Treatments for Gout Arthritis

cindy — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:01:07 +0000

Like most illnesses, if you want the right treatment you will need a correct diagnosis. Appropriate treatment usually begins after a “clinical” diagnosis based on the symptoms and signs that are obvious through pain and other relevant factors, such as uric acid levels, age, weight, gender, diet, and alcohol use.

The way acute gout is treated with drugs that block inflammatory reactions. One way to treat acute gout is by colchicine. Colchinie comes from the autumn crocus, a common European plant and is marketed primarily in

Europe. One English clergyman by the name of Sidney Smith said about a century ago that all he needed to do to cure his gouty toe was to go to his garden and get this plant. The way Mr. Smith put it may be an exaggeration but colchicine does have a rapid effect.

Colchicine can be quite toxic which explains why this powerful remedy is now not used as much as it had been in the past. The side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps when it is taken orally and can be fatal if taken intravenously.

Another option that is less toxic than colchicine is nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Physicians usually first choose NSAID Indocin and Naprosyn to treat acute gout. Other drugs include steroid drugs, such as deltasone and Achthar because they may be used if NSAIDs don’t have any effects to treat an acute attack. Steroids may be taken orally or can be injected into the bloodstream or even the muscle.

The symptoms are usually relived with these drugs within 48 hours. Other treatments can be life long in order to aim prevention of further attacks by controlling the uric acid in the bloodstream. Keeping it low enough or below the concentrations where crystals can be formed. Two drug treatments may even be used at the same time.

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Treatments for Gout Arthritis