We used to have some of that. A kindly friend who swore by it brought it back from holiday. Absolutely vile tasting and made me feel worse when I had acid reflux. But apparently helps some people. I’m very cautious about natural remedies these days.
I do believe in probiotics and natural yoghurt though. Apparently probiotics help relieve gout (according to some studies). They pretty much help everything work better.
Most of the pain and swelling has gone Surfermom, and going out for long walks…
Good to know you are on the mend, Foxy!
Apparently the main cause of gout is not from diet (Uric Acid is made in the liver and is responsible for 80% only 20% comes from the food we eat) but bad circulation. When the blood pools, especially in the feet and lower leg, it allows crystals to form in the joints. In my case, I can trace it back to one day when my feet got very cold and wet. My heart is not as efficient as it once was following my heart attacks and blood pressure is always low. Hands and feet get cold very quickly.
It is possible to have high levels of uric acid and never get gout.
Thanks Tabby, things are looking up…
Good to hear your foot is improving Bob. 
Thanks Mags, it seems to be better when I keep it moving by walking on it, although it aches a bit at bedtime…
Be careful you don’t overdo the walking too soon, it’s early days yet so please don’t push yourself too hard.
Moving is the secret to the universe. Nothing will kill you faster than sitting - but go easy!
Really happy to hear you are on the mend!
That’s the story of my life Mags, reach for the stars…
Exactly my mantra Surfermom, since I’ve been unable to run my energy levels are close to bursting…:surprised: I’ve been doing pressups (pushups to you) and riding to destruction on the static bike…But nothing replaces a good old jog out into the country…
So I’m packing up the computer for now and zooming off on a five miler…dressed to walk, but equipped to run…
Sorry about the broadside I just gave to the vegan’s…
There is an alternative called Febuxostat, which was prescribed for my wife and that did a good job of reducing the uric acid. However she had to stop taking it as there were alarming reports of the drug causing heart attacks.
Anne, (the wife), had a build up of uric acid through long term use of diuretics, and as she was bed bound her circulation was pants - hence gout.
Allopurinol resulted in her being admitted to hospital with acute dehydration following a bout of violent vomiting and diarrhoea, a side effect of this drug - so the poor soul was between a rock and a hard place which remained until her death. Her only option was to eat cherries.
The cause isn’t diet but once you have it I’m sure certain foods will make it flare up just because of the interaction of certain foods with the way our bodies work.
Thanks PooBear, but like the covid vaccine I’ll decline the Febuxostat for the gout having already suffered two heart attacks in the past. The problem with medicational drugs is the fact that you either get addicted to them, or they prevent the body from producing its own natural hormones and chemicals until it no longer produces them itself making you relient on the drugs for the rest of your natural. The human race would have died out long ago if it didn’t provide its own resistance against attacks from viral and bacterial infections.
I doubt there is a food connection Annie, other that raising my uric acid levels, which will be high all the time, but I don’t get gout all the time. My diet changes very little from one week to the next, and I believe the trigger could be a combination of allowing my feet to get cold, dehydration (I never drink enough) and a damaged heart that can no longer deliver the blood to my extremities as efficiently as it used to.
Had a great five mile walk earlier and added plenty of jogging, felt good to be back. I’ll try a proper run on Sunday.
Well dehydration will be a trigger. The amount of tea and other diuretics you consume etc. I don’t think enough is made of dehydration in public health messages.
I should have listened to you Mags…
Both big toe joints have been painful during the night.
Although they didn’t keep me awake (nothing much does) on my five or six visits to the toilet during the night after drinking copious amounts of water, I was hobbling proper. And it was even worse as I had to hobble around Tesco first thing this morning without the help of Mrs Fox…
Mrs Fox is having to attend the hospital tomorrow for a procedure that requires her to eat nothing and make sure her bowels are empty…She had a covid test on Thursday (negative) and must isolate for three days before her visit to the hospital…
So I’ve had to resort to the last five colchicine tablets left over from last week when I thought I was done with it…
Following your advice Annie, I will replace a couple of my usual mugs of tea for hot water to have with my large slice of humble pie…
Sorry PooBear, how insensitive of me…I’ve been so full of myself, it wasn’t until I was laying in bed last night that I realised you had posted about the loss of your wife.
I’m so sorry for your loss PooBear, please accept my apologies and my commiserations…
Oh what a setback OGF and at an already stressful time !
Has Mrs Fox had her vaccination ? Do they do them if a hospital procedure is to take place?
OGF I know nothing about gout but do know what it’s like to “ hobble “ to the bathroom during the night as I have bunion flare ups on both feet thus necessitating using a walking stick from bed to bathroom . Walking on the outer edges of the feet is not good ?
I expect you’re going to have to rest with both feet up today ?
