Ok, I now have gout! It really hurts! Worse than Labor pains!!! Everything I have read says not to eat low carb! Anyone else out there had gout? Suggestions?

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271/214/150

Sorry to hear such bad news. The only thing I know of gout is no alcohol. If low carb is not an option then what do "they" suggest you eat?? Are there medications??

Hang in there Rhonda, It sounds like you have a huge challenge ahead of you. Try to stay focused and positive. Get informed and don't jump to 'panic' mode. You will get the answers you need and we are here to help you.

I'm hoping you have been to see a dr. My mother developed it, and they gave her medication, and she hasn't had it since.

some say it is the richness of the foods - perhaps trying leaner meats such as turkey and chicken for awhile may help. but I really have no idea.

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Mary Kay 1/1/04 - 232
5/19/08 (5/23/08) - sw226/(cw222)/mg210/fg160

Rhonda, I found some info on the web about gout:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gout/DS00090/si=2765

They mention some foods, but not lowcarb diets. Also genetics. It has a lot of good info, and might give you some comfort that your diet isn't necessarily to blame.

Another site mentions foods, but not specifically anything low carb. They mentioned drinking too much alcohol or eating certain kinds of food rich in purines such as seafood, beans, sweetbreads, gravies and anchovies.

Get to a doctor for some medication, and don't let anyone talk you out of your resolve to low carb.

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Nita

Nita's correct about the purine/uric acid connection. I'm sure your md already explained that the cause of gout is uric acid crystals collecting in the joint. In addition to the medication your doctor has probably prescribed, I'm sure he/she also provided you with a list of purine rich foods to avoid.

I'll give you the list from Bowes & Church (Seventeenth Edition):

Anchovies
Brains
Kidney
Game meats
Herring
Liver
Mackerel
Meat extract
Sardines
Scallops Sweetbreads

Please bear in mind, avoiding these foods is not a cure for gout. Purines are not only injested, but everybody produces purines during the metabolism of protein. Gout appears to be a genetic problem where one of the purines - uric acid - instead of being eliminated efficiently, collects and forms deposits in joints, most frequently the toes.

So most doctors will advise avoiding purine rich food, but that's not going to be a cure. Going on a low protein diet is rarely advised. To try to prevent one's body from producing purines, one would need an almost "no protein" diet, which brings it's own set of problems.

What has your doctor suggested?

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Maggie,
This info was interesting too. I guess, the relation between atkins diet and gout is relatively new concept and it is still under investigation. One thing is for sure, our body likes balance, and we , as LC WOL fans , need to strive to achieve the best of it. Unfortunately, some cases are genetic, others - autoimmune and agrevated by minor illness or injury. Sometimes, it is a matter of "combintation" of things and not for us to control them... Anyway, just wanted to say - I hope you are doing well and keep going!
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/80/96415.htm
Best wishes!

I developed gout in my forties, as did my father and all three of my brothers. The doctor told me it was genetic. I tried controlling it by limiting purine rich foods, but to no avail. I even kept a food diary, but it didn't seem to matter what I ate. There is some purine in almost all foods, and your body just loses the means to process it.
I've been low carb for 6 years now and it's not nearly as severe as it used to be. When I feel it coming on, I take echinacia and while it doesn't stop it, it is far less painful. I prefer that treatment to the drugs the doctor prescribed. Some gout medication has nasty side effects.

Hi Dan,
Sorry to hear about your gout. A friend of mine has it pretty bad. He takes cherry pills which he says really works well to control it. Dr. Mercola has Cherry Flex on his website. http://www.mercola.com/forms/softgel_capsules.htm
Good luck

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Deb 5', 57 yrs., Atkins 6/9/03:175
Restart 10/1/05-155
Restart 9/18/06-156
Restart 1/2/08-159/125/115
Rung 4 berries but Carnivorous currently

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

Thanks everyone for all of the info. My foot is much better today...(I did not go to the Doctor)...I waited to see if it was better. My Dad had gout and I read everything I could find on the internet...had ALL the symptoms so yesterday, I ate cherries, blueberries, pineapple, and not much fat or protein, drank alot of water, and took colon cleansers. I did these things by putting together all of the info off of the internet. Today it is back to Atkins and I will try to eat lean meat in smaller portions and watch out for the cream and butter that I slather on so freely! :-) This may be my culprit.

I wonder...do those cherry pills have carbs? I saw one brand on the internet that said it only had 1 carb...my carb tolerance is VERY low. :-{ And, if they only have 1 carb, I wonder how good they are.

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271/214/150

Rhonda: My dh gets terrible gout. The things that trigger it for him are seafood and alcohol. I suppose everyone is different. I've spent hours on the internet trying to find a way to control it for him. Each night I make him a smoothie with black cherry juice that I get at the health food store. I put some type of berry in it also...depends what I have in the freezer. I also found out that one of the causes of gout...is high blood pressure medication. Are you taking any? Drinking a lot of water will help too...it cleanses the system and helps to break down uric acid. Hope you are feeling better.

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Donna
238.5/166.4/150
I will see my goal weight again!

Donna, I do not have high blood pressure, thank goodness! I am feeling much better. Do you know the carb content of the smoothie that you get? Is it low carb?

I found an AWESOME list on the internet this morning that actually shows the purine counts of foods. This will help me stick to this WOE and watch my gout diet! www.acumedico.com/purine.htm

Also, found another great article
www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=51

These are great articles for anyone who suffers from gout.

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271/214/150

Sorry, Rhonda, I don't have the carb count. It's just something I make up for my dh who doesn't do low carb. You could add just about anything to the smoothie although my dh does insist on a couple of scoops of ice cream. You might find lc ice cream if you wanted it. Glad to hear you are doing better.

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Donna
238.5/166.4/150
I will see my goal weight again!

Thanks again!:butterfly

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271/214/150

Rhonda, I have RA, which is a relative of gout. I have found that red meat, cheese and dairy really bother my RA but chicken, turkey, and seafood do not. Everyone is different but I thought maybe this might help you in a direction. I do not eat the dark meat or the skin.
Ann

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"The future of life on earth depends on seeing the sacred where others see only the common."
- John Denver, 1991

I think it important to note that NONE of the studies of the Atkins diet which I know of found there was ANY correlation between doing Atkins and getting gout. And you can be darn sure if that had been the case, it would have been trumpeted from the heights.

Not that I think that for SOME people, given their particular genetics and whatnot, that doing Atkins or any other diet might not bring on gout if they were predisposed to get it.

Just that there is NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE of a statistically significant link.

As always, follow your doctor's advice and do what works for YOUR BODY. That's what it's all about.