Frequently Asked Questions
Glad you asked! There’s so much misinformation and disinformation on the Internet today. It’s truly overwhelming. And there are A LOT of websites out there with ulterior motives and “salesmen trickery”. I once searched for a topic on gout, and the whole website was nothing but a sales pitch, with no value or useful information on the topic I was actually searching for (not to mention the misinformation). Ugh…
You won’t find that here…
This site (iwantgoutrelief.com) was started by a gout sufferer just like you (or your loved one) and we want nothing other than to advance the study and research on gout and to find relief for us all. That’s it.
Yes, we have some products that we want to get into your hands. And there’s nothing wrong with that. We think they’ll help you, like they help us. But our core mission is to provide you valuable information, education, and ideas for how to find relief for your gout pain and struggles.
As for who’s behind all this…
Hey there! My name is Chris Moore, and I’m founder of IWantGoutRelief.com, a small, family-owned company that aims to bring relief to gout sufferers around the world. Our sole mission and purpose is to find relief for you, and for me, too! We’re in this together. In order to advance that mission, we created this website and our supplement line.
Gout is a rheumatic disease in the arthritis family resulting in deposits of uric acid crystals in the tissues and fluids of a person’s body. Gout is caused when someone has high uric acid levels in the blood, usually over 6 mg (but this varies based on gender and the lab testing).
It first begins with what is called “asymptomatic hyperuricemia”. This is the period before getting a first gout attack where there are no symptoms yet and crystals are slowly forming in the joint. Some time after that, gout strikes.
Just because you’re hyperuricemic (have high levels of uric acid in your blood), it doesn’t mean you’ll develop gout. But if you have gout, then you’re definitely hyperuricemic as well.
Everybody has a certain level of uric acid in their blood. It’s completely normal. So uric acid isn’t the problem, in and of itself. Uric acid is transported to the kidneys and then it’s flushed out through the urine.
However, some people produce too much uric acid or they produce normal amounts but their kidneys don’t process it properly. As a result, the uric acid keeps building up. If the buildup continues, it crystallizes in the joint, which then causes gout attack (and all the pain and misery we all know).
The symptoms of gout are painful inflammation usually in the big toe. It can also occur in the knees, ankles, elbows, and fingers. The affected joint becomes tender, warm, sensitive, red, and swollen (and it really hurts!). A gout attack or “flare-up” often occurs without any warning and usually strikes at night when the body temperature is the coolest.
Most of the time gout will affect the big toe. It can also affect the elbows, knees, fingers, middle of the foot, ankles, and wrists. It has also been observed by some that men will often get flare-ups in the bottom half of their body while women will experience them in the upper half.
Unfortunately, gout is a lifelong disease (but this website is all about managing the pain and finding relief, and maybe even a cure one day!). The majority of people who are diagnosed with gout will have it for the rest of their lives. This is what’s called “chronic gout”.
“Acute gout”, on the other hand, is when a person suffers a flare-up or gout attack, in which case pain usually subsides anywhere between 4 to 14 days depending on the severity.
But again, if you have an attack once, and don’t do anything about it (change your diet, lifestyle, and overall health), then it’s more than likely to happen again, and then more frequently over time until it develops into chronic gout.
Gout is quite common and affects about 4% (13 million) adults in the United States (as of 2018). The prevalence of gout is higher in men, but it tends to be common in women over 60 as well. Some researchers believe that natural estrogen protects women up until that point.
Usually people that are diagnosed with gout are people that suffer from other conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Genetics are also considered a risk factor for some.
Medications can also be risk factors, such as diuretics taken by people suffering from high blood pressure or drugs that suppress the immune system taken by psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. These can raise uric acid levels (which an then lead to gout).
Finally, obesity is also a major risk factor, which is one of the reasons that we’ll constantly remind you on this website to stay as mobile as possible during your “good days”. Get out there, take a walk, move around, breathe fresh air, stretch (gently and carefully), and get some exercise. This will help to keep your gout at bay.
You bet! Yes.
People that suffer from gout usually eat a “trigger food” that is known to raise uric acid levels in the blood. Foods like red meat, seafood, shellfish, organ meats, processed meats, processed foods, foods/beverages high in fructose, high fructose corn syrup, and alcohol. Obesity increases one’s risk of developing gout as well.
If you learn one thing from this website, it’s to DRINK MORE WATER. At least 8-10, 8 ounce glasses a day (and the more Alkaline the water, the better).
Sadly, at this point in time gout is considered a lifelong disease and there is no cure. However, gout is very manageable with a healthy diet, exercise, and some supplements (which we offer an array of on this website). It is possible to live a normal life and pain free, many of us have done it!
In some cases, there may be no other way to get true relief without long term medication (prescription drugs). This site aims to find more and more ways to help you find relief WITHOUT expensive and potentially harmful drugs (the boys over at “Big Pharma” (the billion dollar pharmaceutical companies) definitely don’t like us, that’s for sure). But again, sometimes there’s no way around “Western medical intervention” (and we’re grateful for the option for those that need it).
It depends. For example, at Quest Organic, LLC (the family-owned company behind this website you’re on right now), we strive our best to create healthy, safe, and wholesome products to help with the management of gout pain. And we “drink our own medicine” as it were (we use our own products ourselves!).
That said, whenever trying to take this more natural route it’s always recommended that you work with your doctor and measure the results. Get your blood’s uric acid levels tested every 3 months, as you change your diet, change your health habits, change your sleep (sleep more!), change your breathing (breathe more fresh air, more deeply, and more often, with intention), and change your water consumption (drink way more than you think you should!).
But in the end… please remember that everybody is different and results will vary.
The risks are very real. If gout is left untreated (through diet, sleep, breath work, supplements, and possibly medication), the length and severity of attacks will become worse over time and more frequent. Your joints will also most likely begin to deteriorate, which can cause permanent disability or deformity for some.
Don’t take even one gout attack lightly. More will follow if you don’t take steps towards killing off the “gout beast”.
Do something today to treat it and then actively seek to manage it long term. We’re here to help!