[garym]

Hi All, well I have been taking Allopurinol for the past four / five
months now and it has been up and down to a certain? extent.? First
month or so was fine I had a few little attacks / flair ups which I
controlled with Colchicine then I had a couple of flu like days that
actually put me in bed. It was just like flu, aching muscles / joints
headache the works I just didn't want to move! After that settled down
for a while just getting th e occasional flair up but lately I have been
getting regular flair ups of increasing severity culminating in my
last full blown attack in my elbow on Thursday last week. (I know
that my gout is fairly entrenched as the elbows are rich in blood flow
and if gout is getting them it is a sign that it is chronic)

I
had blood test at doctors two weeks ago and results were that UA was
6.7, doctor was happy! From my limited experience and knowledge I believe
that my UA level should be around 3.5 – 5? as I am a goutie! Doctor
disagrees and said level was fine, also I believe that my dosage of
Allopurinol is not enough, 300mgs daily, also doctor disagrees! (He gave me diet sheet and prescription for 'Airtal' to take for pain and basically said get on with it!)
With this in mind I am contemplating getting UA meter and increasing
dose to 400mg daily over a week and monitoring results, if not bringing
levels down then + 100 again over a week repeating until level under 5
and stabilised. I am aware that for most people 300mg is fine but for
severe gout you can take up to 600mg daily (splitting into two doses one
evening & one morning)? for really, really severe gout the maximum
recommended dose is 800mg daily. As I said given my limited knowledge
and the fact that I am getting more frequent attacks I would welcome any
opinions / advice.

Regards

G

[garym]

Hi, started taking the Allopurinol yesterday morning, (300mg) so this
is day two. No side effects as yet apart from a bit of an odd taste in
mouth, apart from that nothing. (I suppose that if I was allergic to it I would know by now.)

I am not taking any colchicine with it at the moment either.

I do not know why but with the Allopurinol I was really apprehensive about taking another 'drug' but so far so good

Regards

G

[garym]

Hi Zip, the manufacturer is “Laboratorio SEID Barcelona” the brand is “Colchicine HOUDE”

Well

“A” Day did not happen today; 3AM this morning I awoke with severe pain

in my left Achilles tendon, spreading into my ankle and foot.

I

lay there for about an hour thinking “maybe this is just a strain from

the gym this morning”, “I have knocked myself”, “It will go away in a

while”, you know, the classical denile symptoms of the attack before

acting on it and doing something about it!

So in the end I got up had a

pint of BBB and 4 of the “little pink fellows”

Spent the next few hours remonstrating with myself for the prawns on crisp bread of that

afternoon and the glass and a half of red wine that evening.

Also for not getting up and taking the Colchicine earlier!

Subsequently I am sitting here pain in tendon (I think I may have just caught it in time)

and not started the Allopurinol as I believe that your not supposed to start

it during a flare up. (I would welcome any informed opinions on that one)

My thoughts on this are: I need to lower my UA levels and am having an

attack / flare at present and taking Colchicine, so what would be the

difference if I added Allopurinol? I understand that I am in pain anyway

and trying to manage it the same way as if the attack was Allopurinol based, so what would be the difference. (Just thinking aloud)

Oh Woe Is Me!

Regards

G

[garym]

Hi Guys, re the Colchicine:- The dosage is the manufacturers recommended dose for severe attacks of Gout. (They
have other dosages for less severe attacks but you know yourself, when
your in “The Zone” amputation is a real alternative!)

You take 4 x 1mg tablets, 1 every 15 mins on the first day, 3 x
1mg tabs, 1 every 15 mins on day two etc until day four, hey presto Gout
gone! Sometimes it does not always work.

I must have the constitution of a billy goat as on that dose I do not always get the shits!

As
I said before, I have been augmenting day one or day two with 1mg more
depending on how severe that attack is / was and the reaction to the
colchicine.

I have also been having at least 1 pint of BBB every
day, sometimes two / three if I have been “Bad” or I feel attack coming
on. I have a weakness for red wine! (“Every cripple has a crutch” as they say!)?

Re
the evacuation of the UA, Sorry to bring the tone down to base levels
but when taking the colchicine I now know when it is working as there is
a particular smell to the “evacuation” whether that is the Colchicine
or the UA I do not know but I do know there is a particular odour when
it is working.

I do not know why but I am still a little dubious
re taking the Allopurinol, don't know why, I think it is just the
acceptance of taking another 'drug', getting old, as I said I do not
know. (When in the throes of the last few attacks I know why then,
but it is always different when not in the clutches of “The Beast” as I
am sure you all know and agree)

I keep thinking that with
lifestyle changes and being 'Good', taking Cherry's, BBB, Bi Carb etc it
may get better. (Yes I already know the comments that will appear, but
it's still a little hope!)

Anyway back to “A Day” 24hours to go and counting! (Still with trepidation!)

Later

Regards

G

[garym]

My Allopurinol Journey

Hi All, It has been a while and quite a few attacks of 'The Beast',?
consumption of Colchicine and BBB since I last posted but I bit the bullet and went for the blood test.

I now have the results of recent blood test where my UA level =
10.4!!!!!!!! So am now armed with my 300mg Allopurinol prescriptions. (Funny
I have not been given any Colchicine along with the Allopurinol but is
readily available over the counter and cheap here ?2.30 for 30!)

As I am just getting over an other attack in my foot (with the aid of the trusted Colchicine) I am going to wait another? 48 hours to start the Allopurinol. (The
reason is that I take Colchicine 4mg,3mg,2mg & 1mg over 4 days and
apparently you need 3 days rest before starting again. I know Zip does
it differently, he uses the 2 tablets first then 1 per hour until 'The
Trots' and no pain. I have never tried that way.)

Funny lately
the Colchicine does not always give me 'The Trots' on the method I use
so I have been augmenting the first or second day with 1mg more to
induce them. In my experience I believe that you need? 'The Trots' as
the body evacuates the UA that way. I? have taken the course of
Colchicine before without inducing Diarrhoea? and my Gout has just
reappeared.

So “A” day is in 48 hours! I will keep you informed.

Tally Ho Chaps!

Regards

G

[Author]

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