Hi Bill,
I had a pretty bad attack a week or so ago. My own fault - I ate a nice fat steak. I've been able to control my gout mostly by diet (very limited red meat, no rich foods, no beer or especially brandy). I was on Alopurinol as a preventative for awhile, but stopped taking that a few years ago. Most of my attacks these days are relatively mild - just my left foot. In the past, both feet would go off and I'd be crippled up for a week at a time. Still, even a mild attack can be extremely painful.
I use an indomethacin variant that I get in Mexico. A pharmacist there recommended it when I was having an attack. Brand name is Artridol, generic name is Ritradol. It is primarily indomethacina, but also contains an anti-inflammatory (metocarbanol) and a mild steriod (betametasona). Forget asking your US doctor about it; it is not sold in the United States.
I take it as you described, when I feel an attack coming on, then a heavy dose (3 capsules) when the attack occurs. It knocks an attack out completely within two days, rather than a week or more.
Seek out the generic version I mentioned above. The farmacias I checked in Rocky Point wanted $75 USD for the brand name. You can get the generic at Farmacia San Martin for about $25 USD. Comes in a bottle of 30 or 40 capsules, I believe. I always keep a couple bottles in my medicine cabinet, as I never know when an attack will occur.
Also, it should only be used when an attack is coming on or in progress. Do *not* take it on a daily basis as a preventative. Long term use can result in severe kidney pain. I take it when an attack starts and stop as soon as it is over, never more than four or five days in a row.
There's not a lot of info on the web about it, but you can find some information. It's also used for arthritis and joint pain. This stuff works and can be a real lifesaver when you need it, regardless of anything negative you might read about it. US doctors feel it's dangerous because it has a steroid in it. For arthritis and joint patients, the steroid can mask the pain and cause further injury (that's their logic, not mine). As for me, I'm going to continue taking it whenever I have a gout attack.
My "puppy" just turned 3 in April. She wants to be a lapdog, too. As well as a bedhog. But at 80 lbs. plus, she needs her own bed!
