Treating the Acute Attack
One or other of the non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Diclofenac (Voltaren) or Naproxen (Naprosyn) can be very effective. To gain the best results the drug should be taken as soon as possible at the first sign of an attack, and continued until the pain and swelling go down. Hence medical advice must be sought early. With effective treatment the attack may be controlled within 12-24 hours and treatment need not be continued after a few days. If you are unable to take NSAIDs, medication such as colchicine or prednisone can help reduce the pain of gout. Rest and elevation of the part involved and drinking 4 or 5 extra glasses of water a day is also important.
How to Treat Chronic Gout and Lower Raised Uric Acid (Hyperuricaemia)
If in spite of all the measures above the uric acid remains high and attacks continue or become more frequent, drugs can be used which lower the uric acid level in the blood. The most common is Allopurinol (also known as Zyloprim, Progout or Allorin) which stops uric acid forming. This medicine must be taken long term, often for years, to lower your uric acid into the normal range, and keep it there. Once this occurs, further attacks of gout will be prevented, as long as the drug is continued. Do not stop the medication even when your painful gouty attacks stop, because the uric acid level could well rise again and damage your joints and possibly your kidneys. If you do take the tablets regularly, you can eat more of the foods you enjoy, and drink alcohol again in moderation.
It is also very important when beginning such drugs to realise that for the first few months of treatment, gouty attacks may become more frequent. This can be controlled by taking one or two tablets a day of an additional drug (such as Colchicine) for several months at least and if any acute attacks do appear they must be treated in the usual way and the long term-medicines continued. It will be worth it.
Remember - Gout won't go away unless you take your medications regularly
- Ask your doctor what your uric acid level is; with medication it should be less than 0.36 , with early treatment giving better results