DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 72-year-old male who suffered from gout for years, and I mean suffered. My big toe would swell up to twice the normal size. My doctor prescribed colchicine with directions to take one every four hours until I got diarrhea. Then I was to discontinue the medicine until the diarrhea stopped. Once it did, I’d begin the regimen all over again. I tried the cherry cure, stayed off beer and booze for a while, tried other remedies and still got gout.

One day, a young female intern suggested I ask my doctor to give me a prescription for allopurinol, 100 milligrams. Well...

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