The doctor told me I should lose weight to reduce my risk of gout. In addition to light exercise, I decided to cut back on what I ate for lunch. I would eat the occasional salad or a can of soup. Later, I discovered these tuna and cracker snacks that I really enjoyed for lunch. They were small, convenient, inexpensive, non-perishable, and yummy. I would alternate between soups and the tuna snacks during the week. I was losing weight and saving money. I did have some gout flare episodes but nothing major and it did no raise any red flags. One Sunday evening, we decided to go to one of the local chain seafood restaurant for dinner. With gout as an after thought, I ordered shrimp and my all time favorite scallops. I didn't think about the risk of gout until after dinner. Then, much to my surprise, I did not have a gout attack that night. I could not help but wonder if I was cured. Did I somehow eliminate gout as a factor in my life?
The following day, I decided to have a soup for lunch. I grabbed the next one from the cabinet; clam chowder, no big deal. Within four hours, I started to feel the pain in my toe flaring. Five hours later, I was in full blown gout attack mode. As with each previous episode, I thought about all I had eaten in the past weeks. Clearly, the clam chowder was not a good idea but why didn't I have an attack after the shrimp and scallops which are both high in purines. What I discovered is that clams, like other shellfish, are high in purines and can be a gout trigger for lots of people. I learned that canned seafood products, like soups and tuna, could could contain higher levels are purines making them a higher risk for gout sufferers. I determined that the clam chowder was the trigger to this latest gout attack it wasn't the only factor. The canned tuna, that I consumed for weeks, kept my uric acid levels high which explained the occasional gout flares I experienced. I got lucky not having an attack following the shrimp and scallops, but must have kept my uric acid levels elevated. When I ate the clam chowder, my body was primed for a major gout attack. That is exactly what happened.
The following day, I decided to have a soup for lunch. I grabbed the next one from the cabinet; clam chowder, no big deal. Within four hours, I started to feel the pain in my toe flaring. Five hours later, I was in full blown gout attack mode. As with each previous episode, I thought about all I had eaten in the past weeks. Clearly, the clam chowder was not a good idea but why didn't I have an attack after the shrimp and scallops which are both high in purines. What I discovered is that clams, like other shellfish, are high in purines and can be a gout trigger for lots of people. I learned that canned seafood products, like soups and tuna, could could contain higher levels are purines making them a higher risk for gout sufferers. I determined that the clam chowder was the trigger to this latest gout attack it wasn't the only factor. The canned tuna, that I consumed for weeks, kept my uric acid levels high which explained the occasional gout flares I experienced. I got lucky not having an attack following the shrimp and scallops, but must have kept my uric acid levels elevated. When I ate the clam chowder, my body was primed for a major gout attack. That is exactly what happened.
