Suggest Treatment For Severe Pain In The Toes Caused By Gout

Posted on Mon, 23 Jan 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 Answered on

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : I have been having a gout flare up in my feet for about 2 weeks now. Went to family dr. Gave me prednisone two pills a day for 5 days. Pain left in 2 days. Finished my med on Fri. & by Sat afternoon pain started again in my big toe. Of course it's weekend & no dr. Called hospital to dr on call. He gave me 5 more prednisone pills. Took last one Mon morn. Pain was gone till following Sat eve. Put up with severe pain Sat & Sun. Absolutely cannot stand another day of pain!!! Made an app't with family dr for this afternoon but worried. What is the prednisone doing to me? And what about when next dose is gone? Isn't there anything else that can be done - like NOW? I really can't stand the pain anymore. It's getting to my mind & nerves! Feels like a knife twisting in there!

Answered by Dr. Naval Mendiratta (12 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Gout management

Detailed Answer:
Good evening

thank you for writing on health care magic

Well, It seems your gout attacks are recurring again and again. Prednisolone only helps stop the inflammation for time being, but since it is short acting it is not able to suppress the inflammation long enough...Secondly starting allopurinol during the attack is bound to give you further attacks as it mobilizes all the uric acid from the body and most of them gets deposited in the joints giving another flare.

As of further management, I would suggest:

1. Start on tab zycolchicine 0.5 mg twice daily
2. Continue prednisolone on tapering dose for 5-7 days
3. Take Pain killers if the attack comes back
4. Hold Allopurinol
5. Drink lots of fluids

Hope the information was useful

DO let me know for more queries

Regards
Dr Naval

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar