kidney failure and gout

[Marina]

Re: kidney failure and gout

My cousin is suffering from high uric acid..Last time when She went for check up, it came out to be 9 i guess. Doctor adviced not to have cereals etc..Now she has started getting pain in her legs, specially in the middle and in the fingers of the hand..Some one told her that she may be suffering from gout.. Guys is that so, because we are scared.

hi Vicky,
An uric acid level 9 is dangerously high. Normal is 2.6-7.2. Gout primarily affects the joints. But if it goes untreaded it can also form crystals in the major organs. If the crystals form in the kidney it can block blood flow leading to kidney failure and other organ failures as well.

Is your cousin on allupurinol by any chance?? allopurinol helps elliminate the uric acid from our body.
google uric acid diet our high uric acid foods and tell your cousin to avoid those.
Some of those foods are: red meats, organ meats (liver, kidneys and heart) shellfish, nuts beer and red wine.

Gout is extremely painful, to the extreme of not being able to walk due to the pain.

PM if you need any more info, I've dealt with gout for a few yrs until I started dialysis 6yrs ago.

take care!!

[Rohini]

Re: kidney failure and gout

Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected (~50% of cases). Other joints, such as the heels, knees, wrists and fingers, may also be affected. It may also present as tophi (collections of uric acid crystals), kidney stones, or urate nephropathy.

It is caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood which crystallize and are deposited in joints, tendons, and surrounding tissues. Gout was historically known as "the disease of kings" or "rich man's disease".

Hyperuricemia is the underlying cause of gout. This can occur for a number of reasons, including diet, genetic predisposition, or under excretion of urate (the salts of uric acid).

[JustDee]

Re: kidney failure and gout

I was diagnosed with Gout 25 years ago when I was 35. At that time it seemed to be considered an Old Rich Man's disease and since I didn't fall into any part of that profile the Doctors at Kaiser repeatedly tested me (24 hour urine test) because they just couldn't believe a young poor woman could have this disease. During the years more and more research has been done and more and more women have have diagnosed with this nasty affliction. My uric acid is usually between 9 and 10....a very high number that they have trouble controlling. I have taken Allupuronal since the onset but they only recently decided to double my dosage, first time in years I'm at 6. The weird part of this is that even when my numbers were very high I didn't always have a flare up...now I'm at 6 and my knees are both hot and swollen. My Neph says my gout didn't cause my kidney problems but the gout meds may be the culprit. My son has had gout since he was 28, now 39, and his flare ups are worse and more frequent then mine, his kidneys are also starting to go bad. His Doc's say the gout is causing his kidney problems....don'tcha just love it when the Authorities don't all agree? The gout diet has change thru the years but alcohol, nuts, sweetbreads, and whole grains have always been No No's. Now with the restrictions of the kidney diet it's getting harder and harder to figure out what to eat each day.

[maggot123]

Re: kidney failure and gout

I was told in the early stages of kidney failure that I have a high level of uric acid in my blood but as I've never had an attack I was never given anything for it. Recently however my nephrologist has put me on 100mg of allopurinol at night. I still have never had an attack of gout thank goodness but he said studies have shown that it helps keep the transplant for longer in people prone to gout.

[grandmallie]

Re: kidney failure and gout

I am having awful bouts with gout I had surgery end of november, then had an outpatient surgery last friday but every couple of weeks now my gout flares, I work as a dental assistant and am on my feet alot, yes my diet isnt great but have been on allopurinol for about a yr 200.mg. with flares they give me prednisone and I really dont want that anymore because it doesnt seem to help.. my GFR is 37 stage 3 of PKD,my mom did hemo dyalisis(sp) for 5 yrs before she passed at the age of 65..
I will be calling my nephrologist today and see what she suggests, because this is getting downright annoying

[Marina]

Re: kidney failure and gout

Gout is super painful. When I had it for over 5weeks, I was seriously miserable. I had a different dr at that time. She gave me prednisone (which was awful on my sugars). She sent me to a podiatrist. He took X-rays, saw nothing. He then gave me a cortisone shot, BINGO, that reduced the swelling (steroid).
The pain was constant. He said "well we might have to do surgery."
Of course there was no diagnosis yet.

Luckily it was the end of the yr, I switched insurance and got a GREAT new PCP.
The second she saw my big toe she said "it's gout, but I'll order uric acid levels to make sure."
Sure enough uric acid levels were dangerously high.
She put me on allopurinol 100mg daily and for flareups colchicine 20mg.

Once I started dialysis and continued with my 100mg of allopurinol, gout went away.

[grandmallie]

Re: kidney failure and gout

Of course I didnt hear back from my nephrologist, which ticked me off,I used up the last of the prednesone, I really dont want more steriods, I dont want to take pain meds if I dont need to, goodness gracious I am not yet 52 and feel like I am falling apart..
I know I will never be 100% but I am sick and tired of being sick and tired, I want to feel healthy again and enjoy life

[Marina]

Re: kidney failure and gout

Ask about colchicine. Colchicine must be taken the instant you feel the slightest sign of a flareup.
Colchicine will NOT hurt the kidneys, it's cleared/removed by the liver.

[JustDee]

Re: kidney failure and gout

I would NEVER contradict Marina but my Neph and Primary Doc both told me to be very very careful when taking Colchicine. When it was prescribed for me I was told to take 2 pills every two hours for up to 6 hours. Now, with my kidney's looking sadder each day, they tell me to just take TWO per day. It appears I have given this lovely "gift" of crappy kidneys and gout to my son and granddaughter. My son has a terrible time trying to control his flare ups. He has severe Tophi Gout, with several visible "bumps" on his elbows and knees, even his ears have open bumps from the Uric Acid Crystals. My granddaughter just got her test results showing her uric acid level at 9.....it just breaks my heart. Of all the Wonderful traits my kids could have taken from me why or why did they have to chose my kidneys....makes me feel so sad and even a little guilty. I wonder if I knew then what I know now, "would I have had children knowing they could get this dreadful disease from me?"....

[medicalmom]

Re: Foot and leg pain

My 81 year old father-in-law has been on dialysis for more than two years and is complaining of moderate to severe pain in both feet and legs up to the knee. Is dialysis causing this? His wife rubs him down in AsperCreme but that is no longer offering any relief. We are looking for some help!

Can't say for certain, but it's a possibility that dialysis has its role in the feet and leg cramps. Happened to someone I know on dialysis just today after dialysis and they gave her some broth to drink and it went away immediately. Maybe having some protein ready for a snack after dialysis may help - ask the dr. and the technicians there, I am certain they will advise you.

[TacomaJeepJeff]

I have had gout issues for years. A way to purge uric acid is to drink a lot of organic cherry juice.
About a quote in 1 day or until the diarrhea starts. This flushed the uric acid and usually ends the gout flare up.

This has not caused any great increase in fluids or wet weight at the next dialysis session,
I believe much of the liquid goes out in the diarrhea .

Not a Dr, but it works for me.

[CBladen]

Good foods for some one with bad kidneys & a gout flare up

I have ckd. Have about 30 % kidney function. Not on dialysis yet. Also have gout. Have had it for several years. Have taken allopurinol for some time to keep uric acid down. I have not had a serious attack for sometime. Allopurinol seems to work fine and it is not a steroid. I think gout and kidney problems must be somehow connected. I have polycystic kidneys.

Hello- My Father is visiting me for a week. His kidneys are in fairly bad shape, he is a very bad diabetic & his gout has flared up. I'm trying to prepare meals that aren't going to have a negative affect on him - but everything I've read says that Potassium is what is needed to help a gout flare up; but on the other hand - for his kidney's he needs to cut down on the Potassium. I'm at a loss on what foods to prepare.....Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

[DevonTexas]

Is he taking anything for the gout? In my experience with gout, the medications helped and just about eliminated it. Above, in another post, this was written: "She put me on allopurinol 100mg daily and for flareups colchicine 20mg." That's the same that helped me.

Confer with his doc or with him about the meds. The diet then, should be for diabetes and kidney failure. This may make it a bot simpler.

Devon

[kcramer]

I have been on allopurinol for over 25 years to stop kidney stones because my uric acid (gout) goes to a level that the kidneys could stop functioning. Kidney stones are painful It was so bad that for many years I was on 500 mgs and 300 mgs and finally down to 100 mgs about 10 years ago.
That with polycystic kidneys was enough to make me aware that stones in my kidney's were dangerous. I have not had a stone in that many years and I have the uric acid under control. When I stop it the first few years , the level rises and I would get a call from the doctor asking me what natural supplement I was trying and told me it didn't work. So I would go back on it again. I just stay on 100 mg's of allopurinol daily and do very well knowing it is the only thing that works..

[sheila92851]

I have Stage 4 CKD with gout and have to take Colcrys twice a day to keep the gout at bay and take a steroid when I have flare ups. Came down with a type of flu which almost turned into pneumonia and I had to quit taking the gout medicine while they had me on antibiotics (some sort of reaction while taking the two medications)............of course the gout came back after approximately 5 days and it took almost 2 weeks to get it back to normal. Talk to your doctor about Colcrys because it does seem to help.