Gout
Natural Remedies

Natural Remedies for Gout

| Modified on Apr 24, 2023
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Natural Remedies for Gout

Gout is a type of arthritis that is especially painful, and often the onset of an attack is sudden. Fortunately, natural remedies for gout are quite effective and often fast-acting. Treatments for gout include internal remedies as well as external remedies. While often one remedy is effective enough to bring relief, sometimes two or three remedies are used at once.

Top Natural Remedies for Gout

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is commonly used for arthritis pain, and it works for gout as well. Apple cider vinegar helps alkalize the body, helping the body work more effectively and expelling uric acid crystals. More details about this remedy can be found here.

Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)

It seems almost absurd that simple baking soda can cure gout. Still, this very inexpensive item found in most kitchens can alkalize an acidic body, which brings relief to gout.

Cherries

Cherries are a delicious way to bring relief to a gout sufferer. You will find a variety of forms of cherries that work for gout on this page.

Herbs and Vitamins for Gout

Alfalfa, Celery Seed, and Cat's Claw are herbs used successfully for gout. These herbs are usually taken in capsules.

Garlic is a strong anti-inflammatory herb that is best taken raw. Adding it liberally to food is the easiest way to take it.

Vitamin C is an important vitamin for those with gout. Sodium ascorbate is the best form of vitamin C to take. It is less acidic than ascorbic acid and easier on the stomach. 500 - 1000 mg of vitamin C can be taken morning and evening.

External Treatments for Gout

Castor Oil Packs

Castor oil is a wonderfully healing, albeit humble-seeming oil.  Soak a cloth in castor oil and carefully wrap the gouty area. Cover with plastic wrap and an ace bandage. If you can tolerate the pressure, use a heating pad or hot water bottle on the castor oil pack. This works well overnight. Be careful to use old pajamas and keep a towel or two under the castor oil application because castor oil is greasy and can stain clothing.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar can be topically for gout. Find a detailed description of the process here.

Epsom Salt Baths

Epsom salt baths can be taken to bring relief to gout. Add 1-2 cups of Epsom salt to a warm water tub and soak for 20 minutes. If this is inconvenient, you can use a footbath for gout in the foot or toe with Epsom salt added.  Add 1/3 cup Epsom salt to a basin of warm water and soak for 30 minutes daily.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is a free remedy that helps with pain and swelling. Warm and cool applications are alternated on the affected area. The warm applications bring blood flow for healing. The cool applications reduce inflammation and swelling. You can use two basins of water for a foot or toe, one warm and one cool, and alternate. For an elbow or knee, you can alternate cool and warm clothes.  Use each application for 30-60 seconds at a time before switching. Begin with cool and end with cool, and change your applications seven times.

Dietary Changes for Gout

Certain diets are linked to gout. Red meat, shellfish, foods high in purines, processed foods, sugar, and alcohol should be limited or avoided if you suffer from gout. If you have been on a high protein/low carb diet for a while, you may be at increased risk for gout.

Choose foods that are not processed. Fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken, and whole grains are good choices. Cherries are especially wonderful for gout sufferers. Other types of berries are also excellent choices, including strawberries and blueberries.

However, vegetarians, vegans, and people with seemingly amazing diets can also get gout. You may have to do detective work to figure out what food or drink may trigger gout!

Don't forget about water. Water is critical to life and health. Modern diets full of soda, coffee, tea, energy drinks, etc., keep people from drinking enough water. Water keeps you hydrated. Even mild dehydration can make pain feel worse. Make an effort to drink plenty of water daily. Herbal teas and water with apple cider vinegar count towards your water intake.

Cautions

If you think you have gout but have never been diagnosed, consult a health professional. Other conditions can mimic gout, like cellulitis, which can be very serious if appropriate treatment is delayed.

You should ask your healthcare professional before taking new herbs if you take medications. Activated charcoal, one of the gout remedies, can decrease the effectiveness of many medications.

 Please let us know what you try to combat your gout, or continue reading below to learn what our readers used to treat their gout!

Related Links:

Apple Cider Vinegar: Uses, Health Benefits and FAQ




Alkalizing Remedies

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Posted by Ruby (GA) on 01/07/2021
5 out of 5 stars

Diagnosed with gout and put on Allopurinol 300 mg and colchicine .6 mg twice daily all of which helped little and caused many more problems like heartburn, diarrhea. bleeding, nausea, etc. I had researched natural cures but was always sent to a website advertising some expensive bottle of herbs, etc. Desperate, I tried again and amazingly found you! I immediately tried the lemon juice, water and baking soda and am also trying ACV, baking soda and water. THANK YOU. You saved my life!


Apple Cider Vinegar, L-Orthinine

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Posted by Clew (Tx) on 06/15/2020
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My husband came home from work and took his shoes and socks off- then he called me over to look- on the top of one foot was this dark purple rash just above his toes- it was about 4”x3” and had very small bumps mixed into it! Scared me and I remembered that many years ago he had been diagnosed with gout (it was soooo bad) but had no more issues since then. I had no idea if it was gout or a bug sting (he is allergic to most bug stings) or athletes foot or what???? So I immediately came to Earth Clinic and researched foot rashes!

I saw that apple cider vinegar had the most cures- but then I remembered that L- Orthinine would help eliminate the uric acid -if it was gout! So I immediately started him on the L-Orthinine at 3 Capsules of 500mg first thing every morning and a foot soak of ACV and a bit of water to cover his foot- at first it seemed his rash became more purple- but within 2 days of the ACV foot bath it was about 1/2 the rash as when we started. By day 4 it was 90% gone and he ask if we could let it heal on out from there. We are very grateful for all the articles from Earth Clinic.... Wish you had a book, with everyone's experiences mentioned!!! Thanks.


Baking Soda, Lime Juice

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Posted by Mikemike77 (Uk) on 11/04/2016
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Gout relief achieved by bicarbonate of soda and lime juice.Take about half a teaspoon of bicarb on an empty stomach with a little lime juice and make sure the fizz has totally gone before drinking. First thing in the morning is good. Take another maybe before bedtime. I had suffered for weeks and I kid you not, within a day there was a major improvement and even after an hour I could walk better.

After only one dose my foot was nearly back to normal.


Baking Soda, Vitamin C

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Posted by Annec (Nyc) on 01/31/2017
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Baking Soda and Vitamin C treatment for Gout.

My brother could not walk yesterday. I did not know what was wrong. The doctors stay it was arthritis, yet he got no relief. I came to this site, I used the baking soda first 1/2 teaspoon with 1/2 glass of water. Then I gave him 2 packets of 1,000 mg Vitamin C that dissolve in water. Within half an hour he was able to walk. I will be giving it to him on a regular basis.


Burdock

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Posted by Stuman (Oceanside, CA) on 02/05/2023
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What makes burdock root particularly interesting to gout sufferers is that the herb is a very powerful xanthine oxidase inhibitor, the enzyme in the body that produces uric acid. Blocking this enzyme is how the prescription drugs like Allopurinol and Febuxostat decrease uric acid levels in the blood.

https://goutandyou.com/gout-and-burdock-root/#:~:text=What makes burdock root particularly, acid levels in the blood.

In the past I've successfully used celery seeds for gout pain. This time the celery seeds worked but the pain came back 4 times in different location on my left foot and ankle. The burdock seems to stop the crystals from forming.

A good approach would be:

  • stop eating high purine food and stop overeating. When I overate low purine food, it seemed to cause a flare up.
  • Eat burdock to prevent crystal formation. I've been eating about 2-4 ounces of the root as food 3-5 times a day.
  • Remove the crystal in the joint with celery seed and lots of water.
  • Reduce the swelling turmeric and resveratrol helped short term but I eventually used the pharmaceutical Aleve for 12 hour relief.


Chanca Piedra

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Posted by Ong3 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) on 10/02/2021
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Chanca piedra is a better remedy for gout. I have tried ACV, tart cherry juice and some others but I find chanca piedra most effective. I mixed a teaspoon of chanca piedra powder in a glass of warm water and drink the mixture. You should feel the pain lessen in a few hours. Twice a day if you are already suffering from gout. The mixture is quite bitter or take chanca piedra in capsule form, without the bitterness.


Collagen

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Posted by Rh (Iowa) on 12/29/2022
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I use to get gout terribly. 3 years ago I bought a liquid collagen supplement and take it daily. No gout for 3 years. Lately I have gotten off schedule and missed my daily dose for 2 or 3 days and I have a gout flare up.


Lithium Orotate, Vitamin C

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Posted by Joe (Las Vegas) on 12/05/2018
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I have been using Lithium Orotate combined with high doses of Vitamin C to control my gout attacks with great success for the past year. Twice a day take 2,000mg of a good Vitamin C supplement along with 10mg of Lithium Orotate and you will control your gout.


MSM

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Posted by Peter (Los Angeles, California) on 05/22/2021
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Without knowing what it was at the time because it didn't affect my joints as is common (i.e. big toe), but actually the soft tissue at the bottom of my foot, I suffered a handful of gout episodes in my right foot that I attribute to high uric acid levels from drinking too much beer on numerous occasions.

I tried a number of supplements to remedy the situation with varying degrees of success (i.e. ACV, cherry juice, baking soda, cherry extract) One thing that permanently relieved the aforementioned gout no matter how poorly I ate or drank is MSM.

I take a tablespoon of MSM on most days and ever since I have never had one episode of gout related pain again. I attribute the success of MSM to its known ability to enhance the permeability of the cellular membrane which allows water and nutrients to flow in while allowing toxins and waste to flow out of the cell so as not to accumulate as in the case of uric acid which builds up as sharp crystals inside the cell which is what causes gout pain.

I never took any drugs for this or even saw a physician. MSM simply works for gout pain because I believe it prevents the built-up of uric acid inside the cells by enhancing the function of the cellular membrane. If you want added insurance to prevent gout, take Quercetin. It deactivates the same enzyme in the body that produces uric acid in the body that the drug Allopurinol does.


Reduce Protein Intake

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Posted by Donna (Nyc) on 01/05/2016
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My husband had gout and after cutting back his protein intake, the gout goes away. Also, tart black cherry, which he gets at the health food store in capsule form helps.


Reflexology

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Posted by Marsh57 (United States) on 10/30/2019
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In 1998, I awoke in mid-summer with my big toe on fire. Excruciating pain with a sheet covering it, but I could put a shoe on and walk. Went into the college nurse who diagnosed it as gout. Ok, so I wasn't an overweight, drunken smoker. Instead 110# and yes, probably partying a little too much. There was a health food store next door, so chatted them up. The lady gave me the name of a reflexologist. Made an appointment, and to this day just remember begging for a wooden bullet. While he worked on my feet, I could literally hear the crunching of uric acid. It took a few sessions, but well worth it. PLUS stopped eating fried foods, American cheeses, processed foods. 30 years later (where did the time go?) not another episode. I still have reflexology done a minimum of 2-3x a year to keep any uric acid from building up, although there isn't much with the dietary changes.