What a pain in the... toe.

Hopefully this rings a bell for someone - this is getting old.

Just got back from the doc - stumped em. Doc is convinced this is not gout or any other form of arthritis. X-rays clear, awaiting results of blood tests.

Big toe has been having intermittent severe pain (hereafter "attack") which lasts for 15-90 seconds, happens a couple times an hour, sometimes more, sometimes less. Pain is concentrated at joint in big toe and quite severe (I loose all concentration, damn near fall down if standing, generally utter a profanity or two). Can move toe before, during and after attack. When not experiencing attack toe acts and feels normal. Have little warning of attack and pain meds have done nothing. Have been experiencing this pain since Wed or Thurs, have not been woke up by the pain but then again I sleep through everything. Experience pain in every position (sitting, laying, standing, walking) unsure whether elevating joint alleviates or worsens symptoms.

If you're still with me and have ideas - shoot em my way. Today's visit was with urgent care (it got bad enough today to convince me to get in there). Will schedule followup with primary care physician (whom I've never met - I hate doctors and just recently got insurance) tomorrow.

Somebody has a curtis voodoo doll and an ill sense of humor

shhhhhhhhhhh...

poke...poke...:rockin:

You might want to get checked out for gout.

Does the pain go away if you walk on it for a while? Any other place besides to toe? Do you drink a copious amount of brew from a green bottle?

You could have Heineken Foot.

I have two buddies who drink Heinie like most of us drink water. From time to time they each get a pain and swelling in their foot, toe or ankle. Their doctors each said it wasn't gout or anything they could identify.

We made the connection with Heineken on one occastion where each of them was afflicted. They will be interested to know if there is another case of it.

Parker36 said:

Somebody has a curtis voodoo doll and an ill sense of humor

Click to expand...

I'm thinking so...

homebrewer_99 said:

shhhhhhhhhhh... poke...poke...:rockin:

Click to expand...

WTF Did I do to deserve this? :cross:

Nurmey said:

You might want to get checked out for gout.

Click to expand...

Read the OP. Doc says not gout.

arturo7 said:

Does the pain go away if you walk on it for a while? Any other place besides to toe? Do you drink a copious amount of brew from a green bottle?


You could have Heineken Foot.

I have two buddies who drink Heinie like most of us drink water. From time to time they each get a pain and swelling in their foot, toe or ankle. Their doctors each said it wasn't gout or anything they could identify.

We made the connection with Heineken on one occastion where each of them was afflicted. They will be interested to know if there is another case of it.

Click to expand...

Nope. Only skunked beer I drink is from south of the border. Haven't had a Heineken in ages.

Muscle cramp?

curtis97322 said:

Read the OP. Doc says not gout.

Click to expand...

So the doc already took fluid from the joint and did a blood test for elevated Urea AND received the results from these tests?!? I thought you just went to the doctor today.

The pain you described is exactly what my fil experienced until he died. And he had gout.

EDIT: Highlighted purely for dramatic effect. The two conditions are unrelated. I think.

This first doc you saw, this was an urgent care doc? If so, and they did tests and said no gout or arthritis, I would follow up with the family doc and ask for a referral to a podiatrist. Or, ask about the possibility of an MRI, this could yield more info than a simple xray. In any event, follow your doc's advice.

Have you tried any stretches to loosen up the toe at the joint?

Something like this:

http://www.healthline.com/blogs/exercise_fitness/2007/03/why-you-need-toe-stretches.html


Do you kneel on your toes a lot? Or have you noticed that your walking style is different(ie feet out more or in more than others)?

Just some thoughts.

ChshreCat said:

Muscle cramp?

Click to expand...

Possibly but don't think so. I've had cramps before but never in the toe and most importantly nowhere near this intensity. I've tried the home remedy of milk and bananna and it hasn't seemed to help.

dontman said:

So the doc already took fluid from the joint and did a blood test for elevated Urea AND received the results from these tests?!? I thought you just went to the doctor today.

The pain you described is exactly what my fil experienced until he died. And he had gout.

EDIT: Highlighted purely for dramatic effect. The two conditions are unrelated. I think.

Click to expand...

Ok, Ok I was a dick in that reply. I should have said doc said probably not gout. Doc only did test for elevated uric acid - not joint fluid test. I'll follow up on the gout possibility with family doc.

Brew-Happy said:

Have you tried any stretches to loosen up the toe at the joint?

Something like this:

http://www.healthline.com/blogs/exercise_fitness/2007/03/why-you-need-toe-stretches.html


Do you kneel on your toes a lot? Or have you noticed that your walking style is different(ie feet out more or in more than others)?

Just some thoughts.

Click to expand...

I've done my own version of those stretches during and after the attacks. I definitely walk funny - as most 6'4, 280#'ers do. Then again - for the last 4 months I've been walking miles a day (surveying) with the only complaints being from my knees. That job ended a week ago due to school starting back up (1/2 a week before symptoms started).

If this crap continues (nothing yet in the hour since I got up) I'll insist on a referral to a podiatrist. Regardless I'll follow up with family doc - at the very least I need a general checkup and to develop a working relationship with a family doc - urgent care sucks.

Did the doc do any screening for Lyme disease? It can affect isolated joints. I have seen people that had one finger swell up and become sausage like. One guy had a toe pain they thought was gout. Ended up having lyme disease. Just a suggestion. I have now seen two different cases where people were screened for Gout only to in the end find out it was Lyme.

I hate to say it, but it does sound like gout....There is SOME discussion/belief among the medical and homebrewing community, that beer, and especially homebrew may 'cause or contribute to gout...there's even a thread or two on here about it.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/gout-homebrew-89524/

There's also some articles on the web.

http://www.thebrewguide.com/?p=201

If you google homebrew and gout you get some articles, and if you google beer and gout you get different articles, like this one,

http://arthritis.webmd.com/news/20040415/beer-spirits-increase-gout-risk

I'm no doctor, so I don't know, and I'm not sure how much of the "homebrew causes gout" stuff I believe either, but it's worth you doing some research on your own an/or with the doctor....but don't let him/her be an alarmist to you either, and make you do somethign you prolly don't want to do like stop drinking homebrew....like I said there's a lot of mixed info either way on this topic.

Though a lot of people say cherry juice seems to help them...

Good luck

Did you go to a podiatrist or your primary doctor? Primary doctors are like diners.... They have alot on their menus...but aren't really good at any of them. I'm recovering now from surgery on my big toe. The pain I had sounds the same as you... primary doc told me I had gout even after I told him I had broke the toe years ago. Went to a podiatrist...one glance at the x-rays and I'm on my way to get a joint replacement because arthritis had destroyed the hole joint. Either way it sounds like you need a second opinion (not urgent care.....don't get me started on the cluster F that urgent care has caused me.....)

Doc called and I have "slightly elevated levels of uric acid but no significant abnormalities". So I may have gout or it may be something else.

Attacks have subsided but not ceased. Haven't tracked down a pattern yet.

I'll follow up with a primary care physician - if they are stumped I'll get a referral to a podiatrist. Gotta go through the system ya know...

Gotta say, I feel for you. It in very disconcerting to have the doctors confused. SWMBO has had a pain in her chest for over 2 weeks, been to the doctor twice. The doctor can't see anything wrong, which doesn't make us feel better at all.

Why can't we be like cars- just plug us in to a computer and do a full diagnostic on us... best of luck.

So any new news of toe joint?

T'was gout. Decreased my intake of beer substantially (I was starting to go overboard), upped my water intake, symptoms went away and haven't came back. I think my body was just trying to tell me to slow the f*k down.

Your married to it now. I've had it for 7 years and it comes once a year or every other year. I guess I over did it during the Olympics. I've got it now, ran out of meds, not getting any sleep tonight