Started having severe gout attacks in 2004. Doctors are particularly unaware about gout. Despite having extremely painful and long attacks (during one attack, spent more than a month in bed unable to walk), all the doctors I saw had no idea despite endless tests. Finally based on my own research I suggested gout and they were like "oh yes, I suppose it could be that".
Once diagnosed, doctors are quick to get you on daily drugs for the rest of your life. While these help, there's a price to be paid in liver damage from chronic medication.
I spent the next ~8 years bouncing from attack to attack despite the drugs, sometimes every few weeks, sometimes months would go by. Finally around 2012 I stumbled on the work of Robert Lustig (UCSF medicine professor) and particularly this talk (not about gout, but touches on it):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
Fructose is processed by the body into: uric acid. Finally light bulb moment! I hardly ate any of the things traditionally associated with gout (red meat, shellfish) so couldn't modify my diet based on those. But fructose? Yes, turns out I was consuming way too much.
I drastically cut back on fructose, limiting myself to no more than 10g/day. I have been gout-free now for 7 years. I don't take any gout drugs anymore. Just avoid fructose at all cost.
Once diagnosed, doctors are quick to get you on daily drugs for the rest of your life. While these help, there's a price to be paid in liver damage from chronic medication.
I spent the next ~8 years bouncing from attack to attack despite the drugs, sometimes every few weeks, sometimes months would go by. Finally around 2012 I stumbled on the work of Robert Lustig (UCSF medicine professor) and particularly this talk (not about gout, but touches on it):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
Fructose is processed by the body into: uric acid. Finally light bulb moment! I hardly ate any of the things traditionally associated with gout (red meat, shellfish) so couldn't modify my diet based on those. But fructose? Yes, turns out I was consuming way too much.
I drastically cut back on fructose, limiting myself to no more than 10g/day. I have been gout-free now for 7 years. I don't take any gout drugs anymore. Just avoid fructose at all cost.