Gout / Alcohol?

my brother can't drink alcohol anymore because he gets the gout real bad in his right foot. He only has one kidney and he's 42. Will this be permanent, because if so, I won't drink around him anymore ???

"Limit or avoid alcohol. Consuming too much alcohol can inhibit the excretion of uric acid, which in turn can lead to gout. Limit alcohol to no more than two drinks a day if you're a man and one drink a day if you're a woman. If you're having a gout attack, it's best to avoid alcohol completely."
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gout/DS...

"The cause of gout is an inflammation in your joint resulting from an accumulation of urate crystals. Uric acid is a waste product formed from the breakdown of purines. These are substances found naturally in your body as well as in certain foods, especially organ meats 鈥?such as liver, brains, kidney and sweetbreads 鈥?and anchovies, herring, asparagus and mushrooms.

Normally, uric acid dissolves in your blood and passes through your kidneys into your urine. But sometimes your body either produces too much or excretes too little of this acid. In that case, uric acid can build up, forming sharp, needle-like crystals (urate) in a joint or surrounding tissue that cause pain, inflammation and swelling.

Crystal deposits also cause another condition, known as false gout (pseudogout). But rather than being composed of uric acid, pseudogout crystals are made of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate. And while pseudogout can affect the big toe, it's more likely to attack large joints such as your knees, wrists and ankles."

Prevention

There's no sure way to prevent initial or subsequent attacks of gout, but if you already have gout, your doctor may prescribe certain drugs to reduce the risk or lessen the severity of future episodes. These drugs include allopurinol (Zyloprim, Aloprim) and probenecid. Taken daily, they slow the rate at which uric acid is produced and speed its elimination from your body. In general, keeping uric acid levels within a normal range is the long-term key to preventing gout."

Gout is caused by a build up of uric acid, the end product of purine metabolism in your body. Beer is high in malt and will increase the amount of uric acid. Red wine is okay to drink with gout. You should stay away from all other liquors, though.

Gout is heavily affected by what you eat and/or drink. If he is experiencing this now, then it will probably affect him for the rest of his life to varying extents.

Yes, it's permanent. However there is medications to help allievate the pain and to make the onset of Gout less prominant and less destructive.


My brother gets Gout in his right foot all the time. He can't eat a lot of beef or drink either.

Yes, its undoubtedly permanent as he is avoiding a gout trigger. I also avoid alcohol for this reason but I don't mind others drinking around me. He may feel the same way. Take care.
The link below contains detailed information on gout.