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Sudden Pain in Big Toe (Gout?)

Discussion in 'Ask your questions here' started by Unregistered, May 22, 2009.

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  1. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest


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    I woke up in the middle of the night last night with fairly intense, throbbing pain in the tip of my big toe. At this point, it's uncomfortable just having socks and shoes on, and I can't put any weight on it without experiencing severe pain (especially from the bottom of the toe).

    I did some Googling and it would seem all signs and symptoms point to gout (though most sources said the pain usually starts closer to the base of the big toe, not the tip...?).

    Obviously I should see a doctor on this, but my issue is that I'm about to take a trip to Florida for vacation and don't have time to.

    1. Would it seem that this is, in fact, gout?

    2. If it is gout, most online sources say that it can be treated in the short-term by taking anti-inflamatory medicines (Advil? Aleve?). Is there anything else I can do to speed up the "healing" process so that I'm not in agony during this whole trip?

    Thanks so much in advance.
     
  2. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Strange...

    It's been about 8 hours since the pain started and now it's almost gone. The toe is still very sensitive, but the agony that came with each step seems to have gone away. I didn't take any meds or anything. It does still have a "warm" sensation though, and I think it might still be a bit swollen.

    Still, sudden onset of severe pain that just...goes away after a few hours is unsettling, to say the least.
     
  3. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    If you ever find out what happened, let me know. The same thing happened to me except the pain was by the base of the big toe nail. Happened about a month ago and I can still feel a tiny bit of residual pain. I noticed that the toenail has started to bruise at the base. Weird.
     
  4. mauiradise

    mauiradise Guest

    I just felt the same thing at 3am today. It woke me up. My toe seems bursting with pain. I couldn't sleep back so I got up with a little struggle and made a hot compress to deaden the pain. I went back to bed with the hot compress. It was hurting so much.. just the left big toe...and nothing else. I fell asleep. The toe still have that sensation but a much less than when it started when I woke up. Is this gout or what? I never felt this thing before.
     
  5. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    Perhaps, but only an examination and testing can tell.
     
  6. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Similar experience here. BOTH big toes woke me up hurting. This went on for about a week and then a raised red area appeared at the outside base of each nail. Uric acid test revealed nothing. Doc asked about new shoes or activities, but there were none. Doc half-heartedly mumbled fungus? The pain gradually went away, along with the swelling. Both nails turned dark and continue to grow out. Looks dreadful. Would love to know what the heck happened.
     
  7. vickywatts

    vickywatts Guest

    Rheumatoid arthritis can cause big toe joint pain. The Arthritis Foundation, or AF, states that rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation of a joint's synovial lining. Over time, rheumatoid arthritis can cause significant joint damage, which causes chronic pain, reduced joint range of motion and functional disability. According to the AF, rheumatoid arthritis affects 1.3 million people in the United States. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. Although rheumatoid arthritis usually affects the finger, hand and wrist joints, it can manifest in the joints of the big toe. Possible signs and symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis include the following: morning stiffness in the affected area, weakness, fever, flu-like symptoms, nodules of tissue under the skin, muscle pain and fatigue.
     
  8. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    So can an elephant stepping on your toe. But the topic of this thread is "Sudden Pain in Big Toe." Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition which generally develops slowly over time, not suddenly and acutely. So how does your response in this thread possible address the question at hand?
     
  9. PreventGout

    PreventGout New Member

    . . . my $.02 . . . it's not gout, if it was really gout I could have heard you howling from here . . .
     
  10. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Re: Sudden Pain in pinky toe

    Last night I was waken with severe pinky toe pain. The shooting pain lasted only seconds but continued the entire night. The pain was so severe it felt like someone was slicing my toe off. Today the pain is still there but the sharp stabbing now feels like dull constant pain. I believe it has something to do with the nerves as I had a back fusion last year and was told that I had nerve damage in my leg/foot. Any comments I have suffered enormously in the past 12 hours
     
  11. PreventGout

    PreventGout New Member

    You're safe . . . it's not Gout. If it was Gout it would hurt way more than some one slicing your toe off. (LOL!) Seriously, if it is red, shiny, hot, and throbbing . . . it's probably Gout. If you read this and it fits the description, there are some suggestions that could help.
     
  12. Jason K

    Jason K Guest

    It is 4 am, I've been up for nearly an hour and a half, and I'm dying of pain.

    One week ago I had surgery on my in-grown nail on the right side of my left big toe. As instructed I didn't take the casting off for 48 hours. For some reason, I left the casting on another day, and started soaking 2x a day and adding oinment each time after that.

    I wake up to constant pulsing in my foot, I believe it's reffered to throbbing, and I don't know what to do to make it stop. I have a final exam in the morning :s !!

    Reading some of these entries, it seems like i may have gout, and it sounds like a serious thing.

    I'm experiencing severe pulsing, and just under the bottom of the toe nail, there's a distinguished red area along the edge from left to right, about half a cm in length.

    Does this sound like gout?
     
  13. FootDoc

    FootDoc New Member

    DISCLAIMER:
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    ***************************************************
    I've never heard of casting a toe after an ingrown nail procedure, but when hearing hoof-beats, unless you are on the Seriegeti, think horses, not zebras. Could it be gout . . I suppose. But you just had a surgery on your toe and if it is the toe that is throbbing, I would first consider that it is the result of your surgery. Talk to your doctor.
     
  14. PreventGout

    PreventGout New Member

    Jason K - from you're description, it doesn't sound like gout to me. Gout is more an overall area getting red, hot, throbbing - if you ask me, it sounds like it's infected underneath the toenail from the surgery. Good Luck! :eek:
     
  15. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Drink pure cherry juice!
     
  16. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    At first the right top side of my toe was a little red and felt like i bumped it on something. It is now 2:20 A.M. and it hurts so bad i cant sleep. its throbbing and anything hurts it! whats happening?
     
  17. MuscleHead

    MuscleHead Guest

    It's not gout. Gout is in the joint, not at the tip of your toe. I say shoot some HGH into your toe. This is the fastest way to heal your toe, and it might even give it some extra muscles.

    True Tip
     
  18. kenzooo

    kenzooo Guest

    I woke up with my big toe throbbing and I was in extreme pain for the past 2 weeks. But after pusning through the sharp pain of every step, the pain would fade away within 6 hours or so. But the next morning the pain would be back. Its horrible because I have no choice and have to ride the bus to school in the morning and I've tried explaining to my parents that I need my foot checked out, they just say its the way I'm sleeping on it even though I've tried keeping it elevated, sleeping with it off the bed, everything. But I still wake up with this pain
     
  19. kenzo

    kenzo Guest

    And I'm only 15 so I don't know if its gout or what
     
  20. Unregistered

    Unregistered Guest

    Wow, the same thing happened to me! I also went to the doctor so they could test for gout. Came back negative. About a month after it happened, a small bump formed under the skin by the cuticle. It drained itself so I never went back to the doctor. But now my toe nail is turning yellow. I'm wondering if it is paronychia? You should look it up, especially if your nail is turning yellow, there's pus, or a bump. I could be wrong though.
    I actually posted my own topic with pictures (isn't on here yet, supposedly someone has to review it since I added pictures) but my experience sounds exactly like yours! Hope we figure out what it is!
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2012
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