Get some new shoes!!
I feel this needs to be stressed again.The importance of gettingnew shoes..ESPECIALLY when finally doing something about gout..i/ehopping the “A” train. Uric acid deposits wreak havoc..interferring/restricting movementsof the bones/joints in the foot/lower leg/knee.. With the “A” drug..these deposits will leave/or want to.The boneswill want to realign/expand movement/stretch..
GIVE ‘EM THE CHANCE!..
High arch runners are the best..especially the high archsupport..taking some of the weight off the ball..allowing for morestretching of the foot.
Your old runners..yes parts of the support will already becompressed/worn to accomodate your old foot shape..I DOUBT whetherthey will return to normal..you need new ones.
DON’T bother with expensive ones..Cdn.price..big box stores..$15/$20..$30/$35 will put you into REAL good runners!..beware! the veryexpensive ones..they wear out FAST!
I would avoid the foot Dr’s..AND the supports..problem withgetting a hard orthototic..is sure they are good NOW..they won’t bewhen your foot reverts back to normal shape..these suckers are $400-$600 here..the cheaper compressible orthotics..ditto..sure they aregood now..but they won’t be at some point.
I have probablly 12 pairs of these around my house..in variousdegrees of support.I used to have to have several pair right besidemy bed..for a couple of years..stepping/standing/wallking on ANY hardsurface..barefoot..NO WAY!!..I’ld make my way to the kitchen..andmake a decison as to which other shoe I might need..on the fridge..SOMY dog can’t take them out and BURY THEM!(yes he has done that..NOTfound??)I had several other pairs on the fridge..varying degrees ofsupport..I would CONSTANTLY be wearing odd shoes..as my feet regainedtheir shape..some of the shoes I wore as I battled gout..AND thepronitits with it..getting on the “A” train..REALLY exacerbated!!!the pronitits…I can no longer wear them..
BUT!! I am 99.9% I get out of bed..and can be SHOE FREE!!.. F MAN..I VIVIDLY(TOO VIVIDLY!)..remember NOT being able to evenget out of bed for like about 2 years..WITHOUT putting my shoes onFIRST!..I kept the shoes under my bed/on my bed..tryYELLING/SCREAMING! at your 100 lb..rambunctious puppy dog..as hegrabs a shoe..and moves JUST far enough away from you..as he standsthere growling/shakes it in his mouth..flailing it/flinging it by thelaces..(YES I do even have a picture of the dog trying to get themOFF the fridge..
Gout is such a nice lovelly disease.. I really enjoy(d) it
This as I root around sort of looking for some seriouslly stiffhard ass/race/competition/UNCOMFORTABLE!.ski boots..
I thought those days MIGHT have been over..
“Welcome to the “A” train..have your tickets ready”
Sabina Shamel on October 6th, 2007
Many of us here have boarded the A train within the last two yearsand I know from some of the posts from other people that there aresome of you that have been on the A train for more than 15 years.
I don’t know the answer to the question I am going to post but it isimportant to all of us that we think about, understand and finally,be aware of what the probable downside of the A train ride is.
There are some washed out bridges ahead for some of us and we mightbe able to get off the train, or at least slow it down, before we getto those bridges if we are aware of the danger signs.
A few examples and by no means comprehensive.
1. My mother was fraught with muscle pains, weakness and overall lackof energy. She had been on 300 mg allopurinol for about 12 years andthe fatigue had built up over 5 years. Perhaps she was, is, justgetting old, hey that happens when you are over 85. Well, she cutback her dosage about a year ago and she has regained almost all herold strength. I’m not sure it is from a reduced dosage but it mightbe.
2. There are reports of liver damage-What would be the signs of livercomplications. Dark skin? Intolerance to some kinds of foods,alcohol, I really don’t know and intend to research this area.
3. I know some people get a dangerous rash. I can’t believe that arash is dangerous so there must be something else going on that therash is a symptom of. What else is going on?
Anyway, that’s my start and those of us on the A-train, knowing thatwe have no intention of getting off unless there is a real proiblem,better start to understand what a real problem looks like. I sure asH didn’t know what the symptoms of gout were during the 8 or so yearsI had pretty bad joint pain before I actually had a full blownswollen toe gout attack.
We know we are on the A-train and we also know that there could beproblems. It is in all our best interest to start to understand thosepotential problems as thoroughly as we can.
Jonas Laramore on October 6th, 2007
Good post. For those of us who are fairly new members to the A-train,aside from obvious problems like the ones you posted, are problemslikely to occur inside of a specific time frame (typically) like 5years? Will blood tests, etc, detect any issues in the early stages ofhaving a problem?
Chong Greenlees on October 8th, 2007
I’ve been on allopurinol (200mg/day) 15 yrs. Kidney and liver function tests in the last 2-3 yrs show no problems. Haven’t had stones or any observable side effects.
Lurlene Rauh on October 10th, 2007
Been on allo for 18 days, so far so good. Only 100mg to start anddoc will test kidney,liver, CBC, etc at one month interval anddecide dosage increase,if needed, from there. Only 34 so of course Iam, as well as my doc, concerned from any damage allo may cause. Iappreciate but also despise posts about the dangers of allo becausethey are rare in “healthy” people. I lift weights, the exertioncould cause cardiac arrest, not likely, but could. I could also dropthe weight on a limb, have car accident on way to gym, etc. I drinkalcohol, the dangers are well known but I am still here. All thingsin life have risks so let’s be honest. Gout has caused me to missnumerable days from work, this could cause me to lose my job, whichcould cause me to lose my house, which could cause me to lose mymarriage, etc. I know it is dramatic, but so is f-in gout. During anattack I am miserable, useless, and unbearable. If allo cures thisat a cost, although minimal, sign me up baby!! Quality of life overquantity anyday. Frequent blood tests and follow ups with doc willcurb any possible damage because your blood does not lie. I used tohave petechiae (pin point spots from blood vessels) around anklesand feet for the last 5 years. Docs unable to tell me why, all testsran considered them benign. Allo have made them all but disappear,do not know why but obviously gout and uric acid must have played arole. If blood tests are screwed or I notice a rash beginning youguys will be informed. F gout I am sticking with allo……
Sabina Shamel on October 12th, 2007
Well, well, well.. the other side of the coin where “hell no wewon’t get on the train” alters into to “hell no we won’t get off thetrain. ”
You can do as you please but you would be foolish indeed to asumethat allopurinol is just plane safe and without complications orproblems. When you tke a pill every day, you are altering thenatural processes of your body chemistry and there will be somechanges. Maybe all the changes will be good but then again maybe theywill not be so good.
Most importantly, it is critical that we, as members of this group,know what the signs of problems are well before those problems getthere. I am in no way suggesting that there will always be issues, Iam however, suggesting that since we are among the unique populationwho take allopurinol each and every day, that we are the people whowill face unique and potentially life threatening problems as we rollalong down the track of life on the A train. The Doctor will wrinklehis or her brow and be very sympatietic but at the end of the day, weare the ones who will suffer the consequences.
Moreover, ask yourself this question, how prepared is a physician whowas almost completely unable to diagnose your gout in the firstplace, how prepared is that physician going to be to deal with asubtle side effect that alllopurinol is causing? He or she ain’tgonna have a clue and we better face this fact now. It is our livesand we better be prepared to take care of those lives. Depending onany physician to do it for us, —well it’s just plain foolish.
Lurlene Rauh on October 13th, 2007
I agree and understand what you are saying. It was me, myinsistance, that the doc put me on allo. He wanted to take the morecautious approach of waiting until at least three attacks in a year.After reading numerous posts, inparticular Arnolds and yourself, Isaid why wait until more crystals buildup? He started me on the lowdosage side of 100mg to see how MY body responds and to curb thepossibility of allo starting an attack. Please do not assume that Iwill blindly put my trust in the makers of allo or the Docs whoprescribe it. I maintain all my own medical records, I know all mybaseline metabolic readings, and I vigorously do what I can to stayinformed on allo, ie this board. Drinking can cause liver problems,malnutrition, dehydration, depression, etc,etc,etc, but most of usstill drink. Until there is an alternative to not being able towalk,work, and lead a pain free existence from gout……what do yousuggest I do. If someone posted that allo nearly killed or knewsomeone it killed…..would you stop taking? All of us who take anypill, be it for high blood pressure,anxiety,pain,cholesterol,etcface the possibility of sides. That is a fact I have accepted. Ifand when I do face sides from allo I will find a doc who knows whatto do or I will simply discontinue the drug.The whole friggin worldis full of side effects, not just from medication. I cannot standthe debilitating pain of gout….let’s see if I can stand the onlyviable suppressor of gouts possible sides?
Terrance Molock on October 14th, 2007
THAT is my point entirely!/my sentiments..I DO NOT! think thatallopurinol is “the” answer..NOR do a LOT of experts in thefield.Allopurinol simply put does NOT affect the ACTUAL mechanismthat starts gout in the first place.It does not/cannot affect thefact that for some UNKNOWN reaon(s?) the uric acid in excessquantities goes from the bloodstream across the interstitial membraneand finds it’s way into the synovial tissue/fluid/joint.Right nowthere is DIDDLY on the horizon as to how this happens/why thishappens.This LITTLE question STOPS! pretty much ANY expert in thefield right in their tracks(of the “A” train.. They say “Here take a pill”..reduce your uric acid THEN go blowthe whistle on the “A” train. This is CLEARLY NOT “THE” answer..
BUT IT WORKS!
And..ya..so I advocate allopurinol..STRONGLY!!..and then I getattacked..(AND THAT just breaks my little heart)
I politely ask what they brought to the table????
“Run what ya brung”..(type of car drag race)..and they have stuffthat is ALMOST 100% GUARANTEED that the gout will get worse andWORSE..
Right now..there’s No other choice for us.
Allopurinol is pretty harmless..they have sophisticated enoughblood/urine testing procedures..that they can pretty much pinpointANY problems..and provide clues/answers/medications.
I discussed this with an internal medicine specialist not longago.He said that if ANY critics of allopurinol would like to pointout to him..ALL the TERRIBLE things that it can do/has done..AND justwhat specific tests..OR ANY TESTS would show this..he’ld REALLY liketo see them.He was saying people do UNBELIEVABLE things..and youpoint it out..”Yo buddy..your blood work shows EXCESSIVEdrinking/hard drugs..” they just a keep on doing it.BUT a critic ofallopurinol..you’ld think the guy was jonesing/tying oneoff..taking “gout” medication(allopurinol).
ARMIES of pit-bull attack lawyers(NO disrespect to lawyers..myfather was an attorney)/ON RETAINER work for the largest multinational/trillion dollar drug companies..drafting disclaimers/dealingwith lawsuits..
Because EVERY DAY people die..or worse..from taking..OR wolfingdown.
Aspirin. We have a pretty LARGE SUBSTANTIAL data base on the DANGERS ofaspirin..warnings too..
WOO WOOOO..time for my “ticket”..think I’ll have some HOT CHILEand a couple cold beers..to go with it..(already had my brocoli forthe day..)
Ramon Zabinski on October 15th, 2007
I am now in month 4 of my A-train ride and so far its been a good journey and I dont intend getting off for a while. The big test comes this weekend when the cricket season starts over the past four years i always ended up “with an old sports injury” usually 48 after playing but I now know that this was gout. It used to attack a weakness in my foot and then with a combination of dehydration and a few beers after the game whammy.