Wellness

[Kachina624]

There is also a type of cyst the occurs over arthritic joint.

Just think of all the money you'll save doing self-diagnosis.  You probably won't get better, may get worse,  but you'll save money.

[hckynut]

@hick 

Never personally dealt with gout, but I know age is not a sole cause. I worked with guys in their 40's that had gout and they all had a few things in common.

Their Uric Acid levels were high/they were overweight, and they were all on some type of Blood Pressure Med. We did hard manual work/in a very hot environment/breathed in Poly Vinyl Chloride Fumes all day, and in a not so clean manufacturing plant.

Most of those with gout, also had low potassium levels. All of theirs were in their feet, most said specifically their big toe. 

Does any of what I said mean that caused their gout? I have no idea, I just remember everyone of them that told me they were diagnosed with gout, had almost the same accompanying issues.

I remember all this from 40 years ago because I was into health and physical fitness then, as I am now. I did my own research, no google back then, on blood readings and specific med interactions. Is this relevant? 

hckynut(john)

[Mindy D]

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@hick wrote:

Two fingers on my right hand started swelling and felt stiff. Then my pointer finger developed a red rash.  Went to my DOC and had an xray.  It showed arthritis. THey suggested an antiinflamatory.   OK, but what's up with the rash.

I did my own investigating and have diagnosed myself with gout.

I cancelled the appointment I made with the derm MD.  I have a follow up next week with my Family Practice DOC.

Anybody have experience with this particular issue???

Jeeze - getting older is just great!  I know, it could be worse.

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@hick @Does anyone in your family have psoriasis? It could be psoriatic arthritis. 

[KaySD]

@hick 

Good for you, doing your research and taking it one step at a time. The idea of consulting your generalist again is a good one--there are some pretty good diagnostic tools for gout to rule it in or out. Even if a derm could alleviate the rash itself, that wouldn't address the cause, so it looks to me like you are proceeding rationally.

The stuff that actually happens to us, in my personal observation, seldom rolls out like a textbook. We're each individuals. Luckily, we have lots in common with each other too, which means we have lots of information to use in diagnosis, but it's always a big mystery to sort out a complex set of symptoms and test results, and interpret them in the context of everything else going on with a particular person--their habits, overall health, medical history, medications, etc. It almost ssems surprising that anything ever gets figured out at all! Most of the time, treatment is therefore a series of experiments to find what works. It's annoying that there are no simple answers most of the time, but there it is. 

So probably the biggest risk you run, other than just ignoring it, is jumping to conclusions. Stiff joints could mean a lot of things. Rashes come from a really huge number of different causes. So if I were in your shoes, I'd keep moving forward and keep learning, and keep being open to figuring out the next thing that needs to happen.

Don't forget to take deep breaths, and take care of yourself!

[SeaMaiden]

My husband  gets it in his feet and ankles. It is if he eats too much purine type foods and  rich foods... shrimp... pizza that kind or rich food.  If he stays off of that junky food, he is fine.  But it does not go away fast. If makes it a good incentive for him to stick to a healthier diet.  

[hick]

Thank you everyone who took the time to reply to my post.

I will continue to do research but will also contine to consult with my medical providers.

I do not intend to ignore the problem nor do I intend to rely solely on my self diagnosed ailments.

Again, thanks again and stay healthy everyone!

[AnikaBrodie]

@hick 

I have a history of gout which is treated with a prescription of Allopurinol to keep it under control.  I also have a prescription for Colcrys for occasional flareups.  Even with the daily medication I have occasional gout symptoms but with the med they are not as severe.  Gout runs in my family - my dad and a brother also got it on occasion.

Gout is an extremely painful condition and is caused by high levels of uric acid.  It can occur in any joint.  My gout was always in my foot or ankle, typically the big toe.  At its worst I was unable to keep a sheet on or near the toe and it was impossible to walk without extreme pain.

Check with your doctor about Allopurinol if your diagnosis is gout.  It works for me. 

[hckynut]

@hick 

Wishing you and your medical staff success in finding the source of your problem.

hckynut(john)