When Was the Last Time You Asked Yourself…
“Do I Have Gout?!”
I hope it wasn’t just this morning, or worse yet, I hope this morning wasn’t the first time you asked yourself that. But you know what? I have people write to me all the time not only asking “what is gout?”, but also asking, do I have gout? because they just don’t know whether or not this god-forsaken pain they’re experiencing is gout or not!
All too often, the people asking, “do I have gout?” can’t tell if it’s some kind of infection, or if it really is a gout attack coming in for a landing. The sure way to tell if it’s really gout or not, is if you’re having thoughts of chopping your foot or your hand off – if you are, then for sure it’s gout. The intense heat, redness, shiny, tight skin and massive swelling are pretty good indicators as well.
Uric Acid Testing
What most people end up doing (right before they reach for the meat cleaver) is to head down to their MDs office yelling, “do I have gout?” and if he says, “yup, looks like gout”, then you get some blood work done to see where your uric acid levels are at.
The next day you get the call, and they exclaim in shrill voice, “your UA is @ 9.9!” and that you need to get down there ASAP or they’re calling an ambulance for you. (they don’t really do that, but I threw it in there for the drama) But just so you know, the normal range of uric acid in the blood is between 3.0 – 7.0mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter). So if it’s over 7.0 you’ve got some work to do…or according to your doc, you’ve got some pills to take.
Sometimes they do test for UA in your urine but that is not nearly as common as a blood test. (maybe because they make more money billing YOUR insurance company for it?) The normal range of UA in urine is 250 – 750 milligrams in a 24 hour collection.
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What Is Pseudogout?
Otherwise known as “Chondrocalcinosis”. Let’s just see what Wikipedia has to say: “Pseudogout refers to the acute symptoms of joint inflammation or synovitis: red, tender, and swollen joints that may resemble gouty arthritis (a similar condition in which monosodium urate crystals are deposited within the joints)”.
Did you get that? The difference between pseudogout and normal gout (normal?) is deposits of calcium instead or uric acid. Those deposits are called, calcium pyrophosphate…PYRO…as in fire! Regular gout (regular?) has that going for it too as you know.
It’s a bit of weird thing, because so often people sort of like hope that it’s pseudogout and not real gout (real?). But it’s just has nasty as good old fashioned gout and hurts just as bad. The important thing to make note of though is that most of the people that end up with fake gout (fake?) are over 85 years old. So, when your hear yourself asking yourself, “do I have gout . . . or is it pseudogout?” ask yourself when your last birthday was and how old you were then.
“What Should I Do If It IS Gout?”
First of all, hide all sharp objects. Then start drinking a shitload of water. Then go right below here and click on the link to get my Kill Your Gout NOW! Handbook and get busy.
☆ Remember! After your first dance with gout, the next is unmistakable.
“I know your pain. Let me help you kill your gout for good! And teach you to advocate for yourself and take ownership of your gout recovery, by showing you how to live the gout-free lifestyle.” Two decades ago, Bert Middleton found himself diagnosed with gout. Like 8.3 million other people in the United States (approximately 4% of the population), he struggled helplessly with the physical, emotional, social, and financial impact that gout left unchecked can have on your life. Prescription drugs were of limited help… And the terrible pain of regular gout attacks left him unable to enjoy even the simplest daily pleasures. His marriage was suffering. His finances were spiraling due to the impact gout had on his ability to work. And maintaining a social life was often nearly impossible. Tophi surgeries left him in terrible pain. And he found himself depressed … and angry … that gout was stealing years of his life.
Until one day, after hundreds of hours of research and self-experimentation, Bert finally had a breakthrough and created a blueprint for a way of living that would prove to be “the answer” to living gout-free for nearly a decade now. Today, Bert and his “Gout Wife” Sharon devote their evenings and weekends to educating other gout sufferers on how to live the gout-free lifestyle. Showing others his 911 Emergency Response Gout Recovery Plan for getting PAINFUL gout attacks under control in as little as 4 hours. And then, how to make daily choices that keep gout under control for GOOD! So you can finally start LIVING again!