Acute Gout

Acute Gout – General Information

Acute Gout – Symptoms

Acute Gout – Treatment

The main goal in treating Acute Gout is to relieve the pain. The medicines are administered once the disease has been diagnosed and can include indomethacin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, oral glucocorticoids, or intra articular glucocorticoids which are administered through a joint injection. Colchicine was considered the most commonly chosen drug in acute attacks of gout, which had the effect of impairing the motility of granulocytes and preventing the inflammatory phenomena that initiated an attack. Colchicine had to be administered in the first 12 hours of the attack and has the greatest effect of relieving the pain in 48 hours, but gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea and nausea are known to be common side effects of this medicine. The anti inflammatory drugs are the preferred form of analgesia for patients suffering from this disease. The nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs and oral glucocorticoids are known to have the same effects, with less adverse reactions. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are administered to each patient who receives a dose of 75 mg of diclofenac intramuscularly, indomethacin in 50 mg dose orally, and acetaminophen in 1 g dose also orally. An individual with Acute Gout who has received the oral form of indomethacin in 50 mg doses for five days, then every eight hours for the next two days, then a dose of 25 mg of indomethacin every eight hours for another three days, also has to receive a trial with acetaminophen in doses of 1 g every six hours. In the case of glucocorticoids the individual has to receive the oral form of prednisolone in 30 mg doses, and the oral form of acetaminophen in 1 g doses and then have to take prednisolone in 30 mg dose once a day for five days. There are also other medications that can provide pain and swelling relief and can include ibuprofen which can slightly reduce the pain and inflammation.

Aspirin is not considered appropriate in the treatment of Acute Gout as it can easily worsen the condition. A mixture of H hemorrhoidal ointment can also be used on the swollen skin to reduce the swelling for a short time. Ice can also be applied for twenty to thirty minutes, several times a day, and many clinical studies found that patients who used the ice packs treatment trial had better improvement in the pain relieving without any side effects. If the patient keeps the affected area elevated above the level of the heart can lead also to a potential improvement. Because the swelling around affected joints persist for longer periods of time, shedding of skin can also appear. This is especially evident when the small toes are affected by Acute Gout, leading to fungal infections if dampness appears, but the treatment is similar to that for athlete's foot. Some patients suffering of Acute Gout experience an aggravation of the disease in the knees and toes areas associated with prolonged periods of immobility, for example when sitting at a computer desk for several hours. This can be especially unfortunate if the patient is looking for work and the aggravation interferes with his mobility. Patients who notice early swelling or early pain seem to be able to stop the aggravation with medical treatment which has to be applied before the disease gets worse.