At 18 I was diagnosed with gout. I was 5’5”, 122 pound, active, female, and a teenager. In short, I was not your typical “gout victim”.
The pain was in my foot, where the big toe meets the foot, and knee. It even hurt when elevated with nothing, not even a sheet, on it. I went to doctor after doctor – allergists, rheumatologists, foot doctors, and had ex-rays.
Years pasted. I lived in pain. Decades pasted. I lived in pain. The pain spread to other parts of my body. I went to more doctors, allergists, rheumatologists.
Finally I demanded to be tested for man-made mixes and metals (not the typically outdoor allergens). Specifically nickel, potassium dichromate, and fragrance mix. – Allergist prefer to test you for the things they can treat like airborne allergens.
I found I am allergic to nickel (anything contained in a can), potassium dichromate (inks, dies, many cleansers), and fragrance mix (any product with fragrance, 80-90% of it is toxic anyway). So I got away from all of that and began feeling better.
Then I cleaned up my diet. I eat fresh fruit and vegetables (minus asparagus, peas, beans, mushrooms, spinach), chicken breasts, low fat dairy products. I do drink coffee, using freshly ground coffee beans, with raw sugar. And I have a dessert every two weeks. I eat a freshly baked bagel once a week. – Nothing canned, boxed, or bagged (except coffee beans, olive oil, raw sugar, black pepper, dairy products). No alcohol, no soda pop. — I drink hot water with the juice from a fresh lemon each day. I do not take any prescription drugs for gout or arthritis (or anything, but would for an infection).
Yep, I’m restricted. But it is well worth it not to be living in pain.
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20448674,00.html
http://www.webmd.com/arthritis/tc/diet-and-gout-topic-overview
My Buddy 101 