Do i have gout?
I have a problem with my knee that has been keeping me from walkingor moving around. My doctors don’t seem to know what it is so theyare saying it’s gout. There seems to no evidence of an injurythrough an MRI and X ray. This has been bothering me for more than amonth. I’m out of work on disability because I cannot move my kneeenough to drive.
I’m not sure that I have the exact symptoms of gout. I was wonderingif anyone in this group has gout of the knee and could talk with meabout the pain and the way it affects your knee?
I have a high uric acid count in my blood but 3 tests of knee fluidhave come up negative for uric acid crystals. I’m thinking I wouldhave some crystals in my fluid if I had gout. My doctor originallywas sure I had Lyme disease until more than 6 tests came up negative.
I have been on .6mg Colchicine once daily for almost 3 weeks. Theswelling in my knee has gone down alot but doesn’t seem to go away.
My knee is swollen with fluid. This prevents me from moving itaround that much. I can barely bend my knee on its own. If Ielevate the knee or sit normally however, there is no pain or burning.(it just feels tight because it is swollen) Does this sound likegout? Doesn’t gout burn all the time no matter how the joint ispositioned? My knee isn’t shiny, red, or hot either.
Also, my feet have been swelling up for the last week from the anklesto the calves and top of foot.(not my toes) This may be a reactionto the Colchicine or Relafen(NSAID I was taking with Colchicine until6 days ago when my feet started swelling).
If anyone can assist, I would be forever in your debt!
Jadwiga Kunau on September 30th, 2007
The crystals should have been there. It’s a 50/50 chance. Alot of people have a high uric acid count and never get gout. Is this your first attack? I say get a second opinion.
Everette Currie on October 1st, 2007
I just got back from the doctor and he referred me to an orthopedicspecialist to do some other tests. He is starting to think it isn’tgout now since the Colchicine reduced the swelling but only to apoint. It doesn’t go away completely.
Something similar to this happened about a year ago. My leg feltnumb and I couldn’t move it for a couple of days. But it went awayon its own without any treatment.
I thought I had done it to myself by cutting off circulation in myleg. The night before it happened, I got into a video game marathonand didn’t move from the position I was sitting in for over 5 or 6hours.
By the way, my last uric acid reading in my blood was 15. I knowthat’s high, but is that high for a gout sufferer?
Sabina Shamel on October 3rd, 2007
I had to give up competetive tennis because of a knee problem likeyou describe. That was some 5 years before my first real, crystalsdiagnosed, gout attack. Was my knee problem related to gout, unknownand unknowable.
I do know that the celebrex that they put me on for the gout, made myknee pain go away to where I can walk and jog normally. The knee painwas chronic, like you suggested related to movement and not constantlike the gout pain-entirely different kinds of discomfort but itcould still have been gout. With the knee pain I get terribleswelling in the back of the knee. There is a gland or something therethat swells when there is inflammation in the knee.
I often wonder.
Celebrex works wonders for me.
Everette Currie on October 5th, 2007
I’ll have to try Celebrex. My swelling is inthe front of the knee. Just over the knee cap. The fluid will notgo away completely either.
Well, today my doctor referred me to an orthopedic specialist tocheck for possible other problems. He also wants me to startAllopurinol in case it is gout. I’m dreading that medicine. Itsounds like a doosy!
Malia Berthelette on October 5th, 2007
I also gave up competitive sport - volleyball - two years before havingmy first obvious case of gout. I just didn’t think that painkillersshould be a requirment of sport.
I also notice that I get low grade pain in my knee joints about a daybefore a mild gout attack, which is a good warning. The moment theknees get sore, I drink a ton of extra water and begin watching forsymptoms. Maybe it helps - not certain.
Sabina Shamel on October 6th, 2007
When I am going to get an attack I also have knee soarness.Unfortunatley, I can, and often do, have knee pain without an attackbut perhaps they have been pushed off by water. I just don’t know. Iwill look for it though.
The more I think about it and the more I read and listen, the morecinvinced I am that the primary culprit that triggers an attack issalt. Extra salt in the diet, or higher salt concentration in yoursystem from getting dehydrated.
I can make the pain start with a salty meal and then make it go awaywith lots of water. If I let it go too long the water doesn’t helpbut I am talking about the initial feeling we get when we know anattack is on its way.
I have been on my exercise routing now for 4 days, sweating each day,and off the celebrex and culcchicine for 3 days. Swelling is now allgone, as is the redness. Feet and knees are a bit sore but not toobac considering.