Un-springy knees

My knees aren't too bad at the moment, but I'm having awful pain in my toes. The one next to my bunion mainly, and the pain shoots up my foot. I'm feeling realy worried about it, my main concern being that it might be rheumatoid arthritis. I guess I'll have to see my GP about it; I thought that rest and lots of voltarol rubbed on would help, but the pain kept me awake for a lot of last night. It all seemed to start when I tried wearing different boots instead of my usual trainers, so I did wonder if I'd just altered my gait and strained a few things.

Could it be gout? Have you drunk white wine, champagne and eaten mussels or shell fish over Christmas?

For info:

During menopause, which occurs at age 51 on average, a woman’s body drastically cuts its production of the hormone estrogen. Estrogen may help the kidneys excrete uric acid, so after menopause, a woman’s uric acid level begins to increase. It usually takes several years for the uric acid level to reach the point where crystals can form. By about age 60, the number of cases of gout in women and men are about equal; after age 80, more women than men have gout.

Your doctor can determine whether your body makes too much uric acid (an “overproducer”) or doesn’t excrete uric acid fast enough (an “underexcreter”) in diagnosing gout. Women who are overproducers can take allopurinol (Zyloprim) to decrease their bodies’ uric acid production. Underexcreters can take probenecid (Benemid, Probalan) to help their bodies eliminate uric acid.

In addition to medication, you can control how much uric acid your body produces by avoiding foods high in purines, which increase the uric acid level when digested and metabolized. Such off-limit foods include alcohol, bacon, haddock, liver, scallops, turkey, veal and venison. Go light on moderate-purine foods, such as asparagus, beef, chicken, ham, mushrooms and shellfish.

No, although I have been eating more than usual for several weeks. I am going to do an anti gout diet for a while, though to see if it helps. It isn't the excruciating pain of a gout attack.

I'm rather concerned about the thought of needing to take allopurinol because of the hair loss side effect [ Ihaven't got much to lose ].

tegan stop self diagnosing and fretting. You know it makes sense. If it's gout there is an easy treatment. if it's not there is no point going on an anti gout diet. Even if it is gout, diet might not work. Wot are you like?

I understand your concern, Tegan. I know what Jess says makes sense, but all medication can cause side-effects, and usually the ones you really don't want...

But at least I'll lose some weight ! [I am sitting here the top button on my jeans undone so I can breathe].

The internet and self-diagnosis and 3rd party internet 'expert' diagnosis is indeed a dangerous place. Gout was just a suggestion- as it often occurs post Christmas as most of us do over indulge a tad. Good luck.

An awful lot of the time our doctors used to look up stuff on the internet, download it and give it to the patients; I'm just cutting out the middleman . I was thinking of gout because a very dear friend of mine used to suffer from it and, when we went off anywhere for the day he'd be telling me to walka bit slower so he could keep up. In my ignorance at the time, I assumed he was or had been an alcoholic. As it was he was a vegetarian teetotaller but his poor feet were badly arthritic.

Tegan - stop stalling and get an appointment as soon as the surgery is open. Why are you trying to diagnose and treat it yourself when your GP has spent years studying the human body and the ills it is heir to, and you have spent years paying your taxes.

You don't have to reinvent the wheel. Let the professionals have a look! You could be surprised at how quickly they can fix it.

I realised ages ago that the best way to cure anything was to wait for ages then make an appointment; the making of the appointment usually cured whatever it was straight away. But recently I've realised that mentioning it on here tended to have the same result [and didn't mean having to get up early in the morning]. It's also going to be so wierd being on the other side of the counter; like when I worked at the Labour Exchange and was made redundant and then had to sign on at the same place. I also know which doctor will a]tell me to get more exercise b]send me for blood tests and a full body scan or c]just give me ibuprofen and I can't decide which one to ask for.

Jump off a stile? Oh, I wish!

(B****r - did it again. Thought I was at the bottom of page two and was still stuck on page one. A bit like the way my knees feel!)

Tegan (I've caught up now) isn't it wonderful the power of the appointment? It happens so often and makes you feel a right fraud. Do you have a bad back? If your pain is now easing it could well be something as simple as the new boots. I've had similar problems with hurting toes after wearing a new pair of hike trainers with different instep support.

tegan I'm sure that golden rule works for many self limiting illnesses. 100% success with colds and flu. But there are other notable conditions that don't improve with keeping e.g. breast cancer. melanoma, so please don't make that a strict rule.
But you do know that there are pills for gout that disperse the crystals in the joint. If they don't work, then you know its not gout. If they do, then you will know it next time and not convince yourself it is another form of joint inflammation.