Is it gout or could it be something else?

My husband has been having severe pain,redness and swelling in his right foot.It has been diagnoised as gout.It has not responded at all to the usual treatments such as steroid injections,NSAIDs,cocholine or narcotic pain meds.Im begining to wonder if it is indeed gout. What else could it be? He has no visible openings in his skin that would led one to think of an infectious process. Any help would greatly be appreciated as we are at the end of our rope.

Sounds like gout but as you say has not responded.

Alternative diagnoses
pseudogout (should respond to general measures)
septic arthritis (infection in the joint)
osteomyelitis (infection in the bone)
deep vein thrombosis (odd to only have it in the foot)
cellulitis (infection in the skin)

Infections do not require an opening in the skin. They can be blood borne and turn up anywhere.

Get a doctor to review


The uric acid blood test is not a reliable way to test for gout.

Joint aspiration is a reasonable thing if the doctor thinks this could be a septic joint. It can diagnose gout specifically (visualized uric acid crystals under microscopy) and pseudogout (different crystals - calcium pyrophosphate - different polarization) and it can diagnose septic arthritis (presence of bacteria and pus).

Diabetes is not likely to by itself cause a red hot swollen and painful foot. However this is a good point (if only a minor issue) as diabetes could well be an underlying illness giving rise to increased susceptibility to infection and/or poorer healing.

I'm not sure that altering your diet is going to have any short term effects that would be appreciable here.

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Gout can be very painful and last for a while. Go back to the doctor and get it checked again.

Gout is caused by increased levels of Uric Acid in the blood and is easily diagnosed witha blood test. It is also treatable since there are many medecines that will reduce the Uric Acid..........

Has the doctor injected and aspirated the joint? He can look at the fluid that he withdraws and can also send it to the lab for analysis... this will tell him if it is gout. There are still many drugs out there to try- allopurinol, probenecid, indocin... he needs to follow up with his doctor- unfortunately, it is a process of trial and error before the correct treatment can be started because each person is so different. Good luck.

I don't want to alarm you ,but foot problems such as those you describe could be a sign of diabetes. This is a seriously deadly disease that far too many people dismiiss as just a chronic ailment of old age. Heart attacks, blindness, and amputation of extremities are common in diabetics.

If he has been diagnosed by a doctor, it is probably gout. Has he tried changes in his diet? The link below is a good place to start research on how diet can help gout.

would you try something all natural? I am taking a great mineral supplement that has lifted the depression I had for 5 years. My mom has fybromyalgia and her symptoms have decreased dramatically with similar supplements, although doctors said there was nothing for her. There is a supplement from the same company that is great for breaking down the uric acid that causes gout. It also contains aloe which removes toxins from your body and reduces swelling and pain, it would help even if your husband does not have gout. The supplements are inexpensive, easy to take and have no negative side effects.

email me for more info, Id love to help!

mersa??? like staff or sumthin??

I had the same problem a couple of years ago, only it was my right ankle. I became unable to walk for a few months, and for over a year and a half, it remained red and swollen. Even after it got better, it made me almost fall a few times, like it was weak. They finally diagnosed me with fibromyalgia and arthritis. I still feel something in that ankle and it stays a little swollen, even after 2 years. I think if it was gout that your husband suffers from, it should have responded to the treatment by now. These things can be hard to diagnose and treat and can also take a long time to resolve. I know your husband must be frustrated. as I was, but he needs to see a rheumatologist. Tell him to ask for blood tests to be done, such as a rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other immune disease panel. If he is overweight, he needs to eat a low fat, high fiber diet, and exercise at least 3 times a week(if he is able), hard to do with a swollen foot I know, but maybe he can do that later. As usual, drink 8-8oz of water daily.

you might wana go back to the doc and check again as the medicine given to your husband might not be strong enough for him. Beside medication, he should start changing his diet too.

He should avoid stuffs like salmon, bean curd, seafood, wine, sardine, beef, butter, spinach, spicy food, etc...as these food stuffs will trigger gout.

My dad is suffering from gout too, these are the few food stuffs which i can remember off hand that need to avoid.

Take care!

another condition that it could be is cellulitis. did the doctor run a
lab test for the gout? i would go back to the doctor or seek a second opinion. gout is tough to get rid of it is very painful!!!