http://www.health911.com/remedies/rem_gout.htm
Some selected items from the full article...
Gout is associated with
high blood pressure,
kidney disease,
diabetes,
atherosclerosis, and uric acid
kidney stones.
A new gout drug,
febuxostat, which is awaiting FDA approval (2005), has proven to be very beneficial in reducing urate levels. 81% of patients taking the drug had healthy urate levels of less than 6 mg/dl, compared with only 39% who took 300 mg per day of allopurinol, the most widely prescribed gout drug.
• Hypothyroidism is often involved with gout. See our
Thyroid section for more information.
While traditional thinking is that certain foods cause gout, recent research, however, indicates that
lead poisoning may be another possible cause. The lead poisoning makes the aldosterone system insensitive to potassium concentration and increases the potassium content of the blood. A potassium deficiency can increase urate levels in the blood. Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex (part of the adrenal gland) that is important in the control of blood pressure and the regulation of sodium and potassium concentration.
• Aspirin can raise uric acid levels. If you need to use pain killers, only use ones with ibuprofen.
• Having
sex prevents men from getting gout. It seems that increased sexual activity reduces uric acid levels in fertile men.
Shark cartilage used on a daily basis of 3-6 capsules/day can make the pain disappear and allow you to eat previously forbidden foods within one week without experiancing pain in the affected joint. After approximately one month of continuous use, you may stop taking the cartilage until the pain reoccurs. At this point you will probably only need to take the cartilage (3-6 capsules) for a week or two. You may continue this on/off cycle as needed. Your uric acid level
may return to normal, but even if it doesn't, the pain will go away.
Vitamin C 1,000 mg per hour at the very outset of a gout attack, then reduce to 500-3,000 mg daily for maintenance. Vitamin C helps lower serum uric acid levels.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) Add some rose hips to vinegar and boil; dab on affected area. You may need to apply this mixture several times a day for a few weeks. The vinegar changes the blood pH so that the crystals will go into solution and be excreted.
Garlic Eat several cloves of raw garlic daily. Mince the garlic and add it to black cherry juice for a potent remedy.