Foot problems question
I have been diagnosed with gout for a couple of years now. I am 53years old, 6′2″ and weigh 225. The diagnosis was originally aresult of the traditional pain in the beg toe. I guess since theallopurinol keeps it in check, I kind of convince myself that I onlyhave “mild gout”. I also take 100mg of Celebrex daily for arthritissymptoms mostly in my hands and fingers. I used to be quiteathletic until about 3 or 4 years ago (having run road races andmarathons), and recently have begun to try to run again. I haveexperienced the following:
The ball of one of my feet got very painful and felt as if it wereon fire. I had to stop running altogether until this symptomsubsided. An archpad in my orthodic shoe insert has helped a littlebit.
In the mornings and after sitting for long periods of time, thebottoms (both ball and heel) of my feet feel extremely painful whenI get up (but normalize during the day if I walk a bit).
My question to you who are most knowledgeable in this area is:
My big toe isn’t bothering me, but can I attribute the abovesymptoms to gout or is this a result of arthitis or both? Also,what are some different drugs to consider besides the Allopurinoland Celebrex to help me be able to run more pain free? I would liketo run some suggestions by my Doctor to see what he thinks sincethis is bothering me so much.
Sabina Shamel on September 30th, 2007
When I get those symptoms, I assume it is gout and I proceed asthough I am under attack.
I suspect that you have not been on allopurinol for very long andthat your system has not had enough time to flush out the excess uricacid. At 225 you are not very much over weight, if any at all really,and it will take time for the allopurinol to work.
You should not simply “push through” the pain either because you cancause crippling damage to the joints involved if you do. I do thesame thing and it is usually a close call. If I can walk comfortablywith the shoe on I will go ahead and walk but when we do that we haveto be very careful. Especially when you run, your body tends to maskout the pain so that while you are running you will not feel it andthat’s when you might damage yourself permanently.
Double your intake of water, and wait it out while you keep takingyour allopurinol. You know, 53 is not 24 and perhaps you shouldconsider taking long, fast walks instead of running.
Allie Belletto on October 1st, 2007
Your story sounds very similar to mine.
I too was a runner for years up until I contracted psoriatic arthritis (PA) in my feet. That stopped me cold.
I am 48. I’ve had gout for several years but was only properly diagnosed about 3 months ago. I am 5′11″ and was 220lbs. when I had my last gout attack 3 months ago. I have had to get custom orthotic insoles for my shoes because I am also flat-footed. But the good news is I’m now 210lbs. having begun a program of very moderate exercise and watching what I eat and drink. Since I have been on allopurinol, I have been gout free, but my PA symptoms mildly come back every now and then. So, I continue with my Vioxx. I drink more water than I used to and far less alcohol. I changed my eating habits - I eat a proper breakfast and stopped eating big meals in the evening. I cut back on my portions of food and I have increased my fruit & veggie intake. I tried running again but found that my feet and knees are not up to it. Even though the allopurinol and Vioxx help, I believe my joints are so damaged that running will cause me to further damage my joints. So, I occassionally ride a stationary bike; walk when I play golf a couple of times a week; and, try and use the stairs more often. For me, while I long to be able to run again (it is a most peaceful solitudinous pursuit) I know I will only hurt myself, so I do not. As winter approaches, I’ll be trying to walk outside more and most certainly hitting the stationary bike. While I am an advocate of pushing my limits, I also believe you need to listen to your body when it tries to talk to you by giving you pain. I hope you are able to run again. But I would take it easy.