Castor oil might rout gout

Q. Here is a little more about Castiva for arthritis. I've been putting it on my arthritic hands for more than a year. It has really helped, allowing me to continue playing the violin, knitting and crocheting (not to mention typing just as fast as I always have!)

I have not seen anyone mention this, but I want to tell those who might be put off by this treatment because they think it will be oily and messy: It isn't. I rub it on my hands at night, put on some soft gloves and go to bed. In the morning, my hands are not the least bit oily -- just baby soft and smooth.

Now, for the most important part of this letter.

Recently, I was diagnosed with gout. I had a bad episode a couple of years ago but didn't know what it was. When I had another episode, my doctor diagnosed it. I have learned to watch for the first signs of an attack (pain and discomfort in my big toe). It happened again recently, so I tried rubbing castor oil on it. Instantly -- and I do mean instantly -- the pain disappeared. I put on a sock and went to bed. I didn't have any pain all night. About an hour after I woke up, the pain came back, so I put on more castor oil. Again, instant relief.

My podiatrist told me that gout is a form of arthritis, so perhaps this is why the castor oil did such a good job. In fact, it worked better on my gout than on my arthritic hands! It might not work if the gout gets really bad before it is put on. I don't know, since I was diligent about putting it on as soon as the pain came back. I think the trick may be to catch it as soon as possible. I hope this helps some of your readers as much as it has helped me!

A. Thank you for writing to share your experiences. I had not heard of castor oil relieving the pain of an acute gout attack. So far, the most popular method has been cherries. For those who experience gout, I recommend eating a handful (10 to 12) cherries (dried, fresh, frozen or canned) each day. This should prevent an attack. Another option is to eat 15 to 20 cherries each day once an attack has started. This should reduce the severity and duration allowing for more normal daily activity. Some readers have had success by drinking cherry juice rather than eating the fruit. I am glad to say that now there are several options (including prescription medication) to treat or prevent acute gout.

Folks, let me know about your experiences using castor oil for gout.

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