Mark M.

I have the Gout, as does my Dad, my brother and two of three sisters....and now my Mom.

It's not a fun thing to have, but I have lived with it for over twenty years. Generally I take a prescription medication called Indocin (or the generic Indomethicin) but without insurance I have no prescription drug coverage. So, other than taking the medications from my family I started taking an over the counter drug called Aleeve. It actually works better than I thought. The only problem is I take it all to often and I am not sure how long this drug can be taken. The indocin has the same dangers to the liver but you can take more of it than the Aleeve so I have been wondering if the Aleeve is dangerous to take long term. I have been taking it for the past year now and average about 2 to 3 a day, off and on sometimes as long as two weeks with about a few weeks in between and as much as a month.

The worst times are during the holidays due to the types of foods I eat, but to be honest the lists of foods that I should avoid have changed so drastically in the last decade that I know better to avoid things that were never considered before.....like Re fried beans and Turkey.

Cookie

You can stay on top of your liver health with a simple blood test every couple of months that measures liver function. If your liver enzymes increase, which they shouldn't yet, you'll know to try something else to treat your gout.

Hope you stay well and pain free. It's no fun to be in pain.

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Corgi butts drive me nuts.

Mark M.

My last test was about 2 years ago and everything was fine. That was when I had insurance. No insurance....no blood test.

Cookie

Ah, how much does it cost?

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Corgi butts drive me nuts.

Mark M.

I have no idea? I only paid my copayment.

Cookie

Here's my advice: Call the clinic where you normally go and ask how much a lab test for liver function costs. I hope you will, because I'd like to know. Maybe it isn't too expensive and you could have the test. Then you would have the reasurrance that your liver is doing well.

Are you experiencing any unusual itching?

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Corgi butts drive me nuts.

Mark M.

I can do that. My old office were I got the test is 50 ft from my house. It was very convenient!

No itching.....is that a sign?

Cookie

Severe itching can be a sign of liver disease. Also yellow eyeballs when you pull down your lower eyelids....I can't think of the right name so I'll use eyeballs.

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Corgi butts drive me nuts.

WC Roentgen

Jaundice, also known as icterus (attributive adjective: "icteric"), is yellowish discoloration of the skin, conjunctiva (a clear covering over the sclera, or whites of the eyes) and mucous membranes caused by hyperbilirubinemia (increased levels of bilirubin in red blooded animals)

gorillamom

Yes, many drugs can destroy the liver and kidneys. Be careful with over the counter drugs. They are full of fillers and you don't get but a few grains of actual medication. Another con job by the pharmasuticals. Do you have medical marijuana in your state? It will help the pain.

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The Clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power,
To tell just when the hands will stop
On what day or what hour.
Now is the only time we have,
So live it with a will,
Don't wait until tomorrow,
The hands may then be still.