Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsGout Flare-UpsTreatmentManaging SymptomsWhat to ExpectFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Gout Flare-Ups
Treatment
Managing Symptoms
What to Expect
Frequently Asked Questions
Gout affects over 8 million people in the United States.Many manage their pain with a combination ofover-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory medicationand lifestyle modifications, including weight loss, regular exercise, and avoiding food triggers.
Although gout is a chronic condition with no cure, treatment can help manage the disease.This article will discuss what to expect when you have gout, including flare-ups, treatment, and managing symptoms.
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A typical gout flare, or flare-up, comes without notice, causing significant joint pain and disability. Triggers include shellfish, red meat, alcohol, and high fructose corn syrup (which is in sugary soda).
The buildup of uric crystals in the joint space causes intense pain—usually in one joint, but two or more joints may be affected. The big toe is the most commonly affected joint, although other lower extremity joints like your ankle and knee may be affected.
The pain of gout flares may be so severe that they wake you up in the middle of the night. Gout symptoms include:
Gout flares can last days or weeks. Your symptoms may resolve on their own without treatment. But treatment leads to quicker resolution of symptoms and less permanent destruction of the tissues in the joint space.
How to Stop Gout Pain at Night and Sleep Better
Gout Treatment
Treatment for gout flares includes medications to relieve pain and shorten the flare duration.
Colchicine
Colcrys (colchicine)is one of the primary medications used to treat acute gout flares and prevent future flares from occurring. It is an especially important option for those who cannot take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or standard OTC anti-inflammatory medication.
Nonsteroidal Anti‐Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
Talk to your healthcare provider before starting OTC NSAIDs to determine if they are appropriate for you, the correct dosages, and potential side effects. Once your symptoms go away, you should stop these medications.
Corticosteroids
Of note, if you experience frequent gout flares, NSAIDs and colchicine may be better options to limit steroid-associated toxicity, which can include elevated blood sugar and blood pressure, increased appetite and weight gain, mood changes/anxiety, insomnia, and decreased bone mineral density.
Corticosteroids may also be injected directly into the affected joint to relieve inflammation and pain.
Kineret (Anakinra)
Most side effects are mild and go away on their own. Potential side effects include:
Diet and lifestyle are important for preventing flares and managing symptoms of gout.
Diet
Changes in your diet may help prevent gout flares. Knowing which foods are gout-friendly and which ones to avoid can help reduce the risk of an acute flare. Foods that can help treat your gout include:
Food and drinks that can trigger a gout flare include:
What Foods Should You Avoid With Gout?
Lifestyle
Drinking plenty of water and losing excess weight are two ways that you can lower uric acid levels in the body naturally.If you have excess weight, a weight loss program centered around regular exercise and a diet high in leafy fruits and vegetables may limit the frequency of your gout flares and the severity of your symptoms when they occur.
Gout-Friendly Eating PlansGout-friendly meal plans include:A plant-based (vegetarian) dietTheDASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet
Gout-Friendly Eating Plans
Gout-friendly meal plans include:A plant-based (vegetarian) dietTheDASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet
Gout-friendly meal plans include:
A gout flare can be extremely painful, and over time more than one joint may be affected at the same time, impairing your quality of life. Early treatment is key to the rapid resolution of your symptoms, although it may take a few days or a week for your symptoms to go completely away.
Ultimately, the frequency of your gout flares will depend on your lifestyle. If you identify certain foods as triggers, you may want to limit your intake or avoid them entirely.
Drinking plenty of water and exercising also help promote an anti-inflammatory state in the body, staving off a buildup of uric acid crystals.
If someone has frequent gout flares (more than two per year) or has other associated conditions (such as chronic kidney disease, kidney stones, etc.), a daily medication to reduce serum uric acid and prevent flares is recommended, usually Aloprim (allopurinol) or Uloric (febuxostat).
Summary
Acute gout flares typically last for one to two weeks, but your symptoms may resolve more quickly with recommended first-line treatments—colchicine, NSAIDs, and glucocorticoids. In Europe, a new medication, Kineret (anakinra), has proven to be an equally effective treatment for acute gout.
A Word From Verywell
Gout is an inflammatory form of arthritis that can usually be well managed with diet modifications and medication. Staying hydrated, maintaining a healthy weight, and making small changes to your diet can reduce your risk of an acute flare and shorten the duration of flare symptoms.
If you have more than one gout flare, consult a healthcare professional to determine which medication treatment is right for you.
Frequently Asked QuestionsSymptoms of a gout flare come on suddenly and are worst in the first 24 to 48 hours. Symptoms can linger for up to two weeks without treatment.A flare usually resolves within a matter of days with standard treatment.Learn MoreHow to Treat a Gout Flare-UpA gout attack can last from five to 14 days without treatment, although the duration of your symptoms is different for each person and depends on your overall health status.There are many conditions that can mimic gout including other forms of arthritis,pseudogout,stress fracture, and skin infection.Learn MoreGout vs. Pseudogout
Symptoms of a gout flare come on suddenly and are worst in the first 24 to 48 hours. Symptoms can linger for up to two weeks without treatment.A flare usually resolves within a matter of days with standard treatment.Learn MoreHow to Treat a Gout Flare-Up
Symptoms of a gout flare come on suddenly and are worst in the first 24 to 48 hours. Symptoms can linger for up to two weeks without treatment.A flare usually resolves within a matter of days with standard treatment.
Learn MoreHow to Treat a Gout Flare-Up
A gout attack can last from five to 14 days without treatment, although the duration of your symptoms is different for each person and depends on your overall health status.
There are many conditions that can mimic gout including other forms of arthritis,pseudogout,stress fracture, and skin infection.Learn MoreGout vs. Pseudogout
There are many conditions that can mimic gout including other forms of arthritis,pseudogout,stress fracture, and skin infection.
Learn MoreGout vs. Pseudogout
16 SourcesVerywell 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.Singh JA.The impact of gout on patient’s lives: a study of African-American and Caucasian men and women with gout.Arthritis Res Ther. 2014;16(3):R132. doi:10.1186/ar4589Singh G, Lingala B, Mithal A.Gout and hyperuricaemia in the USA: prevalence and trends.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2019;58(12):2177-2180. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kez196Engel B, Just J, Bleckwenn M, Weckbecker K.Treatment options for gout.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017;114(13):215-222. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0215UpToDate.Treatment of gout flares.Coburn BW, Mikuls TR.Treatment options for acute gout.Fed Pract. 2016;33(1):35-40.Janssen CA, Oude Voshaar MAH, Vonkeman HE, et al.Anakinra for the treatment of acute gout flares: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, active-comparator, non-inferiority trial.Rheumatology. 2019;58(8):1344-1352. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/key402Kineret RX.Kineret (anakinra)Chen PE, Liu CY, Chien WH, Chien CW, Tung TH.Effectiveness of cherries in reducing uric acid and gout: a systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:9896757. doi:10.1155/2019/9896757Towiwat P, Li ZG.The association of vitamin C, alcohol, coffee, tea, milk and yogurt with uric acid and gout.Int J Rheum Dis. 2015;18(5):495-501. doi:10.1111/1756-185X.12622Kakutani-Hatayama M, Kadoya M, Okazaki H, et al.Nonpharmacological management of gout and hyperuricemia: hints for better lifestyle.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2015;11(4):321-329. doi:10.1177/1559827615601973Ebrahimpour-Koujan S, Saneei P, Larijani B, Esmaillzadeh A.Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and dietary fructose in relation to risk of gout and hyperuricemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2020;60(1):1-10. doi:10.1080/10408398.2018.1503155Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.Treatment of gout.University of San Diego Health.Eating to avoid gout.Arthritis Foundation.How fat affects gout.Chiu THT, Liu CH, Chang CC, Lin MN, Lin CL.Vegetarian diet and risk of gout in two separate prospective cohort studies.Clin Nutr. 2020;39(3):837-844. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2019.03.016Rai SK, Fung TT, Lu N, Keller SF, Curhan GC, Choi HK.The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Western diet, and risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study.BMJ. 2017;357:j1794. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1794
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.Singh JA.The impact of gout on patient’s lives: a study of African-American and Caucasian men and women with gout.Arthritis Res Ther. 2014;16(3):R132. doi:10.1186/ar4589Singh G, Lingala B, Mithal A.Gout and hyperuricaemia in the USA: prevalence and trends.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2019;58(12):2177-2180. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kez196Engel B, Just J, Bleckwenn M, Weckbecker K.Treatment options for gout.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017;114(13):215-222. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0215UpToDate.Treatment of gout flares.Coburn BW, Mikuls TR.Treatment options for acute gout.Fed Pract. 2016;33(1):35-40.Janssen CA, Oude Voshaar MAH, Vonkeman HE, et al.Anakinra for the treatment of acute gout flares: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, active-comparator, non-inferiority trial.Rheumatology. 2019;58(8):1344-1352. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/key402Kineret RX.Kineret (anakinra)Chen PE, Liu CY, Chien WH, Chien CW, Tung TH.Effectiveness of cherries in reducing uric acid and gout: a systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:9896757. doi:10.1155/2019/9896757Towiwat P, Li ZG.The association of vitamin C, alcohol, coffee, tea, milk and yogurt with uric acid and gout.Int J Rheum Dis. 2015;18(5):495-501. doi:10.1111/1756-185X.12622Kakutani-Hatayama M, Kadoya M, Okazaki H, et al.Nonpharmacological management of gout and hyperuricemia: hints for better lifestyle.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2015;11(4):321-329. doi:10.1177/1559827615601973Ebrahimpour-Koujan S, Saneei P, Larijani B, Esmaillzadeh A.Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and dietary fructose in relation to risk of gout and hyperuricemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2020;60(1):1-10. doi:10.1080/10408398.2018.1503155Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.Treatment of gout.University of San Diego Health.Eating to avoid gout.Arthritis Foundation.How fat affects gout.Chiu THT, Liu CH, Chang CC, Lin MN, Lin CL.Vegetarian diet and risk of gout in two separate prospective cohort studies.Clin Nutr. 2020;39(3):837-844. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2019.03.016Rai SK, Fung TT, Lu N, Keller SF, Curhan GC, Choi HK.The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Western diet, and risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study.BMJ. 2017;357:j1794. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1794
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.
Singh JA.The impact of gout on patient’s lives: a study of African-American and Caucasian men and women with gout.Arthritis Res Ther. 2014;16(3):R132. doi:10.1186/ar4589Singh G, Lingala B, Mithal A.Gout and hyperuricaemia in the USA: prevalence and trends.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2019;58(12):2177-2180. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kez196Engel B, Just J, Bleckwenn M, Weckbecker K.Treatment options for gout.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017;114(13):215-222. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0215UpToDate.Treatment of gout flares.Coburn BW, Mikuls TR.Treatment options for acute gout.Fed Pract. 2016;33(1):35-40.Janssen CA, Oude Voshaar MAH, Vonkeman HE, et al.Anakinra for the treatment of acute gout flares: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, active-comparator, non-inferiority trial.Rheumatology. 2019;58(8):1344-1352. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/key402Kineret RX.Kineret (anakinra)Chen PE, Liu CY, Chien WH, Chien CW, Tung TH.Effectiveness of cherries in reducing uric acid and gout: a systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:9896757. doi:10.1155/2019/9896757Towiwat P, Li ZG.The association of vitamin C, alcohol, coffee, tea, milk and yogurt with uric acid and gout.Int J Rheum Dis. 2015;18(5):495-501. doi:10.1111/1756-185X.12622Kakutani-Hatayama M, Kadoya M, Okazaki H, et al.Nonpharmacological management of gout and hyperuricemia: hints for better lifestyle.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2015;11(4):321-329. doi:10.1177/1559827615601973Ebrahimpour-Koujan S, Saneei P, Larijani B, Esmaillzadeh A.Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and dietary fructose in relation to risk of gout and hyperuricemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2020;60(1):1-10. doi:10.1080/10408398.2018.1503155Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.Treatment of gout.University of San Diego Health.Eating to avoid gout.Arthritis Foundation.How fat affects gout.Chiu THT, Liu CH, Chang CC, Lin MN, Lin CL.Vegetarian diet and risk of gout in two separate prospective cohort studies.Clin Nutr. 2020;39(3):837-844. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2019.03.016Rai SK, Fung TT, Lu N, Keller SF, Curhan GC, Choi HK.The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Western diet, and risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study.BMJ. 2017;357:j1794. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1794
Singh JA.The impact of gout on patient’s lives: a study of African-American and Caucasian men and women with gout.Arthritis Res Ther. 2014;16(3):R132. doi:10.1186/ar4589
Singh G, Lingala B, Mithal A.Gout and hyperuricaemia in the USA: prevalence and trends.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2019;58(12):2177-2180. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kez196
Engel B, Just J, Bleckwenn M, Weckbecker K.Treatment options for gout.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017;114(13):215-222. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0215
UpToDate.Treatment of gout flares.
Coburn BW, Mikuls TR.Treatment options for acute gout.Fed Pract. 2016;33(1):35-40.
Janssen CA, Oude Voshaar MAH, Vonkeman HE, et al.Anakinra for the treatment of acute gout flares: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, active-comparator, non-inferiority trial.Rheumatology. 2019;58(8):1344-1352. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/key402
Kineret RX.Kineret (anakinra)
Chen PE, Liu CY, Chien WH, Chien CW, Tung TH.Effectiveness of cherries in reducing uric acid and gout: a systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019;2019:9896757. doi:10.1155/2019/9896757
Towiwat P, Li ZG.The association of vitamin C, alcohol, coffee, tea, milk and yogurt with uric acid and gout.Int J Rheum Dis. 2015;18(5):495-501. doi:10.1111/1756-185X.12622
Kakutani-Hatayama M, Kadoya M, Okazaki H, et al.Nonpharmacological management of gout and hyperuricemia: hints for better lifestyle.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2015;11(4):321-329. doi:10.1177/1559827615601973
Ebrahimpour-Koujan S, Saneei P, Larijani B, Esmaillzadeh A.Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and dietary fructose in relation to risk of gout and hyperuricemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2020;60(1):1-10. doi:10.1080/10408398.2018.1503155
Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.Treatment of gout.
University of San Diego Health.Eating to avoid gout.
Arthritis Foundation.How fat affects gout.
Chiu THT, Liu CH, Chang CC, Lin MN, Lin CL.Vegetarian diet and risk of gout in two separate prospective cohort studies.Clin Nutr. 2020;39(3):837-844. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2019.03.016
Rai SK, Fung TT, Lu N, Keller SF, Curhan GC, Choi HK.The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, Western diet, and risk of gout in men: prospective cohort study.BMJ. 2017;357:j1794. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1794
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