# Gout epidemic



## SpikeC (Aug 21, 2011)

What is up with the barrage of commercials touting gout remedies?
Is this something that we should be worried about? How many out there have been visited by this scourge?:sad0:


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## Eamon Burke (Aug 21, 2011)

Usually a barrage of a certain med has to do with some change involving how it is allowed to be advertised, a change in the hands of who owns the drug, or a sign of distress for a specialized section of an otherwise properous company.

Usually, ads come first, then the epidemic.


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## SpikeC (Aug 21, 2011)

And right now there is a shortage of very necessary but not very profitable drugs.


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## Vertigo (Aug 21, 2011)

johndoughy said:


> Usually a barrage of a certain med has to do with some change involving how it is allowed to be advertised, a change in the hands of who owns the drug, or a sign of distress for a specialized section of an otherwise properous company.
> 
> Usually, ads come first, then the epidemic.


 
Well said.


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## JohnnyChance (Aug 21, 2011)

One of my former "chefs" (a total hack and fatass) has gout.


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## Andrew H (Aug 21, 2011)

SpikeC said:


> And right now there is a shortage of very necessary but not very profitable drugs.


+1


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## Delbert Ealy (Aug 21, 2011)

I really loath the advertising of prescription drugs(and otc weight-loss ones too), but I have started listening to the side effects, and I am a relatively healthy person, but some of these side effects sound worse than the condition they are supposed to treat. I get a kind of perverse satisfaction of listening to the side effects now. 
Del


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## JohnnyChance (Aug 21, 2011)

Delbert Ealy said:


> I really loath the advertising of prescription drugs(and otc weight-loss ones too), but I have started listening to the side effects, and I am a relatively healthy person, but some of these side effects sound worse than the condition they are supposed to treat. I get a kind of perverse satisfaction of listening to the side effects now.
> Del


 
Exactly. Shouldnt your doctor be telling you what you need? Advertising just adds to the already ridiculous cost of medicine. The whole system is broken and corrupt.


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## Ichi (Aug 22, 2011)

The lunch lady said "I wear these brown orthopedic shoes 'Cause I got a bad case of the gout" :running:


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## mr drinky (Aug 22, 2011)

JohnnyChance said:


> Exactly. Shouldnt your doctor be telling you what you need? Advertising just adds to the already ridiculous cost of medicine. The whole system is broken and corrupt.



Part of these ads are to help get regular people to ask their doctor about drugs. This way drug reps and patients can both waste your doctor's time. The commercials essentially create millions of mildly to poorly informed drug reps canvasing the hospitals and clinics. The FDA relaxed the rules for listing every side effect in 1997 and then when the Bush Administration came and decided not to enforce the rules, the flood gates opened. Now the FDA under Obama is enforcing rules more, so commercials are having to list side effects or be taken off the air as 'misleading'. Nothing like regulatory politics streaming into your home.

I also hate how the commercials are louder, so you have to reach for the remote to turn it down. Apparently, advertisers can advertise at volumes up to the loudest part of the accompanying show, so if there is a loud gun battle during a show, you then get a gun-shot-worthy loud commercial about gout too. Great.

Btw, the only other country that allows drug advertising is New Zealand (and all the bleed over TV broadcasts in to Canada).

k.


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## Mike Davis (Aug 22, 2011)

I love the commercials for stupid stuff like girl part pains....This little pill will treat the symptoms of your discomfort, but the side effects could be Diarrhea, nausea, upset stomach, nose bleeds, rectal leakage, poorly painted fingernails,yeast infections, multiple personality syndrome, excessive sweating, having sex with ugly people, hair loss, heart attack and possibly death.

Really?....How stupid is society now? I remember this stuff called...tylenol


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## ecchef (Aug 22, 2011)

Mike Davis said:


> Really?....How stupid is society now?


 
Is that a rhetorical question?


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## Delbert Ealy (Aug 22, 2011)

Mike Davis said:


> I love the commercials for stupid stuff like girl part pains....This little pill will treat the symptoms of your discomfort, but the side effects could be Diarrhea, nausea, upset stomach, nose bleeds, rectal leakage, poorly painted fingernails,yeast infections, multiple personality syndrome, excessive sweating, having sex with ugly people, hair loss, heart attack and possibly death.
> 
> Really?....How stupid is society now? I remember this stuff called...tylenol




Hey regular midol is good for toothaches, not that I have to worry about that now.
Del


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## Crothcipt (Mar 6, 2012)

A few years back I was attacked by my genes by what is called gout. there has been a increase of it showing up in the last 10 years. Until then the industry has looked the other way, and has done nothing for it. Worse case scenario your kidneys shutdown and you die. Most drugs that are out there is not really helpful. It is thought that diet plays a big portion of the problem. It is a very weird one to have. No yeast, no beef, pork, some fish is a no no too. Not supposed to eat asparagus, spinach. There is more misinformation about this disease than any other one I have read about.


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## sachem allison (Mar 6, 2012)

lay off fatty foods and organ meats . i do believe it is a build up of uric acid in the joints.


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## Deckhand (Mar 6, 2012)

Crothcipt said:


> A few years back I was attacked by my genes by what is called gout. there has been a increase of it showing up in the last 10 years. Until then the industry has looked the other way, and has done nothing for it. Worse case scenario your kidneys shutdown and you die. Most drugs that are out there is not really helpful. It is thought that diet plays a big portion of the problem. It is a very weird one to have. No yeast, no beef, pork, some fish is a no no too. Not supposed to eat asparagus, spinach. There is more misinformation about this disease than any other one I have read about.



Used to give out allopurinol and advice on diet modification. Just for amusement looked up when it was started on the market. Allopurinol started on the market August 19,1966.


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## littleroundman (Mar 6, 2012)

Facts is facts



Crothcipt said:


> A few years back I was attacked by my genes by what is called gout. there has been a increase of it showing up in the last 10 years. Until then the industry has looked the other way, and has done nothing for it. Worse case scenario your kidneys shutdown and you die. Most drugs that are out there is not really helpful. It is thought that diet plays a big portion of the problem. It is a very weird one to have. No yeast, no beef, pork, some fish is a no no too. Not supposed to eat asparagus, spinach. There is more misinformation about this disease than any other one I have read about.





Wikipedia said:


> Gout has increased in frequency in recent decades affecting approximately one to two percent of the Western population at some point in their lives. The increase is believed to be due to increasing risk factors in the population, such as metabolic syndrome, longer life expectancy and changes in diet.





> Genetics (our inherited genes), gender, and nutrition (alcoholism, obesity) play key roles in the development of gout. Gout is not contagious.
> 
> If your parents have gout, then you have a 20% chance of developing it.
> 
> ...



http://www.emedicinehealth.com/gout/page2_em.htm#Gout%20Causes


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## Crothcipt (Mar 6, 2012)

For fatty foods and organ meats yes. But that isn't all like I said it is ranged all around. All alcohol except red wine is frowned on exp. beer. 

Most meds now new and old just treat the after problem of the build up and is used more in the consideration of a flareup. I will have to find my notes to give examples. Like I said there is more misinformation about gout than information.


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## Deckhand (Mar 6, 2012)

Weird the fact list didn't mention Filipinos. They have a higher risk.


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## Crothcipt (Mar 6, 2012)

Most of the new gout drugs are because of the out break in flareups. Just a quick look up, have read more in the New England Journal of Medicine.
http://arthritis.webmd.com/news/20101110/gout-cases-on-the-rise-in-u-s


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## Deckhand (Mar 6, 2012)

Crothcipt said:


> Most of the new gout drugs are because of the out break in flareups. Just a quick look up, have read more in the New England Journal of Medicine.
> http://arthritis.webmd.com/news/20101110/gout-cases-on-the-rise-in-u-s



Appeared obesity and longer life expectancy were major factors in the modern increase.
Interesting article it used to be considered rich man's disease. Current availabilty of rich foods and food in general is incredibly easy in our modern society here in the U.S. A blessing and a curse.


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## jmforge (Mar 6, 2012)

Perhaps people are peeing on their own feet more these days.


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## DeepCSweede (Mar 6, 2012)

I have had several gout runs over the years. Feels like someone is sticking a DT petty into the ball of your foot and toe joints and wrenching it. The first time I had it, I thought either that I had turf toe or that my dog jumped on my foot or something. My dad let me know that genetically I have it on both sides of the family - DOH!!!:curse:, plus diet, plus I was a big beer drinker at the time.

I really had to reign in my beer drinking and drop down the level of red meat I was eating (never been a big veg eater) but most importantly drinking a lot of water. Uric acid breaks down easily if purged constantly, so I really kicked in my water consumption. I haven't had a flare-up in several years but I can feel if I am starting to build up and remedy it quickly.

I've never been one on drugs if there is a natural solution (look at the side affects) - No thanks - water is good for me.


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## Keith Neal (Mar 6, 2012)

******* said:


> Perhaps people are peeing on their own feet more these days.



More people are peeing on their feet these days because they cannot see the peeing apparatus or their feet.

The people I have known who had gout were mostly obese.


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## 9mmbhp (Mar 6, 2012)

Long-time gout sufferer here too, passed down over multiple generations from my father's side of the family. Our blood chemistry is such that we over-produce uric acid ("hyperuricemia") and we need chemical help to hold it in check. Cutting down on beer and whisk(e)y and avoiding high purine foods helps but daily doses of allopurinol are still required.

Prior to be being diagnosed and beginning regular allopurinol, I had built up visibly noticeable uric acid deposits in several joints including elbows, wrists and fingers. As described above it's like having needles (crystalized uric acid actually looks like sharp pointy glass shards under a microscope) in your joints and any movement causes sharp, stabbing pain. Attacks could go on for 10-14 days. Unpleasant and at times debilitating.

It is now close to 10 years of being on allopurinol with no further attacks but it did take close to a year to fully flush the accumulated uric acid buildup from all the affected joints.

BTW: I'm not obese, nor are my father and uncle, we're all around 6 feet tall, 165lbs. We just have bad genes: hypertension, gout and miserably dry skin.


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## Keith Neal (Mar 6, 2012)

9mmbhp said:


> Long-time gout sufferer here too, passed down over multiple generations from my father's side of the family. Our blood chemistry is such that we over-produce uric acid ("hyperuricemia") and we need chemical help to hold it in check. Cutting down on beer and whisk(e)y and avoiding high purine foods helps but daily doses of allopurinol are still required.
> 
> Prior to be being diagnosed and beginning regular allopurinol, I had built up visibly noticeable uric acid deposits in several joints including elbows, wrists and fingers. As described above it's like having needles (crystalized uric acid actually looks like sharp pointy glass shards under a microscope) in your joints and any movement causes sharp, stabbing pain. Attacks could go on for 10-14 days. Unpleasant and at times debilitating.
> 
> ...



My apologies, no offense intended. I was trying to interject a little humor, which was out of order.


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## DeepCSweede (Mar 6, 2012)

Keith Neal said:


> My apologies, no offense intended. I was trying to interject a little humor, which was out of order.



No offense taken here - A little humor is always in order - life is too short otherwise.

By the way though, I actually wasn't very overweight when I had my last flare-up. By BMI standards I was, but that doesn't take into account muscle mass (such a joke of a measurement if you ask me). I was working out three-four days a week and walking 4-7 miles a day with my dog and after about a week of suffering through it, I could barely get up to get a cup of coffee.


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## Lucretia (Mar 6, 2012)

Mike Davis said:


> I love the commercials for stupid stuff like girl part pains....This little pill will treat the symptoms of your discomfort, but the side effects could be Diarrhea, nausea, upset stomach, nose bleeds, rectal leakage, poorly painted fingernails,yeast infections, multiple personality syndrome, excessive sweating, having sex with ugly people, hair loss, heart attack and possibly death.



Best treatment in the world for girl part pains--Beer. Seriously. Even better if you can have several and a nap. And if you're a happy drunk everyone around you will benefit, too! Side effects can include a craving for pizza or hot wings.

One of the most disgusting things about retirement is the commercials on daytime tv (which is another topic--complete and total drivel.) Your eyelashes are too short and thin! Take a pill! You've got wrinkles! Take a shot of poison to paralyze your face! If you aren't stick thin, you're ugly/lazy/stupid/unloveable! Take our pills and eat our pre-fab meals! Your kids are squalling brats because they spend all day in front of the tv and don't get any exercise! Tranquilize them! You're depressed because something bad happened--take a happy pill! If you're tired at bedtime or have bad breath and need to pee when you wake up in the morning, there may be something wrong with you--be sure to ask your doctor if you can take our drugs!

Have to wonder how much better off we'd be if the money going towards drugs to make us look good and feel happy all the time went instead to treatment of actual illnesses...


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## 9mmbhp (Mar 6, 2012)

Keith Neal said:


> My apologies, no offense intended. I was trying to interject a little humor, which was out of order.



No offense taken. Many people assume that it is strictly caused by lifestyle choices, ala it's the "rich man's disease" and the result of a decadent & indulgent lifestyle, but sometimes it just boils down to bad genetics.


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## Deckhand (Mar 6, 2012)

9mmbhp said:


> No offense taken. Many people assume that it is strictly caused by lifestyle choices, ala it's the "rich man's disease" and the result of a decadent & indulgent lifestyle, but sometimes it just boils down to bad genetics.


True true many different factors age,race, genes, weight, etc. Medicine tries to put everything in a box and a book, but there will always be some that didn't bother to read the book as well.


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## Crothcipt (Mar 6, 2012)

I have read many books on the subject and this one seems to be the most informed that I could find. 
http://www.beatinggout.com/
I think the guy got a secs and desist order for calling out the sugar industry.


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## jmforge (Mar 6, 2012)

I am waiting for the next series of pharma ads for scurvy and rickets meds. :biggrin:


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