So if I show my gout a pay stub, bank statement or electric bill I will be cured?
; < )
Nope. I've suffered periodically from gout for over 35 years, starting when I had to struggle to pay my rent. Gout is hereditary and not many people get it. It comes from the inability of some metabolisms to eliminate uric acid from the blood as quickly as it forms. The excess is deposited as crystals in the joints, usually starting with the joint of the big toe. Gout attacks are INCREDIBLY painful!
If you're prone to gout you have to avoid purines in your diet. Purines come from certain meats, shellfish and some cereals. One of the worst attacks I've had was caused by eating too many cornflakes! Dieting can also elevate uric acid levels in the blood, so weight control is tricky. Medications like allopurinol help most people. The recommendation to eat cherries is a good one.
When I had my first painful attack the doctor put me on colchicine -- a deadly poison -- that has to be taken in very careful doses. It helps relieve the pain but if you take too much (as I did) you suffer from diarrhea or dry-heaving nausea -- or both. No more colchicine for me; I'll take the gout pain. Gout is something of a medical mystery and not all doctors know how to treat it.