<human>: Hi, I had a gout attack at the big toe and had recovered after about 2 weeks of bed rest, strict diet control, and a course of colchicine. The problem is the recovery is not 100%. I would describe it as 95%, as very slight redness and very slight swelling is still present. Another 3 weeks have passed after the initial 2 weeks of bed rest, but the 5% remains. This is very unusual as in past attacks the recovery is complete after 2 weeks at most. i m able to move about without pain but with some discomfort, due to some rigidity at the big toe. if I spend more time walking, the big toe feel slightly more red/swell and a little pain returning. It is definitely not the gouty pain. Any advice you can give to secure a full recovery is appreciated. Thank you. Jimmy. email: YYYY@YYYY
<bot>: Hello, It seems like you have recovered from an acute attack of gout. Are you on any tablets now like allopurinol to maintain the serum uric acid under control? If yes, then I would suggest you continue it and maintain the uric acid level below 6 mg. What usually happens with repeated attacks of gout is that every time while healing a small amount of joint damage occurs, and it will lead to gouty arthritis. In your case, the remaining 5%of your recovery may be related to this issue. I would suggest you consult your physician once a year at least and to get radiographs of great toe to know the status of joint. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.  