Torture is a strong word. I have never been waterboarded. I have never been hooked to a car battery and shocked by an enemy wanting troop numbers and locations. But I have experienced pain. I was in a car accident that resulted in a slipped disc. I had both my legs broken. I have had all my wisdom teeth extracted and have experienced the joys of a root canal. So pain is not a unique concept to me. But the pain I woke up with just over a week ago was unique. It was severe and it was constant.
I took a couple of Alleve hoping to go back to sleep. The pain laughed at Alleve. Seriously? That's the best you can do. The following morning, I went back to the Marine Corps standard...800mg Ibuprofen. That is what the USMC issues for everything from an ingrown toenail to a sucking chest wound. I think it is the catchall prescription for pain. Ibuprofen (like Alleve) is also an anti-inflammatory. I experienced some relief with the Ibuprofen.
The pain was nagging and constant. Centered in my ankle and big toe. An old injury? But without trauma, it made no sense to me. The pain went up, not down, so I found myself in the walk in clinic. The PA wasn't sure, but she thought it was gout. She said she had not seen it in both the ankle and toe before, so she consulted one of the MDs. Yep, probably gout. A blood test confirmed high levels of Uric Acid in my blood. They put me on a couple of meds and sent me on my way.
I bring this up for a couple of reasons. First, forget just about everything you read on the internet about gout. And don't try to self diagnose or self treat based on what you read on the internet. My diet is almost completely free from the major indicators that you will find on the interwebs. I don't eat shellfish, red meat, fish or high fructose corn syrup. I don't binge drink beer. But genetic factors and body composition are also factors. Heredity being a big one, apparently.
If you have a hereditary factor and suspect gout, get it checked out quickly. Don't be a hardass Marine, like me. There is no benefit to waiting. The pain will just piss you off. You can go get a couple of prescriptions to help clear out the uric acid and potentially prevent things from getting worse. The uric acid is stored in the joints (it really seems to like the bit toe) and is shaped like a needle. Making it feel, literally, like walking on pins and needles. And I have seen some scary photos on the internet of what it looks like when things go to far. See the photo below if you can stomach it.
Gout comes on fast. It can last for more than a week. The quicker you start treatment, the better. So get it checked.