Part 1 – The First Two Weeks

This post will be the first of three that outline how you can greatly improve your problems with gout.  The program is in 2-week segements and we will cover the first two weeks in this post.

What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the concentrated essences of flowers, fruits, herbs, and plants, and have been proven to be extremely potent when used medicinally.

For hundreds of years, all around the world, essential oils and aromatherapy have been used successfully in the treatment of many adverse conditions, and gout pain relief is one of them.

What Oils Will We Use?

The essential oils we’ll be using during the first two weeks are Fennel, Cypress, and Juniper, and are great for treating gout.

Here is a brief explanation of what each of the oils does:

Fennel

Fennel has a long list of properties that benefit the health.  The properties that help with gout are as follows:

• Anti-inflammatory – reduces swelling and inflammation.
• Depurative – a detoxification alterative which purifies the blood. Most alteratives also promote cleaning action of the spleen, liver, kidneys, and bowels.  Alteratives typically produce a gradual, beneficial change in the body, and restore the body to normal functioning.
• Diuretic – aids in the elimination of toxins in the body by increasing urine flow. This helps flush the uric acid and monosodium urate crystals out of your system.
• Stimulant – induces temporary improvements in physial function. For example, a stimulant  can promote enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion.
• Tonic – helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs.

Cypress

Cypress has the following properties:

• Anti-inflammatory – reduces swelling and inflammation
• Anti-rheumatic – prevents and/or relieves chronic rheumatic pain and swelling. Gout has been associated with rheumatic arthritis and is often called “gouty arthritis.”
• Diuretic – aids in the elimination of toxins in the body by increasing urine flow. This helps flush the uric acid and monosodium urate crystals out of your system.
• Tonic – helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs.

Juniper

Juniper essential oil promotes elimination of uric acid, and helps cleanse the blood.  It’s properties are:

• Anti-inflammatory – reduces swelling and inflammation
• Anti rheumatic – prevents and/or relieves chronic rheumatic pain and swelling. Gout has been associated with rheumatic arthritis and is often called “gouty arthritis.”
• Diuretic – aids in the elimination of toxins in the body by increasing urine flow. This helps flush the uric acid and monosodium urate crystals out of your system.
• Tonic- helps to strengthen the entire body or specific organs.

These are the three essential oils we will be using during the first two weeks.

The First Two Weeks

The focus for the first two weeks is detoxifying your body and flushing out the excess uric acid and monosodium urate crystals which are responsible for your gout pain.

These are the steps:

1.  The first thing you must do is eliminate the foods from your diet that are prone to bring on an attack of gout.  These include:

• Alcohol, especially beer
• Caffein drinks
• Chocolate
• Red meat
• Pork
• Lamb
• Processed meats, such as bacon and hot dogs
• Shellfish/seafood
• Anything made with yeast, such as bread

2.  It’s always wise, if you are subject to gout attacks, to drink adequate amounts of water each day.  This helps flush the uric acid from your system and may prevent a gout attack.  So, make sure you drink a lot of water each day.  It’s really not that hard.  If you ask yourself, “Can I drink 1/2 a cup of water every hour of the day?”, the answer will be “Yes, I can do that.”

3.  Take the following vitamins, in additional to a Multi-Vitamin Supplement:

• 1,000 mg of Vitamin C
• 250 mg of Vitamin E
• B-Complex Supplement
• Beta-Carotene
• Fish Oil Capsules.

4. Make a blend of the three essential oils as follows:

• Fennel…..30 drops
• Cypress..16 drops
• Juniper…10 drops

You can usually buy a small, brown glass bottle that has a dropper, or a plug like the one in the essential oil bottle,from the pharmacist.  If you can’t find one, you should be able to find one of those empty plastic bottles that people buy to put shampoo in when they travel.  They usually have a plug in the top that would allow you to dispense the essential oil blend drop by drop.  If you do use the plastic bottle, keep it wrapped in a dark cloth or bag so it doesn’t get exposed to the sun.

5.  Each day take a warm bath to which you’ve added one cup of Epsom Salts, and four (4) drops of your essential oil blend.

Follow this routine for the full two weeks.  The next post will have the steps for the second two weeks.

I have put together a list with the items you will need for the first two weeks from amazon.com.  I have found their prices to be better than those at a health food store.  Click Essential Oils For Weeks 1 & 2 to purchase the items.  You have the option of purchasing them individually so, if you already have some, it is not necessary to buy them again!

If you have any questions at all about this method of treating gout, please leave a message below. . . .I would love to hear from you.

Treating Gout with Essential Oils & Aromatherapy, Part 1 is a post from: Gout Cures Now

University Pharmacy in Sweden

Prescription Drug Information for You

There are many prescription drugs used in the treatment for gout.  Here is a chart with the most common ones:

Here are some other things to keep in mind when taking prescription drugs:

• Read the leaflet that comes with your medication. If you have any questions, ask the pharmacist or your doctor;
• Take the medication at the same time each day;
• If your condition worsens or persists, contact your doct
• IMPORTANT: Be aware of the signs of an allergic reaction. These are: RASH, itching or swelling (especially of the face, tongue, or throat), severe dizziness; trouble breathing;
• Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to the prescription drug or to any other drugs;
• Tell your doctor or pharmacist of any other prescriptions you are taking, any non-prescription medications, or any herbal, homeopathic, Ayurvedic, Chinese medicine medications or treatments you are taking.

This is just a partial list of things you should watch out for and/or discuss with your doctor or pharmacist. There are many good websites online that can give you more comprehensive information about any prescription drugs your doctor may prescribe for you, such as Web MD

Remember, it’s YOUR health. You are “hiring” your doctor and other healthcare professionals to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You have a right to know everything that has to do with your health.

What are your experiences with these drugs?. . .

Treatment for Gout – Prescription Drugs is a post from: Gout Cures Now

Since before the days of Rome, people have been using Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica or Urtica urens) for treating gout (also known as “gouty arthritis”), arthritis, and rheumatism. The method they used was called flagellation or urtification. They would take a handful of the plant by the stems and “slap” the painful area repeatedly.

The first time I heard Nettles used as a treatment for gout was by this method.

This method decreases the original pain by reducing the level of inflammatory chemicals in the body and interfers with how the body sends pain signals to the brain.

What are Stinging Nettles?

The Stinging Nettle is a herbaceous shrub that grows worldwide. You may have had a tenacious patch of it in your yard at one time or another!

Each Spring, it is one of the earliest plants to appear.  It grows well in nitrogen-rich soil, blooms between June and September, and can grow up to five feet in height. The stems are upright and rigid, it has heart shaped leaves which are finely toothed and tapered. The flowers  are yellow or pink and the entire plant is covered with tiny stiff hairs which release formic acid when touched, which is a skin irritant. The best time to harvest the young leaves, which are rich in iron, calcium and the Vitamins A and C, is in May or June.

How Stinging Nettles Help With Gout Pain Relief

• Used in a COMPRESS or CREAM it’s good for treating joint pain;
• Chopped leaves can be applied topically to the painful area;
• INFUSIONS  made with fresh nettle leaves stimulate  circulation and cleanse the system;
• TINCTURES are used in combination with other herbs for joint pain;
  Compresses soaked in diluted tincture can be applied to painful joints;

The TEA has many uses, such as:

• Kidney and urinary system ailments;
• It aids in the discharge of metabolic wastes, such as uric acid crystals, which are a by-product of protein metabolism and, as they build up in the blood, they turn into monosodium urate crystals that lodge in the joints, causing extreme pain and inflammation.  Actually, the inflammation is caused by the body’s own white blood cells that head for the area to “fight” off the crystals.
• It’s a diuretic and flushes the toxins from your body;
• The tea has been used for centuries as a “Spring Tonic” to cleanse the blood, tone and purify the body, and replenish the body with nutrients.

Different Ways to Use Stinging Nettles

• Tea made with nettle tops can be used as a blood cleansing diuretic that also stimulates the formation of red blood cells;
• To prepare the tea,pour 2/3 cup of boiling water over 3 – 4 teaspoons of the dried leaves and steep for 3 – 5 minutes. Drink 3 – 4 cups a day
• It’s great cooked up  like spinach or other leafy greens. It’s flavor is pleasant and earthy flavor;
• An infusion can be made as follows: take 1/2 ounce of fresh nettle leaves to a pint of water. Pour boiling water over leaves a let stand for a short time.
• To make a tincture, add 4 ounces of water and 12 ounces of alcohol to 1-4 ounces of the powdered leaf or root. Let stand for 2 weeks. You may add a teaspoon of glycerin. After two weeks, drain off the liquid and put it in a bottle to use as needed.
• After harvesting, wash and cover with hot water for 20 minutes. This reduces their stinging power. Then used the “soak” water as a tea or a base for soup.

Available as. . .

Stinging nettle is available as dried leaf, freeze-dried leaf, extract, capsules, tinctures, infusions, and powder.  Visit my STINGING NETTLES STORE for a good selection of all the different forms of nettles.

You can also find the different Stinging Nettles products at good online sources for the such as GNC or WALMART and AMAZON is always a good source and usually has the best prices.

In the Spring, you can harvest the fresh, tender leaves and dry them for use throughout the year.  Watch the video below for pointers on how to harvest the leaves.

Historical Uses

Besides being used by the Romans, the ancient Greeks used nettles to treat arthritis. 1st Century Greek physician, Dioscorides listed many uses for the plant, from the fresh, chopped leaves, to the juice, and cooked leaves.

The Aztecs used it medicinally in Mexico. The Aztec Herbal of 1552 recommended using crushed nettles boiled in water to be used as a poultice for arthritis.

Native Americans have long used it for urinary tract disorders.

How to Harvest Stinging Nettles

OK, who out there has actually done this? Is it as easy as it looks?
Let us know. . .

Treating Gout with Stinging Nettles is a post from: Gout Cures Now

~~~Renée~~~

A preliminary study in 1950 proposed that eating cherries each day was helpful in relieving gout attacks and gout pain. Patients who consumed cherries, or cherry juice, had reduced levels of uric acid in their blood, and the inflammation around the joint improved.

As we know, when the uric acid level in the blood becomes too high, it turns to monosodium urate crystals and settles around a joint. The body’s white blood cells then attack the crystals, causing extreme pain and inflammation. So including tart cherries in your gout diet can be a good remedy for gout. Watch the video below for some tips for treating gout with cherries:

I hope eating these luscious cherries while they’re nice and fresh helps with your gout like it has mine!

If you prefer a cherry extract or cherry concentrate, you can find them at the better health food websites such as GNC (www.gnc.com).

Have you had any experience treating gout pain by eating cherries. . . If so, could you tell us about it below? . . . Thank you very much!

Treating Gout With Cherries is a post from: Gout Cures Now