Gout is the most common form of chronic, progressive, inflammatory arthritis. Its prevalence continues to increase worldwide. This condition seems to baffle several fields of medicine who deal with patients suffering with the relentless disease, including podiatrists, chiropractors, rheumatologists, and general practitioners alike.
The deposits of MSU, monosodium urate, crystals into the synovial fluid and other tissues take place when the serum uric acid concentration exceeds its solubility. As this progresses, these deposits can occur just about anywhere in the body and lead to chronic pain, bone erosions, tophi, and general joint deformities. This condition can become downright debilitating, and rather difficult to treat.
Continue reading “What is Refractory Gout?”
Tag: gout drugs
Is the Keto diet safe for Gout Sufferers?
Contrary to popular belief, the Keto diet is not protein focused. Rather, this diet focuses on a high fat and low carb diet to shock the body into ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic process where the body is able to focus on burning fat with carbs mostly out of the picture. The body doesn’t have to work hard trying to burn the carbohydrates for energy, therefore, blood sugar is lowered and fat burning becomes the main focus.
Is this good for the Gout sufferer? Continue reading “Is the Keto diet safe for Gout Sufferers?”
Can you repair Gout and Arthritis on your own?
All natural healing is guaranteed with patience and understanding. Having a better understanding of your condition can pave the path to lifelong success in controlling it for good. Knowledge of your disorder, and all the contributing factors in your life having led up to your very current ailment(s), can make for a better understanding of the necessary approach and commitment to resolving it.
Inflammatory diseases are not an overnight occurrence. Some of you may be approaching natural healing as your first form of treatment, while many of you have suffered for years upon years, and the prescription drugs are no longer helping you. Natural healing may not be a “quick-fix”, but it also avoids the common “band-aid” for your symptoms like many modern-day prescription drugs. Instead of treating your symptoms, natural healing aims to repair the problem that is causing your symptoms in the first place.
Do you feel like you’ve already tried everything to heal on your own, without long-term success?
Things we hear often:
Continue reading “Can you repair Gout and Arthritis on your own?” Gout, Arthritis, Inflammation: The relation to the diet
This may be one of the most complex areas to understand, and we are gaining new knowledge all the time. For far too long we have remained focused on certain food triggers rather than the source and the reasoning behind our reaction. Food selection is very important. The larger, and often overlooked, picture would be the lack of pH balance to each meal, general unhealthy food choices for far too long, high-heat cooking methods, and an overabundance of processed and now genetically modified selections in the typical diet.
Questions to consider:
- Is red meat the enemy OR is it the grain fed caged source vs. grass fed and free to roam source?
- Is the inflammatory inducing acid of the protein the problem OR are we not providing enough alkaline food sources in the same meal to buffer the acids and still benefit from the good it has to offer?
- What is the true source behind the body’s inflammatory reaction?
You will continue to find conflicting information on what is considered to be a ‘healthy diet,’ rendering you helpless in making concrete decisions on your approach for change.
Here is what we do know:
Continue reading “Gout, Arthritis, Inflammation: The relation to the diet”Important tips regarding Gout and other Inflammatory Conditions
Eating too much causes inflammation-
We know that overeating promotes the inflammatory response and suppresses the immune system. Tests performed by the National Institute on Aging revealed that when animals were fed 50 percent fewer calories per day, their immune response improved, the number of inflammatory cytokines in circulation was reduced, thymus size was maintained and inflammation-fighting T-cell function improved. This study looked at higher and lower calorie consumption; it did not distinguish among the types of calories consumed. Heavy, red-meat-based diets or lots of sugar-laden foods would definitely have a negative impact on immune function and promote inflammation, whereas calories in the form of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds would improve immunity. No matter what the food choices, moderation is the key in terms of both total daily quantity and amounts consumed at one time. Generally, five or six small meals (of the right foods) throughout the day are considered to be healthier than consuming fewer large ones. [4]
Continue reading “Important tips regarding Gout and other Inflammatory Conditions”Traditional Gout Medications
Most commonly prescribed Gout medication options include:
Xanthine Inhibitors: These actually block the enzyme, (xanthine oxidase) necessary for the conversion of purines to uric acid. As of result, blood serum levels are lowered and used to prevent chronic gout, stones, and hyperuricemia. It is not actually a treatment for an acute attack, and can even exacerbate an attack if used while it’s running its course. This treatment sounds good in theory, however, un-naturally stopping a very natural and necessary production such as uric acid must take its toll on the body somehow? After all, uric acid is a potent antioxidant vital to the human body. Attempting to halt its production could be detrimental to its important role as the protector of our DNA. As a result, it is necessary to monitor the liver, kidneys, and blood during its use.
Possible side effects include:
Continue reading “Traditional Gout Medications”New evidence of increased risk of death with Febuxostat (Uloric)
According to the latest CARES trial, the Gout drug Febuxostat (Uloric) failed up against Allopurinol when it came down to a combined rate of fatal and nonfatal adverse events for those that suffer with both Gout and Cardiovascular disease. In fact, there was a significant increased risk of death for those that took this drug for Gout while also suffering from heart disease.
The trial was mandated by the FDA and consisted of 6,190 patients, 84% of which were men. Cardiovascular risk is naturally increased in patients with Gout. The study was attempting to look at any difference in outcome for these patients taking Febuxostat, a nonpurine xanthine oxidase inhibitor, or those taking Allopurinol, a purine base analogue xanthine oxidase inhibitor. The patients were followed for a median of 32 months, and a maximum of 85 months. Without diving into all of the ratio statistics, the all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rate was higher in the Febuxostat group, 34% and 22% higher respectively. Continue reading “New evidence of increased risk of death with Febuxostat (Uloric)”
