Gout

Gout

Gout is one of the commonest forms of arthritis (joint inflammation). It appears as an acute attack, often coming on overnight. Within 12-24 hours there is severe pain and swelling in the affected joint. The skin over the joint may be red and shiny.

Gout usually affects only one or two joints at a time – most often the feet and ankles. The ball of the big toe is the commonest site. Without treatment the attack subsides in a week or so and when patients first develop gout there may be intervals of many months or even years between attacks. As time goes by, these tend to become more frequent and more severe and eventually many joints may be involved.

Gout affects mostly men and is very rare in women, until after the menopause, when it is quite often seen. Gout is very common in New Zealand and it is particularly common in the indigenous Maoris and Pacific Islanders. Some surveys have shown it to be present in up to 10% of adult males.

Gout occurs as the result of abnormal accumulation of the body chemical uric acid. Uric acid is a natural product of the normal break down of certain foods and body tissues. The level in the blood can be measured and shows how much there is in the body overall.

The condition of raised blood uric acid is called hyperuricaemia. When this is present the uric acid which is normally dissolved in the blood may form microscopic crystals in the joint. These crystals create an inflammatory reaction.

The more common causes of raised blood uric acid are:

• An inherited condition
• Obesity
• High alcohol intake
• High intake of food containing purines (anchovies, beans, crab, game eg venison, kidneys, fish roe, red meat, sardines, shellfish, and sweetbreads) which are transformed into uric acid
• Some of the drugs used to treat high blood pressure.
• Chronic kidney disease, leading to inefficient excretion of uric acid

Complementary Medicine

Nutritional Therapy

Diet is very important in the treatment of Gout. Avoid completely foods containing purines (see list above) which are the primary culprits.

Coffee and tea should be very restricted as this aggravates the problem, and it goes without saying that alcohol is completely prohibited as Gout and drinking can go hand-in-hand.

Supplements

Increase your intake of Vitamin C to up to 4 grams a day – this acts as an anti-inflammatory, but only take it to bowel tolerance.

50mg a day of Zinc combined with 300mg of Magnesium, in addition, is very effective.

Herbal Therapy

The use of diuretic herbs as well as anti-rheumatics will help considerably. Herbs such as Celery, Boneset, Wild Carrot, and Yarrow are all especially useful.

Try the following mixture:

• Burdock Rose1 part
• Celery Seed1 part
• Yarrow1 part

Drink this infusion x 3 a day over a period of time.

Homeopathy

During an attack one of the following remedies can help:

• Colchicum 6c – when you are depressed, irritable, weak and nauseous, with the affected joint excruciatingly painful, especially at night
• Arnica 30c – joints feel bruised and painful
• Ledum 6c – affected joints slightly swollen, with a cold feeling in them, discomfort lessened by cold bathing, increased by movement
• Urtica 30c – affected joints burn and itch
• Benzoic ac.6c – symptoms accompanied by strong smelling urine
• Lycopodium 6c – one foot hot, one foot cold, symptoms worse between 4-8pm
• Pulsatilla 6c – pains flit from joint to joint

Other suitable therapies include acupuncture, ayurveda, and aromatherapy

Also See:

• Arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis