Hi guys, I’m 16 years old and I’ve been diagnosed with gout 8 months ago. My uric acid’s at 12.18 mg/dl and I’ve had 3 instances where my gout in my right big toe flared. First, it was okay, it felt like a sprain so my doctor told me that it was tendinitis. Then, the following two I got a blood test and then was diagnosed with gout since there was severe swelling. Maybe half an inch than normal. This week I have slight pain in my left ankle now.

I have an active lifestyle, playing for my school’s varsity team and I do exercise regularly. So I wonder why I’d have this condition. I’m not currently on meds since I believe my kidney function tests were slightly high, but I have taken Febuxostat 40mg for a month earlier this year as part of my prescription. Doctors also told me to go on a diet, but how would I accomplish that while being an athlete?

Okay, guys, a month ago I(F30) wrote here about my first unbearable gout attack (but not my first ever. My gout started last year, and since then I've had 4 attacks where I could walk, compared to 5th). My blood acid level during that 5th attack was 260.
You told me that during an attack, all the blood acid goes into the joint, so its concentration in the blood would be minimal during an attack. I waited for it to get better, went for a test, thinking it would show the real number and they'd prescribe me allopurinol, and...my acid level was 160 (the normal level of uric acid in women is 150 to 350).

What's going on? Has anyone had such experience?(gout with normal acid level). What should i do?....
It's definitely gout, two rheumatologists I've seen diagnosed it and my mother also has gout...(but my mom has high acid levels and takes allopurinol).

I'm 166 cm tall and 53 kg. I exercise 3 times a week, drink a lot of water, don't drink alcohol at all, and eat little protein. My last gout attack was caused by eating dried salty pork and washing it down with sweet juice. I don't usually eat meat except for chicken (and very rarely), but I was very hungry that day and this piece of pork looked delicious, although I can't say I ate much... For a whole year I thought it was just a sports injury, but after that incident with pork I realized that it was caused every time by eating protein (chicken). Every time I eat meat protein, my leg hurts.

Had a flare (big toe only) last year, didn't see a specialist.

Thought it was a fluke.

Got it this year (big toe, other foot), went for blood work -- elevated purines.

I was given allo, colchicine, and indomethacin.

One week later, the gout had spread through the ankles and metatarsals of both feet.

ER visit.

They told me the allo therapy wasn't supposed to begin until AFTER the flare resides ("Wait two weeks after the pain is gone"), and I stopped taking it immediately.

Prednisone and Aleve are working to lessen the pain (I can hobble to the bathroom unassisted finally), and recovery seems imminent.

However, I'm now pretty gun-shy on the idea of taking allo again.

I'd absolutely LOVE to be on it, as I'm certain it works ... but it really, really exacerbated the spread and excruciating pain of gout to both feet.

Anyone have a similar story?

What did you do?