Which is the best drink for gout?

[Eric Bolvin]

Beer or wine for gout?

Hi Everybody; Thanks for all the great info on this site. Been reading some and wondering which drink is more likely to trigger an attack, beer or wine or mixed drinks? Some of the posts seem to point to beer, but I wanted to know for sure.

I know that nay abuse of alcohol can lead to an attack. So I am talking about moderate use. I am controlling the uric acid successfully with allopurinol.

[Keith Taylor]

I used my search box above to find relevant gout facts and discussions. So, I just searched your topic title: Beer or wine?

Fortunately, my first result was what I’d hoped for: What Is The Best Alcoholic Beverage To Drink With Gout? Also, there are some links to other discussions. But, the main conclusion comes from that article:

The only way to determine if one drink is better than another is to test your uric acid. Stick to one drink for at least two weeks, test your uric acid, then switch to a different drink. Retest after at least 2 weeks, then repeat as often as it takes to get reliable results. If you do this, please share your results in the gout forum, where you can also get advice on establishing test procedures that will produce the best results.

That was also reinforced by a comment in a discussion here: Did you drink wine or beer with your meal?

However, Eric, you are taking allopurinol. In which case it doesn’t matter which one you choose.

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Is wine better than beer for gout sufferers?

[Eric Bolvin]

So how do you test your uric acid? I have a felling many on this forum are in the UK. I am in the USA. iN ORDER TO TEST MY URIC ACID i NEED A DOC REFERRAL TO A LAB. Is there another way?

[Eric Bolvin]

I am trying to make another post and cannot. Is there a posting limit?

[Keith Taylor]

There’s no posting limit Eric. But I don’t have any info to help me suggest what went wrong. So, I’ll go to the uric acid test question.

I’m UK based, but I try to make my information as American-centered as I can. Because most readers and most forum contributors are in the USA. Most of the time, I focus on providing information that will help you work with your doctor to control your gout. Because I believe that is the fastest, safest way to gout recovery.

But if you don’t want to work with your doctor, I can help you work through other options that might help you. For example, there are uric acid test meters you can use at home. Also, I thought Americans could get blood tests from walk-in labs without a doctor referral. But, you’ll have to tell me if I’m wrong about that.

Anyway, the more you tell me about your situation, Eric, the easier it is for me to make sure my information is relevant to you. So maybe you could start by teaching me why you can’t get a blood test from your doctor.

[Keith Taylor]

Quick update on arranging your own lab test. I searched for blood test without doctor referral America and found:

Order blood tests online with or without insurance or doctor visit. Walk-In Lab offers direct access to cheap blood work and lab testing with secure results.

But, I notice on the Uric Acid Test Lab Locator page, that some states don’t allow this. So, are you in one of the forbidden states, Eric?

[Keith Taylor]

Finally, for today Eric, I’m very concerned that you are taking allopurinol without safe supervision from your doctor. Presumably, your doctor gives you a prescription for your allopurinol.

How can a doctor legally prescribe allopurinol without using blood test results to set the correct dose?

I realize we are in different countries. But if a UK doctor tried to prescribe allopurinol to me without a blood test, I would report him immediately. Then I’d be contacting my lawyer for a negligence claim. (Just saying – not advising)

[Brad Keck]

Eric, in the US, you can get a uric acid meter, which is the fastest and most economical way to do uric acid testing, but you have to order from amazon or something like that as US drug stores don’t carry these. You can also pick one up in the UK if you are fortunate enough to travel there occasionally. These are also commonly available in Asia.

Most labs don’t support self-ordered tests, which is dumb, but that’s how it is here in the “land of the free.”

As to beer vs. wine, wine is generally low in purines, so provided you don’t drink to excess and do stay hydrated, I think wine is a better choice as far as gout risk goes. Beer can be quite high in purines, but it is very difficult to know the purine content for a specific beer, especially the tasty local brews for which no data is available. I have found that for me personally, I can’t have both beers and a high meat meal without risking a flare, so for me it is one or the other, but not both! I can’t overstate the importance of water when consuming any alcohol.

Good luck and let us know how it goes with a meter purchase here on the forum.

[Eric Bolvin]

Thanks for the info. Keith; I am under a doctors care and we have had blood tests and he is prescribing the meds. Looking in to the meter and walk-in testing.

Thanks!!~

Eb

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