Thousands Of People Are Now Gout
No meds, doctors or procedures three years of pain gone in weeks
I used to have gout.
The memory of how it used to hurt makes me wince even today.
Was it the most painful thing in the world? I reckon so.
Gout hurt like nothing Ive ever known.
To the point that it made me cry. Real tears.
And I dont cry for anything or anyone.
Doctors did their best. They told me to eat less meat, drink less alcohol. Drink more water.
Take these medications to reduce the symptoms.
Try this treatment.
And so on. You may well be familiar with all this.
But let me tell you: if I had known then what I know now I wouldnt have bothered with any of that.
Because too many doctors today are still fixated on gouts symptoms rather than gouts actual causes.
Whereas US and European research over the last couple of decades has revealed what actually causes gout.
Meaning that a natural, drug-free remedy for gout is already known. And practitioners were getting close to 100% clear-up rates.
I was a little skeptical at first. I thought Id have to manage gout for the rest of my life.
But way too many people have been restored to gout-free health for me to ignore the evidence.
And Im so glad I didnt ignore it. Because I havent had gout for over two years now.
No pain, no flare-ups. Nothing.
I cant tell you how happy I am about that!
Heres how it happened:
For years my painful gout was getting worse
How Does Gout Cause Kidney Stones
People with gout could be at a higher risk of developing uric acid kidney stones because they have a higher level of uric acid being excreted by the kidneys, and they have more acidic urine, which makes the uric acid more likely to form stones, according to Michael Toprover, MD, a rheumatologist at NYU Langone Health.
When gout treatment does not reduce levels uric acid enough , several complications can develop, including uric acid kidney stones, according to the American Kidney Fund.
Other lifestyle factors may also contribute to the risk of developing kidney stones, including a higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and being overweight, according to Dr. Toprover says.
The Link Between Gout And Kidney Stones
Excess uric acid can build up in the blood and form painful, spiky crystals. This may happen if the body is making too much uric acid or if the kidneys are having a hard time filtering it out.
In people with gout, the joints are the most commonly affected part of the body.
These spiky,;urate;crystals may also cause a stone to form in the kidney or other parts of the urinary tract.
Kidney stones;can get stuck in the urinary tract and cause severe pain in the side of the abdomen or back. They pass out of the body in urine.
Kidney stones caused by uric acid crystals occur in about 15 percent of people living with gout.
Uric acid gets excreted by the kidneys. Some medications aim at lowering uric acid levels by increasing the amount of uric acid excreted by the kidneys. These medications may increase the risk of kidney stones in some people.
Talk with your doctor if you are using a uric-acid-lowering drug and are developing kidney stones. Your doctor may opt to put you on a different medication.
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Who Is At Risk For Gout
In general, gout is more common in men. Additional risk factors for gout include obesity, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, insulin resistance or diabetes, or kidney disease.
Those with kidney disease are at a higher risk for developing gout due to the limited ability to remove uric acid from the body.
Other risk factors for developing gout include using certain medications , drinking alcohol, or a diet high in sugar or purines.
How Can Kidney Stones Affect Your Gout
Kidney stones severely affect the kidneys ability to excrete uric acid efficiently, hampering the normal physiology and compounding the problem of gout. Kidney problem can also complicate the treatment and management of the gout.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often used as first line of treatment for the attack for acute gout, but if you are having chronic kidney disease, its not a good choice. Similarly, colchicine is often used for gout pain, but it brings side effects which can be unbearable if you are having a kidney disease simultaneously.
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Hyperuricosuria And Urine Volume
Hyperuricosuria is commonly defined as a daily urinary urate excretiongreater than 800 mg in men and 750 mg in women. Hyperuricosuria perse is not the deciding factor for uric acid lithiasis, andconversely, uric acid stones frequently form in patients with normouricosuria.In addition, more deciding than the total amount of uric acid excreted is itsconcentration in urine. The solubility of a substance isdefined as the maximum amount that is stable in a solution.Supersaturation occurs beyond the solubility concentration,where there is a drive to remove the excess by crystallization, though no newcrystals can yet form, until the concentration reaches the metastableupper limit . At and beyond the MUL, crystals willprecipitate, enucleate, aggregate, and grow into a urolith.
Diurnal variation of urine pH and volume. In the early hours of the morning, bothurine pH and urine volume are lowest, rendering this a particular vulnerableperiod for uric acid precipitation
Monogenic enzymatic disorders, such as the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome and sometypes of glycogen storage diseases, are rare causes of severe hyperuricemia andhyperuricosuria and will not be discussed in this review.
How Do I Know If I Have Gout
Gout can only be diagnosed during a flare. Your doctor can diagnose with an x-ray and lab tests. They will look for uric acid crystals in the inflamed joint.
Only a doctor can diagnose you with gout. You can look for a rheumatologist, which is a doctor that specializes in musculoskeletal disease and systemic autoimmune conditions.
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Manage Your Blood Pressure
High blood pressure damages blood vessels. Your kidneys are packed with blood vessels that, when damaged, prevent kidney tissue getting sufficient blood. Poorly controlled high blood pressure is a leading cause of kidney disease.
And, of course, unhealthy kidneys are not as efficient as they should be so that waste products like uric acid can build-up in the body, increasing the risk of gout and kidney stones.
You can help manage your blood pressure and so help protect your kidneys by:
Avoiding alcohol.
Alcohol raises blood pressure that can damage your kidneys. But it also affects kidney function and hinders filtration. And, alcohol is a major trigger for gout.
Quitting smoking.
Smoking causes high blood pressure. But smoking can also affect medicines used in the treatment of high blood pressure, resulting in poor control that can lead to poor kidney function, even kidney disease.
Eating more plant-based foods.
Plant-based foods can help to lower and control blood pressure. The following are particularly effective for your kidneys health: leafy green vegetables, garlic, ginger, beetroot, pomegranate, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, spirulina, chlorella, turmeric, and lemon juice.
If you suffer from gout then you are at a higher risk of uric acid kidney stones. Please give serious consideration to the strategies above for helping to prevent them.
The End Of Gout Quick Start Plan
Shelly Mannings The End of Gout is not only a fascinating read its also refreshingly practical.
Shelly gives you two simple quick-starts:
Eat more of these
Eat fewer of these
This simple adjustment can correct years of gout-causing errors in your eating. And you can start on this straight away within minutes of receiving the program.
Recommended Reading: Celery Juice Kidney
Asking The Awkward Questions
My natural curiosity prompted me to ask questions about this disease.
If uric acid leads to gout then why did I suddenly have too much uric acid in my blood?
Well, it makes sense that either I was suddenly producing too much of it or that my body simply was no longer removing it effectively.
And it turns out that the answer is b.
In fact, for 90% of gout sufferers scientists say it isnt over-production of uric acid that is the problem.
Its the under-processing of it.
In other words, somethings going wrong with the bodys ability to expel uric acid properly.
So I was quite puzzled.
Heres how I thought about it.
There was a time when I hadnt even heard of gout much less suffered from it.
Then I had gout for just over 3 years.
And then, two years ago, I experienced my last ever gout attack. And never suffered another one.
So. For a number of decades of my life my body handled the uric acid effectively.
Suddenly it could no longer handle that acid properly and so I found myself with gout.
Fast-forward after three years of gout and, once again, everything is fine. Im gout-free.
It doesnt take Sherlock Holmes to work this out.
Remember: its not that Im producing too much uric acid thats the problem.
Its that Im no longer removing enough of it from my body.
So at first, something in my body was working, it was getting rid of the uric acid.
Then it stopped working. So I got gout.
Then it started working again.
How Is Gout A Risk For Kidney Disease What Does Gout Do To The Kidney
The risk of developing a kidney disease gets multiplied when you are having gout. An estimated 40% of gout patients also have chronic kidney disease.
The relationship between gout and kidney disease is so marked because both conditions complement each other.
In normal physiology, a kidney excretes uric acid, and the deposition of this uric acid can crystallize, causing gout.; On the other hand, high levels of uric acid in the blood due to gout can speed up the progression of kidney diseases and deterioration of kidney health due to overwork. This vicious cycle exposes your kidney to greater risk of damage, which may eventually result in kidney failure.
More: What Are The Causes And Risk Factors For Chronic Kidney Disease?
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Psychological And Emotional Problems
Chronic gout causes chronic and sometimes constant pain. Gout may affect your ability to walk, work, and carry out normal tasks. Living with pain can be emotionally distressing. Talk to your doctor about the impact gout has on your emotional health, and ask for suggestions about ways to cope with it.
Educational content made possible by Horizon Therapeutics.
Tips For Following A Low
- Avoid or limit alcohol. Alcohol increases purine production. This leads to higher uric acid levels in your blood and urine.
- Limit meat to 3 oz. per meal.
- Limit high-fat foods. Fat holds onto uric acid in your kidneys.
- Eat enough carbs. They help your body get rid of extra uric acid.
- If youre overweight, lose weight gradually. Rapid weight loss can increase uric acid levels.
- Drink 8 to 12 cups of fluid every day to help reduce kidney stone formation.
- Dont take bakers or brewers yeast as a supplement.
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Treating A Gout Attack
As is true for many painful conditions, the first-line treatment for a gout attack is taking one of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , such as diclofenac, ibuprofen, or indomethacin. For people who can’t take NSAIDs, a drug called colchicine is an alternative. It’s been used for centuries maybe even longer specifically for gout. The trouble with colchicine is its side effects, especially the copious diarrhea. If neither an NSAID nor colchicine is an option, then gout attacks can be treated with an oral corticosteroid, such as prednisone, or with corticosteroid injections into the joints.
Nothing Makes More Sense Than This
Shelly Mannings program basically hand-held me to health. It walked me from A to Z. Which, to be honest, is pretty much what I needed it to do.
She attacks the problem at it cause.
And the cause is well understood. Your bacteria has depleted and isnt helping dispose of excess uric acid.
Youve lost too much good, healthy bacteria.
So repopulate your gut by feeding it properly.
It honestly isnt more complicated than this.
Sometimes I cant quite believe my gout is gone.
But it is. And it wont be back.
Would you like the same for yourself?
You can have it.
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So What Is The Cause Of This Condition
Well I am glad you asked essentially gout is the deposit of monosodium urate crystals in and around the joints, which are caused by increased levels of uric acid. Uric acid is formed when purines are broken down. Purines are found in certain foods such as meat, peas, and alcohol, and also occur naturally in our cells. High levels of uric acid cause inflammation and damage to joints and soft tissues. So gout can be either caused by the overproduction or under excretion of uric acid, such as in kidney disease. Gout can be a very common occurrence in those suffering from under functioning kidneys.
Here is a list of the major contributing factors, and risk factors, of gout:
- Kidney failure
- Bone fracture or surgical procedure
- Polynesian background
- High blood pressure
- Lead crystal glasses: Lead toxicity is a cause of gout . Leaded crystal decreases renal urate excretion.
How Can Uric Acid Stones Be Prevented
You can help to prevent uric acid stones if you do the following:
- Drink at least three quarts of fluids daily; water is best.
- Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
- Achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
- Avoid crash dieting, which increases uric acid levels in the blood.
- Follow the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, which has been shown to reduce not only high blood pressure but also the risk of kidney stones.
Many patients may also need to take prescribed medications to prevent uric acid stones and keep them from coming back.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 11/03/2016.
References
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Causes Of Kidney Stones
There are literally several reasons why kidney stones appear. Calcium or oxalate mixed with phosphorus is the first and the main cause. But, uric acid can cause kidney stones as well. We all know that all gout sufferers have a high level of this acid, therefore the higher risk of appearing kidney stones. Those kidney stones which have occurred due to high uric acid levels are the most dangerous and the most difficult to discover because they cannot be seen under X-ray. They are also the most complicated to remove from the body.
Kidney stones can damage the kidneys so you will need dialysis or a transplant. This occurs simply because the stones will damage the kidneys with sharp edges. Furthermore, the risk of an infection is higher as well. The stones may block the canals in the kidneys and prevent them from eliminating toxins and other chemicals. Additional symptoms include pain in groin area, blood in urine, vomiting, stomach pain and fever.
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How Are Uric Acid Stones Treated
Stones smaller than seven millimeters in diameter may pass on their own with time. This can take up to three weeks. Even when stones do pass, however, it is important to seek treatment in order to prevent the formation of more stones. The use of medications known as alpha blockers may encourage the passage of stones located in the lower ureter.
Drinking more fluids is the most important step in treatment. Higher levels of fluids reduce the concentration of minerals in urine, and encourage urination which can flush away materials that might form stones. It is recommended that a person drink enough fluid each day to produce about 2.5 liters of urine. This usually requires intake of about three liters of fluids per day, since some may be lost through sweating, particularly in hot weather, or as a result of work or exercise.
All types of fluids count toward the goal of increased intake, but the best fluid to drink is water. Hard water with high calcium content and soft water with high sodium content are best to avoid because they add extra minerals to urine.
In cases of stones that are large, block the flow of urine, cause infection, or have not passed after four to six weeks, surgery may be needed to remove them.
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Limit Intake Of Foods High In High
Excessive sugar intake stimulates the body to produce more uric acid. Read your ingredient labels for added sugars.;;
- sweetened cereals:
- baked goods: cake, pie, cookies, Danish, etc.
- candy: chocolate, hard candies, lollipops, etc. ;;
- any beverage high in sugar: regular soda, sweetened iced tea/lemonade, fruit juices, etc.;
Treatment For Tophaceous Gout And Tophi
Treatment for;tophaceous;gout typically involves long-term therapy with one or more uric-acid-lowering medications.
Achieving and maintaining a uric acid level of 6 milligrams per deciliter of blood or below can help reduce the risk of future gout flares. These medications will also cause;tophi;to dissolve and disappear.
Uric-acid-lowering medications take time. It may take several months of treatment before uric acid levels start to go down.
Drinking plenty of water, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding foods and beverages that trigger gout attacks can also help lower uric acid levels.
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Physiology Of Purines And Uric Acid/urate
In humans, uric acid is the end product of purine nucleotide metabolism.The formation of uric acid involves purine degradation to inosinic acid andhypoxanthine. The enzyme xanthine oxidase then converts hypoxanthine toxanthine and uric acid. While this is the final step in higher primates, mostmammals are able to convert uric acid to allantoin via uricase. Allantoin ishighly soluble without any known adverse effects on health. Recombinant uricase is in routine clinical use forsituations of anticipated severe hyperuricemia, such as chemotherapy inducedtumor lysis syndrome and the prevention of acute crystal-induced uric acidnephropathy . XOinhibitors are effective in reducing new uric acid formation, but accumulationof xanthine may result in acute xanthine nephropathy .