Gout- in big toe and hands @ 26?

I had an x ray after months of a pinful big toe joint- and it showed early signs of osteoarthritis. I am a 26 year old female and really worried. Over the last couple of years, I have had painful wrists from time to time and ignored it. Recently, my fingers have been swollen and painful (especially base of my thumb.) I am waiting to see the GP for a referral. I am wondering if this could be gout? My toe is not VERY painful, but I do not feel confident to do any exercise with it. The duvet at night can pull on it and hurt a bit. I understood gout to be extremely painful (my toe was VERY p[ainful a few months ago) and for it only to affect one joint at a time. Also, I have read that gout does not show as osteoarthritis on an x ray.
Has anyone got an opinion on this please, as some aspects of what I have read a about gout sound familiar.

Actually at your age and presentation it's most likely not gout or osteoarthitis but more likely rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
Sincerely,
Doc

I'm in my early 30's , i don't drink , i eat healthily .

I have 3 attacks per year for a few years now.

From November I've been taking blood each week , when I'm above 10 i take alopurinol for a month then test again.

I haven't had an attack yet.


With me it's genetic. my grandfather had it , and my mother too , but my mother had no symptoms.. women have 40 percent less uric acid in their blood than men , so the chance it Christals form is very low..


gout in women ... unlikely but not impossible.

@Simon G
It's never lupus
http://itsnotlup.us/

I doubt very much if this is gout it sounds as though it is your
Osteoarthritis which can and will manifest itself in other areas

Try below for more inforation
http://www.arc.org.uk/arthinfo/patpubs/6...

do you drink fresh orange juice, i know the citric acid in it can bring gout on