Gout in the knee.

Preliminary diagnosis today, waiting for labs to come back.

I've read about gout online, six or seven articles, textbook-type stuff. But I hope to hear from people who have/have had it. What was your treatment and how long did it take for the pain to subside? How can I keep it from coming back -- or can I?

Here's how I found out I have it. I'm not happy. I've had this pain for weeks.

I've been begging my orthopedic surgeon for six weeks to help me with my right knee. I have problems with both, and am scheduled for arthroscopic surgery on the left. But the right hurts more. A lot more. I can barely move it and it's very hard to walk. It's as big as a bowling ball. She kept saying we can't address the right knee until we fix the left.

I went in today for the last in a series of hyalgen shots in the right knee (for arthritis pain. It's not working yet). I tried to be more forceful, and pleaded with her to do something, give me stuff to do at home, anything to alleviate the pain. I even asked her for narcotics.

Damned if she didn't tell me to lay down so she could examine it -- jesus, finally! She barely touched it and I jerked and yelped. She touched it all over, and I jerked and gasped every time. She said, "I think you're gouty." She did horrible things to the knee with two big syringes and showed me the result. *shudder* She sent me for blood work and said to come back next week.

Like I said -- I'm not happy.