Question
I saw the question posed about gout and chemotherapy. I am a 54 year old woman who had breast cancer 5 years ago and was treated with chemotherapy(cytoxin and adriamycin)During this time I had a continued decline in the joints of my knees. My Dcotors say it is arthritis. I am now experiencing a numbness in my toes and also some enlargement. I also experienced an enlargement of a finger in my left hand (swollen and feels difficult to bend) No signs of an insect bite only warmth and no redness.I have some puffiness between the middle and forth fingers of both hands, occasional pain on the outside of my wrists and I am also experiencing aches in my lower hip and buttocks area. Could this be the start of gout or rhumatoid arthritis? What type of test could determine this, and is there any type of diet for gout that could help me ? I am a gingerale drinker and wondered if consuming too much could cause an increase in uric acid in my system?
Answer
See our section on gout. Gout ususally starts as an intermittent highly inflammatory arthritis of the big toe, knee or ankle. Each attack last about 3-7 days. Rheumatoid arthritis starts as inflammation and swelling at the hands and wrists. The best test is a history and examination by a rheumatologist. In regard to your soft drink habit, fructose can raise uric acid levels.
