If gout treatments aren't working as well as you'd hoped, you may be interested in trying complementary and alternative treatments for your gout. Discuss these treatments with your doctor first. Your doctor can help you weigh the benefits and risks and tell you if the treatments will interfere with your gout medications.
Though you may be reluctant to discuss complementary and alternative medicine with your doctor, many mainstream doctors are becoming more open to discussing these options. But, since few of these treatments have been extensively studied in clinical trials, it's difficult to assess whether these treatments are helpful for gout pain. In some cases, the risks of these treatments aren't known.
Some complementary and alternative treatments that have been studied include :
- Coffee. Studies have found an association between coffee drinking both regular and decaffeinated and lower uric acid levels, though no study has proved how or why coffee may have an influence on uric acid in your body. The available evidence isn't enough to encourage non coffee drinkers to start, but it may give researchers clues to new ways of treating gout in the future.
- Vitamin C. Supplements containing vitamin C may reduce the levels of uric acid in your blood. However, vitamin C hasn't been studied as a treatment for gout. Don't assume that if a little vitamin C is good for you, then lots is better. Megadoses of vitamin C may increase your body's uric acid levels. Talk to your doctor about what a reasonable dose of vitamin C may be. And don't forget that you can increase your vitamin C intake by eating more fruits and vegetables, especially oranges.
- Cherries. Cherries have been associated with lower levels of uric acid in studies, but it isn't clear if they have any effect on gout signs and symptoms. Adding cherries and other dark-colored fruits, such as blackberries, blueberries, purple grapes and raspberries, to your diet may be a safe way to supplement your gout treatment, but discuss it with your doctor first.
Other complementary and alternative medicine treatments may help you cope until your gout pain subsides or your medications take effect. For instance, relaxation techniques, such as deep-breathing exercises and meditation, may help take your mind off your pain.
The above information thankfully comes from the Mayo Clinic.com at the following link.
