Gout is prone to attacks during the Spring Festival, and there are some good ways to relieve gout pain

"Every year's Spring Festival is a time when acute pain is most prevalent in people with gout," said Professor Guo Qiang, chief physician of the Department of Rheumatology at Renji Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Due to the impact of the epidemic recently, if gout patients are unable to go to the hospital, they should take anti-inflammatory analgesics including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reasonably.

However, many provinces and cities in my country have recently issued announcements to suspend the sale of antipyretic and analgesic drugs, and some OTC analgesics commonly used by some chronic gout patients are facing the dilemma of "out of stock".

The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs recommended by the guidelines are not out of stock

Professor Guo Qiang said that according to the recommendations of the Guidelines, colchicine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and glucocorticoids are generally used to deal with acute pain attacks. There are many nonsteroidal analgesics. It is understood that drugs recommended by the Guidelines, such as etoricoxib, can still be purchased at pharmacies with prescriptions.

It is reported that the suspension of sales is limited to OTC drugs (i.e. over-the-counter drugs), such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that mainly reduce fever. The main purpose of the suspension of sales is to guide people with fever symptoms or respiratory symptoms to the hospital fever clinic to avoid missed diagnosis of COVID-19. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as etoricoxib that mainly relieve pain are not on the list of drugs to be removed from the shelves.

Beware of high-energy intake during the Spring Festival and drink less cola, juice, and alcohol

During the Spring Festival, relatives and friends gather together, and it is inevitable to encounter many occasions of drinking and eating. Professor Guo Qiang believes that more and more young people will also suffer from gout attacks. Many patients who come to see the doctor are overweight at a glance, which is obviously related to the patients' high energy intake. Although fructose-rich beverages taste good, they will stimulate people's appetite and significantly promote uric acid synthesis. On the basis of high uric acid, alcohol often triggers acute attacks of gouty arthritis, especially beer and rice wine, which are often joint killers at banquets.

Professor Guo Qiang pointed out that gout patients should pay more attention to the usual uric acid-lowering treatment. Reducing uric acid to a reasonable range can prevent acute attacks of pain. In addition, Professor Guo reminded that uric acid-lowering drugs such as allopurinol and febuxostat should be used mainly in the remission period. If used in the acute attack period, it may aggravate the condition and must be used on the basis of effective anti-inflammatory.

Gout analgesia treatment is particular

Professor Guo Qiang said that gout is the most painful and unbearable of all joint diseases, and the pain comes quickly. During an attack, it is not recommended to use hot or cold compresses, and the key is to use anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain.

The treatment and analgesic drugs that can be selected in the acute phase include colchicine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and short-term oral hormones, which are all relatively effective drugs recommended by the gout guidelines. As a traditional treatment drug, colchicine often causes diarrhea as a side effect, so you should pay attention to how you take it. The current recommendation is 2 mg on the first day, and it can be reduced to about 1 mg per day after relief.

Among nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, OTC drugs are only a part of analgesics, while prescription drugs have better analgesic effects on gout and are safer. For example, etoricoxib (Ankangxin), as a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, has relatively little irritation to the gastrointestinal tract and is more suitable for patients with a history of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Moreover, it has good absorption, rapid onset of action, and can provide continuous analgesia by taking one tablet a day, which also allows patients with gout and other acute pain to better cope with the sudden onset of the disease.