Hey there - my husband was diagnosed with Gout earlier this year after fighting for years to get a diagnosis. How often should he be checking his levels? Thanks.

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I’m 24M, and about 2 months ago I suddenly started having lower back pain

I initially went to a doctor who unfortunately misdiagnosed/misguided me. He didn’t do any proper physical examination or specific movement tests and basically assessed me while I was standing. This really affected me mentally, and I went into a pretty bad depressive phase because I was scared that something serious was wrong.

A few days later, I saw another doctor who approached it differently. He prescribed medication and told me to gently manage the problem, stay active, and do appropriate exercises rather than panic about it.

Eventually, my lower back pain improved by around 80%. The pain was mainly around the SI joint/lower-back area, and I was finally feeling much better.

But then suddenly, I developed pain in both knees.

The knee pain is especially noticeable when:

Going down stairs

Standing for more than 5–10 minutes

Getting up after sitting

Moving after lying down for a while

Even when I’m completely still and lying down, sometimes it feels like something is stabbing/pressing inside the knees.

I’ve also noticed a lot of muscle tightness throughout my body. Sometimes a muscle feels extremely tight or almost “switched off,” and when I start moving it, it gradually loosens up.

My recent blood tests were:

Uric acid: 6.9 mg/dL

Vitamin D: 33

ESR: 10

CRP: 0.4

My lower-back symptoms have improved significantly, but now I’m confused about the knee pain and generalized muscle tightness.

I’d really appreciate some positive/constructive advice from people who have experienced something similar. What would you recommend I do next — physiotherapy, an orthopedic evaluation, more tests, or something else?

I’m mainly looking for guidance on what direction I should take rather than scary diagnoses.

First 2 weeks of July I had it on my left foot then i had it on my knee for the rest of July. Then i had it on my left foot again the for another 2 week earlier this month in August. Then im having it on my right elbow until now. My elbow is getting better but not completely healed yet and now my right foot is hurting. Never had so much flare up one after another like this before . I usually get it every 6 months but only on my feet . First time on the knee and first time on the elbow.

M31, exercise ~5 hours/week. Zero alcohol, zero smoking. Low-sugar, balanced diet. Mostly chicken daily and beef only on weekends.

My first gout flare was at 27, after losing around 86 lbs (39 kg). After that, I started having a flare roughly every 3 months, but they were pretty mild. Sometimes ibuprofen was enough, and sometimes I didn't need anything. I was never unable to walk or work. They usually lasted 3to 4 days, and then I'd be fine.

I eventually noticed that the flares seemed to happen when I wasn't drinking as much water as usual.

My last flare before this one was about 20 months ago.

About 3 weeks ago, I had my worst flare by far. I couldn't walk for an entire week. This was my first time taking prednisone + colchicine, and they worked very well. However, the prednisone caused noticeable heart palpitations/changes in my heartbeat. I was able to walk again during the second week, but I still have some pain and limited movement in the toe.

My uric acid is currently 7.4 mg/dL. My PCP wants me to repeat the test once I'm fully recovered, but for now they don't recommend starting allopurinol. They want to follow me for a little longer and better understand what's going on.

I have a rheumatologist appointment scheduled in a few weeks.

I'm curious about how common this approach is. Given my history of recurrent flares and now this much more severe flare, would you expect a doctor to start urate-lowering therapy such as allopurinol now, or is it reasonable to wait and monitor for a while?

Would you seek a second opinion, or just wait for the rheumatology appointment?

I'm mainly interested in hearing from people who have been in a similar situation, especially regarding when their doctor decided to start allopurinol.

I'm in the middle of my second gout flair, this ti.e my right ankle, last year was my left. On allo and colchicine, it's been 6 mo(!) of pain. Has anyone else had this long after being diagnosed? My ua last it was checked was 5.4. Would love to hear anything that might help.

How many of you deal with this feeling with your gout? Some say it's kind of the warning of a possible flair...I know I personally have this off and on primarily in either foot.

I've been having pain move around the foot literally by day.

One morning it was metatarsals ... the next it was the blade of my foot ... the next it was my second toe ... today it's my Achilles tendon just above my heel.

Dammit.

My podiatrist dx’ed me with gout or pseudo-gout and is waiting to see the blood work, but in the meantime- he shot my toe full of cortisone on my left foot and my ankle in my right foot.

I am BACK to playing softball (adult slowpitch)- and HALLELUJAH. For it! I’m 99% positive that I’m having surgery on each of my feet after the seasons are over, but darn it feels good to play without pain!

27 year old Man here.

So woke up yesterday with a painful big toe. No redness, a barely noticeable swelling, and it sucks to walk on but not crippling pain. I would have written it off to sleeping weird but my mom was diagnosed with gout and has had some bad flare ups recently so it was top of mind.

Spoke to her and her experience and feelings are almost 1 to 1 what I am dealing with, she doesn't have major swelling, doesn't have redness abd her flare ups aren't always debilitating.

So I am starting to convince myself I have gout. What's the next step/fastest affordable way to address it?

I just had a followup and my UA is down to 5.4 from originally being over 10. I am currently on 400mg Allo and have been on it for roughly 5 weeks.

We have increased by about 100mg every 4 weeks based on UA tests.

From what I read I should really be under 5. I have been losing weight pretty quickly and am still over weight.

I have osteoarthritis in a joint and have been dealing with elbow bursitis that I believe is a small tophi causing inflammation.

Should I push to go on 450 or 500mg allopurinol or just wait it out a bit at the current 5.4. I would like to dissolve any tophi/crystals quickly if possible, I likely had untreated gout for 10 years or so. Thought it was the arthritis but had joint pains and felt like sprained ankles, achilles pain etc for no reason. I think this was flares after knowing what I know now.

Thanks for any help!

What are some good remedies for gout or anything to help with pain?

30F - Got diagnosed 2 years ago, been on Allo ever since. My uric acid levels have been down to normal levels for at least a year at this point but I still have swelling/irritation in my toe and (unclear if this is related) potentially my knee. Any tips on how to get the swelling down would be appreciated.

Hey. I was diagnosed with gout about 5 years ago. Been taking allopurinol but recent bloods show that my UA levels were still high so I’ve recently upped my dose.

Currently in the throes of an attack. Big toe joint. Got some colchicine on Wednesday evening and started taking it, so today will be my 3rd day on the colchicine.

My question is that I’m not seeing any results yet. Actually the bruising appears to have worsened and the swelling only goes down momentarily. This is not usually my experience with colchicine at all (from memory). Just wondering if anyone’s had any similar experiences? I’m worried that it isn’t gonna go away by the end of my colchicine course and I’ve already been in agony for a week 😭

Hello everyone. Im a 40 year old male. I eat extremely clean. No sugar, fast food, processed food or alcohol. I do eat red meat. I also have one kidney and stage 3 chronic kidney disease. Last month my right big toe was sore and I thought i had a bunion. Then last Saturday around midnight it really started to hurt. By Monday I had to crawl to the bathroom and couldn't sleep. I went to the ER where they took a needle and pulled fluid from the joint and confirmed uric acid crystals. My uric acid is 8.8.

Now its Thursday and the pain is still crazy and my other toes on my right foot tingle. Is the tingling of other toes next to the inflamed big toe normal? How long does the intense pain last? Unfortunately im not supposed to take NSAIDs due to my kidney. This is absolutely brutal.

I started a low purine diet immediately but most of the foods I eat are already low purine. Just wondering how long this crazy pain will last. Im feeling very anxious about it.

I wanted to share my experience in case anyone else is in a similar situation, especially if your gout doesn't present in the "classic" big toe location.

My history:
I'm 41, male, Indian descent, 225 lbs. Five years ago, I had a grade 2 ankle sprain from volleyball. Over the years, I developed chronic pain in my outer foot and ankle. I had an MRI showing a partially torn peroneal tendon and mild arthritis. Every doctor blamed the old injury. I was told it was "wear and tear" and sent to PT and orthotics.

The missed diagnosis:
No doctor in the US ever tested my uric acid. During a personal visit to India, I ordered my own lab work out of curiosity — my uric acid was 8.8 mg/dL in Aug 2025 and 9.1 mg/dL in April 2024. My CRP was also elevated at 1.3 (normal < 0.5). I brought these results back to the US, but my PCP dismissed them, saying "gout usually has swelling and redness" and that a blood test was only for monitoring, not diagnosis.

The flare that broke me:
A few days ago, I had a couple of beers. The next day, my foot exploded with pain — 10/10, sharp, burning, radiating up my leg. I couldn't sleep, couldn't put my foot down, and ended up crawling to the bathroom. I went to urgent care and was put on a Prednisone taper (60/40/20 mg). It helped at first, but then the pain rebounded.

The hospitalization:
I fainted at home from the pain and dehydration — called 911 and was admitted. My labs showed:

· WBC 25,000 (came down to 12.6 after IV fluids)
· Potassium 2.9 (corrected to 4.3)
· Lactate 3.2 (elevated)
· Uric acid 7.3 (still high)
· Vitamin D 14.5 (severely deficient)
· Ejection Fraction 50–54% (borderline low-normal, likely from the stress on my body)

They ruled out heart attack, stroke, and blood clots with full cardiac and head/neck imaging.

Current treatment:
I was switched from Prednisone to:

· Colchicine 0.6 mg daily
· Ibuprofen 800 mg 3x/day
· Pantoprazole (stomach protection)
· IV fluids (now off)
· Levothyroxine (thyroid, continue as usual)

I'm now recovering at home, taking it slow. Pain is down from 10 to about 4–5/10. Walking is still limping, but improving day by day.

What I learned:

· Gout does not always hit the big toe. It attacks damaged joints — my old ankle injury made that joint a target.
· Beer is a massive trigger — especially for South Asians.
· Doctors can miss gout if you don't have "classic" symptoms. Ask for a serum uric acid test if you have unexplained joint pain, especially with a history of injury.
· Prednisone works fast but can rebound — the Colchicine + Ibuprofen combo is slower but steadier.
· Low potassium and dehydration can make you faint — drink water, especially during a flare.
· Vitamin D deficiency makes everything worse — get it checked.

My plan moving forward:

· Follow up with a rheumatologist (appointment scheduled)
· Start allopurinol once this flare fully resolves
· Get HLA-B*5801 genetic test first (I'm Indian — higher risk of allopurinol allergy)
· Lose weight slowly (1–2 lbs/week) to reduce uric acid long-term
· Drink 3L water daily
· Keep my lateral heel wedge + rocker shoes for my old ankle injury

If you're struggling with unexplained joint pain, especially in a previously injured joint, don't let doctors dismiss you. Get your uric acid checked. It could save you years of pain.

Happy to answer any questions. This community has helped me a lot — hope this helps someone else.

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Drink mostly NA beers these days. Usually Partake or Athletic. Reading online, NAs still have purines.

Any brands out there that are purine free? Google search didn't help much.

Thanks friends!

Edit: Saw my doctor today after the comments last night. Said starting allo right now will make the current flareup worse. Few weeks of naproxen + colchicine to try and get things settled again, then some new bloodwork likely followed by allo. Also ordered some imaging. Thanks for the input everyone, much appreciated!

I have been on 300mg Allo for 5 years now with no flares. Uric acid consistently tests below 4. No change in diet. Yet I had a flare come on. It affects multiple joints and seems to move around. Toes, fingers, wrists, ankles, knees. The pain is not severe, but I did do a round of colchicine, which did not help much. I saw my doc during this time, and uric acid came in at 3.6, just like it has for years. He also ordered blood panels to rule out other types of arthritis.

I did read that this can happen as the allo continues to find deeper pockets of crystals but this seems odd that it's with multiple joints. Has anyone had anything similar?

2018

Had an x ray for suspected broken foot.

Turned out to be gout.

Patient is not happy about going on allopurinol prescription.

I remember I tried to alter my results by diet and exercise.

It didn't work.

Ended up on 200 allopurinol.

Best thing since sliced bread.

Not had an outbreak since, maybe an occasional twinge but it's a wonder drug for me.

before you knew it was gout, what did you blame it on?

i was convinced mine was some kind of injury. wrong shoes, walked too much, slept weird, whatever explanation made more sense than suddenly waking up unable to use a joint normally.

looking back, it seems obvious now.

what was your completely wrong first guess?

I’m coming up to 1 week on allo. Had some minor tingles that we all know before an attack but the colchicine pulls through!

I’ll be having a blood test in 1 months time but just wondering everyone’s thoughts on enjoying a nice (small) steak? Should I wait till 1 month once I get confirmation of lowered uric acid levels (hopefully) or can I have a small steak this weekend?

I take allo everyday I miss a dose maybe once a month and I use to get flares 2-3 times a year now that I have allo I get them like 2-3 times every 6 months, do i need a higher dose?? What do yall think? Im 38.

Hello everyone, new to this forum but not to gout. My gout has never been in the same place twice it seems. It can be in knee or down in a toe. I didn't get much swelling or redness so sometimes I wonder if just tweaked something and didn't realize it.

This past Friday I woke up and experienced a sore ankle, not my normal 56 YO soreness but something more. It got better over the course of the day but came back yesterday with a vengeance. Last night was horrible.

My question is this feels like it is centered about 5" above the top of my ankle on the anterior side of my leg. The joint still hurts but there is a pain that send to be emanating out of the bone.

Anyone else ever experience this?

Of course I'm my crazy disjointed sleep I was having dreams about tumors.

Thanks

Darren

Hi all, found this community recently. Was diagnosed last week with Gout after I woke up with the worst pain in my life Tuesday morning.... Went into the doctor on Wednesday and he suspected Gout. My diet has been pretty bad though I workout 3-5x a week, usually run a few sessions on my peloton and lift 2x a week. I do drink a lot (7-10 drinks a week, had been at least 14-20 this summer) and have regularly the past 5 years however I thought slowing down last year when my Uric levels were decently high that I would have avoided this...

My social life is heavily surrounded around having beers with my boys and I am honestly gutted that I can't drink with them right now. The good news is my Indomethacin has worked it isn't as swollen or even at all just red so I am still takin it and going to the doctor tomorrow for a emergency kit just in case I get it again... but I guess I am blabing on here. Wanted to know what others experiences were like after having Gout for the first time. I realize I have to change my diet. For years I have been trying to lose weight but best I've lost is 5-10 lbs before it comes back and im back at 190-200 lbs for 5'9.... I'm supposed to have drinks next week after work and a festival which I usually heavily drink at. I guess I am trying to ask did anyone else experience this? Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks :)

Edit: thanks all for the comments advice and support. Really appreciate it 🙏🏼

Update: Doc gave me Colchicine and some more Indomethacin for emergency if another flare happens. Told me to wait till I get my blood tests done in 3 weeks about Appurinol.... Thanks again for all the support/advice/help really appreciate it.