If anyone tried to stick a needle into my foot during an attack, we would both regret that. Needle person first.
But in terms of diagnosis, IANAMD, but I think abnormal uric acid levels can be detected even if one doesn’t wait to be in excruciating pain before seeing the doc.
Yes, that’s correct. The blood can be tested for uric acid levels and it doesn’t have to be taken during an attack or at the attack site.
My first gout attack occurred back in the mid-90s, while I was working on a drilling rig off the Angola coast. Was sent back to Paris for diagnosis and treatment; took half a week to get there. That was miserable.
Controlled it with Allopurinol for several years, then just with diet for several more; had another flareup around 2014 or so, so went back on Allopurinol until last October, when an increase in dosage specified by my doctor nearly shut down my liver. So now back to controlling it with diet again, and as others have mentioned, drinking lots of water. So far so good.
Yep!:eek:
First time I got it I thought I busted my toe shoveling snow. Forget waterboarding, they could get a terrorist to talk by injecting uric acid crystals into their joints. A full blown flare is indescribably painful. Like passing a kidney stones through your foot!
Allopurinol prevents gout, it doesn’t stop an attack in progress. I take the pill every day. I don’t have any side effects with it. And I haven’t changed my diet a bit! I drink lots of beer, eat smelt, sardines, turkey, beans, etc… All the foods with purines in them that contribute to gout. Haven’t had a flare in 10 years.
I had a coworker who lost the tip of a finger to a slammed car door.
The pain of his gout was worse.
I’ve have gout a few times, thankfully not for several years. It really sucks. How can one toe hurt so much?
I can also recommend a collapsed lung for a good time.
My Daddy had shingles one time. And gout one time. He said the gout hurt worse.
I have described the pain of gout as the worst toothache you can imagine, but in the joint of your big toe.
I had horrible pain in my right foot, in my big toe joint. I went to the doctor and had a blood test; lo and behold, he said it wasn’t gout. Some type of arthritis, he said. So, when it bothers me, I take some Ibuprofen.
My sympathy for your pain, I’ve never suffered gout, and am content with my arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome … but my god!!!1!1!! You did WHAT with that poor innocent braunschweiger??? 
Don’t trust my daughter to bring you your mail. My feet have been killing me since January, but I lack insurance or medicaid (medicare comes in june) so I’ve been putting off seeing my doc until I got a way to pay. The past week or two the pain has been keeping me awake so I finally said, “Fuck this noise” and made an appointment for tomorrow. I still didn’t have a card so I worried that I didn’t qualify.
Today I asked daughter to look real hard for ANY mail addressed to me and lo and behold it was right on top. I looked it over and remarked that it was nice to have it, but it would’ve been much nicer if she gave it to me in November, when they sent it.
<banging my head on the wall>
Don’t bang your head too hard. You may have another reason see the doc. 
I’m so glad to hear you’re going in tomarrow. Good luck.