having a gout attack or not. Stopping the uric acid lowering treatment will not help the pain of that attack. If you stop taking it, you will increase the chances of more pain in future.

You need pain relief medication until the urate lowering therapy has done it’s job and all uric acid crystals have gone from your body. There is a wide choice available, and you should discuss different ones with your doctor. Do not put up with taking colchicine if it makes you sick. There are many alternatives, and you should be able to find one or two that suit you.

This post answers a short gout question in the gout cures section. If you need any more information about medication for gout please see my Gout Questions page.