Gouty Arthritis
Gouty arthritis occurs when monosodium urate crystals trigger inflammation inside a joint. Flares can become intensely painful within hours, with redness, heat and swelling.
Key takeaways
- Big-toe involvement is typical, but gout can affect ankles, knees, wrists and other joints.
- Anti-inflammatory treatment calms a flare; it does not remove the urate crystals that drive recurrence.
- Fever or severe illness with a swollen joint needs urgent assessment for infection rather than presumed gout treatment.
A pain-medicine listing cannot distinguish gout from septic arthritis or injury; the diagnosis, kidney function and other medicines determine safe options.
What can trigger a flare?
Persistently raised urate allows crystals to accumulate. Dehydration, alcohol, illness and sudden changes in urate can precipitate inflammation, but a single meal is rarely the whole explanation. Kidney disease and some diuretics can raise risk.
How is a flare managed?
Etoricoxib is one anti-inflammatory option, but stomach, kidney, heart and blood-pressure risks matter. Colchicine or a corticosteroid may be considered in other situations. Recurrent flares call for review of long-term urate lowering, not repeated reliance on acute medicines. See pain management for class context.
When to seek urgent care
Seek same-day assessment for fever, chills, a first hot swollen joint, rapidly spreading redness, severe illness, recent joint surgery or injection, or inability to bear weight. A joint infection can resemble gout and can damage the joint quickly.
Related articles
Understand the different roles of colchicine, NSAIDs and corticosteroids for flares versus allopurinol and febuxostat for urate lowering.
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