Atkins advice considering history of gout
i await a return call shortly from my doctor, but would like to askfor thoughts about the atkins diet since i have actually tried realhard to limit meat since my last attack (which was not a prettypicture .. very ouch) .. please tell me of your experience andrecommendation
Jonas Laramore on July 23rd, 2007
If your on the a-train, go right ahead. I’m still on a custom lowcarb diet after 6 months but I started with the atkins/south beachdiet. 290 to 230…sure makes ya feel better!
Francisco Sann on July 24th, 2007
This is a reply to an older post but I think I can share my exerence,I have had 3 gout attacks over the past 4 years, I have never hurt sobad in my life. I started a low carb diet 6 weeks ago and am somewhat happy with it. I am about 20 to 30 lb over weight and have lost10lb on low carb, I just had my first gout attack wile on low carb,it occured in my right toe, but in a different joint this time, butthe pain is a lot less ( can walk and get around) but has lasted alot longer 10 days. Now I am wondering if I should stay on the lowcarb diet, any advice? Any advice on staying on a low carb diet?
Jonas Laramore on July 25th, 2007
Just some words of advice for both of you.
Your low carb diet/or any diet really is not the source of your gout.Understand what gout is first. Will your diet make your gout go awayif you are a vegetarian? The answer is simply NO. Your body forwhatever reason is over producing or under excreting uric acid.Granted that purines in food make ur body produce more or less uricacid but this only account for a small percentage, diet wise. Whatthat really means is that cutting back on the supposed “high” purinefoods may prolong the next attack but you still have gout and ur bodyis not able to rid your system of the uric acid being accumulated. Sowhere does that leave u??? Well as you have heard many times,allopurinol is basically the best thing we have at the current time.It retards the production of uric acid so your kidneys can adequatelydo their job. What does this have to do with low carb Atkins/SouthBeach diets?? My personal suggestion is that if you aren’t takingallopurinol to reduce your uric acid, this is the first step. If youhave just started taking allopurinol, hold off on starting a low carbdiet. If you have been on allopurinol for at least 30-60 days, noattacks, go low carb and don’t look back. And what makes me anauthority on this subject?? Nothing really but my personal experience.
I had tried Atkins a few years back and after the first two weeks beinghungry as hell I gave in about Midnight after seeing a burgercommercial. So I pretty much gave up low carb dieting right then andthere. Late last year my rheumatologist told me to get on South Beachto get my weight under control. So I bought the book, followed it fora month before I customized it to my liking. (The second phase willnot net any lost weight and Atkins will also plateau after a whileunless you know how to break this cycle.) Here is my progress and howlong it took me to reach my goal weight; (starting from the bottom)
05/27/04 230 Goal weight reached.
05/26/04 231
05/25/04 232
05/12/04 235
04/21/04 238
04/17/04 240
04/11/04 243
03/26/04 248
03/21/04 250
03/18/04 252
03/17/04 253
03/10/04 255
03/02/04 261
02/21/04 265
02/20/04 267
02/02/04 272
01/28/04 274
01/26/04 276
01/21/04 279
01/12/04 289 Start Weight
I’m currently floating around 230 and 235. I have severely relaxed mydiet but consume more wisely using both the combined knowledge ofAtkins and South Beach. It was also at that visit to my rheumatologistthat I increased my dosage of allopurinol from Mg to Mg daily which Iam currently. I have not had one single attack since, mild”pre-tingle” or a little soreness is about it. Naturally my dietconsists of the many things that the traditional gout mentality tellsus to avoid; meats, broccoli, seafood, etc.
Francisco Sann on July 26th, 2007
Hay Joe, Thanks for the info, I am going to my doctor tomorrow anddiscuss getting on the A train, I now have lost 16lb on atkins or myverson of it, I have restricted my sugar intake and have loosened thegood carb ( from what dr atkins would have one) I am at about 60 to75 grams of carbs a day all low glysemic ( spelled wrong??? )and I amstill loosing weight and I feel a lot better. No more sugar highs forme. When I have had blood test’s my uric acid levels have not beenbad (according to the doc) so it has been treat the pain andinflammation, well thats not working. I’ll post what the doc saystomorrow. THANKS
Francisco Sann on July 26th, 2007
Went to the doc today my 4 week long gout attack is getting on mynerves. I did not see my regular doc but a new dctor on staff thereand I think he was afraid to treat my gout agressively. At firsr hetold me to continue taking indomethacin 25mg twice a day if needed. Ipleaded with him that that had not been working for the past 4 weeksso he gave me colchicine .6mg 2 at start and 1 every 2 to 3 hours. Iask him about preventing future attacks and he said come back laterand they will do some blood work and then he would look at it. Theknot on my big toe is a “uric acid sist” and lets see what happenswith it come back in a month and see your regular doctor. A commentabout my gout not being so bad by 2 of the doctors who have examanedme has me fumming! Why dont they go live with it! I will admit thisattach has not been near as bad os the previous but it is stillpainful and is going on a lnger time. I try the colchicine and seehow it goes.
Jonas Laramore on July 27th, 2007
Don’t settle lesser treatment. Get on the a-train ASAP. Colchicine isnot a “maintenance” type medication. Many doctors are ill informedwhen it comes to gout. Most of them have all the same crappy knowledgeas you find doing a basic search for gout on the internet, which isreally out of date. A blood test is not going to lead your doctor toany specific treatment anyway. More then likely you have gout, period. The treatment is cut and dry. Most rheamatologists will at least putyou on 100mg of allopurinol to start. Sadly they don’t explain thewhole gout thing too well…typically because they dont understand ittoo well. After being fed up with suffering I told my doctor what Iwanted and in what dosage. He knows if he doesn’t give it to me thenanother will.
It really bugs me that I had to stumble upon this group before I couldreclaim my well being from gout. I haven’t suffered long with gout(two years) but I have chronic gout. My attacks would come severaltimes a year, sometimes only taking a couple days off in between.There must be a god because somehow I found this group and stumbledupon two guys (Arnold/Walter)that have done their homework on thisstuff and decided to share and continue to share this vital informationwith all of us, especially in a manner that is understandable by the”average joe” like me.
Francisco Sann on July 28th, 2007
I agree with you 100 percent it has been 2 weeks and the colchicinehelps but I still have a swollen big toe joint and some pain but notas bad before. I am planning another trip to see my regular doctorand push for the A train. another interesting thing the Doctor I sawincorrectly percribed another medication when re filling a script.