Gout Pal Interactive

HI, new here, and what a great site!

A bit about me, 38 years old, and first got 'the gout' about five or six years ago – both big toes in the toe, not at the joint where the toe meets the foot.

Anyway, when I forst got Gout, weighed in at about 120kg, and was on aluprinol etc, but am on no medication now, as have lost a heap of weight – currently 93kg, and have taken up bodybuilding in the last year, so weight goes down to 78kg on compeition day (will be more now after a good off season, but I digress).

Anyway, I dropped a weight plate the other day, it rolled along the floor, and then fell on my right big toe, whcih since swelled like a ballon – first serious gout pain for a loooong time.

So being a typical Kiwi bloke, (and having done this before), I got a needle out, poked the toe (you have to do two holes I have found out, one doesn't do the trick), and squeezed – with the 'tiny white maggots' coming out in droves – the uric acid crystals I assume?

My doctor has previously cut the toe open and pulled out heaps of is it called tophus (I love google, have found out heaps on this, and found this site in fact) – so I poke the needle into the scar, one at each end.

At this stage, no infection, no pain in the toe, as the pressure is gone, and draining the gunk twice a day.

So anyone else tried the self surgery method…?!?

lol, I'll take some photos tomorrow at my lunchtime 'squeeze'!!

Good dark red blood still coming out at the squeeze too, and no hot infection feeling.  No doubt local doc will have a good laugh if I do come down with an infection, but touch wood, cross fingers and all that, I won't!!

and my left toe, which never got as deformed is still good as gold.

I've done it with a thumb,

PLEASE be careful…if you get an infection in that joint you will be SO sorry. Clean area with soap and water and alcohol before poking and then rub on an antibiotic cream afterwards.

I always suspected too many sheep would drive a man crazy.

Depends on what you use them for.

Guess I’m just lucky but I haven’t had to do surgery on the tophi on my toe and ears. At the height of my attack they had openings of their own that the crystals and brownish liquid drained out of without any help on my part. Now the tophi on my ears are gone and the hole in the tophi on my toe has healed and the tophi is greatly reduced in size. I did use antibacterial cream on them while they were draining. I’m on 80mg of Uloric and drink about 5 liters of water a day. I also take a half teaspoon of baking soda in 8oz of water before going to bed and after five months I am now improving greatly.

Hey Cjeezy – I am guessing about the tophi – does that have to be hard – or the 'tiny white maggots', as that is all that he found in there.

Glad I am not the only desperate man with a needle.  Yes, I clean and use antiseptic creams etc too, and keeping touching wood, no infections, no pain, and another good eruption this morning.  I must be a goul, or should have been a doctor, I love this 'self treatment' – whcih is a bonus, something 'good' out of this bad situation!!

although looking at all the photos on google has been turning my stomach  – there is always someone worse off than you, in everything in life eh!

hansinnm said:

GoutPal, how can I get a photo on here?

How to upload pictures (tech stuff forum)

Post edited 4:09 pm – December 30, 2009 by zip2play

No,

Tophi do not have to be hard, firm though. THey tend to blanche white for a moment or two when presseed.

 THe crystals are mixed with pus, joint fluid, fat and the result is something slippery and creamy almost like a thick white salve. THat's been my experience. Is that how you would decribe your “maggots?”

I will soon attack a small one on my little finger (my only known remaining tophus, at least that is visible.) But not to sound like a broken record there are three words to remember: STERILE, STERILE, and STERILE. I also would never go INTO a joint but rather wait until the tophus rises to just under the skin and looks like it is TRYING to get out. Picture coming as soon as I go shopping and find time to set up the camera.

Just the word “maggots” makes me cringe.