Until recently treatment of the acute attack employed the drug colchicine, an extract of corms of autumn crocus. Colchicine blocks reaction of white cells to uric acid and white cell recruitment reducing inflammation and pain. The dramatic response is considered to confirm the diagnosis. Attacks can be prevented by reducing body uric acid but there is no permanent cure. Aspirin will work if you take 15 tablets or more daily.
Small doses make gout worse.
These drugs are begun after a second attack within a year. They can make gout attack worse. Continued indefinitely, they lower the risk of subsequent attacks. Gout sufferers need to drink at least half a gallon of fluids daily and heavy alcohol intake should be avoided. Diet is important to lose weight, starvation or very low calorie crash diets can provoke an attack of gout.