Gout!

Hmm...

I'm trying to keep an open mind but at times, I am rather agitated with comments like I'm living a decadent lifestyle that's why I have gout!

Food may play an important part of gout attack, but not entirely true.

Likewise, alcohol does not give you gout, it triggers gout attack!

But hey, I got gout when I was in my early twenties not because I was a rich SOB!

I got it because I was so poor as a university student pursuing my dreams in UK studying design!

I had to choose between buying decent food or investing the money in art equipment to create better artwork, design and/or presentation work.

I chose work almost every time without hesitant!

So I got creative with my cheap canned tuna! Spaghetti, pizza, fried rice, noodle, rice noodle, salad, spud... All with tuna!

Excessive protein in tuna turned into purin, purin in turned, became uric acid and when the liver got flooded with it, it got into my blood and slowly but surely, GOUT!

I wouldn't wish my greatest enemy to have gout as it is such a painful experience.

New sufferer of gout, you better believe me when I say if you got it on your thumb, finger, elbow, ankle or knee and it (when it started, only one of your joints will be affected) is sensitive to even the graze of the blanket, it's nothing!

Seriously nothing!

Things like Rheumox, Voltaren, etc, COX2 painkiller can address it and after 3 to 5 days, it goes away.

You probably get it twice a year. Maybe 3 or 4 times a year. No big deal huh?

Wait...

Truth is the moment you get it, it won't go away and if there's no change in lifestyle (red meat, shell fish, etc), it will definitely get worse...

There's also this thing called colchicine that you think is a miracle drug as after taking 3 to 4 times a day for one to three days, you think it flushes out the excess uric acid... Better start Google it as now there are more research done on gout as compared to 20+ years ago when I started having it.

Based on my experience (of course I do not have clinical studies but only look at myself, experience with food intake, medical check up, etc), things will get worse until it start to attack your muscles!

It doesn't happen overnight, but slowly and surely over the years... Without knowing it, one day I realized not only my joints are all stiff and I couldn't even squat down, I lost my calf muscles, thigh muscles and forearm muscles.

I can't play tennis, cycle, swim, etc as every time I do it, it trigger another gout attack!

I only have myself to blame as I truly neglected my health!

Even taking supplement with the hope that antioxidant can help to flush out the uric acid ended in pain!

Simply because any fluctuation in uric acid level in blood (up or down), it triggers another attack!

The years of pain killer also taken it's toll on my liver. So your body starts to get weak!

What can you do?

Well, first, don't get to this stage!

Now that I'm at this stage, everyday for the last 2 years, I wake up with stiff legs, numb feet on a good day.

On a not too good day, in pain. Over the years, it's become bearable pain!

When I have less pain, I am thankful! Imagine!

Taking med to control and lower the uric acid is one way to surely but slowly get back a less painful life, but long term side effect is the one I donno of as yet. But there must be, just like taking med for my blood sugar.

Is there a supplement to help? I donno as supplement is something not enough clinical studies to established the efficacies.

I am taking traditional herbs with the hope that it addresses not the symptoms but the cause. But hey, I abused my body for well over twenty years, I only started this the last 6 months.

I need months further down the road to see the effect... Simply because after trying a few miracle drugs, I finally have to accept the fact that the ones given me instant results have side effects. The faster the results, the worse the side effects!

I hope:

1. You can pass this on to your loved ones and people you care about just so they know.

2. Don't think by eating right, you won't get gout as it got to do with your liver's health. Beans and vegetable can trigger and/or cause gout too.

3. No one in their right mind wants to have this if they know what I know at early stages!

I'm thankful for the tips and traditional cures that people shared with me over the years. I believe them when they say either they or their friends tried and worked.

Probably it's because theirs are not as chronic as mine.

For me, I have to accept it will take time but I believe I can overcome this one day. Address the cause and not the symptoms.

Until then, I just found out I can't eat duck from now.

That, is another item on my long list...

If you're curious, stay away from red meat, shell fish and vegetable protein mainly.

When gout attacks, diary products will prolong it and at times, make it worse.

I notice chicken, turkey, fish (mainly with white flesh) and pork are safe for me.

Hope you will only know of gout but never have to live through it!

Stay well, stay healthy.

Health is wealth!






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