Self-monitoring of uric acid levels
I find advice like ‘don’t eat too many purines’ useless in anypractical sense; how many is ‘too many’?
Are there any techniqes etc. for self-monitoring of uric acid levelsso that one can monitor the effectiveness of dietary control techniques?
Also, is there any way of working out / measuring what the criticalcontentration is for causing preciptation of uric acid crystals in anyparticular individual?
In other words, how can I adopt a ’scientific’ approach toself-management of uric acid levels. I feel it ought to be possibleto have some kind of daily / weekly metric such as “Today: 70% ofcritical level, yesterday 55%, last week 45%” and so on.
I suppose I’m looking for a Gout equivalent of a diabetic’s bloodsugar self-assessment kit.
Is there such a thing? Could there be?
Terrance Molock on August 31st, 2007
Phase 1 is when excess uric acid enters the joint/ fluid area fromthe bloodstream.Method unknown.The uric acid enters in sufficientquantites that it crystalizes out there. Not much can be done about phase 1 other than allopurinol asbetween 85-95%(experts now believe closer to 95%) of the uric acid inour bloodstream is caused by our own “purine mechanism” cellbreakdown..called endogenous. Get an average blood uric acid level with a series of tests from alab.Try and drop this the required amount to get the uric aciddeposits,crystals to leave your joint/fluid/area.This number is dropit 20-30%.I think there are cheaper testers..I think also one withoutstrips. The next phase is the “attack” phase.You already havegout..crystals.That much is pretty much accepted,understood.BUT nowthe immune system(white blood cells attack the crystals)Why now?..thelatest info. is that one of two things happened.Either the attack wastriggered..almost always by dehydration or a dehydrative aspect.Ortriggered by a chemical/reaction in something we ate,drank.Thischemical reaction can strip the protein coatings off the crystal andNOW make it appear as a foreign body to the wbc’s.OR the attackhappended for no known reason.The crystal surrounded by white bloodcells in a protective cluster called a phagocyte..could havedegraded.
This whole “purine” business is really starting to fall out offavour with the experts.The whole idea that one food is higher thananother in purines leading to rises in blood uric acid levels..simplyhas FAR too many variables/Degradation/digestion..breakdown intopurines.There is ABSOLUTELY a time factor that is almost ALWAYSoverlooked here.A steak..sure has lots of purine content.BUT does itreally???..It takes FOREVER to actually end up in the blood stream asexcessive uric acid..let alone find it’s way into the jointarea..meanwhile..AS it is breaking down the body has time to dealwith/dispose of a lot of the excess.Broccoli is the current “badboy”. fast breakdown and increase in purine load.
When you couple this with the huge variables in peoplesdiets..combining..and the differences in individual metabolism..foodtolerances.ADD to this the wide variety of anecdotal information fromindividuals as to what they thought triggered the attack.NOW add tothis that simply too many people have avoided gout attacks FOR AWHILEby avoiding this and that and THEY TOO are broken by attacks and havenot been near X and are now at the Dr’s,hospital or therhuematologist getting their allopurinol.Their attack only much worsesince the last one.
At best foods can be “triggers”..a match for the dynamite.Atworst..avoiding what “triggers” an attack while all the while addingthe the building of the bomb.
There is almost NO chance it won’t go off UNLESS you lower yourblood uric acid levels 20 to 30%..
Allo works pretty good..not much else does anything..
Your questions:..
Sure..there are charts/info as to purine contents of foods/servingsizes.Is there info as to how well you as an individual ACTUALLYmetabolize this particular food into those purine numbers?Nope.Somefoods loaded in purines can trigger an attack NOT by the purinecontent..BUT because that particular food upset the stomach so badlythat the dehydrative effect of diarreha is what actually set off theattack.Now that you have the purine in you.Where is it? In the formof excess uric acid? There is no test for this.The total uricacid/urate load is simply not known..nor can it be figured out.Truequite a bit can be done by doing a lot of meassuring of what is goingin..and out.If you’re real sick and laid up in the hospital.BUTyou’re gonna end up back at basic blood uric acid levels. FOR YOU asan individual.If you have gout..they will be too high at 6.If youdon’t have gout…they will be ok at 8.
Sure..you can get a tester.Get your levels.Keep them 20 to 30%below what they were AND in the low normal range.
CRitical concentration levels are arrived at by an average ofblood uric acid level tests.When NOT under or close to anattack..before/after.At this level..bring them down 20 to 30% ANDinto the lower end of the normal range.As a quick rule of thumb.Gotgout? Blood uric acid level to be below about 5.5 or in umols..about4.