I went on a complete alkaline raw food diet after I was off work for a full month with gout in my foot. The inflamation would return in full with any use of the foot. Was on Bedrest and elevation for over a little over a week and then very light activity around the house for a few weeks. Allopurinol did not appeal to me being 25 and not wanting to take a pill daily for the rest of my life. Not to mention the possible side effects and unknowns.
So, I went on the “Ph Balance Diet” by Christopher Vasay. I felt better than ever after about a month and stayed on for six. I lost 50 lbs. This diet became very difficult to maintain, so I gradually worked poultry, condiments, cereals and snacks back in. Also the occasional drink. The gout came back after about a year of careful eating, and no red meat or pork. Even while I was eating healthy. Now I am getting gout with the slightest indulgence. A few beers and some hotwings set me off after Sunday football. Hit me that night. I felt it coming on a few days before in my big toe, but it seemed to subside. Guess not! Anyway, a reasonable diet plan for gout would be appreciated, but as you know one does not yet exist in print. I know that raw green vegetables, a quality calcium supplement, a green vegetable juice powder(Alkalive by pHion), and weight loss helped relieve my symptoms. On the other hand, beans, lentils, and peas, different types of alcohol(especially light beer), microwave popcorn, ice cream, and candy would give me aches in my joints, and sometimes sharp joint pains. I have also tried some alternative health approaches, chiropractic, acupuncture, herbs, and supplements. All have given some degree of relief and positive effects. Good luck on your diet. I would be glad to help in our search for answers to our goutyness.

Contributed by: Bagadonuts

October 17, 2008 at 5:00 am

Men are more reluctant to go to a doctor than women. With married men, it is often the wife that gets the man to go to the doctor. Maybe that is why married men outlive bachelors. We are simply more likely to self diagnose and try to deal with the problem ourselves. The same goes for car problems and problems with plumbing, electrical, etc.

The calling card of gout is the red, inflamed joint at the base of the big toe. This happens in over half the cases. Most physicians, when they see this, will diagnose gout. The only way to really know for sure to take a sample of the joint fluid and check for monosodium urate crystals. Having joint pain, even if it is in your feet, is not enough to conclude that it is gout. That is why you need to see a physician if you haven’t yet. Better to see a rheumatologist who specializes in arthritis.

With men, the first attack usually occurs when we are between forty and sixty years of age. It is relatively rare that you get it at twenty-five. It can happen earlier especially if you are very overweight and prone to alcoholic beverages but it is not as common as middle-aged people.

A lot of the things you get told to do for gout are the ones you are told to do for other conditions. Follow a low-fat diet. Avoid excessive alcoholic drinks. Lose weight (with gout do it slowly). The things that you were doing were the right things. By all means, try to keep your ph level high with a high-potassium diet. Also, drink eight to ten glasses of water daily.

There have been a lot of population studies done which tracked tens of thosands of men over a long period of time(up to twelve years) as to what kinds of food they ate and what they drank. The men chosen had never had gout. At the end of the studies, the researchers looked at the diet of the men who developed gout over the study periods.

They reached certain conclusions on what foods to include. Coffee helps to protect against gout. Low fat dairy products also help.

The foods to avoid include alcoholic beverages, sweetened soft drinks, sweetened fruit juices(not fruit itself), and meat & seafood. They recommended limiting your consumption of these foods.

They didn’t find that vegetables that were high in purines were likely to bring on gout attacks. Most of the iron in vegetables is non-heme iron which most people can’t readily absorb. One group of people who can, are those who are genetically predisposed to absorb too much iron. People with such disorders are more likely to develop gout and the two conditions can co-exist in the same person.

Contributed by: Brian

October 25, 2008 at 12:22 pm

There are different type of diuretics. Some of the diuretics cause you to have too high a level of uric acid in the blood. Your physician has the option of switching the medication or of lowering the dose on the diuretic. My physician put me on atenolol because of the gout. This isn’t a diuretic or water pill. There are options available so don’t panic.

The company that makes allopurinol produces a modified form of it which some people who are sensitive to allopurinol can tolerate better. If you can’t take either, then alternative medications are usually probenecid or colchicine. The colchicine is prescribed at a much lower dosage than that used for an acute attack. Most people tolerate allopurinol but there is still a significant number of people who can’t. You are not alone in this.

Contributed by: Brian

November 16, 2008 at 11:22 pm

I have been gout free for 2 years now.

In addition to a heathly diet try ; Barley Green + Alkaline Powder + vitamins B and C 1st thing in the morning .
Have another dose if you are going to have an unhealthy meal/alcohol .

Good Luck

Contributed by: Gregg

September 30, 2009 at 4:32 pm