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Reliable Uric Acid Meter?

J

JenniferG

Well-Known Member
Messages
246
Having some issues with ketosis, excess uric acid and possibly the start of gout.

I was wondering if anyone had any experienced with Uric Acid Meters and if I could get a recommendation for a good / reliable one. I've heard some aren't that reliable.

Otherwise, I can do the walkinlab.com/LabCorp thing whenever I want but is $25 a pop.
 
I do get gout, but keep it at bay by taking bitter cherry capsules .. not found any meters yet to measure my Uric acid, so hope you get some suggestions, as I am also interested
 
Enclave said:
I do get gout, but keep it at bay by taking bitter cherry capsules .. not found any meters yet to measure my Uric acid, so hope you get some suggestions, as I am also interested
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How do the bitter cherry capsules work? Do they lower uric acid (the source of the problem with gout) or just relieve pain? Or something else?
 

Hi Jennifer

I got gout after taking water tablets about 12 years ago and since then have been on Allopuurinol tablet for it ever since. It keeps it at bay, but last week when I did a couple of days fasting I could feel it getting sore and going red. It is something that concerns me as it is incredibly painful. I know certain foods are best avoided when a flare up occurs like strawberries, tomatoes and citrus.
 
I have never suffered from gout, thankfully. I understand it can be extremely painful. Observing others, my only comment would be that to up the fluids. Good old plain water consumption.

Many of the general population don't drink enough, and keeping the body well hydrated is critical to it's balance and operation.

To be clear, I'm not saying this is the panacea to cure all gout, but so many folks comment they find it occurring or flaring after taking diuretic tablets. Diuretics aren't given to people why drink too much water, they're given to those who, for whatever reason, cling onto fluid, so all they do is up that efficiency.

I could be very wrong, and could be happy to go down in flames on this one, but upping my fluids would be the first thing I'd try.

My mantra of upping fluids could suggest I have shares in Evian or Highland Spring water. I don't. I just know my performance throughout my body drops if I become dehydrated, and that doesn't mean feeling thirsty all the time.

Good luck with it all.
 
JenniferG said:
How do the bitter cherry capsules work? Do they lower uric acid (the source of the problem with gout) or just relieve pain? Or something else?
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I don't know !!!! the wife just gives me them and said it was to help stop my gout ... will ask her how and get back to you

Edit to update ::: the wife says that they reduce uric acid in my system .... and if the wife say so it must be true ... my gout returns when I stop taking them
 
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Sadly upping fluids is not always an option .. I used to have to restrict my fluid intake to mach my fluid out put .. but that was with the guidance of my heart failure nurse .. nothing to do with diabetes.
 
Need to be careful with the fasting & Keto if you are a gout sufferer. Both fasting and keto are known to raise uric acid levels and special measures are to be taken when a person predisposed to gout starts on this diet.. as I've found out the hard way. I think it is the addition of 23:1 fasting that ultimately did me in.. raised uric acid levels up really high .. joints started to get that sharp pain in them not just simply a gouty build up. Have had this gouty build up over the past month.

So I put intermittent fasting and keto on hold for the moment until I get a uric acid test meter. Fortunately for people in UK there are locally available meters for this.. not so in the states.. had to order overseas. Will have in a few weeks.
 
Phinney & Volek talk about how the ketogenic diet raises uric acid levels, quite significantly even, for periods up to several weeks (depending on how long it takes to keto-adapt), in their book: The Art & Science of Low Carbohydrate Living. Usually this doesn't affect most individuals negatively, but they do mention that those predisposed to gout get special treatment along with the diet. (This is why I want to get a Bariatric physician or low carb doctor to assist me.. one that is familiar with diabetes, ketogenic diet, uric acid & gout.)

Dr. Jason Fung touches on Uric Acid levels in his book, The Obesity Code (a book in which he advocates intermittent fasting). He mentions a few times in the book how they can be potentially problematic. And he even recommends testing Uric Acid levels once per month when fasting. However, he didn't mention the uric acid & gout connection, unlike Phiney & Volek in their above book.

Here is a link to a podcast interview with Dr. Phinney about Uric Acid and the ketogenic diet:
http://www.meandmydiabetes.com/2011...etones-fat-uric-acid-in-health-and-diseaseev/

Here is a 1965 study:
Hyperuricemia, acute gout, renal insufficiency and urate nephrolithiasis due to starvation
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/art.1780080509/abstract

Here is the 1925 study mentioned in the 1965 study above:
A study of the Retention of Uric Acid during fasting.
http://www.jbc.org/content/66/2/521.full.pdf

I find the following link one of the most informative:

Another resource for gout sufferers on Atkin’s diet:
http://www.best-gout-remedies.com/gout-and-the-atkins-diet.html
 
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Read somewhere today it's the vitamin C in the cherries that reduces the uric acid. Not sure if this is the only thing in them that help or not. But I did read taking Vitamin C helps. Maybe I ought to buy some Vitamin C and try it.. warning: too much vitamin C is bad in many other ways I've read and can interfere with blood glucose meter readings? Don't know how true this is.. But I'd like to try like 1/2 the max recommended max dose.. to see if it helps.
 

Thanks Jen I will have a look through these at weekend. I'm spending my next few days furiously objecting building plans from local council to build on the field behind my house, spoiling my beautiful view. Fuming!
 
AndBreathe said:
I have never suffered from gout, thankfully. I understand it can be extremely painful. Observing others, my only comment would be that to up the fluids. Good old plain water consumption.......
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As well as increasing the amount of fluid, high dose vitamin C helps - it increases the 'flushing out' of uric acid. I've had one attack of gout - and I'm sure it's no coincidence that it's come after my changes to a low-carb-high-protein diet. The vitamin C advice came up on one of the gout info websites - can't now remember which one. Double-check for yourself?
 

Have you started using a uric acid meter yet? It might be sensible for me to get one and I'd like to know about other people's experiences with them.
 
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