Help Needed For Gout Sufferer.

[Scotswahay]

Hi,

I live up in Meaung Loei & my father in law has pretty bad gout but can't seem to get good medication to ease his suffering. He's in his mid 60's & I remember only a couple of years ago when he was a fit man, working every day. Now he's prety much confined to sitting watching the world go by every day & constantly suffers bad leg pains. I know a guy back in Scotland with the same problem & same age but he gets medication that relieves his symptoms really well & he manages to have an active life. Unfortunatly I've lost contact with him since I moved here so can't ask his help.

I want to do as much as I can to help my wife's dad & hope someone in here might have some good advice for us.

Thanks in advance.

Joe.

[lopburi3]

A uric acid blood test is very cheap and will tell a lot (and if it likely is gout). The medication used for treatment is rather extreme (although I was able to use one pill and then stop in my last attack 22 years ago and switch to preventave) but once under control allopurinol works for most of us to keep the uric acid levels down in normal range with a little diet avoidance of liver and other such organ meats being the main things. But should consult doctor to start and get levels under control.

[stoneyboy]

Several useful topics from the past.

[tmd5855]

I suffer from this if I get de-hydrated and have a long haul flight, an attack occurs within 24 hours. I found taking one 0.6mg a day of Colchicine which you buy at any Pharmacy cures it.

20baht for a strip of 10.

[p_brownstone]

To alleviate the pain of a Gout attack I take Colchicine, Ranidine and Naprosyn - 1 tablet each, usually once a day but if the attack persists then 2 times a day.

This regimen usually gets rid of the inflammation and swelling within 2 - 3 days.

I used to take Allopurinol (Xyloric) daily to prevent attacks but stopped some time ago - for no particular reason. (By the way do not take Allopurinol when you currently have an attack of Gout - it will actually increase the inflammation and pain - although no Doctors seem to know why!)..

I get attacks of Gout maybe once a year now and I simply cannot figure out what the "trigger" is; most of the time I can eat whatever I like - including foods which are said to provoke attacks such as liver, sardines, chicken, red wine, beer etc. and I have no ill-effects whatsoever but then suddenly I get an attack.

Patrick

[Sheryl]

I think the question is, why has your FIL not been able "to get good medication" ????

i assume he has seen a doctor, who would have placed him on medication. If this did not work, he should go back. Sometimes it takes some trial and error to find a regimen that works for a particular individual.

he also needs to take care with regard to his diet and alcohol intake.

[Scotswahay]

Thankyou all so very much for your concern & good advice which has been grafeully recieved. Stoneyboy, The links you gave me were really informative & lots of help. Thanks very much. Sheryl............. I'm not sure where you live but I doubt very much it's a wee village in Essan! So many question marks make you sound very officious & strooppy. He doesn't drink or smoke, has the same diet as he & everyone else he has known all his life, & of course we have been to many clinics & hospitals to seek pro advice. I even took him to Khon Khen to seek as much help as I could. Not so easy to get good doctors with the right medication up here. They do the best they can with what they have available but that's not always the best cure. I've spent a few days in hosp myself with a brocken collar bone a couple of years ago & although I was very happy with the way I was treated (in the council hospital) I know back in UK there would have been far better quality services at the doctors disposal. Thailand is full of people who want to help the best they can. That's why I love living here.

Once again I thank you all verryy very much for all your help wich I hope will aid this old guy I love so much.

[Scotswahay]

P.S. Perhaps I should have mentioned he is also diabetic. I brought a blood test kit from Scotland to keep him in check & it's been a godsend but one night he had a serious hypo. All he needed was a bloomin mars bar or something similar but NO! The village elders & voodoo people knew better. I was told to sit aside coz he obviously had a Pee (Ghost) inside him that had to be vanquished!!!!!!!!! This is the norm up here. Not easy to stick your oar in with farang intervention when you don't fully understand the ancient culture that still prevails.. That night gave him serious setbacks that will probably never be brought back. But who says a mere carpenter from Scotland has the right to intervine allbeit with a high level of education & vast worldly experience? Not easy sometimes but I still love it here & all my good friends in the village. Sometimes acceptance of culture is not easy but "When in Rome............"

[samuijimmy]

This web site, I found very useful when I was having a lot of problems with gout ... a couple of years back, now seems very much under control by avoiding too much of the foods that can bring on attacks.

Check the talk about Black Bean juice... easy to make and can be very effective with some people.

http://www.goutpal.com/