Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsRecognize the SignsHome RemediesPrescription DrugsSpecialist ProceduresAlternative TherapiesGout Prevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Recognize the Signs
Home Remedies
Prescription Drugs
Specialist Procedures
Alternative Therapies
Gout Prevention
Gout flare-ups can develop quickly, causing severe joint pain lasting anywhere from several days to a week or longer. When symptoms strike, there are things you can do to obtain rapid gout pain relief, including home remedies like ice packs and over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications like Advil.
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Recognize the Signs of an Attack
According to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), the treatment of a gout flare-up should start within 24 hours of the first signs of an attack.Early treatment may not only reduce the severity of symptoms but also the duration of an attack.
Gout, also known as gouty arthritis, occurs whenuric acid crystalsaccumulate in joints of the body, most commonly the big toe. Other common sites of accumulation include the elbow, knee, wrist, ankle, and instep of the foot. Gout rarely affects more than one joint at a time.
These include:
Oftentimes, there will be no warning signs, and symptoms will develop abruptly in the middle of the night, awakening you from sleep.
At-Home Treatment
OTC Painkillers
By reducing prostaglandin levels, gout pain and inflammation can be quickly eased.
NSAIDs commonly used for the treatment of gout include:
Aspirin (salicylic acid) is not used to treat gout because it can cause the retention of uric acid in the kidneys, increasing the risk ofkidney stones.
Ice Application
You can ice the affected joint for 15 to 20 minutes, placing a cloth barrier between the skin and the ice pack to avoid frostbite. You can do this several times a day until acute symptoms start to ease.
Rest
Gout gets worse with movement, particularly when the big toe is involved. The direct pressure and rush of blood to the foot can make walking unbearable and increase tenderness to a point where even the weight of a bedsheet causes pain.
Until the acute symptoms pass, it is best to stay off your feet. By elevating the affected joint above heart level, you can help reduce the throbbing pain, swelling, and redness.
If your big toe is affected and you need to move around, get a set of crutches from a local medical supplies store. Many offer short-term rental and free home delivery.
Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking plenty of water can help dilute uric acid concentration in your blood and flush excess uric acid in your urine. It may also help prevent complications like kidney stones and hardened joint crystals calledtophi.
Experts recommend drinking up to 16 cups (4 liters) of fluid daily, at least half of which should be plain water. Avoid alcohol, especially beer, which can contain compounds calledpurinesthat increase the risk of gout.
As with home remedies, the medical treatment of gout is aimed at rapid pain relief and the rapid reduction of uric acid levels in the blood.
Depending on the severity or frequency of attacks, the duration of treatment may last for as long as seven to 10 days or even more. Undertreating gout can lead to a rebound of symptoms, in some cases worse than the original attack.
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
There are several prescription drugs commonly used for this:
Uric Acid-Lowering Therapy (ULT)
Uric acid-lowering therapy—also known as urate-lowering therapy or ULT—involves medications that either block uric acid production or increase the excretion of uric acid from the body.
ULT is typically reserved for people with gout who have tophi, kidney stones, organ or tissue damage, or two or more gout attacks per year.
There are four prescription drugs commonly used for this:
In some cases, acute gout pain and inflammation can be treated with an intra-articular (joint) injection ofcortisone. Cortisone is the synthetic version of the stress hormonecortisolwhich quickly dampens the immune system to relieve inflammation.
The shot, delivered into a joint space, can effectively suppress pain for several months. Cortisone injections are generally reserved for people with recurrent, severe gout attacks or those who experience gout in multiple joints at the same time.
Complementary and Alternative Therapies
Although the evidence supporting their use is lacking, there are severalnatural remediesthat people commonly turn to for the treatment or prevention of gout.
Preventing Gout Recurrence
Once you’ve finally reined in acute gout symptoms, your next goal is to keep gout from coming back. This can be done with lifestyle changes, medications, or a combination of both.
Lifestyle Changes
Healthy lifestyle choices correspond to longer remission rates in people with gout. The three primary goals include:
Medications
In people with a history of gout recurrence,prophylactic(preventive) medications may be prescribed to reduce gout production and/or increase gout excretion.
These involve many of the same ULT drugs used during acute episodes that are taken at a lower daily dose to avoid toxicity and side effects:
Summary
If you are experiencing an acute gout flare-up, there are things you can do to alleviate the pain. These include at-home treatments like rest, ice application, OTC painkillers, and drinking plenty of fluid. Prescription drug options include corticosteroids, Colcry (colchicine), Zyloprim (allopurinol), and Probalan (probenecid).
Certain cases may benefit from local cortisone injections. There are even supplements that some people believe can prevent or treat acute gout pain.
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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