About gout
When to call a doctor
Most gout attacks can wait for same-day or routine care, but some symptoms need prompt attention.
In brief
- Call urgently if a hot, swollen joint comes with fever or you feel systemically unwell.
- Contact your clinician if prescribed attack medicines are not helping after a few days.
- Report new rashes or severe side effects on gout medicines straight away.
Seek urgent care now
- Joint pain with swelling and heat plus fever, chills, or feeling very ill
- Sudden severe symptoms that could be infection in the joint
- Signs of a serious medicine reaction (for example widespread rash, breathing trouble, or swelling of the face)
Contact your clinician the same day
- Attack symptoms that worsen despite prescribed treatment
- Little improvement after about three days on attack medicine
- New itch, rash, or peeling skin after starting uric-acid-lowering tablets
- Severe stomach pain, persistent vomiting, or diarrhea while taking colchicine
Plan a non-urgent review
- Repeated attacks in a year
- Hard nodules (possible tophi) under the skin
- Questions about diet, alcohol, weight, or preventive treatment