My husband has gout in the big toe anyone any ideas to ease the pain?

My husband has gout in the big toe he has been on doctors medication for about three weeks but it has not cured it, my husband has a good diet and does not drink alcohol

Generally speaking a short course of an anti-inflammatory painkillers will usually ease the pain quite quickly. Is your husband overweight?

Losing weight helps as does eating a healthy diet and cutting back on alcohol (which you stated he does). He should also try and reduce sugar in is diet too. Your husband must also avoid dehydration and unless there is a medical reason not to do so, drink about 2 litres of water daily.

The other things that help are if he can, elevate his legs while laying on the sofa and then using an ice pack, hold it against the inflamed joint. This may ease the pain. Make sure you wrap the ice pack in a towel to avoid direct skin contact. Only do this for about 20 minutes, then stop. This should not be done for long periods of time at once. Also make sure the temperature of the affected part has returned to normal before applying again.

As I said before, NSAIDs like Diclofenac usually help. If your husband can’t tolerate any NSAIDs for certain reasons, then Colchicine is an alternative medicine that might help. Steroid tablets or injections can also reduce pain and inflammation, but should generally be avoided if possible.

If he is in a lot of discomfort, he should see his GP again. If gout keeps reoccurring then taking Allopurinol daily will prevent attacks. Allopurinol will not have any effect during a gout attack though. Allopurinol basically works by It works by reducing level of uric acid in the blood. It takes a few months to work. It’s more of a preventative measure.

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8 Responses to My husband has gout in the big toe anyone any ideas to ease the pain?

  1. Sid the vicious one says:

    are you sure he doesnt drink?
    what about at work?
    References :

  2. Hayley B says:

    http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/g/gout/treatments.htm
    Have a look at this maybe theres a few things you could suggest to your dr especially as i bet he is ver un comfortable
    References :

  3. Pixie P says:

    My husbands brother has it and he get a bucket of cold water and a bucket of hot water and sits his feet in them for about 5 mins each.
    References :

  4. Rhianna says:

    Generally speaking a short course of an anti-inflammatory painkillers will usually ease the pain quite quickly. Is your husband overweight?

    Losing weight helps as does eating a healthy diet and cutting back on alcohol (which you stated he does). He should also try and reduce sugar in is diet too. Your husband must also avoid dehydration and unless there is a medical reason not to do so, drink about 2 litres of water daily.

    The other things that help are if he can, elevate his legs while laying on the sofa and then using an ice pack, hold it against the inflamed joint. This may ease the pain. Make sure you wrap the ice pack in a towel to avoid direct skin contact. Only do this for about 20 minutes, then stop. This should not be done for long periods of time at once. Also make sure the temperature of the affected part has returned to normal before applying again.

    As I said before, NSAIDs like Diclofenac usually help. If your husband can’t tolerate any NSAIDs for certain reasons, then Colchicine is an alternative medicine that might help. Steroid tablets or injections can also reduce pain and inflammation, but should generally be avoided if possible.

    If he is in a lot of discomfort, he should see his GP again. If gout keeps reoccurring then taking Allopurinol daily will prevent attacks. Allopurinol will not have any effect during a gout attack though. Allopurinol basically works by It works by reducing level of uric acid in the blood. It takes a few months to work. It’s more of a preventative measure.
    References :
    RN

  5. WENDEL HOMES says:

    A trip to the doctor might help with a good treatment.
    Failing that try increasing the amount of water intake on a daily basis, after all it is a build up of salts that cause the problem in the first instance and the water should help to dilute and flush these salts away.
    References :

  6. JEANNE C says:

    Gout is a build up of uric acid in your system. It rarely is cured, just treated, like arthritis. You do not have to drink alcohol to get or have gout. Different foods, especially rich foods will cause a flair up. Being overweight can effect gout attacks, meat and seafood are high in uric acid, and should be avoided or at least eaten less. A low fat diet may help gout attacks.
    References :
    Medcal assistant

  7. new nanna says:

    It’s not particularly alcohol that causes it. It is a build up of uric acid. Check the internet for helpful tips from other sufferers. Just Google "Gout." My husband has it also and once a bout starts there’s nothing you can do other than see it out. He takes Dicolfenac anti inflammatories which do help. We’ve found that fizzy drinks don’t help the situation.
    References :

  8. Dr Frank says:

    Massive answer Rhianna Sweetie, you have not left much for me to say. In summary patients with gout have high levels of uric acid, this is due to a combination on Inheritance and a diet rich in purines, classically game and port, but also things like turkey!

    The patient has no symptoms until the uric acid crystallises out, settling in a joint, this is most often the big toe, but can be virtually any joint, commonly also knees, ankles and fingers. It can also affect the spine, I think the only joints it misses are the hip and shoulder. The crystals can also come out of solution elsewhere causing kidney stones or deposits at the edge of the ear.

    Often quite short courses of the more potent anti-inflamatories will settle an acute episode. I have only had to resort to colchicine twice, though it is still used.

    if a patient has frequent, painful episodes the risk of these may be reduced by taking allopurinol as maintainance therapy.

    References :
    GP for more years than I care to remember