Diagnosis suggestion

LesE

Hello

Im just wondering if there is a place on this community forum that would help me identify what I am suffering from.

I have had foot pain for many years but it getting worse all the time.

My pain can be excruciating when it wakes me about 4am, or it can be mild pain. It is sometimes classic gout with reddening, heat and inflammation. But it can also be none visible. It can be in the toe, the base of the foot, the side of the foot, the left foot, the lightfoot or both or like today, both ankles.

Some years ago my GP sent me to to an orthotic specialist who said it was my gait and prescribed shoe inserts (that didn't work), then the GP sent my for physio but when I explained the symptoms the physio said it wasn't anything he would/could help with.

About 5 years ago, my mum was diagnosed with gout and when she described the symptoms there were some real similarities to some of the flare up I got. So I just told my GP i thought I had gout and he prescribed colchicine which was amazing and solved the problem.

I now get flare ups (if that is what they are called) regularly, I get colchicine tablets and sometimes it helps but a lot of the time when there are no classic gout symptoms, they don't help at all.

I have not had any real help from the GP as when I give my symptoms and ask for an appointment I generally see a practise nurse who just prescribes the colchicine.

I asked for a blood test two months to see if it might actually be gout or something else and my uric acid levels have come back high. I managed to speak with him on this occasion and described my foot pains, he has said it sounds like I get gout occasionally and the rest is probably inflammatory arthritis for which there is no treatment other than NSAID's

He prescribed Febuxostat to lower the uric acid but after 2 months of these, I am still getting the random pains around my feet. This morning I had to crawl to the bathroom as the pain in my ankles prevented me from putting any pressure on my feet at all.

Im sorry for this lengthy message, but I am just hoping someone may have had similar symptoms and had a GP who's interested enough to diagnose them properly.

Thanks for reading

Les

Louisa77

Hi @LesE

Welcome to our online community, really pleased you have reached out to get some support. From what you have mentioned it sounds like you are having a tricky time.

Although you say you haven't had an official diagnosis of Gout you are on meds to support that condition, however it sounds like they are not having the affect you would hope. I am providing some info we have on the condition and treatments as there are some other options of meds you may wish to discuss with your GP. I have also included the diet factsheet from UK Gout Society, as we find people with this condition may need to explore the foods they are eating alongside the meds.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/gout/

https://www.ukgoutsociety.org/docs/goutsociety-allaboutgoutanddiet-0113.pdf

You will find lots of other discussions on here about Gout, if you search for those from the front screen. Hopefully others with the condition will provide their personal thoughts and ideas.

Please keep posting and let us know how you get on

Best wishes

Natalie

Helpline Advisor

LesE

thanks Natalie