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Important things to know about gout
9th June, 2006
Back in 1628, a hot-tempered physician called William Harvey was having problems.
First off, nobody believed his ridiculous theory that the heart acted like a pump, circulating blood round the body.
I suppose the medical establishment of the time declared there was 'no official proof' yet, so it COULDN'T be true.
He was probably seen as an alternative medicine quack and ridiculed by the local town crier.
Little has changed, eh?
The second problem for Harvey was that he suffered agonising gout pains every night. It was so bad, he'd clamber onto the roof of his house to do his thinking and theorising.
It was on the roof one night that he discovered a strange way to relieve his gout.
What he did was sit in his nightshirt with his legs in a bucket of cold water... and keep them there until they were almost frozen.
Harvey, according to a report at the time, 'betook himself to his stove and so 'twas gone.'
This, however, is NOT my recommended remedy for gout.
But I have tonnes more...
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A tip from a reader
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I love getting your tips and emails, and I do try to cover as many of the topics as possible in the letters. I'm not a doctor, so I can't give onetoone medical advice in emails... or promise a reply...
But I can certainly be your personal researcher and publish the best new ideas in these letters. I can also pass on your advice to other readers.
For instance, I got an email from Good Lifer, P.T, who
writes:
'I have been suffering from gout attacks for about 10 years and in the last few years the attacks were getting more frequent and more intense.'
He started taking herbal capsules (more in a minute) and started drinking nonchlorinated water.
'Since then I have not had an attack!' he writes.
Another reader, A.F, says:
'I have a friend who has suffered kidney failure and is on haemodialysis, but he still has extremely bad attacks of gout. The latest thing his specialist is trying him on is allopurinol, which from what I read is a sensible choice.
'My guess is that his kidney failure was caused by the excess uric acid, which causes gout. Perhaps you would like to research this matter sometime?'
Well, I did, and you're right.
For a healthy person, most of the uric acid in the body comes out through urine. But if there's too much uric acid, or if the kidneys aren't removing it from the body properly, the levels of uric acid soar.
This excess acid is deposited in the body's joints which causes gout. The high levels of uric acid may also lead to kidney failure or kidney stones.
If you're concerned about your kidneys and want to boost their performance so they remove that uric acid, here's a great little product to try.
I've recommended it before, but you should take a look if you're worried about uric acid levels, gout, and kidney
stones:
kidney-pure
You should also avoid certain foods...
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Hungry? Don't bother with these if you have gout
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The ones to avoid are high purine foods. These include mackerel, herring, hearts, shellfish, sardines, baker's and brewer's yeast.
Try and limit your intake of foods that are moderately high in purines, like anchovies, bacon, liver, salmon, turkey, kidneys, trout, haddock and scallops.
Tea and coffee aren't a problem, but here's the bad
news: alcohol can boost your uric acid levels. So take it easy.
(But as I always say, let's not get too draconian... a little bit of what you fancy on special occasions can be okay.)
You should also try some herbals teas, juices and natural extracts:
-- Nettle - helps kidneys and joints get rid of uric acid
-- Celery, birch leaf and parsley juice are also effective
-- Bilberries, blueberries, cherries and hawthorn have
compounds call anthocyanidins, which lower uric acid
levels. One stuffy I've seen says that eating half a pound
of unsweetened cherries a day lowers uric acid and
prevents gout attacks
-- Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory. The Chinese
have traditionally used it for gout and arthritis
-- Autumn crocus is a herb used to make the drug
'colchicine', which treats gout. This can be toxic, so
don't use it without a doctor's advice.
In fact, here's a quick warning. If you've been prescribed the drug colchicine: AVOID herbal teas altogether.
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Weird and wonderful solutions
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There's a lot of stuff on gout in cyberspace... and some of it quite 'out there'. Which is great, because I can help you ease your pain, and stick two fingers up to the medical establishment.
For example, here's a good old fashioned remedy to try if you get an attack of gout...
You mix 4 tablespoons of honey with a tablespoon of comfrey tincture, then heat it in a 'double boiler'. (A double boiler is also known as a 'bain marie'. Basically, it's a container with your mixture, placed in larger pan of boiling water, so it heats up).
Now dab the mixture onto a cloth and apply it to the painful joint, then leave it overnight. Repeat this for several weeks.
You can also apply nettle extract or St John's Wort oil to relieve pain.
There's also a brilliantly named herb called Devil's Claw, which is a traditional gout cure. It's also good for back pain, rheumatism and lumbago.
You could also consider homeopathic treatments. Here are a few of them you can ask about...
-- Rhododendron: helps ease the swelling of the big toe
joint that can precede a gout attack
-- Belladonna: helps with swelling, throbbing pain and
inflammation
-- Byronia: for 'tearing pain', stiff knees and swollen feet
-- Sulphur: for gouty joints that itch.
For more information on homeopathy, I recommend you check out the British Homeopathic Association website:
BHA
So there you have it... from conventional medicine to herbs and homeopathy... plenty of ideas for you to think about.
In the meantime, enjoy the sunnier weather and think happy thoughts of red buses and Cliff Richard...
Or, on second thoughts...
Yours, as ever,
Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter
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