Q&A for How to Dissolve Uric Acid Crystals

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  • Question
    Do uric acid crystals go away?
    Robert Dhir, MD
    Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon
    Dr. Robert Dhir is a board certified Urologist, Urological Surgeon, and the Founder of HTX Urology in Houston, Texas. With over 10 years of experience, Dr. Dhir’s expertise includes minimally-invasive treatments for enlarged prostate (UroLift), kidney stone disease, surgical management of urological cancers, and men’s health (erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, and infertility). His practice has been named a Center of Excellence for the UroLift procedure, and is a pioneer in non-surgical procedures for ED using his patented Wave Therapy. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Georgetown University and was awarded honors in pre-medical studies, urology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Dr. Dhir served as chief resident during his urological surgical residency at University of Texas at Houston / MD Anderson Cancer Center in addition to completing his internship in general surgery. Dr. Dhir was voted Top Doctor in Urology for 2018 to 2019, one of the top three Best Rated Urologists in 2019 & 2020 for Houston Texas, and Texas Monthly has named him to the 2019 & 2020 Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars list.
    Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon
    Expert Answer
    In general, uric acid crystals do not just go away. Removal requires specific treatment with medication and a careful diet that avoids foods that raise uric acid levels. It is best to speak to your doctor about a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs as they can take into account your weight, age, gender, current habits, etc., to ensure you’re getting the right plan.
  • Question
    How do you flush uric acid out of your body?
    Robert Dhir, MD
    Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon
    Dr. Robert Dhir is a board certified Urologist, Urological Surgeon, and the Founder of HTX Urology in Houston, Texas. With over 10 years of experience, Dr. Dhir’s expertise includes minimally-invasive treatments for enlarged prostate (UroLift), kidney stone disease, surgical management of urological cancers, and men’s health (erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, and infertility). His practice has been named a Center of Excellence for the UroLift procedure, and is a pioneer in non-surgical procedures for ED using his patented Wave Therapy. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Georgetown University and was awarded honors in pre-medical studies, urology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Dr. Dhir served as chief resident during his urological surgical residency at University of Texas at Houston / MD Anderson Cancer Center in addition to completing his internship in general surgery. Dr. Dhir was voted Top Doctor in Urology for 2018 to 2019, one of the top three Best Rated Urologists in 2019 & 2020 for Houston Texas, and Texas Monthly has named him to the 2019 & 2020 Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars list.
    Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon
    Expert Answer
    You can reduce the levels of uric acid in your body in various ways. Some ways to do this include: Limiting or stop having alcohol, eat foods that don’t contain high levels of purine (e.g., don’t eat red meats, broths, gravies, organ or offal meats, sardines, herrings, scallops, anchovies, etc., as these are high-purine foods) and take appropriate medications as advised by your doctor. Try to limit sugar and saturated fats. Instead, add more foods to your diet that can help reduce uric acid, such as oats, leafy greens, broccoli, raspberries, cherries brown rice, wholewheat bread, and black beans. Cherries have been shown scientifically to have very good protective effect, so try to add a few of these each day to your diet if they’re readily available. Also be sure to exercise daily if this is possible, as it will help a lot.
  • Question
    What neutralizes uric acid in the body?
    Robert Dhir, MD
    Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon
    Dr. Robert Dhir is a board certified Urologist, Urological Surgeon, and the Founder of HTX Urology in Houston, Texas. With over 10 years of experience, Dr. Dhir’s expertise includes minimally-invasive treatments for enlarged prostate (UroLift), kidney stone disease, surgical management of urological cancers, and men’s health (erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, and infertility). His practice has been named a Center of Excellence for the UroLift procedure, and is a pioneer in non-surgical procedures for ED using his patented Wave Therapy. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Georgetown University and was awarded honors in pre-medical studies, urology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology. Dr. Dhir served as chief resident during his urological surgical residency at University of Texas at Houston / MD Anderson Cancer Center in addition to completing his internship in general surgery. Dr. Dhir was voted Top Doctor in Urology for 2018 to 2019, one of the top three Best Rated Urologists in 2019 & 2020 for Houston Texas, and Texas Monthly has named him to the 2019 & 2020 Texas Super Doctors Rising Stars list.
    Board Certified Urologist & Urological Surgeon
    Expert Answer
    It is important to stop adding purine-rich foods to your diet to avoid increasing purine levels in your body. This includes such foods as red meat, organ or offal meats, sardines, shrimp, mussels, herring, anchovies, trout, haddock, scallops, lobster, mackerel, etc. Instead, add more foods that contain vitamin C, such as fortified cereals, fruits like pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, etc. and vegetables (most are good). Also, try to lower your sugar intake and eat low-fat dairy in place of saturated fats. Drink plenty of water and try adding some tart cherry juice to you diet, as it is thought to help reduce uric acid. Be careful about diets that suggest you can “alkalanize” your body, as ridding yourself of uric acid buildup is a lot more complicated than simply adding certain foods or substances to your body. It is always best to eat a healthy diet and exercise more, regardless of what you’re trying to fix.
  • Question
    For a patient who has chronic gout, will exercise cause pain to the big toe and a flare up attack?
    Chris M. Matsko, MD
    Family Medicine Physician
    Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.
    Family Medicine Physician
    Expert Answer
    Yes, it is very possible. The classic presentation of gout is a flare up of the great toe. This is usually treated with NSAIDs and a purine-free diet. More severe cases require colchicine or indomethacin.
  • Question
    Will allopurinol dissolve existing uric acid crystals?
    Chris M. Matsko, MD
    Family Medicine Physician
    Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.
    Family Medicine Physician
    Expert Answer
    No, allopurinol with not dissolve uric acid stones. This is common misconception. Allopurinol only prevents further attacks of gout. It does not relieve the symptoms of gout.
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