u/end_traveler

I'm just curious. I started getting bouts of gout about two years ago. It came on strong, and there were many days during the first year where I could not put weight on my feet. I remember lying in bed in the middle of the night needing to go to the bathroom, but resisting as long as possible because of the pain I knew I would have if I got up.

After much research, a great doctor, and getting on allo, I haven't had any bouts in months. I don't even have to worry about what I eat anymore.

During the months of pain before being diagnosed, I was trying everything. Tart cherry juice, no alcohol, no red meat...I went through it all. I also bought new shoes, all kinds of over the counter meds, compression socks...you name it, I tried it. I ALMOST went to a place called "The Good Feet Store". I don't know if it's local or national, but they promised to cure foot pain with a custom made insole they charge about $1200 for. I'm so glad I got the diagnosis and allo before I went.

My question is...how much is needlessly spent in remedies that don't work? And do places like The Good Feet Store look at the possibility of gout before selling remedies? I'm so thankful I found the answer to the pain for myself. I feel bad for others who search for the wrong solution when, if it's gout, a good doctor and allo can do the trick.

I see a lot of debate in this group about alloplurinol and thought I'd share my story.

I'm 62. Two years ago, I was running marathons and playing basketball. I woke up one morning and had a sharp pain in the joint of my right big toe. I attributed it to too much running. I also noticed that when I sit and work, I tend to tuck my foot under my chair with my big toes bent. My doctor suggested that it might be turf toe and prescribed rest, elevation, and ice. It didn't go away, and the pain spread to other parts of my foot and to the other foot. I have a very high pain tolerance level, but some days, I literally could not put any weight on my feet.

Thanks to this group, I started suspecting gout. I asked my doctor about it. He said it did sound like gout, but wouldn't give me anything preventative until he got lab results. Unfortunately, I was away from my home town for a couple of months and kept putting off the lab work until I got back home. I had a couple of really bad flares during that time. My doctor did send a 6-day prednisone treatment a couple of times which reduced the flare, but they always came back within a couple of days of finishing the treatments.

When I got back about a month ago, I had the lab work done, and my uric acid level was about a 9. The doctor immediately prescribed allo. The effects weren't immediate. However, after about a week, the pain, redness, and swelling all went away. My feet actually looked normal for the first time in a LONG time! Yesterday, the doorbell rang, and I was in another part of the house, so I ran to the front door to answer it. I realized that it was the first time I ran without pain in over a year.

To me, this is a miracle drug and I will continue to take it the rest of my life with no hesitation. I've seen several posts on here from people worried about the effects of allo and avoiding it because they don't want to be dependent on a daily pill the rest of their life. For me, the quality of life this drug has restored for me is worth any concerns. Thank you to everyone on here who helped me through the frustrating process of figuring out this painful condition, and who gave me the advice to not stop trying to find relief. If you're on the fence on the decision of whether to try allo or not, do it. Your body and your family will thank you!

After about a year of living with gout, my doctor finally decided it's time to put me on allopurinol. I am so excited to start it because I've read so many success stories on this thread.

My doctor said not to start it if I'm in the middle of a flare. Over the past year, I've had days where I could not walk and where I'd put the pain at a 9 out of 10. Right now, one of my toe joints is slightly swollen and red, and I'd put the pain at a 2. I'm so ready to start the allo, but is it a problem since I'm currently having a minor attack? I'm concerned that if I wait until I'm completely gout free to start the allo, it will never happen. If the worst that's going to happen is a few weeks of increased pain that will end at some point soon, I'm ok with that.