Saturday, August 13, 2011

More Info about Gout and Herbal Treatments

A recent flare up of gout caused me to look up some more information. I found these two links interesting:

Ease Gout Pain
[...] During acute gout attacks, herbal anti-inflammatories including boswellia (Boswellia serrata), curcumin (Curcuma longa), devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) and yucca (Yucca spp.) can be tried instead of aspirin or arthritis drugs. [ 11 ]The British Pharmacopoeia recommends guaiacum resin extract (Guaiacum officinale; G. sanctum), an anti-inflammatory, for gout. Commercial preparations are available in the United Kingdom. [ 12 ] Boswellia is similar to guaiacum in terms of the types of phytochemicals present and is more readily available in North America. [ 13 ] Whichever herb is selected, the dosage should be at least two 500-mg caspsules of the dried herb three times daily for two to seven days. While the herbs mentioned here do not work as quickly as colchicine, they should help within 24 to 48 hours. [...]

I haven't tried Boswellia before, I'm going to look into it.

Treatment for Gout
[...] Goutezol is the only natural medicine for gout on the market that includes the Chinese method of Mulberry tree extracts. The pills are easily taken and are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Goutezol is a blend of herbs and enzymes, attacking the gout withing 24 hours. It is said to be one of the easiest and most effective cures for gout available. This medicine for gout is quickly growing more popular, since it is less tedious than many other medicines available. [...]

Goutezol also sounds like something worth looking into.

My gout attack wasn't severe, but it was painful enough to wake me up at night. Mostly I don't have problems with it, but occasionally I eat to too many things that have high purines, combined with lack of sleep, not enough water, or extra stress on my feet (like standing too much all day). Mostly I can control it by keeping all the various factors in balance.     

2 comments:

Jennifer said...

hi - came across your post as I was researching my own post about Sept. 11. This is totally random (not related to 9/11!), but cherry juice helps alleviate gout symptoms and prevent gout. I used to buy it for my father-in-law, and it really helps. Look for Lakewood cherry juice at Wholefoods or a health food store. The obvious things are to avoid rich, fatty foods, and drink tons of water. Good luck!

Chas said...

Thanks Jennifer. When I feel an attack coming on, I often take "Natural Sources" brand of black Cherry concentrate (unsweetend). It helps a lot, and is delicious too.