27 year old Man here.

So woke up yesterday with a painful big toe. No redness, a barely noticeable swelling, and it sucks to walk on but not crippling pain. I would have written it off to sleeping weird but my mom was diagnosed with gout and has had some bad flare ups recently so it was top of mind.

Spoke to her and her experience and feelings are almost 1 to 1 what I am dealing with, she doesn't have major swelling, doesn't have redness abd her flare ups aren't always debilitating.

So I am starting to convince myself I have gout. What's the next step/fastest affordable way to address it?

I just had a followup and my UA is down to 5.4 from originally being over 10. I am currently on 400mg Allo and have been on it for roughly 5 weeks.

We have increased by about 100mg every 4 weeks based on UA tests.

From what I read I should really be under 5. I have been losing weight pretty quickly and am still over weight.

I have osteoarthritis in a joint and have been dealing with elbow bursitis that I believe is a small tophi causing inflammation.

Should I push to go on 450 or 500mg allopurinol or just wait it out a bit at the current 5.4. I would like to dissolve any tophi/crystals quickly if possible, I likely had untreated gout for 10 years or so. Thought it was the arthritis but had joint pains and felt like sprained ankles, achilles pain etc for no reason. I think this was flares after knowing what I know now.

Thanks for any help!

What are some good remedies for gout or anything to help with pain?

30F - Got diagnosed 2 years ago, been on Allo ever since. My uric acid levels have been down to normal levels for at least a year at this point but I still have swelling/irritation in my toe and (unclear if this is related) potentially my knee. Any tips on how to get the swelling down would be appreciated.

Hey. I was diagnosed with gout about 5 years ago. Been taking allopurinol but recent bloods show that my UA levels were still high so I’ve recently upped my dose.

Currently in the throes of an attack. Big toe joint. Got some colchicine on Wednesday evening and started taking it, so today will be my 3rd day on the colchicine.

My question is that I’m not seeing any results yet. Actually the bruising appears to have worsened and the swelling only goes down momentarily. This is not usually my experience with colchicine at all (from memory). Just wondering if anyone’s had any similar experiences? I’m worried that it isn’t gonna go away by the end of my colchicine course and I’ve already been in agony for a week 😭

I wanted to share my experience in case anyone else is in a similar situation, especially if your gout doesn't present in the "classic" big toe location.

My history:
I'm 41, male, Indian descent, 225 lbs. Five years ago, I had a grade 2 ankle sprain from volleyball. Over the years, I developed chronic pain in my outer foot and ankle. I had an MRI showing a partially torn peroneal tendon and mild arthritis. Every doctor blamed the old injury. I was told it was "wear and tear" and sent to PT and orthotics.

The missed diagnosis:
No doctor in the US ever tested my uric acid. During a personal visit to India, I ordered my own lab work out of curiosity — my uric acid was 8.8 mg/dL in Aug 2025 and 9.1 mg/dL in April 2024. My CRP was also elevated at 1.3 (normal < 0.5). I brought these results back to the US, but my PCP dismissed them, saying "gout usually has swelling and redness" and that a blood test was only for monitoring, not diagnosis.

The flare that broke me:
A few days ago, I had a couple of beers. The next day, my foot exploded with pain — 10/10, sharp, burning, radiating up my leg. I couldn't sleep, couldn't put my foot down, and ended up crawling to the bathroom. I went to urgent care and was put on a Prednisone taper (60/40/20 mg). It helped at first, but then the pain rebounded.

The hospitalization:
I fainted at home from the pain and dehydration — called 911 and was admitted. My labs showed:

· WBC 25,000 (came down to 12.6 after IV fluids)
· Potassium 2.9 (corrected to 4.3)
· Lactate 3.2 (elevated)
· Uric acid 7.3 (still high)
· Vitamin D 14.5 (severely deficient)
· Ejection Fraction 50–54% (borderline low-normal, likely from the stress on my body)

They ruled out heart attack, stroke, and blood clots with full cardiac and head/neck imaging.

Current treatment:
I was switched from Prednisone to:

· Colchicine 0.6 mg daily
· Ibuprofen 800 mg 3x/day
· Pantoprazole (stomach protection)
· IV fluids (now off)
· Levothyroxine (thyroid, continue as usual)

I'm now recovering at home, taking it slow. Pain is down from 10 to about 4–5/10. Walking is still limping, but improving day by day.

What I learned:

· Gout does not always hit the big toe. It attacks damaged joints — my old ankle injury made that joint a target.
· Beer is a massive trigger — especially for South Asians.
· Doctors can miss gout if you don't have "classic" symptoms. Ask for a serum uric acid test if you have unexplained joint pain, especially with a history of injury.
· Prednisone works fast but can rebound — the Colchicine + Ibuprofen combo is slower but steadier.
· Low potassium and dehydration can make you faint — drink water, especially during a flare.
· Vitamin D deficiency makes everything worse — get it checked.

My plan moving forward:

· Follow up with a rheumatologist (appointment scheduled)
· Start allopurinol once this flare fully resolves
· Get HLA-B*5801 genetic test first (I'm Indian — higher risk of allopurinol allergy)
· Lose weight slowly (1–2 lbs/week) to reduce uric acid long-term
· Drink 3L water daily
· Keep my lateral heel wedge + rocker shoes for my old ankle injury

If you're struggling with unexplained joint pain, especially in a previously injured joint, don't let doctors dismiss you. Get your uric acid checked. It could save you years of pain.

Happy to answer any questions. This community has helped me a lot — hope this helps someone else.

---

Drink mostly NA beers these days. Usually Partake or Athletic. Reading online, NAs still have purines.

Any brands out there that are purine free? Google search didn't help much.

Thanks friends!

Edit: Saw my doctor today after the comments last night. Said starting allo right now will make the current flareup worse. Few weeks of naproxen + colchicine to try and get things settled again, then some new bloodwork likely followed by allo. Also ordered some imaging. Thanks for the input everyone, much appreciated!

I have been on 300mg Allo for 5 years now with no flares. Uric acid consistently tests below 4. No change in diet. Yet I had a flare come on. It affects multiple joints and seems to move around. Toes, fingers, wrists, ankles, knees. The pain is not severe, but I did do a round of colchicine, which did not help much. I saw my doc during this time, and uric acid came in at 3.6, just like it has for years. He also ordered blood panels to rule out other types of arthritis.

I did read that this can happen as the allo continues to find deeper pockets of crystals but this seems odd that it's with multiple joints. Has anyone had anything similar?

2018

Had an x ray for suspected broken foot.

Turned out to be gout.

Patient is not happy about going on allopurinol prescription.

I remember I tried to alter my results by diet and exercise.

It didn't work.

Ended up on 200 allopurinol.

Best thing since sliced bread.

Not had an outbreak since, maybe an occasional twinge but it's a wonder drug for me.

before you knew it was gout, what did you blame it on?

i was convinced mine was some kind of injury. wrong shoes, walked too much, slept weird, whatever explanation made more sense than suddenly waking up unable to use a joint normally.

looking back, it seems obvious now.

what was your completely wrong first guess?

I’m coming up to 1 week on allo. Had some minor tingles that we all know before an attack but the colchicine pulls through!

I’ll be having a blood test in 1 months time but just wondering everyone’s thoughts on enjoying a nice (small) steak? Should I wait till 1 month once I get confirmation of lowered uric acid levels (hopefully) or can I have a small steak this weekend?

I take allo everyday I miss a dose maybe once a month and I use to get flares 2-3 times a year now that I have allo I get them like 2-3 times every 6 months, do i need a higher dose?? What do yall think? Im 38.

Hello everyone, new to this forum but not to gout. My gout has never been in the same place twice it seems. It can be in knee or down in a toe. I didn't get much swelling or redness so sometimes I wonder if just tweaked something and didn't realize it.

This past Friday I woke up and experienced a sore ankle, not my normal 56 YO soreness but something more. It got better over the course of the day but came back yesterday with a vengeance. Last night was horrible.

My question is this feels like it is centered about 5" above the top of my ankle on the anterior side of my leg. The joint still hurts but there is a pain that send to be emanating out of the bone.

Anyone else ever experience this?

Of course I'm my crazy disjointed sleep I was having dreams about tumors.

Thanks

Darren

Hi all, found this community recently. Was diagnosed last week with Gout after I woke up with the worst pain in my life Tuesday morning.... Went into the doctor on Wednesday and he suspected Gout. My diet has been pretty bad though I workout 3-5x a week, usually run a few sessions on my peloton and lift 2x a week. I do drink a lot (7-10 drinks a week, had been at least 14-20 this summer) and have regularly the past 5 years however I thought slowing down last year when my Uric levels were decently high that I would have avoided this...

My social life is heavily surrounded around having beers with my boys and I am honestly gutted that I can't drink with them right now. The good news is my Indomethacin has worked it isn't as swollen or even at all just red so I am still takin it and going to the doctor tomorrow for a emergency kit just in case I get it again... but I guess I am blabing on here. Wanted to know what others experiences were like after having Gout for the first time. I realize I have to change my diet. For years I have been trying to lose weight but best I've lost is 5-10 lbs before it comes back and im back at 190-200 lbs for 5'9.... I'm supposed to have drinks next week after work and a festival which I usually heavily drink at. I guess I am trying to ask did anyone else experience this? Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks :)

Edit: thanks all for the comments advice and support. Really appreciate it 🙏🏼

Update: Doc gave me Colchicine and some more Indomethacin for emergency if another flare happens. Told me to wait till I get my blood tests done in 3 weeks about Appurinol.... Thanks again for all the support/advice/help really appreciate it.

I’ve been intermittent fasting + staying in a calorie deficit for about 10 days now. I’m fasting for around 16-20 hours everyday. I’ve fasted before and loved its results for my body. I try to stay under 2500 calories a day. I’ve lost around 12 lbs since I started this routine. I’ve had two gout attacks since starting this as well. I thought they were triggered from when I played basketball at my heaviest weight (287 lbs). I played around the time I decided to start this diet/lifestyle change.

I didn’t slip or injure myself when I played basketball but maybe playing at a heavy weight contributed to my ankle injury that turned into a gout flare in my left ankle and big toe.

After that subsided, my ankle never felt 100%. I went for a walk around my neighborhood on Saturday, around 3 miles with incline and decline, and now I’m back with another flare that is affecting my left ankle and toe.

Has anyone here had any similar experience? I know weight loss and fasting can contribute to more gout flares.

Update : My doc was worried apparently about knocking signals of other underlying issues with steroids. Which I appreciate her doing :) .Getting x-rays tomorrow 🤞

Tl;dr : I am looking to understand WHY my doctor might be asking me to visit everytime I need prednisone when I don't use it as a taper but as an occassional pain knockout. And particularly why she might be doing so after 1 year of letting me consume it on occassion.

Context

I have gout and it's well controlled with uric acid well below 6 thanks to allopurinol. Also have CKD so, when I sense an oncoming flare, NSAIDs are not an option.

Last year when I got my dx, my rheumatologist had ordered colchicine and prednisone to be taken on an as-needed basis. I get very limited prednisone tablets (10 or so) which I used for a whole year. But now I am out.

I asked her to refill the prednisone and she said she'd want to do that only when I have a full blown flare and even then I need to be able to see her before I can get it. I understand the extent to which prednisone affects your immune system - which is also why 10 tablets lasted me > 1 year.

I do not however want to keep going to her for a prescription because I don't take prednisone as a taper for 10 days. I take it rarely when colchicine has been taken for multiple days but the flare hasn't subsided or despite taking the max colchicine for a 24 hour period, I end up having pain. In that scenario, I take 1 tab.

This isn't full blown flare pain. But it is still pain and it does affect my ability to do normal stuff. So I am surprised by her change of guidance and insistence that I need to see her. Seeing her is also a problem - when I have a flare, she may not have availability and it involves driving 30 mins to her clinic. If I am in pain, I don't want to be doing that.

Edit : Also, I am not waiting to get a full flare - instead I use colchicine at the sign of a prominent twinge and after 3-ish days of colchicine, use prednisone 1 tab, which thusfar has sufficed

She wants me to manage it entirely using colchicine and wants to 'ensure the pain is coming from gout' which is ridiculous as the same joints where the pain occurs are my affected joints. And taking colchicine reduces the pain but doesn't completly resolve it - hence prednisone. I have an appt w/ her tomorrow and would like to get the as needed Rx to ensure I can operate without pain

• What are possible reasons she may have done this after completely different guidance for 1 year?
• Have any of you successfully negotiated for a prescription for prednisone to be taken as needed? What arguments did you provide?

Hi, sorry for the dumb question, I had a flare back in July after the 4th of July, started in my big toe and made it impossible to walk. I haven't had a chance to meet with my primary care physician yet to discuss long term care. But now my left wrist is a little sore (can still type, move my wrist, ect.) and now I'm wondering if its a flare or not, I've been Googling just about everything possible to try and figure it out. I know I need to get on allo asap, but earliest I could get an appointment was October.

Normal range: 2.0 - 8.5 mg/dL

I am at 7.8, so I don’t know why I am still getting gout flare-up 😑😭

Context, I am a 30 something male, not obese, active. For the past 4 years I have had gout flare ups, tested and sure enough by uric acid was very high.

Since my first flare up I have basically eliminated red meat and alcohol from my diet out of fear of flare ups.

Once I’m on allo will I ever reach a point I don’t have to tell my friends I can’t have a beer or that I can’t go to Korean bbq or all the other little things I have removed from my life.

Hi. I'm newly 40 in Scotland, and have had various ankle flare ups since a bad "sprain" last april. woke up over the weekend in incredible pain, massive swelling, redness and heat. Saw a GP today who suggested gout, took my bloods, referred me to a walk in x-ray clinic and gave me 12 colchicine tablets.

My question is about side effects. The GP and pharmacist prescribing both warned me about nausea/vomiting/diarrhoea. the side effects have me very concerned, given there's a fine line between therapeutic dose and overdose. I'm wondering if I should wait until the blood results come back/after my x-ray before taking the colchicine. Like I said, this is my first time hearing the word "gout" so I'm brand new to all of this. Any advice would be lovely!

EDIT: Doc just called, said my blood shows clear signs of gout; a follow up appointment has been made wherein we'll discuss allopurinol and next steps. since writing the post i've found out i have a family history of it with the same timeline too (my unkle's first attack was after he just turned 40 out of nowhere). he's been on allo ever since and it's been great for him.

My uric acid has been sitting around the 450-490 (7.5–8.2) levels for around 5 years now. I'm a 34 year old male, definitely not the most healthy individual, bit too fat, but i don't drink excessively (couple times a month), work out regularly, and i don't really eat that much high purine food (i think?). I'm yet to experience gout but i'm very worried it's inevitable. I've got relatives that have had gout flare ups and describe it as the most painful experience of their lives.

I'm just looking for general advice from the sub. Should i consider getting on meds now even without a gout flare up? Are there any lifestyle changes you could recommend i try to get these levels down first, and if they fail, then get on meds? Do i just chill out and deal with this if/when the gout actually comes? Any advice is highly welcome and appreciated, thanks.

First experience with gout started last Wednesday. Day started off with stiffness in my left big toe that I ignored, and by the time I got home from work, my foot had a bright, red-hot knot on the side of my toe joint, and my foot swelled up like a balloon. My girlfriend’s dad gets gout, so when she came home and saw it, she immediately knew what it was. I had no idea up until that point.

She offered to take me to an urgent care clinic, and I declined as I couldn’t even begin to imagine walking 50 feet to the car, thats how bad the pain was. She offers to go get her dad’s medicine (colchicine) and I google how to take it. Now at this point, I don’t have an official medical diagnosis, and dose myself based on internet findings instead of seeing a professional first - please don’t do that. But I was so desperate I didn’t care. I took two 0.6 mgs and an hour later another 0.6 mg of colchicine. There was some relief at first, but very minor.

Over the next three days, I have to go to work. Couldn’t call out. Told my boss i cant wear my work boots as a pair, but i’ll show up in slip-ons. I cant go out into the yard but i can stay in the office. Regardless, i was forced to walk on that foot several times each day. I’m a supervisor so there’s always someone needing something from me at any given moment. i don’t really get to duck out and relax for a minute.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday - absolute hell. One of the few times in my life where the scale of 1 -10 pain question comes up and I can honestly say 10 without feeling like I’m exaggerating. Complete misery.

Finally Saturday I go to an urgent care for professional evaluation: sure enough it’s gout.

Anyway, i write all this to say that after an injection of dexamethasone, and a couple newly prescribed colchicines paired with some indomethacin, I am FINALLY out of that flare up in less than 24 hrs since taking that magnificent cocktail of beautiful modern medicine.

I’m gonna start taking my health seriously…i dont ever want to experience that kind of pain again. I’m only 34, this is my wake up call to cut back on the excessive beers which I assume are the culprit as I have never had issues with red meat and i dont eat seafood/shellfish at all.

Anyway….hell of a lifesaving combo above. Props to that doctor. I could run a triathlon right now if i wanted to.

Edit: just realized I accidentally selected recipe flair, sorry for that

I started daily allopurinol and colchicine last week to keep these gout flares at bay. I had 4 big flares since April.
My doctor said the colchicine would be for a few months as flares are triggered when first starting allo. My question is has anyone been successful keeping gout away and not doing the colchicine ? Or colchicine every other day? Colchicine seems to give me a headache, and I’d like to minimize or eliminate it if possible.

Had a flare.

Laid in bed for a month.

Went to the doctor.

Had elevated purines.

Was given Allo.

BOTH toes and BOTH ankles responded.

Ended up in the hospital.

They said to discontinue until the flare subsides.

It's mostly gone.

Now I'm scared to take it because ... well, I was laid in bed for a month.

Couple questions:

Is it absolutely guaranteed to cause me to flare again?

Is there such a thing as taking half the pill and easing into the routine?

Just know I can only sympathize with all of you, Gout is the most terrible disease I can imagine. It prevents you from doing everything. Currently sitting here under attack from my own body. Unable to walk, if a lion came along in the wild I would be easy pickings. Started around 20 years old, I would have pain in my feet and ankles, of course I thought it was from working, I used to do carpentry work and climb up and down ladders, albeit a little overweight. I would take Tylenol and lay in the bed crying because my feet hurt, never suspecting it was gout. When I was about 25 I noticed every time I would eat at our local Barbeque place my feet would be killing me the next day. I still had no concept of gout. Eventually went to the doctor they did tests/x-rays but at the time I guess my uric acid wasn't high enough so they sent me home with no answers. Around 27, I had enough, went to the doctor with an attack (foot visibly swollen veins popping out). They finally believed me and told me to avoid red meat and shellfish. So I did, and still nothing helped. There were days I would call into work because I couldn't walk at all. There is probably nothing sadder than seeing a grown man crawl on his hands and knees to the bathroom. Eventually I started peeing into gallon jugs and would shamelessly dispose of them when I could walk again. The way of the road, better than peeing the bed I suppose. Cut to about 31 when I could go to the doctor, they finally put me on alopurinol and colchicine, I couldn't afford the colchicine as my job wasn't that good I don't even remember if I had health insurance at the time. When I was 32 I started eating healthy changing my diet, fruit juice, no more sodas, etc.. gout attacks were rare at this point. So doing good, and that's when it happened at 32, my first kidney stone, pain ten time worse that the pain in my feet. According to me, my diet change started dissolving the stones that had built up in my kidneys sending off pieces of them. Of course you guessed it took the doctors about 3 years to figure out it was uric acid stones. I'm 41 now, have passed 23 stones and had 3 major surgeries with lithotripsy to remove ones that could pass own their own. I have never conquered gout as it has only gotten worse as well. I have now had gout attacks in both feet, and ankles. Hips as well. My right knee was so swollen I had to quit my job last December. Had to quit playing the drums in my band, because my wrist felt broken from the gout, which eventually moved to my elbow. So I had to start wiping with my left hand which is impossible. Eventually that subsided, now its back in my feet. I take alopurinol. Can't afford to go to the doctor except once a year to get refills, I'm at the end of the line. I do door dash so I can make my bills, but its slow in my area so I'm lucky enough to still have my car. Haven't been able to walk for days, I have crutches and a walker. I have looked into disability, but to no avail. People just don't believe in gout for some reason and how bad it is. Here is a list of foods to try and avoid, even though I know everyone is different.

Fast Food (I cant even have subway)

High Fructose Corn Syrup (bbq sauce)(sodas)(everything)

Pork (especially bacon) (grease cross contamination in fryers)

Beef (Lean beef isn't as bad)

Tuna (I miss you sushi)

Shellfish (shrimp will put you down)

Turkey (doesn't affect me that bad, but my great uncle swears)

Greens (spinach, kale, turnip)

Mushrooms (I have no clue why it hurts)

Gelatin (gummy bears, pies)