Real Patient Stories: How Others Are Managing Uncontrolled Gout
Two patients reveal the emotional and physical toll of living with mismanaged gout — and the life-changing difference a rheumatologist can make.
By
Lana Pine
| Published on May 20, 2025
3 min read
In today’s episode of our Managing Uncontrolled Gout: Insights From Top Doctors series, we’re continuing to spotlight the real stories and critical insights that often go unheard. Today, we're diving deeper into the long-term impact of untreated or undertreated gout, highlighting powerful patient experiences and the importance of seeing a specialist.
As we build toward Gout Awareness Day on May 22, our goal is to dispel the myths, share solutions and empower people living with this painful and often misunderstood disease. Stay tuned — tomorrow we wrap the series with a message of hope and action.
Gout, a form of inflammatory arthritis often misunderstood and mistreated, has shaped the lives of countless people — two of whom, Joe and Stacy, recently opened up about their decades-long struggles with the disease and the lessons they wish they had learned earlier.
Joe’s Story: Resilience and the Long Road to Relief
Diagnosed in 2001 while starting a physically demanding career in the railroad industry, Joe was thrown into the world of gout with little information or guidance. Working long hours outdoors and constantly on his feet, he faced excruciating joint pain that made putting on his steel-toed boots a daily battle. Like many, Joe initially treated gout as a series of isolated flare-ups, unaware that it was a chronic condition requiring continuous management.
For over 20 years, Joe stayed on the same medication — one that wasn’t truly working — until he finally connected with the right health care professionals who helped him get his symptoms under control. Today, with the support of his wife and son, Joe is motivated to stay active and manage his health. He urges others not to settle, but to keep pushing for better care, better answers and hope. “There are options,” he says. “Don't give up.”
Stacy’s Story: Years of Pain, One Lifesaving Doctor
Stacy’s first gout attack came at age 24 during an overnight pilot assignment, hitting him with pain so severe he thought he had broken a bone. Over the next 25 years, the attacks became more frequent and more disabling. At his worst, his sons had to help him move around the house. He suffered from swollen joints — including elbows the size of softballs — and tried everything from diet changes to injections, with no lasting relief.
What finally made the difference was seeing a rheumatologist in 2019 who started him on an infusion therapy. Since then, Stacy has been gout-free. He regrets not seeking specialized care sooner. “I had two family members who are doctors, and even they didn’t fully understand gout,” he says. “Please — go see someone who really knows this disease.”
A Common Lesson: Find a Specialist
Both Joe and Stacy’s stories reveal a critical truth: Too many patients suffer for too long without proper treatment because they don’t see a specialist. Both men thought they were managing gout correctly — until they learned better. Their message is clear: Don’t rely on outdated advice or general care. Seek out a rheumatologist who understands the complexity of gout and can help you reclaim your quality of life.
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