Gout/psoriasis connection…..
It turns out I might have Psoriatic Arthritis and not Gout after all.I still need to see my doctor to confirm my suspicions. Upon studyingthese conditions I found out that PA is sometimes mistakenlydiagnosed as Gout because with PA you also have high uric acidlevels. You can generally tell if it’s PA rather than Gout if youalready have Psoriasis of the skin and also what is known as “sausagedigits” in toes or fingers have a sausage like appearance. AlsoArthritis of other joints is another telling sign of PA. I can’tfully straighten out my right arm or make a fist. I always wonderedwhy I never had the classic Big Toe attack of Gout. Thank you newfootfor the insight….about PA. I finally put the puzzle together.
Allie Belletto on September 11th, 2007
As for the connection between psoriasis and arthritis and gout, there is a definite connection.There is lots of literature on psoriatic arthritis. My personal experience is that I probably have both. I have a mild form of psoriasis (seems to occur primarily on my feet and in my scalp), but when it flares up there are arthritic pains in many joints. More recently, the symptoms of gout (including the great toe soreness, swelling and redness, etc.) have occurred. For that reason I am convinced I have both ailments. My conviction is that I have both.
Javier Wickline on September 12th, 2007
Newfoot, this is interesting can you describe what a typical psoriatic arthritispain is, in your foot? I am beginning to think that this is what I may have nowas opposed to gout. The pain has gone when in a resting state but it recurs wheni walk on my foot. I also had a dry scalp throughout this ailment. One thing Ihave noticed is a warm water feeling in my foot as though warm water is swillingaround the joints.
Allie Belletto on September 13th, 2007
My psoriatic arthritis pain has generally been in my hands, the lower back and in the knee joints. I did not have much PA pain in my feet, but the psoriasis occurs there.  The one major PA attack I had in my feet was the sausage digit incident in my left foot (second toe - next to great toe). It pained when I walked on it and throbbed when I did not.  It swelled and became reddened. Unfortunatley, I was involved in running an international conference when it was at its peak and I had to stand for about 16 hours a day for a full week. It bled because I could not find shoes that were big enough to accommodate the swelling. I could barely walk. As bad as that was, it did not come close to the pain I felt when I got gout in my great toe. That was excruciating. Could not sleep - a single sheet caused pain that felt like an elephant sitting on my foot. Again, I could barely walk. However, the pain stayed even when I was not putting weight on my foot. Not sure if that helps you. I have to stop the description at this point as I am beginning to get phantom pain in my foot - just kidding…