Well, I've been banded over three months now and last Wednesday, my foot began to hurt and continued getting worse until I could barely walk on it (swollen and hot above the arch below the ankle)!

I went to the podiatrist this morning and found out I have GOUT! In reading the causes and cures for gout, I find that "legumes" is one of the leading causes! Now I have to tell you, I have been eating a ton of Beans recently, lunch and dinner--you know, full of Protein, easy to chew--the easy way out!

Well, all the beans I've cooked up (and lentils) are now in the freezer--they will just be an "occasional" meal for me!

I know that I am predisposed to kidney issues (Grandmother and Father died from kidney failure, brother has had many stones)--but I never realized that my body wouldn't assimilate that kind of protein well, too!

Anyone else have issues with gout since banding?? This is almost like a Catch 22 for me...

I don't know if it is gout but I have had problems with my feet hurting and swelling SINCE my surgery. It is not an every day thing, but happens often enough & usually overnight. I have always had problems with my arches and plantar fascitis but this is different.

My Mom is hospitalized and gets visits from a neighboring patient.... who got gastric bypass, had an infection and some major GOUT. What's up with that? Could it be coincidence? or WLsurgery related?

Well, I'll be the first to admit that I don't drink enough Water to cleanse my system--I never have and I know that I've got to begin drinking plenty!

Everything I've read says gout is caused by ingesting too many purine foods, i.e. legumes (beans), organ meats, broths & consummes, yeast, mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, and also from drinking too much beer. (No, no not me! I drink no alcohol!)

The kidneys deposit uric acid crystals around a joint and that's what causes the arthritic inflammation and pain instead of ridding the bloodstream of them.

Don't really think it's WLS related--but some bodies (like mine) have a perpensity for it, I guess--and I really brought it on by eating too many legumes and not drinking enough fluids to flush my system. I sure learned my lesson!

Actually, purines from vegetable sources are not thought to cause gout, from what I have read, so it probably isn't the Beans. It is important to drink lots of Water to flush the uric acid from your system, though.

My husband has had gout attacks off and on for the last 15 years. It is important to take medication immediately if a gout attack comes on; this is an EXTREMELY painful condition and it takes longer to get over it if you don't start the medication at the first sign of symptoms. Since overweight people are much more likely to have gout, your surgery should help the situation after more weight loss. Hang in there; there is treatment. One note: the first gout attack is usually in the foot, but later attacks can be in any joint. My husband has had gout in his knees also.

Once you get the gout under control, eat radishes and you can drink some black cherry juice to help prevent future attacks.

The radishes will of course be lower in calories and sugar.

This works! My husband has had gout attacks and tried the radishes and it works. He now eats some regularly and no more attacks.

Don;t know if it will clear it up while you're having an active attack, but it did for my husband with NO prescription RX.

It's most likely the extra Protein you're consuming, especially red meat!

Thanks for the hint about the radishes!! And I'm going to find cherry juice for sure! I'm definitely going to try those!

About "red meat" though, I don't generally eat red meat--that's why I was baffled! oatmeal for Breakfast, 1/2 can of tuna for lunch generally (last week I had pinto Beans every day for lunch) and dinner was lentils, maybe a piece of chicken and one day I had a rib.

Having it in my foot was bad enough--I simply cannot imagine it in my knees!! (My podiatrist did say it only attacks one area at a time, PTL!)

I've got meds now--again thanks for all the support everyone--I'm going to try to hobble into work tomorrow...

Once you finish your meds and problem is resolved, try eating 10 to 12 radishes or 1 package each week.

My husband has not had an attack since he started that.

Once you get the "crystals" in your joint or toes, they stay there and just seem to flair up and get aggravated.

Let me know if it works for you, too!

P.S. in the old days, Gout was considered a "rich" man disease, as it seemed to be related to alcohol, red meat and a rich diet.

My hubby has this too and sausage, red meat, bacon and alcohol break him out bad. He eats/drinks cherries/juice.. and takes meds for the inflamation...

There is a black cherry juice concentrate you can buy ( health food stores probably) and make your own juice.

But watch the calories/sugar with the juice, if you can tolerate the radishes, they're better as far as sugar/calories.

I was in our local grocery store today (buying lots of yogurt and cottage cheese for protein--Beans only once a week from now on) and priced the bottled cherry juice. It was $5.29 for a quart bottle--so I must admit I held off from the purchase--because cherries are $3.99 a pound beginning tomorrow!

Shortgal, do the radishes really work? I researched on the internet and one site said radishes (and celery of all things) are two of the foods I should avoid (but I really hadn't read that on other sites) if you really think they do, heck, they are a lot cheaper than the cherry juice (and less carbs :Dancing_biggrin: !!)

I am on the third day of pills and I feel 95% better!! The podiatrist said it would take "three to four days" and he hit it dead on!

Thanks everyone for your kind support--I love these threads!! :wink2:

Yes, the juice is very expensive. Was it the black cherry juice? I forgot my husband does the celery, too.

Once this episode is over. Why not try the radishes? Like I said he does one packet over a week's time and he hasn't had another flair up since.

If you get another attack, at least you'll still have the RX to take, but maybe you can prevent another attack from happening.

So, this thread shows up and my husband gets up this morning with a gout attack . . . COINCIDENCE!!!??? He keeps his meds nearby always, so within 24 hours it's gone.

If your husband likes radishes have him try a few every day, it might prevent the next attack.

It's great to have the RX but all meds are filtered through our kidneys and livers, so why not use a natural remedy as a first course of preventive treatment? That's why my husband eats the radishes, he's on enough meds for BP and high cholesterol already, why add another!

I'm the only one in my family (of 5) that has never had gout... UNTIL NOW!! Oh my it's painful! My family recommends going in for a shot. I'm headed to the doctor as soon as I can get dressed.. which seems to take a while when it hurts this bad to walk... heck... sitting still hurts!!

Grace, I am so sorry for your gout attack--OMG it is SO painful!!!

I have not had another attack since that first attack in January, but here's how I've changed my life drastically to combat it:

1. I bought the cherry juice concentrate and take 1 tablespoon daily. Originally I started with the black cherry juice concentrate from my local drugstore (back in the pharmacy area!) for $14.99 a pint bottle. I then progressed to buying a gallon from the internet of the tart cherry juice for around $50 which includes shipping--not as sweet but it still does the job.

2. I now drink 3 20-ounce bottles of Water a day, in addition to my other liquid intake, i.e. coffee, juice, iced tea. This flushes my system nicely.

3. I limit my intake of legumes to twice a week. I KNOW it was the Beans aka legumes in my case (because I know that's ALL I was eating for protein).

By making these three changes I have not had another gout attack since. If I start to have any pain in that area again, I up my cherry juice intake to 2 tablespoons daily.

Call me crazy, but I think we all have to find the answers for our individual bodies!! :incazzato: