ORTHOPEDICS COMMUNITY
Mystery Toe!

Mystery Toe!

So I'm up in Alaska right now with limited care available. About four days ago my big toe joint started to hurt a little bit and was sensitive to the touch. Then the following days it has hurt so bad I cannot really walk on it and have to hobble around! I'm working at a fishing lodge and as luck would have it an orthopedic surgeon was staying next door. He felt my foot and said that it was not a bunion or stress fracture and thought it might be gout. I researched this online some...and I didn't exactly fit the profile for having gout. I am a vegetarian and do not drink and never have drank any alcohol. I am a 21 year old female, and as I understand usually older men are affected. I was concerned this might mean kidney problems since I don't fit the profile so I went into the ER today and they suck me all full of needles and took xrays. X rays showed a small amount of build up around the joint (...pseudogout maybe?) but nothing conclusive. Blood test showed that my kidneys were basically functioning correctly and my uric acid levels were low (although I realize this is not necessarily the best indicator). My white cell count was fine to indicate no infection. They tried to aspirate the joint and stuck a needle in there three times but couldn't get anything...so they left it as gout and sent me on the way with an even sorer toe and a set of crutches. My toe is very tender to the touch, slightly warmer than the other one and hasn't shown any signs of getting better. I cannot really move my toe much (down a little and up barely a couple millimeters). They gave me some indomethicin or something like that (a NSAID) and told me to take that. I am worried about the underlying cause of whatever this is and looking for some ideas! My toe is killing me and would LOVE some answers.

Thank you so much for your help!
Related Discussions
Post a Comment
To
Comment
Post A Comment
Go
Blank
Weight Tracker
Reach your weight goal faster
Start Tracking Now
MedHelp Health Answers
Submit
Top Orthopedics Answerers
Avatar_f_tn
Blank
PedroH
SK
RSS Expert Activity
2126606_tn?1335910182
Blank
Heroin Abuse on the Rise among U.S....
8 hrs ago by Clare Waismann Kavin, RASBlank
1741471_tn?1336957856
Blank
LIVE WEBINAR TOMORROW!-SUPER BODY, ... Blank
May 22 by Michael Gonzalez-WallaceBlank
2126606_tn?1335910182
Blank
Fibromyalgia Awareness
May 11 by Clare Waismann Kavin, RASBlank