And this is a hand with gout:
Note the middle joint of the middle finger, and the last joint of the fourth finger. The thumb is less obvious, but also affected.
Apparently, there's no cure for gout. Both the Mayo Clinic knowledge base and the WebMD site seem to agree that even diet isn't that important - it's mostly genetics. However, there are some medications that significantly increase the likelihood one will get gout if genetically predisposed. One is diuretics, which I don't take, plus a couple of drugs I've never even heard of, but also notably niacin (vitamin B), which is frequently prescribed to lower triglycerides, one of the companions to the cholesterals as factor in coronary artery disease. Guess what? I've been on Niaspan (500 mg niacin) for over a year, about the time my hand started acting up...
I think I'll be chatting with the doctor about this connection, as soon as we get back from our annual visit to the cabin in Montana. The blog will be mostly on hiatus for a week or so, unless I have an unexpected opportunity to post from the wilderness.
5 comments:
Ouch!
And Plavix...... :(
Looks very painful. Hope you can get some relief. Not nice to work with your hands and have such a bad flare up. :P~~~
Laura
Wow, Sandra, hope you find a solution for that soon. Looks really painful.
ouch!
have fun at the cabin
Owie! Yes, I think you and the doctor need a conference. That looks so painful!
Sandra, my best wishes for you to get your weaving hands back asap. Our hands are so precious when we weave and explore with them. Get well really quickly!Kaz
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