Could this be gout? Doctor denies it but feels very similar?
I have gout like symptoms since 3 years ago but my uric acid test is within normal range (last test was 3.7) and I'm a female in mid 30s. Doctor completely denies the possibility of gout and suspects shoes but I don't have "attacks" regularly and sometimes I can go without pain for months.
What could it be?
My symptoms are:
• I only get attacks after I eat high calorie food or seafood (like shrimp)
• I feel minor pain in my either side of big toes bottom part, that kind of feels like contraction which comes and goes (meaning, not a constant pain, like hurts every minute or two) for like 10 minute and completely goes away, may not return for weeks, months.
• Pain is not that bad like other gout suffers describe. I can walk fine, it's just uncomfortable.
• It only happens midnight - early morning, never during day.
• Can happen in my knee.
• No swelling or redness. When I don't have an attack, I can squeeze my toes and it feels fine.
Attacks are getting milder and milder as time goes by with less frequency but I just would like to be completely gone but doctor can't tell what it is.
Any suggestion?
Particular food which triggers my attacks are: : Steak, Shrimp, Anchovies, Fried Food, which are high in purine.
Public Comments
1. check for diabetes. avoid sugar.2. There is a condition called pseudogout and can be as painful as gout but typically it is less painful. Nearly half of all pseudogout attacks occur in the knee.>>> http://arthritis.about.com/od/pseudogout/a/pseudogout.htm
Also, possible is an allergic reaction or food intolerance. Symptoms are varied and can include fatigue, bloating, irritable bowel, joint pains, rashes, nettlerash, eczema, migraine, arthritis and other chronic conditions. >>> http://www.allergyuk.org/fs_foodintolerance.aspx
3. It's not really gout, but it is definitely caused by the uric acid accumulation in the body. A common flaw of conventional medical practice is that the doctors only confirm you as having gout if your blood uric acid level is beyond the healthy range. But the problem is that each person body reacts differently towards the accumulation of uric acid.
Under normal circumstances, the excess uric acid will be carried to the kidneys for disposal through urine. But if you do not drink enough water and consume too much of high protein or high purine diet, the kidneys will not be able to cope with the increased load of uric acid and your body will find some alternative ways to 'hide' the acid in the blood. Bear in mind that our blood pH must be maintained at mild alkaline in order for the bio-chemical reactions in the blood to take place.
Thus, the blood has to either 'borrow' some alkalizing minerals (mainly calcium) from the bones to buffer the acids or to throw the acids out from the bloodstream to other parts of the body. The uric acid will first seep into interstitial fluid in the tissues and then further into the synovial fluid of the joint. If the concentration of the acid reaches the saturation point, it will crystallize and form tiny urate crystals that causes the gout reaction.
Thus, in your case, the uric acid is accumulated in the muscles of your toe instead of within the joint, at least not for now. And since lower temperature can increase the formation of uric acid crystal, that's why you tend to experience the discomfort in the middle of the cold night and early in the morning when your feet is colder.
Then same applies to how those foods triggered the attack. You are having gout, it is just located in a grey zone that the doctors do not know how to define it. The solution is simple and very effective, all it takes is some discipline to follow through.
Soak your feet in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes every night before you sleep. Wear comfortable socks to keep it warm during your sleep. After a period of time, those tiny crystals will slowly melt away and dissolve into the blood for disposal. Oh ya! Drink water frequently to help flush out the acids. You will be free from gout soon. Good luck!
