Earlier this week one fine morning, I woke up to painful, inflamed toe. It hurt me pretty bad, even the slight touch of soft blanket on it gave me a stinging pain. I knew, my gout attack is back with a bang after several years.
My first bout with Gout was during a trip to India. The first thought came to my mind, it is an insect bite which was causing lingering pain on my toe. I took painkillers which gave me some relief, but the pain stubbornly refused to relent. My father's friend, a doctor, upon seeing the syndromes suspected it as gout. The lab tests soon confirmed that.
His medicines reduced the pain, but it still persisted, with me walking with a perpetual limp like the legendary character SHAKUNI of B R Chopra's MAHABHARAT serial from my college days. Back to American soil, my doctor prescribed a medicine to reduce the pain and another to reduce the high level Uric acid, which is apparently the causes of gout. The medicine acts fast and swiftly reduces the pain, but gives severe diarrhea.
Less than a day after I started to take the medicine at my workplace, a sudden urge to relieve myself hurried me towards the Restroom (toilet). Before I could bang through the door, my boss appeared right in front of me, exchanging pleasantly, though my mood was hardly pleasant at the time.
Struggling to hold on to my bowel with a smiling face, I had to bear the imminent nature call with clenched teeth. Suddenly remembered Shakuni ridiculing Duryodhan - MURKH WOHI HAI JO RONE KI WAQT PAR HASTE HAIN (Fools are those who laugh at the time of crying). My smile was now slowly turning into a helpless grin. You should have seen my face. I forgot to take a selfie, it could have gone viral.
To my relief, my boss got a call on his cell and melted away, leaving me alone to attend my call. The journey of less than 10 feet from the restroom door to the stall seemed eternal. I tip toed as fast as I could, sat, shat and burst myself. Ahh..finally came out relieved of both bowel and gout pain, which was now gone with the wind.
My tryst with gout continued, as after years it showed at my toe step. Though it attacked the poor man in me, gout was known as Rich man's disease during medieval times. Akbar had gout - his Hakeems (doctors) struggled to treat him. The kings of England, including Henry VIII had multiple wives and bouts of gout.
Protein rich, high purine food are said to cause of high Uric acid, leading to gout. But I know someone, a strictly vegetarian and frugal foodie who also gets periodic gout attacks. Guess genetics plays a role.
The prescription medicines are good at providing instant relief, but would like to avoid them as they're not free from side effects. So soliciting suggestions - any naturopathy which can be recommended to prevent and treat gout. Prevention is always better than cure. Thanks for your patience in hearing my goutlandish story.